Home » France » Cycle to the Summit Part 2 - Reims to Les Rousses

The second week saw us make steady progress across France towards the Swiss border. We clocked up over 470km as the rainy weather cleared, to give us crisp, sunny and cold days on the road. We were grateful for our first rest-day in Dijon, spent with a friend who gave us fine food and the home comforts we'd been missing. The weekend saw us climbing the Juras (the mountains to the east of Dijon) in a frozen alpine landscape that pointed us towards Geneva.

Cycle to the Summit Part 2 - Reims to Les Rousses

Toby Hammond
2006-06-25 18:33:08

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from every corner of the room. The clothing closest to the radiator had dried but the rest was, at best, damp. Outside we re-attached the paniers to the bikes under an overcast sky and departed. But our wishes from the previous day had been answered, the weather improved and with the roads as smooth as mill ponds, the miles passed with ease. As we entered a forested region, the first sun we had already experienced shone through the trees to warm our faces. We zipped between forestry trucks and over the hills, enjoying every second and only stopping to briefly check the map or eat. Finally we were treated to a splendid sunset as we descended from the hills and approached Dijon, a fitting end to a successful day cycling. Now a special thank you to Anne David in Manchester who has been going to great lengths to locate us accommodation with her many family and friends in France, and our apologies to her for our unpredictable itinerary. Her assistance has been invaluable - when we telephoned Renaud in Dijon he came to meet us in 10 minutes, cooked us a fantastic meal and let us have free run of his flat, no minor intrusion I am afraid to say. A great day all around.

Friday 7th December - Dijon rest day

Our first rest day, and of course the weather was great, however we needed to do lots of research about the various routes we could take across the Alps and the ferries from Italy. Renaud very kindly let us use the internet at his office at the University, and guided us through Dijon to find a doctor willing to administer the remaining vaccines we needed to complete before arriving in Africa. With our tasks completed we spent the evening eating crepes especially prepared by Renaud, the savoury version containing ham, eggs, cheese and mushrooms while the sweet one was flambéed in rum...wonderful.

Saturday 8th December - Dijon to Poligny 97km

We were sorry to wave goodbye to our new friend but it was time to be back on the road. Renaud, we cannot say thank you enough for your hospitality - it was incredible and we look forward to exchanging emails and ideas as we make our way to South Africa. Leaving Dijon along a canal path, as our wheels broke through the first icy puddles we had encountered, we all realised this was the flavour of things to come as we drew closer to the mountains in the East of France. We progressed well over the flat terrain, slowing only near the end of the day as we entered Poligny - the start of the Jura mountains. In Poligny we were befuddled by the closure of the main streets in the centre of the town... to make way for the Christmas market. After finally locating the tourist office, Toby began to make accommodation enquires, meanwhile the stall holder closest to where we had arranged our bikes started to provide us with samples of his very pleasant white wines. He then volunteered to watch over our bikes as we enjoyed the festival-like atmosphere of the Christmas market. Staying in a gite 6km out of Poligny gave us the opportunity to marvel at the clear view of the stars as we enjoyed cycling the last part of the journey in the dark.

Sunday 9th December - Poligny to Les Rousses 72km

Breakfast in the gite consisted of coffee, bread, homemade jam and chocolate cake. Outside everything was covered in a thick layer of frost. We wrapped up in our extra clothing and collected the bikes from their overnight accommodation in the adjoining stable and gingerly set of down the steep road returning to Poligny before starting the ascent to Champagnole and the Jura mountains. The weather remained cold and clear, the warmth of the sun adding to the heat generated by our pedalling. We rose through the still forests enjoying the alpine-like views and air. We ended the day with a well-earnt cheese fondue in a small ski resort village at an altitude of 1100m.