The day I ascended Alpe d'Huez

I am happy to say that my personal project of ascending Alpe d'Huez on bicycle was successfully accomplished. There were a couple of last minute changes (including the traditional oversleeping and missing the bus) but nothing serious to stop me saying this:

I CLIMBED UP ALPE D'HUEZ ON BICYCLE!

more pictures here

I have only three advice for those amateurs like myself willing to do it:

1. The first part of the ascending is indeed brutal and you feel it is endless!, so do not waste energies there, keep it cool and just mind to get alive to curve 16. There you've got a chance breathe.

2. Prepare yourself mentally, so you don't get surprised by how hard it is!!

3. Get a personal reason to do it, don't do it for glory, a personal motivation will pull you stronger than just thirst of glory (at least in my opinion)

Personally I did it for my father, who soon will reach 14 years of death. I know Alpe d'Huez meant a lot for him due to the victory of Lucho Herrera in 1984, and I wanted to offer my ascending to his memory. Additionally the constant pain in my legs reminded me the constant pain and hurdles my mother had to overpass to rise my brother and me just by herself. After thinking about her life of struggling without quitting a single day I couldnt allow myself to stop pedaling. Those were my personal reasons.

The experience was awesome, I think climbing is something almost spiritual. I think the hardest part is in the head rather than the pain of the legs. Pedaling and feeling pain becomes mechanical, it actually becomes a background process that is just there and won't leave until you reach the top.

The real struggling happens in your mind, because there is a moment when you unplug yourself form the body and from the physical pain it feels, and then you start a discussion with yourself that actually holds you during the ascending. 

The struggling is between two parts of your mind. One pushes you to quit, to stop, to give up, it reminds you how painful it is, and the other part denies any of those possibilities, it uses your personal motivation to make you push and push and push until the moment that you realized you are at the top of the mountain. 

Here is my Strava information about the ride.

Even though the most important for me was to get there no matter the time, I have to admit that I was pleased to see that my time of ascending the 21 curves (1h29m38s) was few seconds better than my most optimistic timing (1h30m). I know I know, there is practically no difference, nor it is an amazing time but I don't care! it just makes me happy to know I made it.

If you live in France, in Italy or have the possibility to come, don't hesitate it! it is the Mecca of cycling, if you like this sport, you better come and do it at least once!

Le Petit Prince, Sixteen Years After...

Once I heard Crime and Punishment was that kind of book that everytime you read it, it become a different book. I've read it only once so I cant comment on that yet, instead I can say that "The Little Prince" is a book of that type.

The first time I read it in Spanish, back in 1996 when I was 9 damn years old. After sixteen years I read it again, this time in the original language (French), when -as arithmetic dictates- I am 25.

In general I enjoyed reading the book in French, it was easy without me being an expert on the language, it has interesting reflections but the best thing for me was to have the chance to reassess it. I give it 2 from 5 stars and I recommend to read it, though not to expect to be awesome.

It is widely believed that it is a children's book, but it is not!!. It's impossible to understand it and enjoy it when you are still a child and haven't lived the whole spectrum of things such as love or friendship, when you haven't taken decisions about life itself when you haven't left yet your planet and understood that there are many other planets around. Precisely for that impossibility for children to understand it, I think it is why the author rather dedicates the book to the child that is within us and that now is a grown up. In a nutshell it is a book written for our past, not for the present children...(the power of literature).

Personally, my impression is that the intentions of the book are to makes us reflect on mistakes and bad life-choices the grown ups make, thought I felt kind of uncomfortable with all the judgments the book has and with its simplistic and superficial approach to many of those.

Still the book has interesting parts and messages. The one I liked the most is the one with the fox, it is a nice reflection about what friendship (and love) is, about the power of those to enrich the world and the experience of life, no matter if there are tears, that's the part where the highlight of the book appears, from the voice of the good-old fox:

"... On ne voit bien qu'avec le coeur. L'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux..."

"...we can only see with our heart. The essential is invisible to the eyes..." 

Weather and company updates

This morning Julian has confirmed his willingness to die in the mountain, so we have booked a second bicycle for him. Now my ride wont be alone, I am very glad for that. I know he will be a good challenger.

