Tour de France: Day 32

Day 32: Rest Day: Courchevel

The well deserved rest day was another day of blazing sun. Many of the team were blown away by the wealth and luxury evident in the surrounds. Across from the accommodation was a ski jump training area as well as the beginning of the Gondola up the mountain. A hard core group chose to go climbing with Axel the operations manager of Global Adventure Guide. Many of the rest of the team took the opportunity to take the gondola to the top of the mountain and enjoy the sunny conditions and beautiful vistas. The rest days are also a good chance to do some basic bike maintenance; catch up on any washing; replenish supplies of snacks and also rest up. Courchevel itself is one of the worlds exclusive ski resorts. Because when we visited it is the height of the summer many of the usual shops and stores were not open. The place was well set up with a free bus up and down the mountain as well as a wide range of activities including paragliding; horse trekking; archery to name a few. There are 6 michelin star restaurants in Courchevel with meals costing up to 150 euros per person. Courchevel is made up of several villages named according to their altitude e.g. Courchevel 1850 and Courchevel 2000. Incidentally Courchevel 1850 is the 6th most expensive place in the world to live. During the summer the small villages contain as few as 200-300 residents however during the winter months this increases to many thousands. We enjoyed a treat of French Champange and toasted our special friends.