Super Besse
Info
Date: 22nd August 2022
Ride No. 34
Grade: 5/10
Location: Besse-et-Saint-Anastaise
Strava
Segment ID:16794608
My Time: 11:09
Please don’t muck it up
The climbs up the Col des Pradeaux and the l’ Homme Mort were hot work today. The campsite at Montbrison on a Sunday night will be quiet, I’m sure?
No.
Children screaming in the playground and the pool replaced rave central.
Can there be an upside to this?
Yes, they stopped at midnight. This only left the distant whining of engines from the Montbrison Chapter racing along the nearby dual carriageway.
So on to the next campsite and this time a choice.
The campsite Camping de Serrette, looked just the ticket. Three-star, restaurant, bar, sauna and right next to one of the four climbs in the area.
So, Mr Google maps, “How far away is it?”, “56 miles Phil.”
Great.
Ok Mr Tom-Tom get going.
What it’s 108 miles!
Fooled by that flying crow distancing method and the fact that someone put some mountains in the way. ?
The phone pinged a message as I was about to start.
My recently married son texted, “Hi Dad, we are in France, please don’t muck it up. I am at Puy de Dome, an area famed for its landscape of extinct volcanoes. What could go wrong?”
A reasonable drive later and I am the new campsite.
It was like the website portrayed it. The pitches were large and enclosed boasting spectacular views, and the owners spoke English.
The tent was up, and everything unpacked with time to spare.
A quick ride?
Let’s ride the 5/10 Super-Besse.
Life’s a beach
The straightforward drive to Besse-et-St-Anatstaise soon turned in to a puzzling maze as I looked for a suitable car park.
The start was a roundabout on the D149, just out of town.
A road like a carpet was my climb.
It lulled you with a -2% section dip, then hit hard with 12% for 1.5Km before bouncing around 6-8%.
The top came as a bit of a surprise because of the tree lined climb and limited views.
Not quite the desolate space I had become accustomed to,
It was a busy ski station come small town.
The only mention that it was Super-Bessie was the Sport 2000 banner.
I checked the segment, and it confirmed I was past the end, so the banner will have to do for the photo.
What was a surprise, though, was a sign pointing to a beach!
Not one to miss a photo opportunity, this had to be checked out.
Lo-and-behold, there it was.
A café table looked abandoned, but a swift manoeuvre and a beach shot the Brompton craved for.
I shall artistically call this composition “Brompton, on a table on a beach up a mountain.”
Descending the smooth road with no bends was a freewheeling 40mph joy.
I fell for the old ‘gotcha’ again. Trying to find the car via the one-way systems, of Besse-et-Sainte-Anastasie.
At least I saw most of the old town during my search
Apple Tags have saved me from losing my mind and keys a few times on this adventure. I need one for the car?.
Super Douche
Peace at the campsite.
A cup of Lapsang Souchong with a ‘pain au chocolat’ before heading off to find the shower.
The typical campsite shower block was nothing unusual, but I noticed the shower press button label “Super Douche”.
If you press your back onto the button, it will keep the shower on.
The Super Douche, however, shoots a brief cooler jet of water at, shall we say, just below waist height?
“Woo-hoo” you shout while jumping forward.
A camper will enjoy this first thing in the morning.
I need to know if I must pay for that extra. ?