A bike ride like no other

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We’ve been trying to set up a bike ride with Antoine for a while. He first had to repair the two batteries of his handbike, while on our side, we were in charge of picking up electric bikes from 60/40, a bike shop in L’Argentière. We were also waiting for Marc, community manager of the Tourist Office, to be available to take pictures. Antonin, an intern at the office, jumped at the opportunity to accompany us to get out of the office for a bit. Once the date was set, and thanks to the weather in May being less capricious than last year, all the conditions were met for a successful outing!

Ascent to the Col de la Pousterle

On the day, we agreed to meet at the 60/40 store, a strategic place to attack the loop of the Col de la Pousterle. The exit from the Argentière is by a small road lined with plane trees. Soon, we leave the heights of the city to venture on the aerial route overlooking the Fournel valley. The plane trees give way to the acacias in bloom. Thanks to our electric assistance, you can chat all the way! After crossing, re-crossing and re-crossing the Fournel torrent, we leave the tarmac road to venture on a dirt track. A few hairpins later, we finally arrive at the Col de la Pousterle. At this time of year, the grass is green, the flowers buzzing and the view breathtaking! While we sit down for a well-deserved picnic in front of two giants: Mont Pelvoux and its majestic Violettes glacier, and Montbrison and its imposing rock face the Tête d’Aval, we let Antoine tell us his story.

Before his accident, Antoine was a ski instructor and diving instructor. In addition to this double degree, he practiced climbing, kite surfing, paragliding, among others. These activities have led him to travel all over the world. A season here, a season there, Antoine embodies the sporty and seasonal soul intrinsic to life at altitude, a way of life dictated by the rhythm of the seasons. Between his travels, he set up his base camp in the Pays des Écrins, in Argentière-la-Bessée, where he built his house.

Since his accident, Antoine has rediscovered sport in a different way. He took up skiing and paragliding, but also tennis, cycling and white water sports. It is also an opportunity to rediscover the territory: a paradise of possibilities for outdoor sports, where outdoor physical activities are accessible from the doorstep. By reinventing itself, it inspires us to enjoy every moment. To measure how lucky we are to live in such a place! Pays des Écrins, kingdom of mountain sports, preserved environment that allows us to connect with nature, which invites us to question the place of humans among the living, and to take care of what and those around us.