Monday 17th to Sunday 23rd June
Mon 17th June – Tignes – 145k
3 Passes – Col des Saisies 1657m, Col de Méraillet 1605m, Cormet de Roselend 1967m
On a clear morning we took our leave of the hustle and bustle of Chamonix, with its constant toing and froing at the bus station across the road from our apartment. We headed west for the Route des Grandes Alpes which follows the French Alps for 750klms from Lake Geneva to The Riviera. We would be doing 655klms of it from Chamonix to Castellane, taking 6 days and 4 stays, plus a couple of detours.
Our Route des Grandes Alpes
So, prior to that distraction, we were heading west and through the trees we managed to catch a glimpse of that elusive Mont Blanc.
A shy Mont Blanc – the hindmost unimpressive bump.
We never tier of the classic Alpine view.
Col des Saisies at under 1700m doesn’t seem to warrant a marker. But the outlook is marvellous.
Now we are heading south with those snow capped Alps a close neighbour to our left.
Col de Méraillet had its fair share of cyclists and moto riders and so deserved its marker post.
Col de Méraillet
Which is flanked by Lac de Roselend and its 150m high wall.
Barrage de Roselend
About 10 winding and picturesque kilometres down the road is Cormet de Roselend
Lots of cattle about.
Cormet de Roselend was quite busy.
These guys on their Vespas in full touring setup. As I walked past them I called ‘Smile Guys’ and they did, as did half a dozen sports bike riders next to them whom were ignored 🙂 – made the Vespa boys day. We passed them again just north of Castellane so they’d covered some ground.
The ski resort of Tignes was our destination for the night. It was very quiet being the ‘tween season.
That’s a very classy ski resort on the other side of the lake. Not on our budget.
The 180m Barrage de Tignes
Tues 18th – Saint-Michel-de Maurienne – 195k
3 Passes – Col de L’Iseran 2764m, Col du Tra 1306m, Col de la Madeleine 1993m.
Our day started with a 20klms detour to Col de L’Iseran which, at 2764m, is the highest paved pass in all the Alps, pipping Stelvio Pass by 7m.
Lots of bikers (: We all turned around and retraced our steps.
If you wondering why one would endure all those kilometres up hill and down dale on narrow winding and inhospitable roads just to get a picture and then retrace ones steps, it’s probable you don’t ride a motorcycle. Because it’s not about the picture, it’s actually all about all those kilometres up hill and down dale on narrow winding and inhospitable roads. You can take a bloke and his pillion off their moto and put them in a little white Hybrid butter-box Fiat 500 Panda car, but he’s still chasing the dream – however his pillion has been seen to roll her eyes on occasions.
A lot of skiing still happening over there.
And still lots of white stuff
The white stuff is the reason the southern side of the Col de l’Iseran is closed, so it was 50klms back to Bourg-Saint-Maurice and a loop to the SW.
Col du Tra isn’t so much about itself because its only 1300m high,
but its descent is something else. 27 genuine hairpins over 9klms, but only about 2klms straight down.
It was Moûtiers for lunch and a quiet sit and watch the world doing it’s thing, before another epic climb to Col de la Madeleine which was as busy as it gets. It has featured in La Tour 27 times between 1969 and 2022. I think it’ll see the Tour’s madness again this year.
And that, 70klms away as the Galah flies, is Mont Blanc.
Saint-Michel-de Maurienne was pretty sleepy but we spent 2 nights there all the same, as a steady stream of bikers streamed past.
Thur 20th – Guillestre – 170k
8 Passes – Col du Télégraphe 1566m, Le Col 1522m, Collet du Plan Nicolas 2406m, Col du Galibier 2642m, Col du Lautaret 2058m, Col d’Izoard 2360m, Col de la Platriere 2220m, Col Agnel 2744m
It was cool and bleak as we climbed 12klm out of Saint-Michel-de Maurienne toward the first of our 8 passes of the day.
Col du Télégraphe was first used in La Tour in 1911 it has been used over 30 times since, so is very popular with cyclists.
Col du Télégraphe
Then just down the road is Le Col followed by Collet du Plan Nicolas, neither of them deserving a marker
But Col du Galibier has all sorts of signs, including one that says ROAD CLOSED, in French of course.
Built in 1890, the 363m long 4m wide tunnel kept the road open.
The other side of the tunnel.
Col du Galibier has been used over 57 times on La Tour de France and even once on the Giro d’Italia in 2013.
It is supposed to be used this year, but there is some doubt as it is still way deep in snow. May be they’ll use the tunnel.
Col du Lautaret is not far away.
It’s cold and bleak, but that hasn’t stopped those crazy cyclists. Much Respect.
