I made it to the top!!! Highest paved road in the USA. 4260 meters above sea level. Insane! You can definitely feel the elevation in your lungs. Never breathed deeper in my life. So apparently the last bit from Summit Lake was closed for cars not cyclists. Yaay!

I was lucky enough to get passed by Jeff and his mate - two strong cyclists who were going just the right pace for me. I tagged along and drafted behind trying to get some cover from furious wind gusts. Tree line ends around 3500meters and from that point onwards winds play the main fiddle. Quite ruthlessly. Even though we were pushing quite hard we did not manage to stay warm. Or at least I didn’t. 4*C at the top. 😬 I literally took my gas stove and warmed my hands in the flames. After a quick photo shoot we bailed down to Echo Lake lodge for some warm coffee. Amazing ride! One of the best ever.