French Alps and Cols - Vars/La Bonette etc

[Sherringford Hovis]

After reading so many threads about the Alps, studying the Alps/Corsica book and then perusing the website for www.alpineroads.com it seemed fortuitous that we had already booked an apartment in Jausiers... gateway to La Bonette.

The scope to never actually get off the bike is there, but luckily I had taken a voice of reason with me and we had a great timer and missed some of the "big ones" for another time.

Road works on the N85 around Grenoble and in the town created tailbacks for miles. We had chosen the middle weekend in August when the French who chose the first two weeks or August were going home and the next batch we on teir way to their holiday destination. I bet they have a romantic sounding name for it too!

Out of Grenoble we chose (by accident) the N91 towards Briancon. Excellent road, quite wide and despite the traffic easy to make progress...

First stop La Grave to look at the la Mieje Glacier

Next up comes the Col de Lauteret. As we were trting to get to the apartment before she reception shut, I missed the opportunity to "bag" the Galibier!

At Briancon the options are varied, westwards into Savoie and the Eddie Izzard (Col d'Izoard) or south on the N94 to Mont Dauphin and the into the Vars. Necessity meant the latter. At Mont Dauphin we stopped at the Intermarche supermarket to get some provisions and something for dinner, the luxury of self catering?

We set off towards Guillestre and then the D902 over the Col De Vars. The area is generally called Vars and numbers a few villages and some new purpose built ski resorts, with the pass that acts as the border between two departments towards the south of the long valley.

On the way up to the pass, a bike behind began to toot and flash its light and I looked back to see the HG bag had dropped off the top box and had become a trailer! Somehow disturbing it to put the shopping in the top box must have meant it wasn't put back properly and as a result a bungee had pinged off. Luckily there was not much damage done, although the bag was holed in places. I repacked it and head up the Col for a sit down and a coffee.

 

[Sherringford Hovis]

Luckily being based in Jausiers means we are ideally placed for the twin high passes of La Restefond and La Bonette. And for a third called La Moutière that we didn't get to.

I refuelled at the little petrol station at the Hotel Sans Souci in Jausiers and then back and up the mountain. The road is generally good as well, so apart from it being narrow in places, the climb isn't to bad with lots of hairpins and second gear pulls on the GS. As you near the top there are deserted army buildings and barracks, and built into the mountainside some casements with gun apertures to defend the pass and the valley.

The Bonette itself is a cheat. The one way loop that takes you to 2802 metres is actually unnecessary as the main road turns off and down the other side of the mountain where the Bonette loop starts. We did it anyway. You simply have to. I have to say that I have a lot of respect for the cyclists that pedal all the way up here, and there are as many of them as there are motorcyclists. Jeez, they must be FIT!

We took a few obligatory photos and were lucky to do so as a bunch of German's arrived, on an assortment of bikes with BB registrations, scattering cyclists and acting in stereotypical character! (Sorry German list members, sad but true!)

From la Bonette we set of down the mountain to St Etienne de Tinnée, where we stopped for an expensive plate of chips and a coffee. Checking the map and the printouts from the Alpine Roads website we decided to take a trip into Italy and go over the Col de la Lombarde. The website guys haven't been over it and so we thought it was worth a try.

After St Etienne we went south to Isola, then took the D97 to Isola 2000 ski resort. A detour to see what this place had to offer must have been when a small group of Italians that we had left at the cafe and bank in St Etienne had to have got ahead of us... There was only one road up to La Lombarde (2350m) and they didn't pass us on the road!

After Isola 2000 the road goes unclassified and has no number. It is very narrow and there isn't room for two cars to pass each other, so there was lots of to-ing and fro-ing on bends to make room. We managed to squeeze past a few cars and get away until the next lot were coming down. At the top there is a small car-park and about 50m down on the Italian side is a hostel for walkers; no cafe, no trinket stands and no sign to say you are there. B*llocks!

Next port of call was to get down into Italy, and then take the S21 back towards Jausiers and to take in the Col de Larche (1996m). Getting down on the Italian side was much the same as getting up, very narrow and some nasty tight turns, plus a herd of cows to contend with before it opened out a bit.

After a coffee in Pietraporzio just off the S21 we set of for the Larche. On the way up we passed an appalling site... an area about the size of three or four football pitches, covered in... motorhomes! Cheek by jowl, hardly a metre between them, like some awful mass of insects.... yuk! Hell on bl**dy wheels.

 

[Barrie]

Sherringford Hovis,
Sounds like it was a great trip, weather looked good in the photos too.
Did you visit the Alpine Garden at Lauteret, the advert is in your photo?
Did you go to Queyras over Briancon, you were really near this remote area.
Still if you did not that is something for another time.
regards,
Barrie.

 

[Sherringford Hovis]

Sherringford Hovis,
Sounds like it was a great trip, weather looked good in the photos too.
Did you visit the Alpine Garden at Lauteret, the advert is in your photo?
Did you go to Queyras over Briancon, you were really near this remote area.
Still if you did not that is something for another time.
regards,
Barrie.