Finally the weather for tomorrow seems perfect, between 16°C and 21°C. Probably we'll bike back to Grenoble instead of taking the bus.

Bike for the challenge: Checked!

The bike I have been riding on is this one, I call it "La Gorda":

A mountain bike Decathlon RockRider 6 Limited Edition with 21 gears, very thick tires and strong grip. About the weight, well mine weights 18.8 kg. Not exactly a route bike...

With a big challenge in front of me (Alpe d'Huez) I have decided to rent a more adequate bike for the climb and enjoy for the first time a route bike:

A route bike 2012 Specialized Secteur Sport Compact, 2.5cm tires, 9.5 kg and 30 gears. I am paying 35€ for one day. More decent bike indeed.

Sections of Alpe d'Huez ascending

I have just made a not-very-strict analysis* of the ascending parts of Alpe d'Huez, but I think it is good enough to be used as a "rule of thumbs" about the different sections of the ascending. 

I did it based on some readings describing the climbing. I included the number of the bends (yellow) and some guide values about the steepness of the segments (white), I tried to simplify the segments by colored bubbles (Red is "hard", Blue is "not-that-hard"). 

Note: Everywhere I read they agree the first part is the hardest, despite the 12% you'll find around curve 9!

Below there is a more detailed graph taken from here:

References: 

- Alpe d'Huez: La Subida

- Altimetrias Alpe d'Huez

- Alpe d'Huez mythical ascent

- Strava Segment: Alpe d'Huez "Vieil Alpe"

* If you see any mistake or have any suggestion to improve the graph, drop me a comment! ;-)

Transport Grenoble - Bourg d'Oisans

The time-table for this year 2012 - 2013 can be found in the page of Transisere, the bus I have to take is the 3000, I can catch it in the train station. It takes hour and a half to get there, these are the times for the following saturday. In bold my target times.

Grenoble - Bourg d'Oisans: 8:10 am, 10:20 am, 14:24, 16:40, 18:00, 19:20
Bourg d'Oisans - Grenoble: 10:25 am, 13:15, 16:30, 19:05

Also it has been confirmed that I can take the bike in the bus. So I can rent the bike on Friday here in Grenoble and then go there in case there are no renting shops there in Bourg d'Oisans due to the autumn.

Personal project: Alpe d'Huez on bicycle

My new personal project is to climb this up the following weekend on bicycle. [update: The day I ascended Alpe d'Huez]

"La mythique montée de l’Alpe-d’Huez" (The mythic ascending to Alpe d'Huez) that's how are known the 11.9km on 21 bends at an average slope of 8.6%*. The segment starts at 720m.o.s.l. and climbs up to 1750meters.
It is the ending part of the Grande Boucle stage at the tour de France. The best time is held by Marco  Pantani "The Pirate" (37'35'') and second one is Lance Amstrong (39'41'' at an average speed of 23.4km/h).

 I have been biking for some days since summer, and without being an expert I think I can make it. Following is a chart comparing some of the climbing I've accomplished and the Alpe d'Huez (being the top-right corner the toughest).

As it can be seen, indeed Alpe d'Huez would be the hardest climbing I've ever done, but I've accomplished some others that are not far from it, specially Saint Nizier and Lans en Vercors (which I did the last two weekends without any inconvenient), those might not be as steep as Alpe d'Huez but are for sure larger and steep-enough.

I feel I am in shape for it, I estimate I can finish it between 1 hour and a half and two hours, but time doesn't really matter to me. Moreover I am planning to rent a proper bike for this. Because I have been biking all these days with a mountain bike, which is heavier and has thicker tires. So a racing bike should in theory ease the challenge.

I still have some logistics problems regarding the bike I have to rent and the way to get there (it's about 50km away from Grenoble) additionally I am kind of under pressure by the weather, it's getting colder and colder and up in the mountains snow is already appearing. So the sooner I make it, the better it is.

