My good lady and I planned to do a little research into ski-resorts in the maritime alps this weekend with a view to ski-ing one or two this coming winter.
It didn't start well as work dragged into saturday afternoon and it was too late to set off also we were weary, never a good combo two up on a bike.
So a sunday start with just two days away and not the three we planned.
It gets better from here, we headed for Draguignan and on to Castellane were we enjoyed lunch at the Grand [plat de jour excellent value] for those of you who don't know the area there are no bad roads to ride only good or great ones.
Leaving castellane we headed for St. Andre les alpes which took us close to our nearest ski-station La colle St-Michel via the shores of the incredible lac de castillon and it's turquoise waters.
Upwards we continued to pas through Colmar which looks like it should be a ski-station but isn't , though just above it we found Alos followed by Le Seignus Bas followed by La Foux d Allos.
La Foux d Allos is at the base of the Coll d Allos and a very interesting ride it was too tight hairpins linked by narrow almost single track straights making passing the French sunday drivers a little tense for madam pillion.
Took our first picture of the day from near the top looking down onto a very interesting ski area called des Agneliers one that we will return too this winter.
Once over the summit we took a couple of pics of the scenery which was wonderful and enjoyed the run down into Barcelonnette our chosen resting place for the evening and found a room at the Grand hotel i can feel a pattern forming here it could be a grand weekend
.
Seriously the place is a relais de motard so bikers welcome,garaging if you want it and to cap it all the owner has a gs.
My good lady announced that she had an appointment in Cannes at midday so we set the alarm to 7am for a 8am departure.
At 8am exactly we motored through the streets of Barcelonnette and headed for Jausiers another ski-station but more importantly the gateway to the col de la Bonnette.
Unless you are a hardnosed col rider and i am not nothing quite prepares you for the col de la bonnette, dont get me wrong it is fantastic, it changes constantly both the scenery and the road it is just something you have to experience for yourself.
We found it cool at 9am even with a fleece under them our Furygan mesh jackets were slightly below needs, especialy at the summit 2860 meters.
The most challenging thing about the ride down at that time of day was rockfalls during the night left some sections needing care [we passed the council roadsweepers on the way down into St Etienne de Tinee ] and the hoardes of suicidal marmotts the antics of which had my other half in hysterics.
Coffee at St.Etienne and on to Cannes via the more modern ski station of Isola 2000 using the D2205 another briliant road to ride.
Yes we did get to Cannes with time to spare and had the final stage the coast road and back home to Grimaud.
PS. pictures taken with a nick marshal bargain cheers Nick
PPS. more pics to follow
It didn't start well as work dragged into saturday afternoon and it was too late to set off also we were weary, never a good combo two up on a bike.
So a sunday start with just two days away and not the three we planned.
It gets better from here, we headed for Draguignan and on to Castellane were we enjoyed lunch at the Grand [plat de jour excellent value] for those of you who don't know the area there are no bad roads to ride only good or great ones.
Leaving castellane we headed for St. Andre les alpes which took us close to our nearest ski-station La colle St-Michel via the shores of the incredible lac de castillon and it's turquoise waters.
Upwards we continued to pas through Colmar which looks like it should be a ski-station but isn't , though just above it we found Alos followed by Le Seignus Bas followed by La Foux d Allos.
La Foux d Allos is at the base of the Coll d Allos and a very interesting ride it was too tight hairpins linked by narrow almost single track straights making passing the French sunday drivers a little tense for madam pillion.
Took our first picture of the day from near the top looking down onto a very interesting ski area called des Agneliers one that we will return too this winter.
Once over the summit we took a couple of pics of the scenery which was wonderful and enjoyed the run down into Barcelonnette our chosen resting place for the evening and found a room at the Grand hotel i can feel a pattern forming here it could be a grand weekend
.Seriously the place is a relais de motard so bikers welcome,garaging if you want it and to cap it all the owner has a gs.
My good lady announced that she had an appointment in Cannes at midday so we set the alarm to 7am for a 8am departure.
At 8am exactly we motored through the streets of Barcelonnette and headed for Jausiers another ski-station but more importantly the gateway to the col de la Bonnette.
Unless you are a hardnosed col rider and i am not nothing quite prepares you for the col de la bonnette, dont get me wrong it is fantastic, it changes constantly both the scenery and the road it is just something you have to experience for yourself.
We found it cool at 9am even with a fleece under them our Furygan mesh jackets were slightly below needs, especialy at the summit 2860 meters.
The most challenging thing about the ride down at that time of day was rockfalls during the night left some sections needing care [we passed the council roadsweepers on the way down into St Etienne de Tinee ] and the hoardes of suicidal marmotts the antics of which had my other half in hysterics.
Coffee at St.Etienne and on to Cannes via the more modern ski station of Isola 2000 using the D2205 another briliant road to ride.
Yes we did get to Cannes with time to spare and had the final stage the coast road and back home to Grimaud.
PS. pictures taken with a nick marshal bargain cheers Nick
PPS. more pics to follow