Chateau Queyras later in the week.... didn't get back to Lauteret garden, but have it on my list for the Brianconais next year. So much to see and so little time with a week....

 

[Sherringford Hovis]

Lac Serre Poncon

The next day we decided to stay a bit local and do a lap of the Lac de Serre Poncon.

Ignoring the obvious bagging potential (and a chance to tick it off in the John Hermann book!!!) Col de Pontis, we stuck to the lake edge, well, as near as we could given that we were sometimes 500ft above it...

Lunch at the small roadside cafe by the Demoiselles Coiffée de Pontis - strange rock formations that litter the area and despite looking "artist created" are natural where the different rocks have weathered over time.

We then ignored the chance to visit the marmotte zoo and stuck to the edge of the lake to Savines, where we saw our first British registed bikes since leaving the Shuttle five days before - one was a 1150 GS too....

As we crossed the lake there were a few float planes doing circuits and bumps on the lake so like hundreds of others we stopped to have a look.

After the air display we took off back towards Barcelonnette via the Barrage de Serre Poncon... scenic or what. In fact, it looked like a huge pile of rubble....

In all the little trip today (a relaxing day!) had covered over 100 miles and 90% of it was very scenic.

 

[Sherringford Hovis]

And so to Wednesday and another run up over the Vars to have a look at the ski resorts that are strung along the valley between Guillestre and the Col.

At Les Claux, a purpose built resort, we saw the cable car was working taking mountain bikers up to the top so that they could speed back down the dirt tracks that have been built for some velo world cup. SHMBO aka Claire has never been in one so we coughed up €5 each for the return trip.

I took a pic of one of the locals that came and stood on a rock by my foot.... in reality Jiminy was about 2.5cms long.

After so much excitement we had to have lunch in a bar opposite. As we sat there, there seemed to be a constant stream of GS's going past, none of the UK registered, mainly Italian with a smattering of French and German regs.

After absorbing the local air and chicken and chips we set off for Chateau Queyras....

 

[Sherringford Hovis]

Queyras?

The D902 Guillestre to Chateau Queyras folows the course of the river Guill, and in places the gorge is so narrow the road is on legs over the water or hangs precariously to the edge of the cliff. The result is that in places it is very narrow and tunnelled. lenty of give-way especially when faced with a bus/truck or bl**dy bane of my trip, the white or cream coloured motorhome...

The Chateau itself looms into view and f you follow the "parking" signs you are taken to a river level car-park, and then you have the long climb up through the village to look forward to.

On the way up (and down!) we passed this combination horse trough and er.... washing facilty. I guess after the horses have drunk, the water flowing over to where the clothes washing area is might be horse spit-less?

On the way back to the bike we saw that there seemed to be activity in the river itself, or rather just above it. Intrpid types "canyoning"... looked fun but too much like hard work for me.

After we got our breathes back, coming down was almost as bad as getting up! We set off for "just another pass love".....

 

[Sherringford Hovis]

Colle dell'Agnelo

The ride up to the Colle dell'Agnello was pretty straight forward, cleverly signposted to aid the motorist. Quite narrow and al ittle bumpy but you are rewarded with a vista.... According to www.alpineroads.com the French side is often clear and bright and the Italian side shrouded in mist. when we arrived there was briefly clear views on both side, but within seconds the Italian side was deep in cloud. It blew across the col and the French side has wisps of cloud... In the pics France is to the left and Italy to the right.... mostly.....

A brief occasion when you could see into Italy!

The viewing table at the top, perhaps another 5 metres up (!) shows roughly where things ought to be, but who could tell as t the right was enveloped in mist. The more eagle eyed of you may have noticed a discrepancy in the recorded heights?

 

[Sherringford Hovis]

Allos

After a lazy day locally, it was soon Friday and our last day in the area. So it was time for another pass.. Cayolle or Allos?

The website reckoned Cayolle was "Personally speaking I dislike the Col de la Cayolle. It's bumpy, unnecessarily narrow, and the old wrought iron crash barriers appear especially designed to slice sliding bikers into pretty shapes. Much of it is a country ride rather than an alpine pass. Towards Barcelonnette the ride becomes more interesting as you pass high up along the Gorges du Bachelard, and then pass down rapidly into the valley below"

So we opted for the Allos instead. As you leave Barcelonnette and head past the turn for Pra Loup the road splits and left is Cayolle and right Allos. Choices, choices!

Allos won. To be honest, some of the road side barriers were the same as they described for the Cayolle, as well as wooden sort of mini-telegraph poles laid on their sides or mounds of grit!

The run up is scenic and very narrow in places and there is a bit of work being undetaken. There are also a number of ski lifts stations on the climb and these attract the cars and walkers, be awake to them having motorcycle blindness....

It was very hot as we sat at the top of the Allos looking at the view and watching a couple of old Airhead 80's puff up the last part of the pass to the cafe and trinket stand in the car-park. Otherwise this would never have happened!

After we had eaten our picnic it was time to head down and find a bank and then a last drink in Barcelonnette.

