Marmotte 2015

Have just signed up for this having heard countless inspiring tales from the Orwell crew who did it this year.
So far I have two other victims doing the trip as well.
Would be great to hook up with a few more Orwellians to tackle the Col du Glandon, Col du Télégraphe, Col du Galibier and, of course, Alpe d'Huez on Saturday, July 4.
We've booked with SportActive, who this year's crew also travelled with.
They have a package covering flights, accommodation (B&B), airport transfers, registration and the support of two team cars on the day itself. The flight out is on Thursday, July 2 and the return is on Monday, July 6.
All the details are here: sportactive.net/Cycling-holidays-and-cam...marmotte-france.html
They say they'll do a discount of 10pc if 10 club members sign up, so if anyone else is interested and wishes to travel with them, let them know you're with Orwell.
The entries are expected to go on sale in the coming days and I gather they get snapped up fairly quickly, but you are secured one anyway if you book through the travel agent.
Should be a great experience. Its definitely something I've been meaning to tick off my bucket list.
If anyone wants to touch base with me on this, drop me a line at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

And if you need your appetite whetted why not check out these entertaining and informative posts on previous Marmotte rides by Billy Parker www.orwellwheelers.org/leisure/47-tourin...grande-marmotte-2013 and Sinead Kennedy www.orwellwheelers.org/leisure/news/670-...ycling-2014-week-14b

Shane its a really enjoyable event. Group of us did it this year and it was great fun and well worth the effort and expense. Sports active provided a very professional service and made the process very easy from start to finish. For those considering doing this event next year (including myself!!) be assured that everyone who can cycle on the Sunday cycles is capable of doing this event with the proper training. If you put the work in between now and then you will complete it easily and without too much pain if you go at your own pace. If you are looking for fast times or medals its a different story but believe me it's doable if you train for it. Enjoy the process and let's know if you need any info or help.

Thanks Colm. Will be picking your brain over the winter months

Lads I believe Seamus c and tom w are both signed up so you're half way to the 10! A great event. You'll love it

There is an early bird price from SportActive (a saving of €40) which ran out yesterday. But they've offered to extend it until next Sunday for Orwell members.

Hi Shane, I have signed up also with SportActive. I plan to attend the Club info evening on the 10th, it might be an opportunity to meet other members planning to travel .
I'm not sure whether to fly on the Wed or the Thu before the event. Any advice would be much appreciated from those who have done it before.

Wednesday would get my vote every time. Although there is a bit of extra waiting around for an extra day thurs I found an hugely valuable day to use as a Reccy.
If I was to give only 1 piece of advice for it is do from bourg to bend 16 on alp the thurs. Whatever downside there is physically for doing this thurs is completely out weighted by the knowledge you get about the hardest part of the whole days climbing on Saturday. You'll reach the bottom of the alp on Saturday in great shape mentally if you do. Don't worry 16 hardened souls are around with plenty of tips for across next few months! And the raid /marmotte/etape groups will make great training partners.

I would also agree with Garret on the Wednesday arrival. By the time you arrive in your hotel on Wednesday it is late enough - the lads only arrived in time for dinner this year.

Having Thurs free means you can get your bike ready, do any last minute shopping and go down the valley for a spin. A group rode down from the Alpe and out the valley to the dam at the start of the glandon then back to Bourg for Coffee on Thurs - SportActive will do a pick up from Bourg if you don't want to do the climb back up that day:)

On Friday its last min checks and a short spin day, early night and up at 5am for the porridge!

Hi Maeve,
Hope to see you at the club info night.
Garret and Louise make some good points on the Wednesday arrival.
Unfortunately I'm already wedded to flying Thursday, but I'm not going to worry too much about missing the extra day's reccy. If I'm not ready for it by that point I never will be!

Great to see all these stirrings of interest.
Can confirm myself and Seamus Connolly are signed up with SportActive. I'm proposing to have a crack at the Marmotte (bearing firmly in mind the availabiiity of the broomwagon at the bottom of the Alpe) and Seamus is entering the Mi-Marmotte. The Wednesday arrival is indeed a good idea - thing is to get SportActive to agree to meet a Wednesday flight as they did this year.
I did the full Alpe on the Thursday this year, just to be sure I could! It was definitely a confidence-builder, though Garret's idea of a partial ascent is probably more sensible, provided you can organize to be transported the rest of the way up. (Of course, you could always cycle part of the way down from Alpe d'Huez, thus missing out the vicious bottom section).

Wed seems the better option. How many travelling would be interested in a Wed flight? We would need to know before contacting SpartActive.

In case anyone didn't see this on the other thread...

If anyone is planning to do the Marmotte trip on a DIY basis (without a tour operator) then registrations are now open, and it usually books out within a day or two. If you are booking with an operator (SportActive etc.) then they look after all that, so no need to panic.

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