A lap of Mont Blanc - ABR magazine - Issue 32 Jan / Feb 2016

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There is a nice five page article all about a lap of Mont Blanc, traversing three countries, France, Italy and Switzerland.

It goes: Martigny, col de la Forclaz, col des Montets, Chamonix, Beaufort, Cornet de Roseland, Bourg Saint Maurice, Little St Bernard Pass, Grand St Bernard Pass and back to Martigny. All nice places and good to have a suggestion to string them all together in a loop.

The author suggests starting in the Chamonix valley, then riding the route anti-clockwise. As a circle, you can of course do it your own way. He took two days to cover the 200 miles and camped wild overnight; he was though on a 1956 600cc Norton single, GS awesome steeds can do it in one, easily.

Lots of places to stay and camp (all listed in the article) along with a suggestion of a transport company to ship your bike down if you don't fancy riding all the way to Chamonix.
 
Will have to open the plastic covered white opaqe magazine on the table then,to see the route,
Just waiting for wifey to go out as it might be a very different magazine ;)
 
Did this starting at Bourg ST Maurice this year in an anti-clockwise rotation, went around it the other way in 2010.

Easy to do in a day in good weather, we set off fairly early, picked up brekkie in a Pattiserie on the way out of BSM, stopped to eat our breakfast at a nice view point on the Petite St Bernard.

Matey missed the Col San Carlo which links the two St Bernards, not a great pass but better than the busy roads its cuts out.

If not staying in Martigny you can also cut through from the North end of the Grand St Bernard to the Col del la Forclaz, not sure if this is another pass, but again it takes a more scenic route with virtually no traffic.

Not read the article yet but could not see the Col du Pre and Col des Saises on the map with the article - both are on the loop around.

A great route, the Forclaz and Montets sections and around Chamonix were a bit congested this year (in August) but the rest of the route was light on traffic with some passes being almost deserted.
 
As you ride this loop clickwise, after the grand st bernard pass, its worth cutting across to the col de la forclaz via champex. Very pretty, very twisty too.
 


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