Guess what? We wake up to a light rain, what a surprise… I sag and send the boys off. We get an early start — 9:30. It has taken eight days, but we finally figured out how to not dawdle around so much in the morning. Starting early on this day was actually a good thing as it turns out to be a rather long day. The route is advertised at 86 km, but I it turned out to be a bit longer and a bit hillier. The day’s route also includes the second highest mountain on the trip – a 15 km slog up Port de Pailhères.I buy lunch and gas and also have a difficult time getting out of town. I can’t find the exact road out of town. I mean I have a difficult time getting out of town! It takes me 45 minutes to find right road. Gees! I finally reach Dave and Dick about 11:15 and provide them support. But first, some of the valleys I zoomed through to find the boys:
I need to trudge on to help Robin and Terry. I fly up the moutain and find Robin about 5 km down from first summit (Col de Marmare). I feed him some lunch as I suspect he wouldn’t see the van for the rest of the day. I then fly up the hill to find Terry. I find him at the top of the second hill (Col de Chioula), patiently waiting. He said he had been there 15 minutes. He was flying on his bike. I fed him lunch and he took more food for Robin and waited for him. I then fly back down the hill to find Dave and Dick and I actually find them only about 7 km behind Robin. I stop at the same spot I found Robin on the way up and provide some water.
They trudge up to the top of the Col de Marmare and I feed them lunch there:
The road up Col de Marmare was rather narrow (barely one car width) but the gradient was easy and consistant. Dave and Dick suspect the road was once a narrow gage railroad. Hmm. While it didn’t rain, the roads were wet up the first two climbs. I swap with Dick and I take off about 2 pm. He completes support for the day.
I suspect the other two boys are on their way up Port de Pailhères and will not see the van for the rest of the day. I actually believe I’ll not see the van for the rest of the day. I make to the top of the second hill, have someone take my picture and start descent.
Fortunately the rain holds off for remainder of day. It was an easy descent down to Ascou and then start the trudge up Port de Pailhères. 8.5% avg gradient for 15 km. The first 5 or 6 km were mostly easy — some sections were 2 – 4% gradient. That only meant the top sections were steep. And they were…. The top 8 km or so were 9 – 9.5% advertised but some sections were 12 – 15%. Ouch. Here’s Dave almost to the top:
I made it to the top in the clouds and fog (but no rain). Terry and Robin are long gone so I didn’t see them for the remainder of the day’s ride. The temperature was rather cool at the top. I find someone to take my photo:
As I prepare to descend, Dick shows up and mentioned that Dave was only a few kilometers behind. I start to descend rather than wait as the temperature is rather cool and, because of the fog and humidity, I was getting rather chilled. Here’s Dave at the top:
50 meters over the top I find the other side of the mountain mostly clear and sunny. I try to take some photos in between banks of fog. And, as what has become expected, I find incredible valleys and meadows on the western side of the mountain. This experience has become rather routine on this trip. I wonder if the mountains were formed such that the eastern sides are steep and the western sides are lush and replete with grazing meadows? Or maybe the crew that created the roads on the eastern slopes were morons and built them on the steepest sections of the mountains while the crews that built the trails on the western slopes took the time to find gentler paths…
The descent was dry and the top 8 km was very technical. Lots of writing on road; TdF must have been here this year. The bottom section of the road was rather rough but navigable.
I start trudge up last Col and then down into the little village for hotel. The last ‘mountain’ turned out to be a farmer’s feedlot. Yep, we’re in the French countryside…
The destination town (Escouloubre) was a very sleepy little town. The hotel was really a newly renovated hostel but rather quite nice accommodations. I finally find it and also find Robin and Terry outside drinking beer. They had only been there 15 minutes. So we wait, wait, wait for Dick and Dave. I go down to centre ville to wait for one of them to guide them to hotel. Dick shows up about 6 pm. I show him to hotel and we dump bags and he goes after Dave. They show up about 6:30.
We all agree this was hardest day — 2500 meters of climbing. Some things were not yet completed in the hotel, but it definitely worked for us that evening. We were the only guests that evening, as well. The meal was really‘french country’ – beef noodle soup. pate and meats, boiled potatoes and carrots and roast beef, cheese course, then warm apple tart. Mm, mmm.
Lots of local wine (in jug) was included in the meal. We drained about three jugs and had a good discussion with the owners and their helpers. I believe they produced canned goods — jellies, etc. and were in the process of building a production facility behind the hotel. We finally stagger off to bed.
End of day 8. Statistics:
- Start: Taraçon-sur-Ariège
- End: Escouloubre
- Distance: 86 km
- Climbs: Col de Marmare, Col de Chioula, Port de Pailhères
- Total gain: 2271 m (advertised) but Robin’s altimeter showed 2500 m