4PE2401 Pyrenees Extreme
The first day of riding is begining and after an excellent breakfast the group splits into teams of almost the same size. We will meet from time to time throughout the day. After a short stretch through the suburbs, we then take the first winding roads, where the proximity to the city can still be guessed at by a moderate volume of traffic. So a bit on the expressway and at the latest after the first photo stop at Montserat and the monastery, the traffic density is getting lower. After the first coffee break, the roads are almost empty and we can really enjoy the winding passes in the foothills of the Pyrenees. Around the lunch break, the groups try out different setups on the bikes and in the order of the groups, which will ensure a smooth riding experience in the next few days. There are also reports of some asphalt contact with boot tips or footrests, but we neither can confirm nor deny this from the official side. The data situation here is unclear. At the end of a very long and exhausting day of riding, the most important questions are when to have dinner and where to get the first cool blonde. Both are quickly clarified and after a good dinner in the restaurant of our monastery hotel, most of the tour members hear the call of the well-deserved bed.
We woke up well rested in the old monastery and what could be more obvious than to provide the motorcycles and participants with the blessing of the local priest before departure. So we start with the best omens to tackle the first pass directly. What starts as a remote pass with changing road conditions partly becomes a track on which we can actually still guess parts of the asphalt. A challenge that was fun and a wakeup call for everyone for the day. We continue through the remote backcountry and over lots of passes, valley roads and high plateaus, keeping the breaks short because today's stage is very long. But hey - this is an extreme tour. After lunch, we leave the extremely winding passes in the backcountry and dive into the no less winding foothills of the Pyrenees. Of course, we stop for one or the other photo stop, but the participants agreed that driving is our focus. Nevertheless, everyone enjoys the last stretch after Jaca, which we then cover on the highway, where we are amazed by the landscapes on the border with the Bardenas Reales and the wind plays its game with us. Arriving at the hotel in the lively center of Pamplona, another great day of riding is over and we think about the options for the "rest day". But more about that tomorrow.
After the last two long days of ridinging, we deserved a break. And what better way to recover than in the saddle of a motorcycle? At least that's what Franco and Matthew thought and, accompanied by tour guide Rubin, were riding to San Sebastian on the optionally offered route. There, the crossing of Spain from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic was duly celebrated over an excellent lunch. Another group around Matt, Andi, Tom, Jim and Art set off to cross the border as first and have lunch in a small french town. Both groups were accompanied by a unique atmosphere of drifting fog and clouds of the typically humid Atlantic climate. So all the bikes were cleaner on the return than at the start in the morning - OK all but one. Those who remained in the city also enjoyed the day off by visiting the various sights, tapas bars, specialty shops, restaurants and also the friends of the art of ice cream making were satisfied. The evening was also designed in this sense, so that everyone could satisfy their culinary needs according to their taste in various restaurats or street food shops. Tomorrow we will go to the higher part of the Pyrenees. We are excited and ready!
Today we go from Spain to the high alpine area of the Pyrenees. This is quite easy at first, because we only have to sort the teams and get out of Pamplona. We also successfully escape the drizzle that moves across the country from the northwest, but then it slowly starts. While Team 1 drives past a huge herd of sheep and is amazed at the sheer number of animals, Team 2 gets right into the middle and has to navigate through the middle of the herd. The principle "Moses divides the Red Sea" is applied, whereby tour guide Holger plays Moses and the sea of sheep is divided with a few targeted mini rev-bombs, so that all tour participants can cross the herd. The day continues over some well-known passes that are used by pilgrims of the Way of St. James, the Tour de France or both. The nice little groups of pilgrims along the way greet us in a friendly way and of course we like to return these greetings again and again. Of course, the changing types of roads are an absolute dream and about 30 km before arriving at the hotel, this dream is extended to us again. Without the roadblock at the Col de Aubisque, we would never have had seen this little dream roads. The fine French dinner in the small town of Luz Saint Sauveur is then crowned with the award of the deserving tour veteran Matt for his fith tour, before the more than deserved night's rest is delayed a bit at the bar. Tomorrow we will continue in the high alpine area of the Pyrenees.
Today begins as yesterday ended, with a blocked passroad. Unfortunately, the Col de Tourmalet is closed due to road works, so we have to ride around this part via the well-known pilgrimage city of Lourdes. This in turn has the advantage that the tire of Franco's GS1250, which has been worrying us for a long time, has experienced a miracle cure there and is now holding its preasure again. We are supposed to continue over the Col de Aspin, but it is closed due to landslides too, so we have the rare honor of discovering the Hourcette de Ancizan. Yes, such a tour guide must be able to reschedule quickly if necessary and local guys in coffeebars are always helpful. The rest of the day is then on the pre-planned route and there are sessions with free riding every now and then or the group composition is tweaked. One of the highlights of the day, however, is certainly the formation flight of Art, Mark and Holger and a group of local bikers over the Col de Caougnous and the Col de Port. So today everyone has written a piece of his own history and created lasting memories. The goal for tomorrow is clear - keep it going like that.
Today shows us once again why this tour is called an "Extreme Tour". As usual, we start in 2 groups from our french country castle and after a short warm-up phase, we go straight to the highest pass of the day, the Port de Pailheres at 2001 m above sea level. There the morning humidity shows itself with all its power, so that we quickly start the descent again. While one group decides to go to the sunny Pyrenees foothills on the french side and ride directly to the hotel due to the further weather forecast, the other group checks out smaller mountain villages and makes contact to the local population at a well-hidden gas station. On the way, the groups only miss each other briefly at a coffee house somewhere in the middle of nowhere, which is very inspired by unknown influences, before one group enjoys a typical spanish paella in France and the other group seeks refuge from the liquid sunshine in a very typical catalan inn. With the help of the veterinarian among the participants, even the typical dish offered by the friendly waitress could be determined more precisely, while the modern translation app offers "Dic Stew" But after light and sound effects could be heard in addition to the increased humidity, group 2 also avoided the altitude after the third mountain pass and fought their way through the Pyrenean valleys to the hotel on the spanish side. A ride that has not only created lasting memories, but also makes one proud of what has been achieved, and by the way, the bikes have also become clean. Tomorrow we will go back to the starting point in Barcelona and everyone is looking forward to another wonderful day of riding.
The last day of riding has dawned and we look back on the last few days with melancholy. Is it supposed to be over now? No, because the day has only just begun. So we dedicate ourselves to the daily briefing and use the stairs of the beautiful country house for a group photo. But now we start, again on beautiful winding country roads on which we cross 2 national parks and marvel at the former volcanic landscape. It goes on like this all day until we take the motorway in the late afternoon to avoid the dense traffic of Barcelona a bit. Coincidentally, the two groups meet at the same time at the last gas station in front of the hotel and the guides decide to organize a little surprise for the whole group in the garage. At our last dinner together we then resume and arrange to meet again first at the bar and then for breakfast the next morning. The tour guides Rubin and Holger say THANK YOU to a fantastic group and we hope to see one or the other again on another tour or extreme tour.