This morning we said goodbye to Doug and headed off on an interesting climb through the back roads to Ax les Thermes.
We climbed for 10km at a significant grade .. 5-7% with a few 10% I think. We peaked at the Pas De Souloumbrie at 911m and then descended at a gradual rate for the next 20km with fabulous views into the valley and across to the adjacent mountains. The views reminded us both of the Ardeche (5 yrs ago?).
We finally started to ascend to the col De Marmara (5% - easy) and then came to a fork in the road. We could descend on what I thought we be a gradual slope to Ax or keep ascending to the col for another 6km .. We took the descent on the D44. Boy was it steep! Great views too!
Ax les Thermes is a spa town and ski resort in the winter. We had a nice lunch in a funky restaurant playing reggae .. Punchiated with a smoke detector with a low battery alert .. almost in step. It was a great meal and it warmed us up as today was a bit cool.
We hung out in the square watching people soak their feet in a pool of special water and were impressed when this young English man arrived with a very heavy bike and load and gravitated immediately to the 4 ladies in the pool.
We are now settled in to a nice studio apartment on the edge of town (all we could find ... Everything else was booked!) And we are planning tomorrows day ride up Port De Pailheres as a loop.
All is well here .. Hope everyone is enjoying their fall ... If not, we will soon have winter!
