Aberdeen, Picos, Millau, Gorge du Tarn and home......

[AndyT]

It hardly seems anytime since I returned from Enduro-Himalaya and it was time to set off on my GS for a trip to the Picos and back up through France via the Pyrenees. I was going on my R1150GSA which has to be the best bike for this type of trip. Its rock solid on the staights and through the bends. I had fitted a low seat option as I found it difficult to manouvre and fully loaded they weigh an awful lot. Unfortunately I hadn’t used the low seat before and it became a pain in the ass....literally. The trip from Aberdeen to Plymouth is a long one so we had split it up with a B&B in Ludlow which is a lovely part of England. I was going to meet the others there as I had my dear old mother was staying with me and she was going to drive to Manchester in a Honda Accord she liked so much I told her to keep it at her place. I was worried about her driving all that way as she is 83 and its nigh on 380 miles. Anyway come setting off I had forgotten something and told her to set off and I would catch her up a few miles down the road. Well she went AWOL for 200 miles..... The worst thing was when I called her mobile she answered it whilst driving down the M6...she was ahead of me ffs... Talk about a racing Granny. It got worse as I couldn’t stay awake so she beconed me into the services and told me to take a napp...how embarassing. Anyway I dropped her at my brothers in Warrington where I had a sarnie and sped off to Ludlow where I met the others in a pub with some superb real Ales.
Sunday Morning was very foggy and chilly but the ride down to the Plymouth ferry was just fine and dandy. On arrival at the ferry there were GS’s everywhere and I had a chat with a few of them who were all on a BMW tour down to Morroco..... It wasn’t only BMW who were running tours down there as I spotted these 2 dodgy looking Characters in the bar and later on deck... The one and only Mr Bill Oates (aka Fanum) and IanF. Apparently Blue Sweeper was onboard but I didn’t meet him. Anyway I hope you all had a great trip guys I will be joining you one day.

 

[AndyT]

The ferry was excellent unlike the food which to be honest was just awful compared to all the other ferries I’ve been on. There were some real Tossers on the ferry and I had to walk away from one guy quickly before loosing it with him. There were queues of people trying to get up and down the stairs and he was sat drinking a pint with his best Harley t-shirt on. I said “Excuse me please” only to be met with “Why, am I in the F**king way”....its not often I get upset but I had to go for a swift walk. Anyway I wasn’t going to let that get to me and spoil my Bingo which was the entertainment at 2100 hrs..... bring back Superfast. Did I mention the food onboard was dreadful, so much for French Cuisine...
We arrived uneventfully at Santander and headed towards Potes which was our first stop. We had booked 2 nights in a farm house run by a couple from Bakewell in Derbyshire. They mainly do walking tours but made us feel at home immediately, funnily enough they later told us they wouldn't accept trail bikers. The building was very rustic (and I mean very rustic) however inside it was immaculate with a good restaraunt across the road. The courtyard was wonderful for just sitting out however we preferred to go down the local pub for drinks before nosh. This fella was on guard and you wouldn’t want to mess with him. He actually ate the owners wifes passport the morning she had set off on a trip so it was a trip to the Embassy for them...

 

[AndyT]

Next morning it was a bit chilly and moist however a trip from Potes down the Gorge towards Panes soon woke me up. I had a near death experience when I huge coach came round the corner on the wrong side of the road...I absolutely thought it was curtains for me and I still dont know how I managed to swerve and avoid him through the tiniest of gaps. We went round to Cabrales and I should point out that the road from Panes to Cabrales is one of the best roads I know, just superb surface, corners and no turn offs for anything to pull out of. Our lunch stop was to be Tressvisio which over looks the gorge between Potes and Panes. I had been there before and really enjoyed the run. The path down to the end past Tressvisio village has been crazy paved now. The food in the cafe at the end is superb as is the coffe. My Pork steaks only cost me around £4 even at todays weak exchange rate. I did n’t manage to get a pic of the road that goes off the end down ito the gorge but its definately not one to try on the GS.
On the way down the car park was full of cows so I thought it rude not to take a photo however this one put his tongue out...cheeky bugger.

