Since our last post, it feels a bit like we’ve been playing a real life, good old fashioned, game of Snakes and Ladders, with tears and tantrums included! Albeit in our game, it’s all been upside down – the snakes down have been the great flowing fun single-track, and the ladders up have been the brutal hike-a-bikes and hauling the bikes over felled trees. Not to mention the contrasting highs and lows of environment, weather and situations we’ve found ourselves in that have added to the Snakes and Ladders feeling.

The last ten days have been spent in the beautiful Jura Mountains of France. It’s an area we know well, having spent a great holiday here bikepacking the VTT Grand Traverse of Jura (GTJ) with friends a few years ago. Jura seems to be a bit of a secret the French keep to themselves, and it’s clear to see why with its rolling green hills, mountain tops and very few people.

But the VTT route a few years ago was pretty tough going so I was apprehensive about this section of our journey. Looking at the elevation profile for the EU Divide route didn’t fill me with much confidence either but we figured we should give it a try. At least for a day or so, then we could wimp out.

It turns out we didn’t need to bail out. Of course there were some really tough sections, of course some of the trail choices on the route were really questionnable and of course we had to take our life into our hands each time we rolled over the supposedly bike friendly fence crossings that you’re more likely to catapult off rather than roll over! Yes, Ted became very grumpy each time a boulder strewn track created a new rattle on his bike, frustrated at the weight of the tent (again!) during the hike-a-bikes and became very very shouty at the numerous felled trees along one particularly steep section of route. But we managed the whole off road route through the whole mountain range – I’m pretty proud of my little peggy-leggies if I’m honest. When I say we managed the whole thing, I mean there was one day we wimped out on the road because we wanted to enjoy 50km (50km!!) of descent – Only about 16 pedal strokes all morning – so I’m mainly counting that as a rest day (but the 1000m climb at the end of the day had less of the rest-day vibes!)

We criss-crossed over the French and Swiss border, the only indication of change of country being some painted marks on trees or a dry stone wall to ride over – more of the lost borders that have many tales to tell no doubt. The trails on the Swiss side were obviously immaculate, super fun XC trails that required me to channel my inner Jolande Neff (Google her, she’s mega!) and have already had me thinking we should come back on lightweight un-loaded bikes and a bunch of mates to enjoy them some more. 

The views of the Jura Massif, the Alps and Mount Blanc were pretty special. It was like looking at layer after layer of mountain skyline all differing shades of blue with white snow dusting on top.

But its not just the physical aspect of our journey that has been so up and down. It’s also the mental highs and lows we’ve faced. As any parent of a toddler will know, when you’re physically exhausted or hungry every emotion is hightened. It’s meant that every time I’ve struggled with a technical climb, or not put our equipment away in the correct way, or faffed for too long and watched Ted speed off over the top of the hill, it’s been a much bigger hit to my confidence than usual. I’ve been left wondering if I’m really capable of doing this. It all culminated in some seriously ugly crying in a very small, miserable budget hotel room in Pontarlier (which felt like a good idea at the time of booking it, but as any bike traveller will know, trying to wash clothes or put bikes in a hotel room is far from ideal and added to the flood of tears!). After a warm shower, a meal full of veggies and a cup of tea I felt much better about things, a bit silly for all the tears and realised I’m here doing this thing so it must make me capable, right!? At least a little bit!

As for Ted, he’s been the one responsible for the tantrums – Unexpected, I know! But Ted’s impatience for the super slow morning coffee filter, has meant his days have often started in a more grumpy way than usual. I’ve already mentioned the lots of shouting about the felled trees left across the forest road, which I’m glad there was no one about to hear. To be fair to him, he hauled both bikes and luggage over about 20 trees up and down the steep hillside so being shouty was probably a reasonable response. He’s also had a pretty short fuse when trying to comprehend the French word ‘ouvert’. Which when directly translated into English means ‘open’, but in reality we’ve come to learn that it actually means there is a business that is sometimes open for trading. It seems that even if you follow signposts for an ‘ouvert’ shop, cafe or bakery, there’s a 99% chance it will actually be ‘ferme’ (closed) when you get there. It’s frustrating, especially winding up Ted, but we are learning.

Above all of that though, the most Snakes and Ladders, roll of the dice feeling has come from the huge contrasts we’ve been experiencing in environment and situation. Even the weather – The time before the sun rises and after it sets in the evening have been autumnal cold (4°c ish) making us instantly regret our decision to include some of our spare clothes in the things we’ve posted home. But the mid-day has been scorching warm, over 30°c most days making you think you must have exaggerated the cold you experienced only a few hours before.

