Minimum altitude: 740 meters
Distance: 39.3 km
Slope Aspect: South-West
Vertical Climbed: 1,296 meters (4,252 feet)
Vertical Descended: 1,281 meters
Rating: 4
With many of the high Alpine passes already closed by autumn snow, I was pleased to see that the Cormet de Roselend was still officially open. I hadn't tackled any major cols this year, having concentrated instead on longer but flatter rides. This looked like my last chance before winter set in.
The plan was to ride a loop of around 45 km, climbing the Col du Pré in the sunshine, continuing towards the Cormet de Roselend, then descending directly to Beaufort. The temperature in Beaufort was 11°C, so I reckoned it could be close to freezing at the top.
The climb up the Col du Pré went smoothly enough. It was chilly, but quite pleasant in the sunshine. Snow appeared along the roadside from around 1,650 m, and just beyond the col there's another 50 m or so of climbing, unfortunately in the shade. Here the road was covered in snow, but I'd already seen a few cyclists riding both up and down, so I assumed it couldn't be too bad.
By the time I reached the true high point, the road was back in the sunshine and the snow had melted on the Lac de Roselend side. However, looking across towards the Cormet de Roselend, I could see considerably more snow, with the road disappearing into a shaded gorge. It didn't look particularly promising.
My fears were soon confirmed. A couple of kilometres short of the Cormet, the road became completely snow-covered. A sports car came bombing past without a care in the world, but the moment my rear wheel touched the snow, or rather, ice it started spinning.
I got off the bike. Fortunately, my cycling shoes have Vibram soles, but even with those it was like standing on an ice rink. Staying upright was difficult enough, let alone walking with a bike. The ice continued as far as I could see, with no prospect of reaching clear tarmac on foot.
There was only one sensible option: turn around. Disappointing, but definitely preferable to ending up on the ground.
At least the ride back along Lac de Roselend was lovely, with the autumn sunshine making up for the failed summit attempt. Then came the final plunge down to Beaufort, through the long, shaded descent. It's a wonderfully refreshing ride in summer, but in late October it's more like cycling through a fridge.
On the way down, I spotted a young woman roller-skiing uphill on classic skis. A cross-country skier getting in some early-season training, perhaps, or a ski tourer preparing for winter? Either way, she was certainly working harder than I was by that point.
I was very pleased to roll back into Beaufort and catch the last of the day's sunshine. Not quite the ride I'd planned, and the Cormet will have to wait until next year, but a memorable outing nonetheless.
Sometimes knowing when to turn around is part of the adventure.
Snow on the ground above 1650 and on the road above 1750 in the shade. 11C at Beaufort. Sunny.