 

[AndyT]

We carried on the anti clockwise loop of the Picos and took a left at Canga de Onis towards San Ignacio and the road is fantastic. Its hard not to race all the time but I was on my best behaviour and I had also just found my front right disc loose on the wheel....!!!!! We stopped for a few drinks at a cafe and this little fella beconned me in for a cake too. Further round the reservoir had run very dry and the level was down to below where the old roads used to be and they are all visible from the bridge. The latter half of the day was definately the better part of the day weather wise.
We road on further back towards Potes. I remembered a staue of a deer with a marvelous view but from nowhere the weather closed in and it became very chilly and mist covered the lanscape. The old dear, sorry deer, didn’t seem to mind the advances of a couple of Aberdonians – makes a change from sheep anyway. We made it back to Potes around 1900 hrs in time for a few swift beers and food.

 

[AndyT]

One of the guys on the trip is not actually an Aberdonian but could teach them a trick or two about saving their money. Tight fisted is a phrase invented for Dave. “I have a bit left on my front tyre” he had told us all. I saw it on the ferry and it was literally bald then. There was no way it would last more miles. He rides an FJR1300 which is a heavy and powerful bike so good tyres are crucial. He went off looking for a Garage in Potes however I knew he wouldn’t find anything. Andorra was my suggestion but that was 2 days away.
We set of from the Picos towards Andorra and the sunshine was superb.At the top of the pass heading south from Potes I couldn’t believe my eyes with the view. It was so clear, none of the haziness we had experienced over the last few days. There was also a layer of cloud with brilliant blue skies above and darker overcast skies below. It seemed surreal, the scale was imense.

We took smaller roads and made great progress. I was amazed how many wind farms there are in Northern Spain and how few houses, they must send it to the big cities. We stayed the night in a town called Jaca which had a large military presence. I didn’t see anything of the town as I took to my bed with a fever shivering and feeling awful, luckily by morning I was fine again. The guys had met some locals in a Tapas bar who knew where to get a tyre for Daves FJR in the morning..bingo... but not in the size required. Onwards we went toward Andorra. The roads here are just superb especially the Roads west of Sort. We stopped for a brew and lunch and a final fill up before Andorra. Soon after the lunch stop we went down some marvelous little gorges which we almost dark as the sun never shone down in them. Between these and the fast sweeping bends of the N260 Daves tyre was shot at Andorra where we did find one at the first garage.
We booked into a hotel which we had stayed in a few years before. You ride your bike into the lift and it takes you up to parking on your level – very novel. Andorra is not a very nice place, loads of fumes, piles of rubbish, loads of traffic and its so noisey. We headed out first thing over towards Pass-de-la-Casse and it was very cold. It was minus 1 at the top of the pass and was snowing. I watched car after car coming down loaded with snow. I filled up with cheap petrol and put on an extra jumper. It was nearly a white out at the top and progress very slow however we got over without ay problems. The clouds just came in from nowhere without warning so yo have been warned...!!

 

[AndyT]

On the French side we headed due East down some fantastic roads which was great as the sun was out that side of the pyrenees. Our aim was to head over to Millau to the Bridge. We had planned to ride over last year from the Black Forest but vastly underestimated the distance. Unfortunately one of my Friends who came with us every year took a massive Heart Attack and passed away without warning and as it was his mission to see Millau we made it to visit it as a mark of respect. I knew his brother would get emotional about it when we arrived but thats what brothers are for

