Oopsies

So today was supposed to be the day to climb Mont Ventoux. Rusty decided he would join me on a hired electric bike, the sun was shining and all looked good. But then the Garmin did it’s thing. We are staying in Sault from where the ascent of Mont Ventoux is supposed to be 26km and doable ish. The Garmin decided that would mean we would miss out of lots of gorgeous Provençal countryside so sent us the long way round...

This would have been okish if (a) Rusty’s bike had unlimited battery (b) that route up Mont Ventoux wasn’t closed for snow (c) storms with hailstorms hadn’t arrived.

We got as far as Bedoin through some admittedly beautiful scenery

But then the battery ran out and the storms arrived

After a recharging of the battery at a lovely bike hire shop and a recharging of the bodies at a cafe, we set off again. Unfortunately the ridiculous subsequent climbing killed off the battery again (let’s not mention my poor tree trunks) and to add extra drama I’m not sure I have ever been as soaking wet on a bike before the hailstorm pelting.

Fortunately once we had climbed the last col, it was mostly downhill so no battery required but we did have to push a very heavy bike up the last hill!

Hot showers, a huge meal and several buckets of vin rose later, we are almost human again.