This years Epic Summer trip

[TJBi]

<snip> Maybe a few shorter trips from now on to test it but the next few days I suspect we will hardly go anywhere on it. Way too hot. Even at Pareloup.

Forecast is looking a lot cooler in some places on the Channel and Atlantic coasts. https://meteofrance.com/

 

[barryd]

Forecast is looking a lot cooler in some places on the Channel and Atlantic coasts. https://meteofrance.com/

If the bike survives today we will be heading to the Pyrenees next if not we will head north and eventually back to the UK. The heat and all the carry on and yesterdays drive has just about finished me. I used to be able to cope with the hot weather but not anymore. Anything up to 30c is ok but its just too much right now. Awful.

 

[alcam]

If the bike survives today we will be heading to the Pyrenees next if not we will head north and eventually back to the UK. The heat and all the carry on and yesterdays drive has just about finished me. I used to be able to cope with the hot weather but not anymore. Anything up to 30c is ok but its just too much right now. Awful.

Sympathise Barry . Always envied people like yourself who are comfortable with high temperatures . But clearly things are changing and I think people will be looking for cooler places and travelling more off season .
As always I will be setting off next trip late September/early October then round about March next year

 

[barryd]

Sympathise Barry . Always envied people like yourself who are comfortable with high temperatures . But clearly things are changing and I think people will be looking for cooler places and travelling more off season .
As always I will be setting off next trip late September/early October then round about March next year

Its a tricky one to get balanced. Its eight years since we last toured Europe. Maybe I just don't cope as well with the heat but this is abnormal from my experience. We only came up to Lake Pareloup because its 2700ft above sea level and the other day when I checked it was set to be 30c tops and cooler at night but its now set to be 35 and 36 tomorrow and last night it never really cooled much. Its getting the balance right as its a biking tour rather than a motorhome one so you want fairly decent warm weather for that. We also mainly do the mountains but somehow I found myself on the Cote d'Azur in August in a heatwave. My planning skills seem to have gone to rat sh*t in the heat for sure after a brilliant start. No easy escape from there. Least not in the direction we want to go in.

Then there was all the hassle with the bike, a nearly eight hour drive of all of Frances roundabouts. I was actually relieved for the tedious long drive as the van has air con and it bloody works!! Things are a little bit "Fraught" right now.

 

[alcam]

Its a tricky one to get balanced. Its eight years since we last toured Europe. Maybe I just don't cope as well with the heat but this is abnormal from my experience. We only came up to Lake Pareloup because its 2700ft above sea level and the other day when I checked it was set to be 30c tops and cooler at night but its now set to be 35 and 36 tomorrow and last night it never really cooled much. Its getting the balance right as its a biking tour rather than a motorhome one so you want fairly decent warm weather for that. We also mainly do the mountains but somehow I found myself on the Cote d'Azur in August in a heatwave. My planning skills seem to have gone to rat sh*t in the heat for sure after a brilliant start. No easy escape from there. Least not in the direction we want to go in.

Then there was all the hassle with the bike, a nearly eight hour drive of all of Frances roundabouts. I was actually relieved for the tedious long drive as the van has air con and it bloody works!! Things are a little bit "Fraught" right now.

Time to , if possible , find somewhere slightly cooler and maybe rethink your trip ? Brittany , purely as an example .
Seems a shame to have to abandon the whole trip .
After all you are only on page 16

 

[barryd]

Time to , if possible , find somewhere slightly cooler and maybe rethink your trip ? Brittany , purely as an example .
Seems a shame to have to abandon the whole trip .
After all you are only on page 16

Thats the plan with the Pyrenees if the bike survives the day. So far so good, Trip into the village to buy bread. Seems fine. A longer ride out shortly and its getting warmer!

I did toy with going to Brittany but again without the bike for me it would be pointless. If its knackered I would rather get back to the UK as soon as possible, Dump it. Get another one and go down to Devon. It might not come to that. Quietly confident.

 

[mark61]

Popping into caves at Lacave today to get away from the sun
Fortunately I don’t mind heat but mate I’m travelling with doesn’t like it. So I keep parking in full sun.

 

[barryd]

Ill keep this brief. Its simply become about staying alive now. Well for me at least. After testing the bike up at Lac de Pareloup by mid afternoon we both just thought bollox to this, lets get some miles behind us and head as far towards the Pyrenees as we can so we can get up the mountains in the morning or early afternoon. I preferred to have a few hours of Aircon than sit round an overcrowded Aire where its simply too hot to do anything. Great decision. The road (After a google maps meltdown and some careful planning) was superb all the way. Mainly free motorways. Getting round Albi and Toulouse was dead simple, hardly any traffic. Sunday late afternoon early evening is the time to go!!