 

[Sherringford Hovis]

A change of pace... and altitude

The plan for Saturday was simple. Pack up, load bike, wait for resort person to come and check apartment and return €150 deposit. Leave for Nice over the Restefond, a mere 143kms.

Perfick. All went to plan. An early run over the Restefond then ignoring the loop to the Bonette and down over the route we had done earlier in the week.

The "gravillons" on the way down from the Restefond seemed worse than before as the workmen seem to be installing drainpipes under the surface and the best way to fill an 'ole, is with gravel! NOT!

We stopped for coffee in St Sauveur sur Tinée for coffee and parked up behind a cool guy on an 06 registered silver GS, reading the paper. Before we could dismount we were surrounded by a large group of bikes that has come up from the direction of the coast. Nice is only about 38 miles.

In the first hour over the Restefond we had managed 25 miles.... The sun was baking and getting hotter as the altitude dropped.

 

[Sherringford Hovis]

And so to Nice....

The last 25 miles or so on the N202 was fast. Almost at sea level the bike's slight hiccup that I had noticed at altitude seemed to have gone, but a bit of high two-figure speeds should blow it out and use a bit of petrol. The best I had over the trip so far was just over 56mpg (imperial gallon!)...

As we neared Nice we flew past the BMW Motorrad dealers and into the traffic of a Saturday afternoon.... shoppers, brains removed, switched lanes without looking.. ah, back to reality.

Look for the Gare.... cunning plan to dump bike at motorail station alongside the Nice Ville station, put bike gear in luggage lockers and swan about in civvies to soak up the sun....

But first a ride up the seafront..... man is it hot.....!

You may have noticed in the last pic.. no civvies... Ah. Yes. Well. Motorail closed until 1400 and it was 1230.... and the luggage lockers? Closed since March 2004... no reason but I can guess it has to do with terrorism.... and who said the terrorists won't win.. they are already!!!

 

[Sherringford Hovis]

And so to Motorail...

With stunning French efficiency, nearly all trains were "en retard" especially any coming from Italy.

The jockeys loaded some cars onto the Calais carriages, then a few on the Paris ones. They enjoyed the chance to drive the V8 Kompressor Mercs.... loads of noises and a grunty engine!

Then they loaded the bikes. Of the five going to Paris, only me and a guy with an ER5 loaded their own, a big scooter and two monster trucks, sorry Harley Road Kings were left to the jockeys...

It all was very painless and gone 1630 when we got loaded... only 4 hours to hang about in full bike gear, with overnight bag, jackets, helmets etc.... in 37°C heat...

We changed in the bogs to keep cool and then had to sit with our bags as there was nowhere to store them, then the bl**dy train was 90 minutes late arriving....

"Let the train take the strain....."

Yeah. It should have been less stressful and a calmer end to the holiday. But as it was the cost overhead (it is more expensive than petrol/hotels would have been, don't beleive the sales pitch!) couldn't be appreciated as the train was late, arrived at Gare de Lyon not Austerlitz, then we had to walk to Bercy to get the bike, no transport laid on as there should have been. No breakfast on arrival as we had paid for.... Not a success.

Would I do it again. Alps? YES, Nice? YES... Motorail? Yes. I have used it before and this was the only really bad experience.

 

[Sherringford Hovis]

Download limits!

If the pictures don't all show it is because I saved most of them to my Geocities web space and Yahoo! tossers set a download limit... they will show up eventually......

 

[Barrie]

French Alps

You did really well to fit all that into a week, I bet you do not do the train trip again, it's more fun riding and as you say less expensive.
You have Invicta on your tag..... are you in Kent?
regards Barrie.

 

[Sherringford Hovis]

Re: French Alps

You did really well to fit all that into a week, I bet you do not do the train trip again, it's more fun riding and as you say less expensive.
You have Invicta on your tag..... are you in Kent?
regards Barrie.

Live in Kent, work in Blairville.... aka Islington. I have two userids as I can't logon to one from here..... at work!

Bloody Yahoo! pix still not showing up! I have emailed Paul G to ask for an extension to the time limit so I can edit the posts and change the urls'.. but he has the cheek to go on holiday!

Might not get back there next year though, have a week in la Manga in June 05, but most likely will fly and hire a car.

 

[Foto John]

Excellent write-up and great pics there Paul..........bet you're really glad you went now?

 

[Sherringford Hovis]

Excellent write-up and great pics there Paul..........bet you're really glad you went now?

Sure am. Would like to go back as I feel there were places that we didn't get too, like the Gorges du Verdon etc.

I spent a happy ten ninutes ticking all the passes from John Hermann's list at the back of his book last night. Was a bit pissed that he goes down to around 700m for his 265th placed, and i have been over loads higher than that in Austria and they ain't in the book! Bumma!

 

[Sherringford Hovis]

P.S. Forgot to say that I met a guy called Wayne on the Shuttle outwards who came over for a chat. He said he used to work with a certain Greg Masters, who was GS mad... and asked to be remembered to said Greg.

Wayne and his girlfriend were off to Malaga on a Thundercat.... with a pocket atlas for guidance.... Sterling stuff.