Gravelman Mont-Blanc: An Alpine Epic

Gravelman Mont-Blanc 350 is the most challenging version of the Steven le Hyaric 350km challenges, featuring over 9,000m of climbing—more than the height of Mount Everest. The route is a loop from Chamonix to Chamonix, crossing from France to Italy to Switzerland and finally back to France. It is not for the faint of heart. I tackled this challenge in 2022 and for some reason am just now getting around to sharing my adventure. Better late than never.

The Build-Up

I had done the Paris North edition of Gravelman in January of 2022 and after that was fully bitten by the ultra bug. The Paris North Gravelman is certainly a challenge with lots of short punchy climbs and, of course, dealing with January weather for over 19 hrs. But I wanted more. When I saw the Mont-Blanc edition, I was instantly sold, over 9,000m of climbing certainly fit the bill for a bigger challenge.

Getting to Chamonix

Getting from Paris to Chamonix is not too bad. You can do it all by train, although there are a few transfers. The first train is a TGV, so you will need to pack your bike in a bag (you can read more about that here). Heading down there, the energy was building. You can see the mountains rising, and when I transferred to the second train, there were several other cyclists whose bikes were clearly set up for an ultra. I spoke to one woman who was headed there for the gravel version, which I am sure is a serious adventure as well. A few trains and a few hours later, I was right in the center of Chamonix.

It is a cute town with a beautiful view. I checked in, getting my tracker, and then grabbed some lunch before checking in to my Airbnb. I found a great little studio apartment right in the center of town that was plenty fine for the short amount of time I would actually be in there.

Pre-Race Prep

I went to the grocery store to make sure I would have some food upon my return, especially not knowing exactly when that would be. I also got some dinner and breakfast to cook. I like to cook for myself before big events to be safe and also so you can be on whatever timeframe you want.

I made an absurd amount of pasta for dinner, eating it all, and then tried to fall asleep as early as I could since it was going to be an early start. Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, I did not sleep great. I certainly had more nerves about this one than the last, and I got up multiple times to double and triple check I had packed things and had everything I needed. I have since found that taking gear layout photos is not only great for the gram, it's much easier when you wake up in a panic thinking "did I pack that?" to just look at the photo instead of digging through your bags every time.

Race Day

My alarm went off at 4:15 AM. While it was early, I was excited and ready to get started. I had made a pot of rice the night before, and then I made my breakfast fried rice special, which is bacon, scrambled eggs, and rice all mixed together. After loading up on that and a cup of coffee, I threw on my kit and did one last double check of everything before heading out the door.

I rolled up to the start line with equal parts excitement and anxiety. The sun was not up, but there was a glow in the sky and you could see the towering snowcapped mountains above, foreshadowing the climbing that was to come. Gravelman events are not races, but challenges, and there is not a big race feel, but there is great energy being surrounded by other crazies who are about to take off on the same journey. Because of COVID at the time, there was not a mass start, so we set off in waves as riders showed up.

Right at 6:00 AM on the dot, I rolled out of Chamonix and made my way down the valley. The combination of the start waves and my desire to hold my own pace meant I was quickly riding solo. The flattest part of the race is the first 30km, which overall might not be a bad thing—it lets you burn off the nerves without burning yourself out. It wouldn't be until Italy and 180km later before I would get another flat stretch.

The Climbs Begin

Beautiful sunrise as the climbing begins

The climbs get progressively bigger as the route goes on until the biggest one at 250km. The first one is "only" 10km at 6% going up past Combloux, but then is quickly followed up by another 13km climb, Col des Saisies. I was feeling good and staying within my zones up until this point. Overall, I am pretty good at doing that, but it was even easier knowing how much more was in store for the coming day or days.

Next up was Col de Pré, 12km at 7.8%. While that doesn't sound too bad, this is one of those averages that is not the best reflection of the actual climb. The beginning is more mellow, but then there are a bunch of switchbacks where it kicks up to 10% for around 5km. The increasing grade combined with the heat of the day growing made this the first real challenge. While it was challenging, it wasn't too bad. I was mainly just concerned about saving enough for all that remained.