Not knowing where we will stay from one day to the next is also a rollercoaster – One evening we were filling out water bottles at a village drinking fountain thinking we will need to cycle on for a couple more hours into the wild before finding a good spot for the night, and the next minute we got talking to a lady watering the plants who turned out to be a councillor for the village and kindly invited us to stay in the local school. Another night, we settled into a mountain refuge (the closest thing I’ll get to Ted treating me to a Swiss chalet), the log burner taking the edge off the cold, all snuggled into our sleeping bags thinking we’d have the safest, cosiest night. But the next minute a familiar, unwelcome scampering, gnawing sound started, but this time it was definitely bigger than the friendly wee Scots mice you find in bothies. On went the headtorches and a fat rat was running straight along the roof arches over our heads. Safe to say it was an easy decision to get out of our sleeping bags, put the tent up outside and leave our ratty friend to his evening activities alone! Rat 1 – Robinsons 0.

Since then, we thought we had learned that the tent and forest were the safest bet, but one early morning we were awoken by snuffling, snorting, grunting, thudding sound. Quick thinking Ted scared off the creature with some loud clapping, and although in my mind it was a friendly ‘Pumba’ esk piggy, the reality is that wild boar can be much more aggressive and since then we’ve been much more aware of where we choose to pitch the tent (and kept our eyes open for Timon!) You just never quite know whether the daily dice you role will lead you to the snakes or ladders – usually both!

It’s also a real culture shock going from the mountains where you can happily feel wild, free and in honesty a bit ferral (where wiping your hands on your shorts is a perfect way to dry them) to the Swiss or French towns where the ladies are chic, the men smart and having dirty fingernails wrapped around your espresso cup really isn’t acceptable! Likewise, the contrasts of thinking that a perfectly placed log is a luxury, then a few hours later you’re curled up on a sofa, cat on lap, at a wonderful WarmShowers host house. It’s a lot of contrasts to process every day. It’s hard to switch between the two and navigate between them all within a few hours.

Here’s just one example of a 12 hour period:

– Leaving the friendlest family of WarmShowers hosts in Culoz, heading South.

– Stopping at village bakery at recommendation of our hosts and stocking up on the most delicious local cheese and fresh, just baked, warm french bread we’ve had yet (and we’ve taste tested a lot, too much really!). So delicious we stood outside the bakery in the drizzly rain, ate a whole french baguette and went back in for more!

– Easy day of flat-ish cycleway riding along the Rhone River. Heavy rain forecast.

– Deciding a campsite would be a good idea due to poor weather forecast. Doing research, checking opening hours – twice. Open until 16 Oct – Great. Diverting route and adding an additional 25km to our day.

– Followed signs into a village for an ‘ouvert’ shop, to find it was closed – obviously!

– Rain held off until 5km to go to campsite, then rain started. Speeding on fast to try and avoid the worst. 

– Heavens opened. Torrential rain.

– Pulled in to put on waterproofs. I slipped on wooden curb and hit the ground. Hard. Ted angry at me for making silly mistake. Me angry at Ted for being angry at me! Ted angry at himself for getting angry with me!! Stalemate.

– Speeding on. Rain still torrential.

– Reached campsite – Closed!!! Great. Stuck in town, cold, wet, no where to camp.

– Asked in local shop if there was anywhere else to stay, answer a blanket french, ‘No’.

– Standing outside getting colder and wetter wondering what to do next – Both of us getting grumpier. Miserable.

– Sending a last minute message to some WarmShowers hosts.

– Waiting an hour for reply. Decided to start pitching the tent in a car park. Les Miserables. Well and truly at the bottom of the Snakes and Ladders board.

– Then just as we’re rolling out the ground sheet, recieving a call from WarmShowers host to say we can head straight to theirs to stay. Saved. Back to the top of the board.

– Arriving with the most wonderful hosts (Joel and Dorothee), a warm shower, eating a delicious veggie coconut curry together and chatting lots.

– Heads hitting the pillow listening to the rain outside, forever so grateful and thankful for the warmth and kindness of strangers, who become friends, if only for a night.

Life is never easy, we all know that, it’s always full of ups and downs – Snakes and Ladders that can come out of no where. No matter how much of a holiday vibe this trip still has (and it does!), there will always be ups and downs – Its what makes it so interesting. It keeps us on our toes, reminding us you never know what’s just around the corner, be it a wild boar or some trail angels (as our great friends Pete & Alice called them!) in the form of strangers offering the greatest kindness. 

So we are now waving goodbye to the Mountains of Jura and having a full rest day in Valance, with pastries, coffees, the best hot chocolate I’ve ever had and ice cream (Thanks Julie for the mega ice cream fund!)

We set off tomorrow to chase the last of the sun’s warmth into the South of France.