This years Epic Summer trip

[runnach]

Those are dramatic and stunning images, Barry!!

 

[Pudsey Bear]

Are you coming back via Ireland? we looked at it for this year, but lacked the funds.

 

[barryd]

Are you coming back via Ireland? we looked at it for this year, but lacked the funds.

Nah. I did once think about it the other way around. Do Ireland in May then head off to France. We were going to go up the East coast via Cambridge, Skeggy and Flamborough but we might now go via Dorset and Devon. Bit of a long diversion but a better one I think. It will likely take us two or three weeks to get to Calais anyway. Less if we are not "feeling" it.

 

[mark61]

Not far too far away at Bareges bike park.
I’m only taking me bike up if there’s a green run down, better still a nursery slope

 

[barryd]

Not far too far away at Bareges bike park.
I’m only taking me bike up if there’s a green run down, better still a nursery slope

Not heard of that one. Apparently there is a mountain luge (looks sh*t) and some off road downhill trikes up at Hautacam and somewhere else we are heading but it looks like kids stuff to me. I quite fancy throwing myself down a mountain on a coaster or a trike but I doubt any of them open to the public will be up to much. There were some great downhill bike tracks in the Northern French Alps when we did all the chairlift stuff. Mainly youngsters though. I would be killed to death in ten seconds probably

 

[mark61]

Coaster is on the cards. Did the one over at St Angles and that was very good, certainly as good as any in the alps I’ve been on.

 

[YeoBlade]

There were some great downhill bike tracks in the Northern French Alps when we did all the chairlift stuff. Mainly youngsters though. I would be killed to death in ten seconds probably

'Killed to death '
love it, that's pretty dangerous then

 

[barryd]

Coaster is on the cards. Did the one over at St Angles and that was very good, certainly as good as any in the alps I’ve been on.

The best one I ever did was the one at Mieders in Austria. Brilliant and very long. I think its the longest one in Europe. The ones we have seen in France so far have been crap in comparison.

 

[barryd]

Beat this one then! 5000ft up the Pyrenees at Hautacam which is a famous Tour de France route. The view from my rear lounge window is spectacular. Photos don't do it justice. Not for the faint hearted coming up here though and its about the steepest climb we have done in the van on this trip so far but Hank the Tank 2 flew up it like it was nothing. The road is fine though as long as you don't meet a bin waggon or something coming the other way. Biggest hazard are cyclist and a group of skatboarders who are going up and down all the time. They get towed back up in a chain by a car. Bonkers.

 

[barryd]

Amazingly so far there is only us. A fair few cars with day trippers but I can only see one other motorhome so far on the next car park up. Either they don't want to come up here or there is a better spot round the corner which frankly is hard to imagine. If Johnny Foreigner in his motorhome decides to park two feet from my Window here he is definitely going to the bottom via the express elevator.

Looks like some munchers have arrived and the skater boys are off again down the mountain.

 

[barryd]

Well that didn't last long. Those sheep might look cute but they have evicted us. Fair enough. The horses seemed fine. They just stand and sit in the road waiting to be petted or just to enjoy stopping the traffic but the sheep decided to literally burrow under the van. I shooed them away twice but back they came and burrowed under the van. One wedged itself under the hab step and got stuck and another wedged itself under the front bumper and had to be dragged out by its neck. So the sheep won and once I was sure none of them were hiding in the garage or clinging to the Alko chassis or scooter rack underneath we moved 100 metres up the road to the edge of the large tarmac car park. Hopefully as there is no real grass to speak of here they wont come up here.

Michelle is off walking to lac d'Isaby and Im just gonna sit here, stare out of the window and write more nonsensical songs.

Our new view and a spot Hank the Tank photo from the top of col de Trammasel I took just now.

 

[mark61]

The coaster at was Hautacam wasn’t great. Explains why there was an hour plus queue for the other one.
Moved to another hill for a swim.
Had a a good burger from a sweet van though.

 

[caledonia]

That a sketchy looking bike lift

 

[runnach]

That a sketchy looking bike lift

They are auditioning for the follow up ET movie, to be named, and pointing and talking like ET saying “BarryD go home”

 

[barryd]

I reckon half of feckin France has come up here today. Jeeesaz! Even my crappy goth rock depressing music doesn't chase them away. No wonder there are virtually no motorhomes here. I bet they are waiting for all the cars to feck off. Has anyone been up the Col de Couraduque before? I am going to try that one on Monday. I think its a nordic ski resort, maybe less well known

park4night - (65400) Gaillagos - Route de Couret

Car park. Col de Couraduque. In winter cross-country ski resort and snowshoes. Magnificent view.

tinyurl.com

 

[barryd]

Fabulous sunset here and then the twinkling of the lights far below in Argelez Gazost thousands of feet below. The stars are amazing but its brought out a lot of star gazers. Still going up and down the mountain even now well after 11pm.

 

[Devadave]

I've rode the Gorge Verdon many times on big bikes, super scooters but the funniest was on my old St1100 Pan... Joanne on the back loving it until we stopped at the end and I told her the rear brake fluid had boiled half way through the ride!
Amazing how accurate she was with her white cane, ouchy!

 

[barryd]

Left Hautacam this morning, all the way to the bottom and then back up the other side up the Val d'Azun. A cracking drive down and back up again. Van performed perfectly.

So Col du Soulor and Col d'Aubisque then. Must be over ten years since we did these. Parked up at the top of the Soulor. Its busy but the second area of parking has loads of space and delimited pitches with big rocks so I picked a massive one and parked at an angle so Johnny Foreigner has no chance of parking on top of me. Loads of room of course but that is what they like to do.

Weather fabulous again but sadly set to change again mid week.

We got to see two Pyrenean Mountain Dogs today (Patou, although we call them Pastoo dogs). They were on the road looking after a flock of sheep and one was going mental barking at the cars. Thankfully he didn't see us as a threat. Must have got his little clipboard out which has a picture of a human on it with a Green tick and a Picture of a Wolf on it with a big red cross next to it. Well the warning signs say to stand still and let him identify you. I just rode slowly past him looking well ard.

Some cracking riding and walking today but its just a one nighter. Off up the Col de Couraduque tomorrow for two or three days. Took some video but it will have to wait until I have better than dial up internet.

 

[runnach]

Viewed a few shepherds with their dogs at various on the Spain/France border, hardy way of life, but being out there in the wilds with nature, must be very rewarding.

 

[barryd]

Viewed a few shepherds with their dogs at various on the Spain/France border, hardy way of life, but being out there in the wilds with nature, must be very rewarding.

These dogs don't have shepherds though. They pretty much live wild with the flock. Well at least thats what I have read.