The challenge was worth it though, and I was rewarded with a beautiful blue reservoir in the background and a quick ripping descent. While the descent and beautiful views were a nice refresh, the next climb of Cormet de Roselend comes quickly and the heat of the day was rising. While the actual climb in this direction is only around 6km, I was starting to feel the heat and the beating sun. There was a fountain partway up, and I took the opportunity to refill bottles and, more importantly, dunk my cap and jersey to help cool me down. I made it to the top and was feeling pretty good about having completed over 100km of the route. I kept pushing on for a nice 20km descent followed by a boulangerie stop.

The Breaking Point

Next up was Col de Petit St. Bernard, which on paper should have been one of the easier climbs with only a 4.5% average grade. But the fact that it is 30km long and at the hottest part of the day made it, in fact, one of the hardest. I slogged along for hours, sweating profusely. After several hours, my body and my legs began to really feel it.

I pulled over in a patch of shade to cool down, and in doing so, my leg cramped up and I nearly fell off my bike. I took on some more sports drink and water, but I was in pretty deep. I began questioning myself and having doubts. I remember texting a friend saying I did not know what to do. Luckily, she was able to talk some sense into me and told me to keep going and find a store to get some more food and water and just take a little time to reset.

I made it to the ski town of La Rosière and headed into the grocery store. I remember aimlessly walking through the aisles, not quite sure what to get. I got a liter and a half of sparkling water, a liter of Coke, and some bananas. When I walked up to the register, I will never forget the look on the woman's face as she looked at my ghostly blank face. I was truly a shell of a human at that point. I then sat on the sidewalk in the shade and proceeded to drink 2.5L of fluid and ate some food. Miraculously, this revived me, and I regained enough life to keep pushing on.

Into Italy

From there, I pushed on, continuing to climb up until I reached the Italian border. The views were stunning, and it really felt like an accomplishment to ride to another country and to have pushed through a rough patch. In typical ultra fashion, this feeling would only last so long. After 30 minutes of descending, I was met with another punch in the face going up San Carlo, 5km at over 9%. After all of the previous climbing, this one really hurt. The heat had faded, and it was mainly the grade that really made this one burn.

The Big Decision

The next 35km of descent and flat road gave me time to make my big decision of the route. Once I reached Aosta, I had to decide if I was going for a single shot or if I was going to get a hotel. I spoke with a few riders on the previous climb, and quite a few people were planning to call it a night, which gave me hesitation. But I was pretty determined to do it under 30 hrs. I decided I would take a longer dinner stop and then push on through the night. I loaded up with pasta and focaccia before heading off into the night for the biggest climb of the route.

The Night Climb: Grand St. Bernard

At 34km long and taking you to an elevation of almost 2,500m, Grand St. Bernard is quite the challenge to take on overnight. With the darkness and fatigue of the day, I locked in to a slow and steady pace, just focusing on keeping moving forward. After an hour or so, I had climbed up into the low clouds and fog, which was not ideal. No matter what I did, I was going to get a bit wet. I could either put on my rain jacket and sweat or leave it off and get wet from all the moisture in the air. It was the type of weather where the water drips off your helmet even though it's not raining.

Cold and clear above the clouds providing a view of what was left to tackle

As the hours passed, I grew more and more tired. I was constantly on the lookout for a place to lay down and take a nap, but with all the fog and moisture, I knew I would just lay and shiver in the dampness, so I just pushed on. After several hours, I climbed up out of the clouds and was met with a nearly full moon that completely lit up the sky and all the surroundings. While gaining elevation got rid of the fog, the temperatures continued to drop as well. While I was getting very fatigued, I knew the only option was to drop in elevation before stopping.

After 4 and a half hours, I made it to the top of the climb. While I passed a few people on the initial part of the climb, it was almost exclusively solo riding, which was actually quite something.

