A few years ago in the middle of January it got warm and most of the snow melted on top of Ventoux. I had good intentions of climbing it one day, didn’t, then it snowed the next. I was not going to let the heat wave we’re having right now pass me by!

I didn’t actually know if the mountain was climbable today, but I had no plans and wasn’t even hung over, so I drove through the fog to Bedoin and slooowly pedalled up the mountain. When I reached the barrier, a couple of km after Chalet Reynard, things were looking promising. I even got those boys there to open it for me so I wouldn’t need to duck under.

If you’ve ever climbed Mont Ventoux you’ll remember the series of huge ins and outs that you do between Chalet Reynard and the top. There was no snow on the ‘ins’, but it collected in banks on the ‘outs’. I had to get off the bike a few times to practice my ‘cross skills.

When I stopped at the place the last photo was taken I thought I’d just turn around. I didn’t really see the point in walking the last 400 meters and my feet were getting soaked. Then 3 men walked by and, seeing that I was turning around, one of them said to me ‘in life you need to make a little effort’. I had just climbed 1500 meters straight up, but saw their point and trudged on. Luckily the snow ended a hundred meters or so up the road and I could (after pounding the ice out of my cleats) finish in style…or at least on my bike.

Happy New Year, Dear Reader!