Day 9 was a day of nature after a wonderful visit to Firminy, especially to 'La Cité Le Corbusier,' the building complex by Le Corbusier. That day, I had to travel from Firminy to Aubenas, 120 km from north to south in the Ardèche, a beautiful part of French nature. However, I had forgotten to check the gradient of the road between these two cities. The owner of the B&B had told me the evening before that this would require a significant effort in the warm weather. I had to reach the highest point of 1200 meters twice on the same day. So, I got up very early and was out the door by 6:45 AM.
Mijn room in Firminy. Nature at the beginning of the day
The first stretch was long and steep, 15 km, a tough climb, but it was cool. From Firminy to Dunières, the landscape only got more beautiful. At first, there were mainly pine trees and cows, and then gradually more forests with meadows in between. There were many lumber companies as forestry and logging are important activities here. From Dunières, the road continues to climb, with a mix of forests and hills with all kinds of vegetation. The sun is shining, but it’s not too warm yet. Then, the road goes downhill for a long stretch. When I reach the bottom of this first long descent, I check the time. It’s already 10:30 AM, and I’ve cycled 65 km. So, I’m only 55 km away from my destination, the town of Aubenas. The signs indicate that I’m entering the Parc Régional Naturel des Monts de l’Ardèche, and I think that these mountains seem manageable, even with a sore hip.
At the top of the hill
I get overconfident and continue cycling toward Cheylard, named after a river, and then things suddenly go wrong. Google Maps sends me onto small roads, and before I realize it, I’m in the middle of nowhere. It’s possible that I didn’t hear a message from my built-in Google Maps voice correctly, but I suddenly find myself on a very narrow road, too steep to cycle. I get off and push my bike further. Below, I see a small town, and I think: if I have to go there, I won’t get there until tomorrow…
Meanwhile, my battery is almost dead from all the uphill and downhill riding. I’ve been on the road for over a week, so I get tired more quickly and use the “sport” function of my motor more often. I decide to stop and look for someone who can help me. However, it’s so remote here that I have little chance, and yet... miraculously, a young man in boots comes down the path, accompanied by an older lady.
Looking for the right way. Alban, my helper in need and his horses
Rientje always looks out for me as a guardian angel because someone had already realized that I was on the wrong path. He had seen me riding in the distance and had already told the lady with him, "This won’t end well; we need to help him." The lady greets me and wishes me all the best because she has to go home after a horse riding lesson. The horse breeder-farmer is named Alban. He breeds and maintains horses for clients, gives riding lessons to young people, etc. He lives on a hill with his girlfriend Fanny.
He takes my bike and lets it charge in a barn, then takes me to his house on top of the hill so I can charge my phone as well. He gives me liters of fresh water, offers to make coffee, and even offers to cook for me; super kind. Then he explains how I should ride now to make up for the lost time. He sticks a note with the names of the small roads on my phone case on the handlebar of my bike. After an hour, I’m back on the road, down a long steep hill, mostly braking to avoid falling. I immediately take the D 578 toward Mezilhac, back uphill for 25-30 km, more than I had planned due to the detour on top of the mountain. Alban told me to stay on the D 578 because he knows the area very well. He warned me that the last 6 km are super steep, with a gradient of up to 5.9% at one point, but he gave me tons of encouragement and a few bottles of water.
The beautiful nature of the Ardeche and the lady of the brocante, my second helper in need
Around 2:30 PM, I reach the top in Mézilhac, and then I still have 35 km to go to Aubenas. I made it to the top with just 1 km left on the battery, so I run out of power on a flat section, 5 km from my B&B. It’s Sunday, and everything is closed. I find a nearby brocante that is open, and the lady helps me immediately. An hour later, I’m back on the bike, and 20 minutes later, I’m at my B&B. Luckily, I still have some bread and cheese left. Then I take a shower and quickly go to bed because I’m completely exhausted.
The beautiful Ardèche
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