Progress towards Millau was slow as we went down some very twisty gorges which were very scenic but slow to ride. One of the biggest Stags I have ever seen was standing in the road on one stetch and didn’t move until the last minute, he was like a rabbit in the headlights, what a beauty. Towards the end of one gorge there was a road closed sign and we were diverted a good 25 miles round before getting back on track again. It became obvious that we wouldn’t make Millau that night.
At around 5pm it started chucking it down and then became very foggy. We went through what seemed a very good road but turned out to be a forrest road with wet slippy leaves on the road everywhere so alot of 2nd and 3rd gear riding due to all this and the fog. I’d had enough and we stopped in a very small town of Angles. The local resteraunt was closed and there were no hotels however there were “Chalets” advertised. We went into the Chateau there and the owner said he was closed for the season but would open up some rooms for us. They came with kitchens but as we had no food they were never used. “What time do you serve food” I asked, “We don’t” came the reply....wronmg answer as I was starving. He made a phone call and told us to be ready in an hour and he would take us to his neighbour who would prepare us a meal. Well we were driven about 3 miles to his neighbour who owned a small farm and his wife prepared us the most fantastic meal complete with local wine – it was superb and all this was in his kitchen in front of a roasting log fire. Its just marvelous when it works out like that.

Next morning was off to Millau. We went through Roquefort and stopped at a local market to get some cheese and Pate (or terrine as they call it over there). The site of the Millau bridge the first time you see it is amazing as its just so huge. We stopped under the bridge for a few photos and on que Stewart started blubbing over the memory of his brother who should have been with us. It bought a lump to my throat to and serves as a reminder that we aren’t here forever. RIP Arthur Cooper a real smashing bloke.
From the ridge I saw a small village and decided to head down to it to get some better photos. When I arrived there I noticed a small trail heading off with a sign saying “Nes Pas Vehicles” or similar so decided I should explore. The tracks took me right under the bridge at the south end of it, boy its big.

 

[AndyT]

We headed into Millau town for lunch and I had an amazing Steak with house sauce which was mouth watering, I could of eaten at least another 2 but instead we carried on North towards Le Puy which was to be our stop for that night. Just outside Millau I saw signs for the “Gorge du Tarn” and I remembered someone saying what a great place this was. I had actually thought it was near Nice so was miles out. I can thoroughly recomend the Gorge du Tarn as it is spectacular. The weather was superb and not a car to be seen. The only down side was that the roads had just had a fresh layer of grit on the surface which had a remarkable ressemblance to ball bearings and I had more than 1 or 2 “Oh Sh1t” moments I will go back here again one day.

 

[AndyT]

I can’t remember the number of the road but the last 40 miles to LePuy from the south is home to one of the best roads I have ever ridden. Mile after mile of superb bends which could be taken around 70-90mph with clear views of what lay ahead – excellent.
We checked into the Ibis Hotel in LePuy which was both very reasonable and very clean (a first for a French Hotel). It was so good value we booked into the Ibis the following night (Sunday) at Laon about 420 miles to the North as we had to catch the ferry back to Hull on Monday afternoon. We went out on the town in LePuy but struggled to find a resteraunt that wasn’t full up. Eventually we blagged a table at a Steak house and had another superb meal and then a big boys portion of beer. Le Puy is a really nice French town with several huge statues on pinacles, one of particular nore is the Statue de Notre Dame, highly recommended stop off point. An early rise (for me!!) on Sunday morning as we had 420 miles to do and I didn’t fancy it all on the motorway although you just can’t beat the motorway for making distance. We set off but after about 2 miles I signalled the others to carry whilst I stopped to put on another jumper as it was freezing cold. I had decided in the end to wear a 1 piece suit and it turned out to be an excellent choice as its 100% waterproof, loads of waterproof pockets and allows you to just step out of it at coffee stops etc. We must have done about 200 miles on the motorway and stopped for a coffe when we decided to leave the motorway and head on the roads. No sooner had we taken the roads than the heavens opened again so it was a case of diving in a pub for some R&R. It was one of those places that the music stops when you walk in as nobody spoke at all. I then realised they were all concentrated on the TV as it was internet Bingo...ffs how I laughed, such a shame. The rain didn’t let off so it was back on the Motorway and off to Loan Ibis for the night. It was a good call to make so much mileage as we only had about 120 miles to do to the ferry at Zeebrugge that day before a 5pm check in.

