Breakfast, loading bikes in the car and driving to Meiringen (near Interlaken). Getting concerned about the picked outfit as it was getting fairly wet and rainy in the highway. But weather changes quickly with location in the mountains. Arriving at our ride start, a few last drops then amazingly the sky almost opened up a little, dry roads out here! How is that? We were so lucky last days! Clouds seam to break up.
[add: original loop, closed suten pass, non ideal recovery timing from previous day?]
Py feeling a little slow and heavy legs some how, may need a long warmup... not really moving anywhere today. Also that one "hammer perpetum" drink tastes a little strange today, almost like spitting it out. Yikes. But this was the only water/drink, the other version in bottle two tasted a bit better. This is to be dumped at next opportunity to refill with plain water.
Some what keeping today... the wind chill about every second turn with more and more elevation gained did not really helped feeling better, so Py put his jacket on even climbing.
Climbing Grimsel Pass. A very scenic old road around the car tunnel.
Approaching the Grimselpass top -- snow melt running in rivers down left and right of the road, and flooded the pavement at several locations.
To be noted: This pass just opened today!!!
Descending down into Gletsch finally dumping this ugly drink and putting clear water in, eating some bar. Feeling a notch better.
Then heading on to Furka Pass. While Ben is going ahead we agreed to meet where ever he will be on his return -- so it happened we meet at Belvedere.
Back down to Gletsch -- fast fun! Coffee & Gipferl. Then climbing up to Grimsel pass again and back down -- getting a bit dirty and wet but from melting water. Sun -- finally coming out -- great!
As there were a few hundet meters missing to finish another 3000m elevation we went up on kleine Scheidegg to finish a good 3000m again. That was a steep final climb to finish up a perfect week of riding.
A brief summary:
7 days, 850 km, 20 km uphill in some what 18 major climbs: Alpe d'Huez, Col de Sarenne, Col du Lautaret+Col du Gallibier (unil impassible about 150m before top), D1T, Susa Moncenisio, Col du Mollard, Croix de Fer (climed both sides), Col du Glandon, Villard-Reculas (D448) to Huez, Col de la Forclas, Col du Marais, Col de la Croix Fry, Col des Glieres (east), Grimselpass, Furkapass (to Hotel/Belvedere), Grimsel from Gletsch, lower part of kleine Scheidegg.
*** Well and without even checking, Py can tell this was by far the most climbing and the biggest distance ever he covered in 7 days in a row
*** And a lot of kudos to Benedikt for picking some of the best locations to ride again -- he knows pretty much every mountain out there!
*** PS: There is still some more to say and in my mind -- may be keep updating for a little while...
*** PS: There is still some more to say and in my mind -- may be keep updating for a little while...
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