Had to take a picture to ensure it was not a hallucination. Chamois at the top of the climb

Into Switzerland

Upon reaching the top and crossing into Switzerland, I put on every single piece of clothing I had with me. I wished I had a dry long sleeve base layer to change into, but I made do. Since I was unfortunately a bit damp from the fog and sweat, I decided to put on my rain jacket to seal in the moisture before putting on my puffy jacket to keep me warm. Even just standing around at the top, I was shivering, and once I had the 40 kph+ wind as I started the descent, I was quite cold. As the elevation dropped and I began to dry, I actually was feeling okay temperature-wise. Other than a dry layer to change into, I wouldn't have changed my clothing choices, which I will outline more below.

The Descent and a Power Nap

While the cold breeze of the descent woke me up a bit, I was still very fatigued and trying to be safe as I bombed down the 25km descent. I was happy with my lighting setup of an Exposure Strada SB combined with a helmet-mounted light. Having the ability to look around corners is very helpful. I did have one scare midway down that really woke me up. I was going 50 kph along a straightaway when out jumped a rabbit running across the road right in front of me. Luckily, I avoided it, but locking up your tire at that speed is not my definition of fun.

After the adrenaline wore off and before the next climb, I knew I needed to take a little nap. I did not want to push into an unsafe place, and I was already seeing some weird shadow creatures, signifying it was time to close my eyes. I found a church in Orsières that had a side door with a covered vestibule. The stone was still warm from the heat of the day, so I just set an alarm for 20 minutes, pulled my hood up, and laid on the ground. It felt like a blink, as soon as I closed my eyes, I heard my alarm buzzing. I was pretty amazed at how much just those 20 minutes refreshed me.

Grinding Through the End of the Night

The next climb up to Champex-Lac was again slow and steady through the night. While the legs were far from fresh, they managed to continue to grind away. Every section I covered at night, I would love to go back and see it in the day because I am sure it's beautiful. But even with the bright moon, I could not see much beyond the beam of my headlight.

After another descent and a full 24 hrs since I set off, I reached Martigny for a much-needed coffee and croissant(s). With the sunrise and the refuel, I was refreshed and ready to finish things off. There was just one more lumpy mountain to climb, and I was confident I would make it under my goal time of 30 hrs.

The Final Surprise

The carbon soles of my shoes will forever show the signs of this part of the adventure

The climb to Marécottes was beautiful with the morning sun and winding switchbacks. While I felt the end was near, there was still a big surprise to come. Even though this was the Gravelman road version, Steven likes to throw in some surprises. This route's surprise was a 5km section of gravel, which wouldn't be so bad, but after 300km and then a 2km section with grades over 15%, it became a hike-a-bike in road shoes.

I did this event for a challenge, so I couldn't complain, and it added to the adventure. After the hike-a-bike and a little descent, the last climb was just 6km, and I was fueled by the desire to finish, so it seemed to pass quickly. From there, it was a final 11km drop into the valley to finish things off.

The Finish

I rolled into Chamonix 28 hrs and 18 mins after setting off the day before. I was pretty wrecked, and you could see it in my face. I was thrilled to have finished at all and even more so to have come in under my goal time.

The morning finish was a bit odd, as my body was thoroughly confused with barely sleeping but it being broad daylight out. I headed back to the Airbnb for a much-needed shower and celebratory beer that was waiting in the fridge for me. While going "to bed" at noon is not ideal, my body gave me no choice. Finishing such an adventure is brings me such a feeling of accomplishment and just so many emotions. I crawled into bed buzzy with emotions but even the buzz was no match for 28hrs of riding and I was out like a light almost instantly.

This route is truly something special. Climbing more than Everest and crossing through three countries in one ride is something I will always remember. I would love to do this route again—two more times at least actually. I would love to try another single shot and complete it in sub-24 hrs, and another time doing it over multiple days and enjoying the scenery. If you are looking for an adventure or a challenge, I recommend you give it a shot.

