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| Markham called for a wheelchair |
Markham was moving stiffly the next morning after his explosion up Tourmalet, opting for the elevator rather than the stairs, and wishing for a wheelchair. We did what we could to revive him with coffee and carbs, and loaded bikes on an Andiamo van to drive 40 km up a scenic valley to Gavarnie. A throng of older European tourists had preceded us and the little town and main hiking path were bustling. The air was cool, the sun benignly smiling, and we unloaded our bikes and geared up to explore the town and gentle path leading further up the valley. I could handle that, even on an off day!
We dodged hikers and horses on the paved portion of the path, and soon the paving ended and we turned back toward Gavarnie and went in search of the road to Port de Boucharo and the Spanish border. It was easy to find. One bend, two bends, and then up it went. We climbed, pedaling doggedly away on the steady 9% slopes, surrounded by ripped mountain peaks and vast mountain meadows filled with the music of sheep-bells.
Seven miles later we reached a high parking lot, where we picnic-ed on French bread, cheese and Orangina. Then we remounted our bikes and pedaled up a paved path another km through scattered rockfall until we arrived at our goal: Spain!
Little did we expect to create an international incident...
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| Hikers and horses start up the path |
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| A young horseman |
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| Slow going up 9% slopes to Port Bochero |
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| Why we climb--part of Cirque de Gavarnie |
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| In Spain at 7,300 ft. |
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| Jim and his bike mustache--don't ask! |
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| Dodging rockfall on paved path to Spain |
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| More Cirque de Gavarnie |
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