I asked the lads if they minded going via Ypres as I had read a thread by Trippy about the Menin Gate and got a certain amount of stick for not knowing where it was so had this on my list of must see places. We were in Ypres by around 1100hrs and parked up in the main square. It is a very well kept place and I read later that it has all been rebuilt since the War as it was totally destoyed by artillary, you would never know it as they have done such a good job of keeping the same style of building. We then went down to the Menin gate which is a real eye opener. On one wall alone I stopped counting the number of Turners halfway down the wall when the tally had exceeded 30. The sheer number of people who lost their lives in this area (The Western Front) is unbelievable. My ignorance was evident again as I had always assumed that the French rolled over to the Germans without a fight but you will see from the plaque that they lost more men than the British Forces. Such a waste of life. My Grandfather fought over there but was lucky enough to return. My mother later told me he was under age and shouldn’t have even gone but like so many lied about his age. The names on the walls seemed endless.

 

[AndyT]

We had lunch in the town before heading out to Zeebruge for the ferry to hull. The ferry was half empty and I knew we were in for a boring trip across the water. I watched the dock workers loading the ship with containers and it was amazing to see how they all operated. It was like watching ants in a colony there were so many trucks coming from every angle with just the trailers getting loaded on the boat.
The journey home from Hull to Aberdeen was long and uneventful. My mission was to have a full English at a greasy spoon and this is what we did. Full bifta with large mug of tea £4-50, superb -Welcome home.
Well thats it for this year. The bike is going to get the front disc rectified and a major stripdown, clean and TLS ready for another blast. By the time I got back my backside had got use to the low seat and low speed manouvering is a doddle. The R1150GSA must rate as one of the all time classic bikes and performs superbly.
Here is my disc at the end of the holiday. I have since found out that the spring washers are all missing and possibly the bushes worn so I’ll sort all that (hopefully a warranty claim if its a new disc required).


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Now where to next year.....

Hope you didn't find my spelling too bad but I'm ready for my bed..

Have Fun

AndyT

 

[brassmonkey001]

Nice report Andy.
So how many miles did you ride with your disc like that?

 

[Aidan1150]

A good read. Thanks Andy.

 

[AndyT]

Nice report Andy.
So how many miles did you ride with your disc like that?

I guess it must have been 2000 miles plus... I was confident it wouldn't catostrophically fail...... well I tried to convince myself that anyway. Apparently its a common problem and BMW have now changed the design.

 

[garbo2]

great trip report andy wish i could travel as much as you garbo

 

[Our Gee]

Good read Andy, agree about the food on the Pont Aven. We both took our Steaks back, tough as Altberg leather. Seems the thing to do is to dine in the Posh Restaurant.

 

[Blackal]

Great write-up, Andy - a bit worrying about the disc, mind

Some cracking candid shots there, too

Al

 

[Norrie]

Great wee RR there Andy thank's for sharing

Schultz

 

[garfield]

enjoyed that Andy.....I'll have to get some road numbers off you at some point.......

 

[(RIP) Nakambale]

good ride report Andy, enjoyed the pics, particularly having been out in today's weather

 

[AndyT]

enjoyed that Andy.....I'll have to get some road numbers off you at some point.......

No worries,
I think I have some tracks on my GPS, I'll have a look when I get home

 

[KAYCEE]

Andy,
Great report.

I rode to the Millau Bridge in June, and like you checked out the Tarn Gorge. I camped for a couple of days in a place called La Malene. (see attached photos) I would recommend spending a couple of days touring the area, visiting the Tarn Gorge and the gorge immediately to the south (sorry forgot its name).

Ypres is one of my favourite destinations. Not just from a historic point of view, but also from architectural view. The town square is really inpressive and the nightly "last post" at the Menin Gate is very moving.

With regards to your comment about the French "just rolling over", if you get a chance take a trip to the city of Verdun and the surrounding battlefields. The French lost more troops there against the Germans in WW1 than the combined British losses in the whole of France and Belgium.

Kaycee