PYRENEAN GEMS

With so many climbs to ride in the Pyrenees, CW spoke to Peter Cossins about his new book on cycle routes in the range

- Peter Cossins

It has taken author and CW contributor Peter Cossins years of research to compile his latest catalogue of routes in one of cycling’s Meccas, the Pyrenees. Inspired by Alfred Wainwright’s legendary guides to the Lake District, he’s devised 112 routes to ride in the mountains. Eager for a trip ourselves when lockdown restrictions allow we wanted to know his favourites and what he learned from the process.

What makes the Pyrenees unique?

“Although I’m biased, I think they’re an ideal range to discover by bike. For a start there’s not a great deal of traffic, especially if you go out between 12 and 2pm and the French are all having lunch. There are huge differences in the terrain too. To the east, close to the Mediterranean, it’s drier, can be very windy, and the land is parched in the summer. As you move further west, the countryside gradually gets lusher, especially on the French side of the chain.”

What did you discover about the mountains that you didn’t know before in the course of researching the book?

“Researching the book really confirmed the impression that I’d built up over 30 years of riding, travelling, and working in these mountains that there’s such a variety here. I’ve become more aware of the elements, of the fact that you need to be prepared for the unexpected, for the weather to change suddenly.