Rest days in the Alps, end of Stage 1

The early morning sun bathing Mont Blanc in a pinky hue, I've just packed Lu off in the Alpibus back to Genava and it is almost time to continue the journey after a few wonderful rest days in Alps.

We arrived in Chamonix 4 days ago, a day ahead of schedule, after consecutive days of riding like men (or bearded tramps) possessed. We passed through the Puy du Domes, Haute Loire and the Rhone regions, essentially heading East under Clermont Ferrand and Lyon, up around Lake Annecy and on to Chamonix. Consecutive 120+k days in often stifling heat in the Cols of the Auvergne had resulted in us both having fairly heavy legs. So the last thing we needed was Cheeks to break another spoke and me to record the first puncture of the trip. Fortunately my flat tyre was easily fixed and we got Cheeks' spoke sorted in Aix les Bains, without needing the help from toothless mechanics in soft porn filled lawn mowner shops.

Our final stop before Chamonix was Talloires, on the shores of Lake Annecy. A beautiful spot, and at last no idiotic bureaucratic swimwear restrictions. So whilst we were still treated to the full range of ubiquitous unnecessarily tight speedo viewings (and I thought France was a fashion powerhouse?), we were at last allowed to swim. A luxury Cheeks and I were keen to maximise to the full. So, much to the consternation of the speedo wearing fraternity who looked on incredulously, these two bearded dirty cyclists ran yelling in to the lake fully clothed, contravening every last aspect of the French swimming etiquette. Glorious.

The final day's ride was a slow 80k ascent up to Chamonix. Tired, heavy legs in need of a few days off, were fuelled by the thought of cycling into the Alps. Every hair pin, every supportive toot from supportive GB-stickered cars, and especially the more angry toots from drivers getting slowed by the two pannier-dragging bearded Brits, fuelled us up towards our Alpine goal. The Alps were enveloping us.

Cheeks has mentioned the varying motivational techniques we embrace to drag ourselves along when it all gets a bit tough. I'll leave him to his angry reptilian women and focus on the music. With mini speakers to the fore, I'm not sure what the locals in the quiet Alpine villages made of us, as first Cheeks passed through treating them to a couple of big Dolly Parton classics, followed by me with Muse giving it both barrels of glorious Devon rock. And with speakers running out of juice and the superb tarmac eventually succumbing to a pot-holed one track road, we reached Chamonix, late afternoon, in time for a couple of well earned beers.

Stage 1 complete in 3 weeks. 1506km covered in only 15 days of cycling, through the best scenery France has to offer. Very special.

And not forgetting the ultimate driving factor behind this journey is my father's memory and raising money for his hospice. So to get here following parts of the route he did 50 years ago, and to raise £6,350 feels fantastic.

We spent the next 3 days resting up in Argentiere, a small mountain village, away from the hustle and bustle of Chamonix. And happily, a further 10k up the mountain in the direction we have to cycle today!

Wonderful to be joined for the weekend by a couple of key Blazing Pedals personnel. Lu, Director of Social Media and Tour Mule bringing out fresh supplies of dioralite, energy drinks and most importantly Cheek's new kindle (he sat on the other one last week). And Rick who kept our cycling pace up with a couple of training rides in the mountains prior to the Help for Heroes' Piste 2 Plage ride in 2 weeks time. Key realisation here is how comfortable our hybrid saddles are. Jumping on a rented road bike with 'specialised Tour de France knife edge' for a saddle, for a training ride into Switzerland almost cut us in half!

We dived back into Chamonix, making a mockery of the probably very efficient bus system as we waited for endless buses, and eventually took the cable car up to the Auiguille du Midi at over 3800m, for a truly spectacular view up close and personal with Mont Blanc. If you are ever in Chamonix, don't think about the seemingly extortionate €45 - it is worth it.

I'm delighted to say, Lu and Rick did everything they could to knock the tour off the rails as we ate too much, enjoyed guilt-free drinks in the evenings, and then during the day when my cousins joined us from Geneva for a Alpine sun filled, wine soaked lunch yesterday.

Truly fantastic, and indeed I am so thankful to have been able to involve family in the journey, however fleetingly. This trip is proving to be a fantastic adventure, challenge and a lot of fun. However, there is clearly a poignant side to this journey, and it was a real pleasure to be able to involve close family in that undertaking for a few days.

Right, better get a shift on. That bike isn't going to get itself to Switzerland!