July 13th - to the Pyrenees

We had a long transfer day from Provence, however we did manage to climb the Col de Espan (spelling).  I found this to be a tough climb, we started from the village immediately below the Col, it took about 3km to warm my legs, once going it is an amazing climb with great views looking back down the valley.We had a long transfer day from Provence, however we did manage to climb the Col de Espan (spelling).  I found this to be a tough climb, we started from the village immediately below the Col, it took about 3km to warm my legs, once going it is an amazing climb with great views looking back down the valley.  One of the more interesting aspects of the climb is that you get a to see where you have climbed from, it is not possible to see the road above but looking down you can see the road snaking through the trees.  When we got to the top it was cold and raining, Patrick, Alan and I descended the other side, we waited for a the others in a very nice restaurant with a wood stove. Patrick and I completed the ride to the hotel in pouring rain, cold but fun.