Boards on Tour

TinyExplosions

So... a ferry from Cork-Roscoff for a van with 4 people inside is 664 return -making it 166 quid each (I suspect the price will be similar for a car).

Any suggestions of where we head too (considering we have a week, as the ferry arrives in Franc on the Sunday, and leaves on the Friday. Do we head to Lourdes and tackle the Tourmalet and Hautacam, or do we go straight for the big daddy and stay in, say Saint Ettienne and go for the Alpe D'Huez

For example, Roscoff to Pau is 924k, to Saint-Etienne

Hotels may work out expensive, so who fancies camping in the mountains in October?

(Oct 4th-10th are the provisional dates for the boards trip abroad)

PS, this is all Raams fault, so blame him

Caroline_ie

You'll probably have great weather! It can be quiet warm up until mid Oct in the south west of France.

Chips Lovell

Was just about to ask that. Was wondering if the snow would be down by October.

Caroline_ie

:pac: ... actually it could be a bit cold at 2115 M ...

Raam

In principle, I'm certainly in.

blorg

I am most definately in. We can warm up on the Saturday by cycling around the ferry.

Diarmuid

Try and get over as early as possible. It's not unheard of to have snow at 2000m in October, generally at the end but possible towards the start. Weather underground has good historical info. Here is the link for Grenoble but it would be good idea to pick some place like Alpe d'Huez to get an idea of the weather at 1800m (Just for some balance: this was what 2000m looked like Nov 5th 2006.)

I would definitely recommend going to the Alps, there are so many big climbs around there. Grenoble wouldn't be a bad base. It's 10hrs from Roscoff, 9hrs from Cherbourg or 7hrs from Le Harve.

This English guy has a website with tons of rides in the area. You'd have lots of famous big rides just there alone.

emty

would be very interested in this,just a little concerned about the weather.The closer up you get to the sun the warmer it will be,right?:P

TinyExplosions

Ok, so there's a bit of interest... right -who has a van, and is free that week, and who has a car and is also free that week?

zzzzzzzz

Sounds deadly alright but I'd say the weather would be fairly dodgy... no?

Diarmuid

One other thing. I'd consider flying (if you are prepared to chance you 3grand bike to whoever flies to Grenoble/Lyon/Geneva). Tolls + fuel for Roscoff will be around €200 each way, and then factor in the time you loose in transit with the boat + drive.

Ryanair fly to Grenoble but on crap days (Tue & Thur), however the basic flights are €0 for start of Oct. (before you add all the charges)

Just something else to consider.

TinyExplosions

Diarmuid wrote: »

One other thing. I'd consider flying (if you are prepared to chance you 3grand bike to whoever flies to Grenoble/Lyon/Geneva). Tolls + fuel for Roscoff will be around €200 each way, and then factor in the time you loose in transit with the boat + drive.

Ryanair fly to Grenoble but on crap days (Tue & Thur), however the basic flights are €0 for start of Oct. (before you add all the charges)

Just something else to consider.

You're a great mine of information Diarmuid!

I'd think that it would be useful to have transport, and cheaper to drive than rent, but I could well be wrong!

Diarmuid

TinyExplosions wrote: »

You're a great mine of information Diarmuid!

A couple of years organising skiing trips and you get to know the routes around the Alps (and I live in the south of France)

zzzzzzzz

TinyExplosions wrote: »

You're a great mine of information Diarmuid!

I'd think that it would be useful to have transport, and cheaper to drive than rent, but I could well be wrong!

Yeah - ryanair fly to grenoble alright. If only they had lockers in the airport to stash your bike box and you could just cycle to the nearest hotel...

bunnygreen

Lads if your considering doing the Tourmalet and Hautacam,id recommend staying in a small town called Argeles-Gazost,its a the foot of the Hautacam and very close to the Tormalet also you could do Luz-Ardiden an absolute classic,Col De Spandelles,Col D'Aspin and a load of other gems,if its climbing you want this is a good place to go,might be a little far to travel if your restricted for time,but you can pack a lot of climbing into a short time.If you go for the Alpe D,same thing you are spoilt for choice,im going to do that in May next year,and im doing The Ventoux in Sept this year.I know a little about the Tourmalet area and would gladly pass on any info i have.

Raam

Actually, I've stayed on the Tourmalet myself in a place called Barege. T'was a sleepy village and the accomodation I stayed in was quite good. Run by a nice English couple....
www.mountainbug.com

They organise hill-walking, but you can just stay there and do your own thing.
The food they put on at dinner is amazing, or at least that's how I remember it.

penexpers

Hmm I might be interested in this too. Would depend on there being at least a couple of flat days though

blorg

Flying could be an option- those of us with carbon bikes would need to get bike boxes for peace of mind I reckon (I have flown lots of times with my aluminum bike unboxed however.)

blorg

penexpers wrote: »

Hmm I might be interested in this too. Would depend on there being at least a couple of flat days though

I am guessing that might be unlikely

penexpers

blorg wrote: »

I am guessing that might be unlikely

Yeah I'm guessing so too. Curse living far away from any decent hills.

blorg

You never know though, there might be a revolt among the Boards peloton after the first few days climbing

Chips Lovell

Lads, I'd be a bit worried about going so late in the year without researching the weather a bit more. Be a shame for everyone to spend a stack getting over there and find it rotten up there. Might there be a case for aiming for early next summer, like May?

If I was going, I'd definitely be swiping the wife's compact crankset.

Raam

el tonto wrote: »

If I was going, I'd definitely be swiping the wife's compact crankset.

If that's the case, maybe the wife should come instead?

Raam 1 - 0 El Tonto

Chips Lovell

Raam wrote: »

If that's the case, maybe the wife should come instead?

Raam 1 - 0 El Tonto

Eh, I've no come back to that. Raam 2 - 0 El Tonto.

TinyExplosions

Having a quick google, there's a few reports of people doing the Alpe D'Huez in October, and the official site says the Ski lifts open from December 6, 2008 to April 26, 2009 -which would lead me to think that October would be ok. THe main reason I suggested it was so the weather wouldn't be as hot for the climb (I hate the heat!)

TinyExplosions

At the moment, Ryanair flights from the 2nd-9th October are 50quid to Grenoble, including taxes, but not including bikes or checked on bags

penexpers

TinyExplosions wrote: »

Having a quick google, there's a few reports of people doing the Alpe D'Huez in October, and the official site says the Ski lifts open from December 6, 2008 to April 26, 2009 -which would lead me to think that October would be ok. THe main reason I suggested it was so the weather wouldn't be as hot for the climb (I hate the heat!)

Even in the middle of August, at that height it can be quite cold. I remember being up around 1000m and shivering in my shorts in the middle of August. It's not just that the temperature can be low but the wind can be strong and biting as well.

I remember they had to call of the Etape a few years back when the weather turned bad at the summit of one of the climbs. Loads of riders had to be treated for hypothermia and some of them couldn't even take their hands off the bars they were so frost-bitten.

Just something to bear in mind.

bunnygreen

just a quick thing,i remember being around the Tourmalet area in may of this year,lot of the climbs were not open to the top,still snow up there just something to bear in mind.

blorg

Indeed; snow stays around later than it starts if that makes any sense.

Diarmuid

yea. Most cols open in mid->end June and close end October. May may not be the best time to go. September would be my recommendation but October would be a good option too

penexpers wrote: »

Even in the middle of August, at that height it can be quite cold. I remember being up around 1000m and shivering in my shorts in the middle of August.

True but in August that's the exception not the rule.

Planet X

May.