Nobody mentioned Aravis or Saisses

Nobody ever expected the Spanish Inquisition did they?  These days I can't differentiate between the A level syllabus and Monty Python.  Who cares?  Well, sometimes these things matter; such as listening to Dalton when he says it gets "easier near the top": they probably told Edmund Hilary that as well.  There was also the small matter of the days' itenerary; Roselend anyone?  Well, to take us back to the theme of this post; no one expected Aravis or Saisses: two "pimples" in Dalton speak: two evil, energy-sapping monster Cols as a warm up if you ask me.  So, despite Andy's brave team talk about Roselend, first we had to leave the Chalet (thanks guys, it was great) and go straight uphill for 12kms.  Following that we did it all again on Saisse for some 16kms.  At some point the ghastly reality of the 24kms of the Col de Roseland would hit; and it wasn't long in coming.  However, it was long in going; 2 hours in fact, for those of us at the derriere of the gang.  The Gods smiled on us too, but in that Dr Evil sort of way, stroking that white cat as they called on the heavens to give it all they had.  So it was 2 hours, all achieved in the pouring rain, until we saw the 1,958m summit.  Bliss, though normally I would see that kind of thing from a ski lift.  The photies are good though.