Last week was all about:

• Yesterday I conquored the mighty Col du Coq on my mountain bike. I knew this was one of the most difficult passes in the Grenoble region and that proved to be correct with an almost constant 9% gradient all the way up. 12.2km was going ok until half way and then pretty good until 3km from the summit but after that I ran out of energy and my legs were capout and it was agony and heartache.

  At the beginning there was a light drizzle and quite dense fog but higher up that gave way to sunshine. After the tunnel section it started to rain and I stopped to put on my rain coat and had a sandwich I’d made earlier. The rain didn’t last long and it turned sunny again. The traffic was light but after the turn off away from Saint Pancrasse there was only one further car. Just the road and some cows and two other riders and me.

  The descent was briefly on road then off onto a track that I found via Google Maps. I was exhausted so any up and I pushed, at least to begin with, then it was grassy and the track became more ridable and some nice fire-road gravel descent down into Le Sappey en Chartreuse which Marion and I had been to before as it was the base of our hike to Chamechaude. I filled my water bottle and ate a bit more food and then it was time to take the road down to Grenoble and home. Passed the aftermath of a car accident with glass all over the road. The road was find and smooth, mostly dry.

• Tuesday I did a ride up my nemesis the climb up to Saint Nizier du Moucherotte - and back via Lans en Vercors. Again tackled on my steel Croix de Fer (I first did the climb one month ago). Man I need more gears and a lighter bike but that’s enough excuses for now. I made it to half way up the climb before stopping as before and glad I kept on going after inhaling three cereal bars. Two riders overtook me as I stopped for food on the way up and I overtook one of them.

  Autumn really is coming and more so when you go higher in the mountains! The wind was a blowing on the descent down into Lans en Vercors where I had my lunch. The descent was fun as usual and along the flat along the Drac in Grenoble I had to find a new route home as part of the river path was closed.

• Other things that happened this week were: job interview on Tuesday, took Emma to swimming, re-learning how to solve the Rubick’s Cube with Arthur, house heating (communal) turned on just in time for a warm 27°C warm snap, picked up the food shopping,

• Started reading David Nichols’ latest “You are Here” that Marion brought back from her trip to UK last weekend.

• Mosquitos still in season and in biting mode. The warm weather keeping them alive and active. We are all being bitten, even indoors.

• Finished watching the fourth series of Slow Horses. Enjoyed but not as good as other series.

• Devouring the videos of Safa Brian