June 23, 2025 to June 24, 2025
To/In Arreau
Monday, June 23
The day started with fresh pear juice and a wonderful display of breakfast items that were, as proudly explained by our delightful hostess, all homemade, fait maison - an assortment of jams, yogurt, muesli, brioche as well as meats and cheese and bread from the local baker. The meal sent me off with smile and hopes for an easy day on the short ride to Arreau.
It had rained again last night and clouds still hung low in the sky as I made my way down the hill, stopping briefly to say hello to a few cows before crossing into the Département des Hautes Pyrénées. To my delight, it was a pretty carefree day – temperatures stayed cool and the sun remained hidden behind the clouds. I stopped for a quick snack in Saint Arroman where I met Roland, an elderly gentleman who lived across from the church. We chatted a bit on various subjects but he was especially keen to point out the potable water fountain that was part of the town’s memorial to fallen soldiers. I topped off my bottle and we took a selfie, something which seemed to delight him all the more.
After ~15 miles I crossed the Neste River and headed south through the valley on D629, one of the larger departmental roads. I cruised into Arreau, making good time on the mostly well-surfaced road with modest traffic. There were several one-way traffic stops where for resurfacing sections of the road, a project I thought might be for the TdF which will be in the area in a few weeks. The route passes through Arreau on a killer Stage 14 (19 July) that includes Cols de Tourmalet, l’Aspin and Peyresourde before finishing at Superbagnères.
I rolled into Arreau at 1:30 and went directly to my hotel, hoping I could drop off the bike and bags before my 3 pm check-in. Not only did I find someone still at reception, she told me my room was ready and though I couldn’t formally check-in the room was free to use. I showered quickly and headed out for lunch, stopping at a small café down the street. It was a long wait for my tartiflette, but there was a nice breeze, a cold beverage, and people watching to keep me happy.
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I’d booked two nights in Arreau, with a planned rest day before climbing over Col de Hourquette to Sainte-Marie de Campan. But it had been a tough week, with heat and wind adding to the challenges of the Pyrenees. I was hoping a day off would give me enough rest and renewed strength to tackle Hourquette, but the ascent profile had me nervous – 10 km of orange and red averaging 8%. I began to seriously consider the option of having someone take my panniers to Sainte-Marie de Campan. It was a restless night.
Tuesday, June 24
My first mission on today was to seek out local knowledge of a taxi service to take my panniers to Sainte-Marie de Campan. I stopped first at Tourist Information, but it seemed to be mainly a post office with a few touristy flyers – and the attendant spoke only French. I next checked out the bike shop/coffee house – a small welcoming place where I got an espresso but no useful information. Striking out locally, I contacted David at SO’inspyration, an outfit I’d previously found on the web that advertised transfer service in the Pyrénées. David was great and made all the logistics for the transfer seem so very easy.
I felt downright giddy, not realizing until then how much the decision had been weighing me down. No doubt the climb will still be difficult, but I was more confident that it would be doable. Now, I just had to get a good night’s sleep.
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3 days ago
Today's ride: 24 miles (39 km)
Total: 926 miles (1,490 km)
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