The Gear

The preparation aspect of ultras is one of my favorite parts, and this one was no exception. This route made the preparation more challenging as weight was a huge factor with all of the climbing. I also knew that if I were to do it in one go, I would be out in the mountains with few to no one passing by and nothing open, so self-sufficiency was critical. I had decided I really did not want to bring my large saddle bag, and I used that as a good way to force myself to keep things light. I will break down my gear into four basic categories: clothing, electronics, tools/spares, and nutrition.

Clothing

For clothing, I knew I was going to be dealing with a huge temperature swing. Conservatively, it was going to be 40°C to 10°C, so layers were the name of the game.

My base kit and daytime ride gear:

• Short sleeve summer base layer

• Short bib

• Short sleeve jersey

• Cap

• Fingerless gloves

• Reflective vest

• Arm warmers

• Gilet

For colder conditions:

I knew as the sun set and the elevation grew it would get chilly, especially flying down the descents.

• Leg warmers

• Rain jacket

• Down jacket

• Winter gloves

• Headband

What I'd change: There is not too much I would change clothing-wise. I think the only thing different is I would bring a long sleeve base layer. When I made it to the top of the biggest climb in the middle of the night, I was quite cold and, despite my best attempts, I was quite wet from sweating. Having a dry top layer to put on before putting on jackets would have been really nice.

Electronics

At this point, I had not switched over to a dynamo hub, but I was still happy with my simple setup:

• Garmin 1030+

• Exposure Strada MK10 SB

• Garmin Varia rear light and radar

• Decathlon mini light, red and white (backup)

• Nite Rider 550 (mounted on helmet)

• 10,000 mAh battery pack

• DJI Action 2 camera

• iPhone

Spares/Tools

For spares and tools, I took my standard ultra kit, which I will walk through. But I also brought a spare tire this time. It was a combination of just coming off a ride where I had a tire fail and I had to get a ride to a shop, plus the thought of being stuck on the top of a mountain in the middle of the night. I don't know if I would do it again now with the tires I am running, but I also would be really annoyed to DNF from something that could have been salvaged.

First Aid & Comfort:

• Sunscreen

• Chapstick

• Chamois cream

• Band-aids

• Emergency poncho

• Emergency blanket

Tools:

• Multi-tool with chain breaker

• Tire levers

• Knife

• Tire plugs (Stan's Darts at the time, but have since switched to Dynaplug)

• Patch kit

• Super glue

• Voile straps

Spares:

• 2x tubes

• Tire boot

• Chain link

• Cleat bolt

• 1 set of brake pads

• Spare tire

Nutrition

I had not ridden in the Alps very much before this, and I did not realize how NOT remote they actually are. While the terrain is rugged and feels like you are in the wilderness, you do not have to go far to pass a village with stores and resupply points. I probably brought a bit more sport nutrition than I needed. I think I would do with fewer gels, as I have found gummy bears to be a good replacement on these types of rides, and they are available everywhere. The other thing I have since changed is using non-caffeinated drinks and gels for the first half and then switching so the caffeine has better effect for me.

What I brought:

• 6x honey waffles (these are my secret, cheap weapon—just a few euros in French supermarkets)

• 10x packets of GU Roctane drink mix (60g carbs per bottle)

• 16x GU Roctane gels

• 2x bottles (550 and 750ml)

• 1L soft flask with filter

  
  

I bought plenty of other food along the way and had no issues finding water. There are so many fountains in the Alps with drinking water that I could have easily done it with just the two bottles. The soft flask and filter were just a backup in case there were fewer potable fountains running (which can happen in dry years). I only used it once, and it was actually from a clean fountain, I just wanted the extra water capacity.

Ambience Video

I had filmed quite a bit of content but never did anything with it. I had not yet started the blog in 2022 and I did not want to vlog video, so it sat on my hard drive. A friend recently sent me some links to cool videos that were not vlogs but just nice views and music which inspired me to make one my self and to write this blog.