One Aire I earmarked was full so went on to one we stayed at years ago at Preignan just north of Auch. Its now 7:41pm and it is still 35c. 38-39 on the way down. Only us, one other van and someone practicing the drums here (he's packed up now)

Tomorrow when we get to Gavarnie I intend to ride the bike up to top of the Col de Tentes above Gavarnie at 7200ft where there is usually snow on the top over to Spain (you can walk to Spain from there) and sit just in my underpants for a week.

 

[mark61]

Caves were cooler but not cool enough. Afternoon in the laying in the Dordogne sorted it.

 

[mark61]

 

[barryd]

View attachment 145226

Thats not far from Rocamadour I think. Have you been down the caves and underground rivers at Padirac? I bet its cool down there. Years since I did it but they were really good.

Trouble is you can't sleep or park the motorhome in them. All I can describe this as is literally hell. Its feckin horrible. Hopefully some better weather in the next few days.

 

[yeoblade]

I drove up to Col de Tentes and then cycled into Spain from there (actually its a hiking trail but....) above Gavarnie. No snow in July to see, BUT I did see a alpine marmot at the Port de Boucharo Spainish/french border. After the decent ,with a few stops to cool the brakes I need a new set of pads after. You could paddle in the lake there Lac des Espécières ou de Luhos, 65120 and probably wild caemp thre too

​

 

[barryd]

I drove up to Col de Tentes and then cycled into Spain from there (actually its a hiking trail but....) above Gavarnie. No snow in July to see, BUT I did see a alpine marmot at the Port de Boucharo Spainish/french border. After the decent ,with a few stops to cool the brakes I need a new set of pads after. You could paddle in the lake there Lac des Espécières ou de Luhos, 65120 and probably wild caemp thre too

​

If its the lake at the top above Gavarnie I am sure I have walked to it before but probably wont make it now. I don't think they allow wildcamping up there but maybe some get away with it. We will go up on the bike (assuming it doesn't have another hissy fit)

 

[yeoblade]

If its the lake at the top above Gavarnie I am sure I have walked to it before but probably wont make it now. I don't think they allow wildcamping up there but maybe some get away with it. We will go up on the bike (assuming it doesn't have another hissy fit)

Yes, drive through Gavarnie and keep driving, go to the the end of the road! passing the Ski area. And Goats/sheep

 

[mark61]

Can deal with the heat with help from me usb fan.
Not so sure about parking up next to a bloomin half abandoned scooby hotel though.
Pic too big. Never mind.

 

[barryd]

Yes, drive through Gavarnie and keep driving, go to the the end of the road! passing the Ski area. And Goats/sheep View attachment 145228

First time I rode up there in 2009 on the bike one early morning on my own I encountered a large Marmot. It literally ran out in front of the bike and up the road. I wondered WTF it was. Never seen one before. Thought it was some kind of Pyrenean shaggy scotty dog or something.

 

[yeoblade]

Ditto, first one I ever saw too,

peeped out behind the rock and ran away: Here, you cant quite see it running away

 

[barryd]

Caught these two (Alan and Roger) last time we were up there although I think this photo was taken on the Cirque de Troumouse around the corner from Gavarnie.



Then there was the one selling sausages on the Cormet de Roselend

 

[barryd]

its just possible we are on the road to normal service been resumed. Horrendous night last night near Auch. Set to be 42c there today apparently. Long story short we made it to Gavarnie at 4800ft and its still red hot although cooling now. I think it hit 35c even here. That must be a record.

Its crazy busy here, mainly cars but both sides of the large aires are almost full yet we almost got our favourite spot on the end. As soon as my neighbour moves Im nicking it! Cars are parked all the way up almost to the Aire 1km from the village. I think everyone has come up here to escape the worst of the heat. Hopefully as it cools in the next few days they might all naff off.

Well the bike took us right up to 7250ft way up above Gavarnie to the top of the Col de Tentes. I topped up with fuel before we set off. Unbelievably even at 7250ft it was too hot to sit for long and there is no shade. There is even snow! Actual snow across on the big mountains opposite the top of the col!

On the way down we stopped when it clouded over a bit and sat on the grass enjoying the cooler air and shade. So far so good with the bike and I hope the "promised" cooler weather in the next few days will help as well.

Few pics. Cracking ride up and down the col. Even the poor Sheep were desperately trying to find shade on the side of the rocks, and Michelle in her "Summer Biker Gear". Pictures are low res as the internet is rubbish here.

 

[mark61]

My next fridge is going to have usb charging points in it.