head in the clouds

bikepacking the pyrenees, a few notable moments

11 moments of note, in the order I remember them when thinking back:

1. Camping atop Tourmalet during a lightning storm with nothing but a tent between me and 300 million volts to the face (we survived.)

2. Ryanair/Edinburgh Airport losing my bike and tent on the outbound flight. After two days in purgatory and close to calling off the whole trip, I received the following email. Thanks Daniella from Baggage Services Team.

There was no further elaboration after this email, we had no choice but to scramble to Toulouse at midnight.

3. Watching Tour de France riders climb Tourmalet and making it look easy compared to how I felt climbing it the day before.

4. Having a beer above the clouds.

5. Becoming obsessed with Cacolac. Ultimate cycling fuel.

6. Descending off the Col' D’Aubisque fully in the clouds. Disorientating and dreamlike.

7. Spotting marmots curiously watching me cycle past on the Col du Portet.

8. Another beer, this time at the highest mountain pass in the Pyrenees.

9. The feeling of cycling up and through a cloud inversion.

   

10. Seeing and touching the Mediterranean for the first time.

    

11. The Gironian Sunset.