This ascending has a personal meaning and I will share it once I accomplish it (even if I don't ;-) ). Still, Alpe d'Huez has meaning for Colombians, because it was there where the first and the only time an amateur won a stage of the Tour de France, beating all the professionals. That amateur was a humble guy from Colombia, Lucho Herrera.

I'll keep updating about fixing the details, bike, transport there, weather. Stay tuned ;-)

*Those are the values of the climbing part, when including the flat part at the top the values are 13.8km at 7.9%
References: La montée de l’Alpe-d’Huez « La mythique »

Visa to India from France

Disclaimer: The following is is just my experience and it is not a guide to apply for Indian Visa. No responsibility shall be given to the author for any mistake during the application.

This is the site that gives you the information: THIS ONE

With this post I just want to say that the process is quite simple. I can not say how much it cost because there is no generic price, there are many variables that they will tell you how to calculate it, at least myself, I payed 118€. I applied last friday 12th of October 2012.
As It is not compulsory to hand in the papers personally in Paris, so I sent them by post paying a small fee (small compared to the cost of going to Paris just to hand in some papers...)...in general I think it is very easy to apply, they say it will take them 3 working weeks.

The steps are as usual:

1) Fill-in the online form. No need to have a booking in a hotel, though you need an address where you might stay in (I just looked for a hotel and copy-pasted the address), and also a reference person in France (I put someone in the school where I study in).
2) Collect the papers: (two pictures 5cm X 5cm white background,  a copy of your passport, if you are not French you have to attach an additional form they give you in the website and just in case I added a copy of my French residence permit)
3) calculate your fee...they have a table for you to make the calculation.
4) the payment is made in the post office. It is some kind of "mandat postale", they will charge you like 7€ for that.

5 Armas Secretas hechas letras

Feliz de poder leer de nuevo a Cortázar, feliz de que el castellano sea mi lengua nativa y pueda disfrutar "a pelo" de lo que este genio hacia con el lenguaje. En orden de goce y disfrute mi tabla de posiciones sería así (y por ende mi order de recomendación):

1. Las Armas Secretas: Es el ultimo cuento del libro y el que más me gustó, el que más me llenó. Corto, con cambios de ritmo, con los maravillosos cambios de plano que Cortázar maneja tan bien. Tiene unas partes que me recordaron mucho a La Muerte De Artemio Cruz, con esos dialogos personales, esos divagares de nuestra mente que nos llevan a rincones absurdos. Admiro mucho cuando un autor es capaz de reproducir esa fluidez y ese sin-sentido que puede llegar a ser el pensamiento.

2. Las Babas del Diablo: (cuento que inspiró la pelicula Blow-up) Delicioso sentir la facilidad con la que Cortázar juega con los tiempos, la relacion tiempo-espacio y para terminar de ajustar, como es capaz de hacer de un simple momento entre dos desconocidos una escena llena de sensaciones y detalles que pasa lentamente frente al lector de palabra en palabra sentiendo al aire y la incomodidad de la situación. La escena del rio cuando esta tomando la foto es magnifica, y sobre la escena más tarde cuando él observa la foto tomada es simplemente Cortáziana, no encuentro otro adjetivo!

3. Cartas de Mama: Un cuento, "normal" dentro del estandard de Cortázar, igual entretenido de leer.

4. El Perseguidor: Es el cuento que más significado tiene no solo en el libro, sino en la carrera misma de Cortázar, pues es el punto de quiebre en su carrera y el catalizador de Rayuela. Igual tengo que admitir que disfruté más los otros cuentos. Lastimosamente este cuento me lo lei de manera muy fragmentada, cada noche antes de dormir, de modo que fue dificil aportar la continuidad que es lo minimo que uno como lector debe poner. Sin embargo, igual que con Rayuela (y es el parecido que le vi) es un libro cuyo proposito no es el final propiamente, sino las letras en si mismas, el caminar a traves de las situaciones y de los juegos.

5. Los Buenos Servicios: Este cuento si me parecio muy normalito. Por ahi hay ensayos super academicos explicandolo y su magia y no se que. Pero yo como lector desprevenido y a pie no le vi gran cosa.

Lo comencé el 25 agosto, lo termine el 7 de octubre, casi lo mismo que me demoré leyendo Bestiario, aunque Las Armas Secretas sí lo disfrute más.

