By Ambassador Thomas Silva
There is that moment, when for two days, no one is counting on you. That moment when you’re up to date on your work and you can choose to do whatever you want without constraint. The last time this happened to me, I packed my bike and got on a train. The train of wonders that leaves from Nice and at the end of which there are mountains. The Alps. A grandiose playground.
The plan was to spend two days in autonomy on a mythical track, the salt road. At that time, salt was a rare commodity, and the powerful fought to control the trade. That’s why many salt routes were traced between the Mediterranean coasts and the powerful cities.
The journey begins in Tende, a small town located at the bottom of a valley. In only a few pedal strokes, I find myself at the foot of the Tende pass and its impressive laces, a good start for this adventure which will be rich in elevation gain.
At the top of the pass, the end of the asphalt road marks the beginning of the adventure. I immediately feel the change of atmosphere, the sound of the engines gives way to the sound of the birds, the wind, and my tires on the gravel. While the weather was gloomy during the whole day, the clouds dissipate to let the last sun rays pass through and offer me a prodigious spectacle that I contemplate from the top of my ridge, without forgetting that I must find the place where I will spend the night.
Below, I see a small altitude restaurant. Its terrace will be perfect to spread out my bivy.
While the beginning of the night was peaceful, I am awakened a little later by a strong wind. I decide to get out of my sleeping bag to have a look at the surroundings. I then witnessed one of the most prodigious spectacles I have ever seen in the wilderness. Illuminated by the full moon and pushed by the gusts of wind, torrents of clouds rolled down the slopes of the mountain that was facing me to pour into the valley I was overlooking. This kind of intense and unexpected moment that we only live during adventures like this one.
The next day, the weather deteriorated, and I ride a good part of the day under a driving rain. This gives another more melancholic charm to the mountains that surround me. You also have to be more careful. Don’t slip on that rock that sticks out, be careful of what can hide in the bottom of that puddle, and don’t stay still for too long to avoid getting cold.
After having accumulated more than 3000m of elevation in two days, I was thinking that the descent would be a moment of pleasure more than well deserved. In reality, it’s not a relaxing descent. Steep and brittle, not ideal for a gravel bike without suspension. It’s a bit exhausting but with the feeling that I couldn’t have taken better advantage of these two days, I rejoin my starting point.
I also discovered that the track I just rode is part of the famous Torino-Nice rally. Maybe this will give me an idea for next September.
