MISGUIDED Mission Into The Mountains? ❄️ I’m Not Equipped For This Cold!

Day 235. 72km (82550kms 7yrs)

Over breakfast together Marius checked my route for the day advising on more interesting roads. At the shops to avoid a repeat of yesterday’s hungry experience I stocked up on cheap carbs for the day. The overnight forecast was for a very cold night up in the mountains – colder than I am currently equipped for – so I also picked up a packet of fondu and spent the whole cold day looking forward to my hot tent meal.

Initially flat and windy I wasn’t keeping warm enough while cycling. I sheltered in a church for my first snack questioning if I should quit this side trip and head directly to Clermont Ferrand. But I was eager to see France’s lakes and volcanoes region so I – probably misguidedly- pushed on. At the foot of the first climb the wind dropped and I began to warm up, subtracting layers so as not to get too sweaty. I would have to sleep in all these same clothes tonight so couldn’t afford for them to get wet from either rain or sweat.

Cresting this first ridge I was rewarded with an incredible view of a part of France I didn’t know existed! An impossible number of very steep ex-volcanoes squeezed into this lush landscape before me. The road from here descended amongst them to the village of Saurier from which I began the second, 650m climb of the day to lake Pavin. At only 5% it shouldn’t have been a problem but I was tired now and it was getting problematically late.

Arriving around half an hour before sunset I took a quick photo of the forest-fridged lake under a grey sky, before immediately turning around to continue another kilometre up to what the map indicated was some sort of shelter. Imagining the open but roofed space with a fireplace I’d seen a few day previous I was disappointed to find the building to be locked up. Some pine trees near by would be the only shelter I would get for the cold night ahead. But checking around the back on the off-chance I found one small room open! Incredible! In the last of the light I cleaned my cooking pot of most of its coffee grains with the minimal water available to me. My red wine – which I usually complain is too warm – was now cold enough that a white would have been more suitable! In any case I delighted in my inspired meal choice dunking bits of baguette into the delicious hot gooey cheese mix. A very successful end to a chilly day.

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