ventoux '24

WHEN Mme MELLING AND YOUR AUTHOR first set out to establish a domestic foothold in the Vaucluse or Drôme regions of France, one of our stipulated requirements was that the property we sought should be graced by a view of Ventoux. Many of the potential properties we inspected did indeed boast such a vista but fell short in other respects (or were beyond our modest means). Why was this requirement made? Because dear subscriber, this wonderful hill dominates so many aspects of the south west Fr. countryside we have holidayed in over the years, that we got into the habit of expecting a view of Ventoux from our rentals, as of right,  and some of those we obtained were very memorable, believe you me. So we looked for a such a fortuitous gaff in lots of villages, like Brantes, like Savoillan for example – but in vain……

OK… so in the final analysis 1rueFB in Sablet fails on this pre-requisite, it's true, and until we finally plumped for this address we were still holding on to that 'in-sight-of-Ventoux' stipulation. But we failed. To be fair, we don't have to go very far out on to the Plan de Dieu before we can see Le Géant over the top of the Cheval Longue, the intermediate ridge that obscures Sablet from being spotted from the top of the mountain, and vice versa.

We visited the summit of Ventoux twice this year (2024): in spring, and as described here, in Autumn. 

It has been announced, since we've returned to the motherland, that the Tour de France is running a stage up the mountain in 2025. It will be the eleventh T-de-F summit finish on the hill whilst the race has also passed right over the top on eight occasions to finish elsewhere. The first ascent was in 1951, since when it has become a firm favourite, almost an institution for the greatest bike race in the world. But I'm not going to provide a potted history of the T-de-F up on Ventoux, you can sort that out for yourself if the mood takes you. Wikipedia covers it adequately I think.

No, the purpose of this brief posting is to act as an aide memoire to your author and record our trip up the hill, given that it was our last excursion of the autumn before we got down to the business of packing up for shipping back to Blightey. You can  read it if you like, be my guest. First, a week before, we had driven round the north flank of the hill, along the Toulourenc, the most beautiful of valleys, a favourite place. See the picture up top: I add the image here to demonstrate Ventoux is quite chunky if seen from the north side, close to. 

On summit day, we took ourselves off to Bédoin for breakfast and then up the aforementioned. It was delightfully quiet. Autumn gathered pace as through the trees we progressed. There were cyclists pedalling up the D974 but not so many as to make one nervous of their weaving and stalling. We negotiated them safely and some restorative road edge corrections being made above Châlet Reynard to arrive at the higher levels and the turn off. 

We were gratified to note that the concrete and tarmac dump on the upper plateau has been cleared, as foretold by notice in the spring and the terrain thus sullied, restored to oolitic naturel. Don't believe anybody that pronounces the summit of Ventoux as barren. It isn't, there are a wide variety of alpines to be found, otherwise why would sheep and chamois bother going up there? You have to look, mind. And at last there is some physical discouragement by crash barrier to a growing trend for some motorised muppets to stray off the black-top. Tidy. But above all a bit of conservational sorting. About time.

Cloud obscured the communications tower that blots the summit proper, off and on. We went over the top and dropped down to the lower ridge, then walked back up to the summit to ensure The Family Seat was still holding out. It is, we sat carefully on it and remembered past visits to it, as you do. 

Our return to the lower levels of Provence was down the north side via Malaucène and back to Sablet (to begin sorting the place out for our winter absence, what joy). The poles are still extant, even some replacement ones, adjacent to The F-S, situated as it is only a few metres west and below where some triumphant young chap (who knows who that might be) will be winning the race stage of his life next July… unless the Mistral precludes a summit finish, as it did in 2016, when we road-sided the stage and it had to conclude at Chalet Reynard: not covered by one of my posts, you'll be relieved to note. 

the north side of le géant

new poles • family seat • wind chill factor • big view • final bend