Jet Lag, the Wrong Way, the Right Way, No Sandwich For You and Climbing the Col de Forclaz (Day 1)

I wasn’t feeling it this morning when I woke up after a terrible night’s sleep. The second in a row. Maybe it’s the jet lag, which seems to get worse the older I get. Even with my Ativan (anxiety/sleeping) pills. Maybe it’s Susan. Who wasn’t with me (we meet up in Paris in about a week and then go hiking in Belle-Ile, an island off the coast of Brittany). Or maybe it’s because today is my birthday … and Susan isn’t with me. And I’m jet lagged. Did I mention I’m jet lagged? I’m riddled with lethargy. Then again, I blame the rain. It rained steadily in Paris my one day there, and it rained all day yesterday, my first day here in Annecy, the town on the edge of Lac Annecy in the middle of the French Alps. 

This morning, after it finally stopped raining, I walked over to the bike shop and got my rental. A nice red Lapierre. And immediately felt a little better. Off I went, from the center of Annecy, trying to get to the lake. I was gonna do a lap around the lake and add in a climb up the Col de Forclaz. The road I thought would take me to the lake was a one-way the opposite way so I improvised and somehow I managed to climb up and out of town in the wrong direction. Again … I blame the jet lag. And my lousy sense of direction. 

And then … there it was: Lake Annecy, surrounded by mountains. It was beautiful. Exactly as I remembered it from 2022. I headed around the lake in a clockwise direction and after about 12 kilometers turned off the path and away from the lake onto the D42 for the climb up the Forclaz. It’s not that long of a climb (10 kilometers), but the average gradient is 7.3 percent. So it’s a tough one. As you climb, you can look down at the lake for some stunning views. I made steady progress until there were three kilometers to go. The sign said the next kilometer was a 10-percent grade and the sign after this sign said it was yet another kilometer of 10 percent. 10 percent is tough, exponentially tougher than eight or nine percent. And some stretches were 11 percent. The key to climbing, I’ve learned over the years, is patience. Take your time. This is easier said than done, especially when you’re impatient. Or, in my case, extremely impatient. And jet lagged. But I kept reminding myself to take my time and enjoy the views. It seemed to work.

I kept waiting and waiting (impatiently) for the sign that said there was one kilometer to go, hoping it wouldn’t say 10 percent. I’d take an eight or even a nine. But not another 10. “Where the hell is the damn sign? I’ve definitely gone a kilometer since the last one, right?” After another 100 meters. “Really, what the hell is going on, where’s the last K sign?”

“Hey wait a second, maybe there isn’t a last K sign and there’s less than a K to go. Maybe they’re playing head games with us. Maybe I’m almost there!”

For once, I was right and there it was … the summit of the col, just a little bit up the road. 

And then, a long, long downhill to the town of Villard and then north and back onto the path on the other (western) side of the lake and the last 22 Ks back to Annecy. It’s all flat along an old, abandoned railroad track. My plan was to stop in the town of Duingt. There’s a patisserie there that makes delicious baguette sandwiches and a spot just across the road where you can sit on a bench by the edge of the lake and eat and enjoy the spectacular views. I did this twice on my 2022 trip and have been looking forward to a sandwich and a cold Orangina and a picnic by the edge of the lake for weeks. My mouth began to water as I approached Duingt.

The shop is closed on Wednesdays.

I ate an apple and energy bar, but it wasn’t the same. Not even close. I will make sure to come here at least once in the next few days.

I made it back to the hotel. They don’t have an indoor space for my bike, but the guy at the desk said I could keep it in my room. My tiny little room. Here it is below … I finally figured out if I turn it around, with the front of the bike by the door and angled a bit, I most likely won’t smash into it in the middle of the night, in the dark, when I go to the bathroom.

OK, time for my favorite post-ride activity (after a shower, of course) … a nap (I finished this post after my nap).

FYI: According to Strava the ride was 39.17 miles and I climbed 2,842 feet. Here’s the route … You can see in the upper left where I went wrong at the start …