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traverse of the french alps
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17-09-2008 8:52pm#1If Blorg can do it so can I ……..
Just back from the Alps, where three of us cycled toured from Geneva to Nice doing a version of the Grand Traverse of the French Alps.
Did roughly 700ks over the ten 10 days with 13000 to 14000 metres of climbing (not to mention the “day off” mountain biking in Jausiers:D.)
Hit lots of famous climbs like Col L'Iseran, the Telegraphe, the Galibier, Col d'Izoard, and the lung bursting but billiard table smooth la Bonnete as well as a few less renowned classics like the sustained 9% of the Col des Arrivas, and the scenic Cormet de Roseland, Col de Vars to name but a few.
Not sure what the most enjoyable climb was, through the forest up the Col du Telegraphe in the rain with thunder in the background was atmospheric to say the least! I can confirm the Galibier does indeed have a special aura, that holding off someone racing to beat you on a carbon bike when you are on a touring bike with panniers up the Col d'Izoard is fun and that the additional part added to la Bonnette to make it the highest road in France / Europe hurts.
Advice for the boardies going to France in October (when is that trip btw way I could be tempted):
1. Wrap up particularly if you are going over 2000m,
2. Do all your bike bit shopping in a big town as the smaller places have very little and the summer / ski resort towns may be closed down. ( I spent three days looking out for a replacement spare spare tube)
3. Lots of hills in Ireland are as steep if not steeper, they just don’t go on and on and on and on and on like they do in the Alps, it is all about picking a pace you can sustain.
There are a million and one places to recommend as a base for one day trips, Beaufort stood out to me because of the hundreds of kilometres of marked road routes for which a guide is available from the local tourist office.
I am now looking forward to the weekend …..back on a carbon bike with no panniers, a different experience I imagine
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Sweet - well done. When you get a chance post up a route map on Gmaps for us 0
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