Day 23 Carcassone-Bagneres-De-Luchon

Normal start to the day, update info at McDonalds, buy some supplies to make lunch as we are heading out of St Giron to Col de Portet d'Aspet a category 3 climb KOM. we knew we had left our run too late pretty early as the Gendarmarie were cautioning us early and progressively more sternly as we progressed. Some were tolerant others asking us to walk, then the usual out of sight from the Gendarmarie and ride, but with the number of villages along the route it was becoming difficult to make much progress until the motorcycle Gendarmarie spoke in French I don't know what he said but it was clear this was the end of the line.

Salat River St Giron

St Giron

Peter has a plan to take us on some back roads and he will use Google Maps on his phone. I like this idea and we make good progress through lovely mountain villages such as Castillon-En-Couserans, but the roads turned into small road which turned into lane ways then rocks and gravel. ( I didn't think we were going mountain bike riding!). It was very beautiful, off the main road, very hilly, ( the gradient reached 19% in some places) peaceful and no one about. Then those thoughts enter your consciousness if you are going in the right direction. Met a mature age couple hiking, they couldn't speak English, we couldn't speak French.

On the way before we took alternate route

Surprisingly after 5 mins we understood their message (Aah the schoolboy french), Un..Salsein, .indicates a right turn, Deux...Sor, again right turn, Trois...Argein right turn,  good news we were going in the right direction. Got to Argein, Peter finds another route, this time it is mountain bike terrain some parts 9%. Its a fine line holding your balance and positioning yourself on the bike so you don't loose traction and momentum as the wheels start to spin up this little dirt road.

But this was the end of the road as we descended back onto the main route where the TDF would pass, so time to position ourselves on a sweeping corner 7 klm from our intended destination, a great effort by Peter to navigate us this distance.

Argein

It is amazing what you can communicate to each other with Charades type gestures. They understood that the stars on our flag was the southern cross only visible in the southern hemisphere, and what part of Australia we were from. We understood that he knew the Australian rider Richie Porte, and  gesturing door, as La Porte means the door in French. I like this way of communicating with each other, it's creative and fun.

Again we managed to make the TV as the race swept by. We powered back home to St Giron, drove onto Bagneres-de-Bigorre and camped by the River L'Adour, which runs through the town and happens to have a Slalom canoe course right beside us.

Bagneres-de-Bigorre, Slalom, L'Adour River

Sport Minister sign. We can close any road