Bonus: Las partes que subrayé mientras leia.
==========
la irrisión de vivir a la manera de una palabra entre paréntesis, divorciada de la frase principal de la que sin embargo es casi siempre sostén y explicación.
==========
y sé que si me voy, esta Rémington se quedará petrificada sobre la mesa con ese aire de doblemente quietas que tienen las cosas movibles cuando no se mueven. Entonces tengo que escribir.
==========
Entre las muchas maneras de combatir la nada, una de las mejores es sacar fotografías, actividad que debería enseñarse tempranamente a los niños pues exige disciplina, educación estética, buen ojo y dedos seguros.
==========
Creo que sé mirar, si es que algo sé, y que todo mirar rezuma falsedad, porque es lo que nos arroja más afuera de nosotros mismos, sin la menor garantía
==========
—El compañero Bruno es fiel como el mal aliento —ha dicho Johnny a manera de saludo,
==========
Este jazz desecha todo erotismo fácil, todo wagnerianismo por decirlo así, para situarse en un plano aparentemente desasido donde la música queda en absoluta libertad, así como la pintura sustraída a lo representativo queda en libertad para no ser más que pintura.
==========

Football: I LOVE you!!

Today I have had a football overdose, lifting my joy of a perfect sunday to unexpectable levels. The only thing I regret is not having my brother next to me to enjoy minute by minute the three matches I just have watched.

The first match was Barça - Real. I can not deny my preference towards Barça, but it shall not be confused nor over-posed to my greater love towards football. the game was amazing, two different styles punching each other, displaying all its potential, and two players showing why they are the best...I must recall CR7 when he says "Messi and me are differents, like you can not compare a Porche and a Ferrari", and to Seu Mourinho ("it should be forbidden to say who is the best"):

When my father used to talk about the Brasil of the 1970, with Ribelinho, Socrates and Pele I was jealous, and even more when then he was telling us about that Argentina from 86 with Baldano and Maradona...well, now that wound it healed, now when I can witness other two genious at double-dose in a single age, Ronaldo and his power plus Messi and his magic. Real Madrid playing one way, Barcelona playing another, still hurting each other and giving joy to all of us. Conclusion: This game is un-exhaustible .

After that I watched another derby, Italian y global: Milan and Inter, Yepes and Guarin. other football, other type of game, still full of passion.

Just to close I reached the game of the humbles, the football by the love for the football, the football that acknowledges its lack of magic but its abundance of love, sweat and sacrifice.  The football that confirma that this game has place for everyone, regardless all this times it doesnt seem to. Atletico de Madrid from Cholo Simeone, against Malaga from the Chilenian Pellegrini. Roque Santacruz, respecting his  Paraguayan origins, scored with the head in an unexpectable moment, Cebolla Rodriguez showing that the Garra Charrua is not a matter of wearing the Celeste but a matter that goes in the blood, and Falcao Garcia proving  that he is a world-level player:

If in the Eurocup my love for football fell down, today it has grown up again.

"and in the seventh day, when god saw what he created and saw how beautiful it was, he realized something was left...and he created Football, then the world was perfect!"

12 brain rules in 7 months

12 Brain Rules, an interesting book to read. It is easy to digest, though it has plenty of information. The author gives a summary at the end of each chapter plus he is not afraid of imagining a world where the brain rules are applied. I rather let the author explain what the book is about:

The only sad thing is that the way I read it was very inconstant and it took me 7 months to do so, thus I have forgotten lots of it. Anyways, Mr. Medina is a geek who really want the world to know about this rules to improve lives and society, that's why in his webpage he practically explains the book (for free!),  following the links for the the twelve rules: 

1. Exercise boosts brain power
2. The brain evolved too
3. Every brain is wired differently 
4. We dont pay attention to boring things
5. Repeat to remember
6. Remember to repeat
7. Sleep well, think well
8. Stressed brains do not learn the same way non-stressed brains
9. Stimulate more of the senses
10. Vision trumps all other senses
11. Male and female brains are different
12. We are powerful and natural explorers