A fair hike down the road brings us to unique and iconic Col d’Izoard
While just south is Col de la Platriere with it’s forbidding and barren scree slopes
and protruding pinnacles of weathered rock known as the Casse Déserte.
Quite impressive
The roads through here are Moto Perfect, especially with the sun wanely peeking as we take another of those extended side trips to Col Agnel which at 2744m is the third highest paved road in the Alps and sits right on the Italian French border. The weather beat us to any visibility 😦
We had a brew anyway.
Down into the valley
And past Fort Queyras guarding it’s domain.
Before hanging a left with just a few kilometers to go we have the pleasure of the Gorges du Guil
To sleepy Guillestre for the night.
Fri 21st – Castellane – 175k
2Passes / 5 Bridges – Col de Vars 2108m, Col de la Cayolle 2326m
We climbed out of Guillestre and came upon this sign, we’d noticed a couple of them and thought maybe they’d just lost a bolt or such.
But they’re everywhere.
The act is a protest by local farmers to raise visibility of the challenges they face. Must be a lot of sneaky farmers out there.
Today is our final day on the Route des Grande Alpes.
It’s just a short run to Col de Vas with it’s plastered sign post
And descent to the valley below.
We’d been caught by a vast convoy of mainly Porches. And all going like stick which is understandable.
We took a short detour up a narrow road and through a couple of ancient villagers to the precarious Pont du Châtelet which crosses a very deep and narrow ravine.
Wild country
Quite a feat building that.
It’s a bit like going back to the early 1900s driving through some of these old villages.
Redoute de Berwick built around 1694.
Followed by a lovely drive to Col de la Cayolle chased by more of those sports cars – I conceded defeat and let them past.
Actually, I always let anyone who is behind me past. I figure if they’ve caught up with me they must be going faster than me, so let them go by. I think I’m a rare breed though as very few others do the same around here, which can be frustrating. Another one of my pet dislikes.
This road was narrow and windy and wet. The cyclists were doing it tough.
Some unusual strata.
And then a collection of Bridges as we followed the meandering road through the Gorges de Daluis Regional Nature Reserve.
Pont sur le Var
Vars river running through the Daluis Gorges.
We also passed the Vespa Boys, gave them a Panda toot.
Another Pont sur le Var
Pont de la reine Jeanne constructed in 1728
It still has a safe working load of 1.5tonnes – seriously.
Today’s been a big pic day so we’ll finish it off with Barrage de Castillon which holds back Lac de Castillon
Plenty of these show offs around. Lucky ducks.
We propped in Castellane for 2 nights mainly watching and hearing the literally 100s, and I mean 100s, of Motos travelling through as it sits at the bottom of the Route de Grande Alpes. And the weather was perfect.
Drinking coffee, watching noisy bikers go past, and wondering who had the bright idea of building a church way up there. Bet it wasn’t the same sucker that lugged all the gear.
Sun 23rd – Sault – 180k
Today we begin our long swing West and North. It feels a bit like the beginning of the end. It’s certainly a long way from the start of this adventure – 3 months.
We start our pic fest of the 25klm Verdon Gorge at the historic Pont de Carajuan, an ancient pedestrian bridge which spans the Verdon River.
Carajuan Stone Bridge
The road is very narrow and hazardous in places.
Duck!
The 11th century Pont de Tusset is a long way down there.
Gorges du Verdon is about 25 km long and up to 700 metres deep.
Me and my Gal.
Gorge-eous eh. The pics don’t even get close to it.
Galetas Bridge
The Verdon Gorge end at Pont du Galetas at Lac de Sainte Croix.
Up the road is the village of Riez with it’s remains of a 1st century
Roman temple.
Colonnes Romaines
There was lots of activity in Riez today. I have no idea why, maybe something to do with the summer solstice.
These guys were getting into the medieval pomp and pageantry.
The countryside is magnificent in the early summer.
Viens
We’re in the middle of Lavender Country.
In the village of Simiane-la-Rotonde we have the 12th century Château de Simiane-la-Rotonde
Simiane-la-Rotonde Castle is a whole lot more impressive inside but it was closed, or it was siesta time. The French of these parts are very siestary.
And this satellite farm just short of Sault.
I was half expecting the MPs to rock up as I took this pic. Then I remembered it was still siesta time.
Sault is quiet little village overlooking a vista of farm land. It’s popular with motor homers, they were parked everywhere.
View from Sault.
Well, that’s it for this week folks. It’s a huge read but I hope you enjoy it.
I’m not sure of the next installment of the blog, my computer had a close encounter with a cup of coffee, and although everything is working just fine on it, it’s network capabilities has ceased to function. Believe me, without internet there’s not a lot that can be done nowadays. So I’ve done the last 3 days of this week on my tablet, which isn’t too bad, but it’s a pain doing the blog.
Anyway we’ll see how we go. Next week in Paris.
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