The Official Ventoux Report

So I thought I'd take the time to tell the tale of our assault on Ventoux while the memories are still fresh. If you haven't already seen the the Garmin ride data, check it out.

Monday: The Scouting Trip
We left the house Monday morning under cloudy skies and the occasional rain drop. We rode out in similar weather the day before and it never really rained on us, so off we went. We could see the top of Ventoux from the very beginning of the ride, or maybe I should say we couldn't see the top. The plan for the day was to ride through Bedoin to the summit, down the north side to Malaucene and back home. We decided to ride as far as Bedoin and let the weather dictate the next move.

We had a nice ride through some small villages on the way to Ventoux and never really got wet. It was market day in Bedoin, so the streets were packed with people, musicians and vendors. We followed the detour signs around the town to meet Bogdan, Alex and Andrei on the other side where we would begin the climb to the summit.

Brian and I found a bakery, had a pain au chocolat (chocolate croissant) and made a deal that if the weather was really bad once we got into the clouds we'd turn back. I'd read some horror stories about the weather on top of Ventoux and I'm not ashamed to say I was a little worried.

Off we went as a group of five, then four, then three. Brian and I were working hard to keep ourselves in a rhythm and weren't talking any more than was absolutely necessary. Every so often though, Alex would ask a question or attempt to make conversation. Brian and I answered in single syllables, if at all. I think Brian and I were both about ready to pick the pace when Alex said, "I'll see you guys at the top" and fell off the back. We climbed in silence for a few more kilometers when the pitch eased a little and the road opened to a large intersection and there was Chalet Reynard.

Now we were just below the clouds, but the rain was still very light. We put on our vests and decided to keep going.

We climbed about four more kilometers into very dense clouds and we were starting to get a little wet. I don't think it was rain that was soaking us as much as it was the damp fog we were riding through.

By the time we made it to the Simpson memorial we could only see a few meters ahead of us. The sound of a descending rider's freewheel would cut through the fog and then he would appear just across the pavement. As fast as he appeared, he was gone again into the fog below. After a couple of pictures at the memorial we kept going.

After only a few minutes we saw the sign for the cafe and knew the summit was just ahead. We turned right into the final hairpin and were hit square in the face by some unbelievable winds. We both rode for the base of the tower in hopes that it would shelter us, but the wind was blowing right down the side of the building. I got off the bike and grabbed the side of the building. I wasn't sure what to do next. Riding over the top and down to Malaucene was definitely out, but going back down the hill didn't seem too appealing either. I decided to walk down the hill and out of the wind, trying as hard as I could to dig the rubber heels of my shoes into the pavement with every step. We made it back down to the cafe and went straight in.

We ordered hot chocolate (which is actually melted chocolate and hot milk, lovely), Pepsi and banana crepes. While we sat inside and enjoyed the crepes, outside the weather got bad. Big, heavy rain drops were falling now and I'm sure the temperature had dropped about 10 degrees. We got back on the bikes and were both shivering horribly as we started to descend.

I was in front trying not to let the tremors in my arms swing the front wheel too far one direction or the other. I couldn't actually see off the edge of the road, but there was no doubt it was a long way down. My hands were numb from the cold and constant pressure on the brake levers and I could feel a cramp building in my left leg. The cramp must have been caused by all the shivering because I certainly wasn't pedaling down the hill. I took an opportunity to look back to check on Brian but couldn't really see him through the rain and fog. I yelled back, "Brian?!!?" and was glad to hear him reply, "Yeah!"

Finally we were back to Chalet Reynard and we headed straight for the cafe where we ran into the other three in our group. Brian and I drank more hot chocolate and shivered intensely while we waited for the rain to pass. There was finally a break in the heavy rain (meaning it was just raining) and we took off. It seemed that only about two minutes down the road from the Reynard, the clouds cleared, the rain stopped and the temperature jumped up. I finally stopped shivering and we blasted our way down the mountain. Brian and I both over-cooked the same turn and skidded our way through it. It must have looked cool.

When we got back to Bedoin and stopped at a cafe for coffee we realized that we had all run through piles of cow and/or horse shit on the way down. My socks and shins were covered.

Thursday: All Three Sides
Ashly drove us over to Bedoin in the morning and the weather looked great. It was probably around 75 degrees that morning and not a cloud anywhere. We assembled the bikes and packed our jersey pockets with Clif bars and gels. We grabbed a coffee at a cafe in the heart of town and headed off.


The first climb went well. We took our time and pretty much knew what to expect all the way up. What a difference a couple of days makes. The winds at the summit were light and it was just cool enough to need the wind breakers we had stuffed in our jersey pockets.



I was feeling good. According to accounts I had read, we'd conquered the toughest climb. We grabbed a Coke and headed down to Malaucene.

The road down the north side of the mountain was much more dramatic with steep drops and tight switch-backs. Then it flattened out and we were actually pedaling. Seemed like there would be places to recover, eat and drink on the second climb.

Alex was climbing from Malaucene that morning and we passed him on the way down. He was smiling and didn't seemed too distressed, I thought, "this side must not be too bad."

We turned around in Malaucene and headed up. Things started out pretty good, but then we hit a section that was a lot steeper than what it had seemed on the way down. I figured that it wouldn't last too long so I didn't worry about it.

I have my Garmin set up to show me the grade of the road, and that may not be the best idea. I looked down and it said 15%. That's pretty much where it stayed for the next 10 KM.

I was losing my motivation when we turned a corner and saw Alex. He was still on his first climb and we had almost caught him. Eventually we did catch him and Brian rode on by. I decided to sit on his wheel for a few minutes and try to recover a little. Then the questions started. No choice, I had to get out of the saddle and move on because I certainly couldn't be bothered to chat.

Now I was working hard trying NOT to catch Brian. There was still another climb and I'd need everything I could save.

Finally, I could see the last corner and the tower just ahead. One to go.

The descent down to Sault was brutal. The roads on the first two climbs were beautiful and smooth. This one seemed to be nothing but patched holes and loose gravel. We bounced along for about 30 minutes until we got to the bottom where we had to climb up into Sault. Insult to injury. My legs were completely locked up, I could barely spin the cranks. Somehow I did get up the hill and into town where we stopped for a late lunch.

After a ham and cheese sandwich we were off again. This climb was hovering between 5% and 7%, but it felt like it was going on forever. I couldn't really shake the thought that the last six KM would average 10%. I was moving up the 5% sections well enough, but I wasn't sure how I'd do when the road turned up.

To make it even worse, the last six KM of this climb is shared with the route from Bedoin. Just looking at that section again seemed unbearable.

After a very long ascent on the rough roads, we turned the corner that revealed the Reynard. The last section was in front of us and the tower was sitting on the summit taunting us. We turned the cranks slowly in silence and tried not to look at the tower too often. At the last turn, Brian and I both found enough energy to get out of the saddle and power through the inside of the hairpin. When we stopped at the top I was too exhausted to be happy. I think I was just relieved it was over.

We put our jackets on again and set off down the mountain for the last time. No skidding through corners this time, just slow and steady all the way down.

It was a tough day, and I'm not all together sure why I did it. I'm glad I did, but I was really questioning myself on the third climb.

Brian says we'll return in 10 years to face this beast again. I wonder if I'll be recovered by then.