Last weekend I went down to Nice to meet up with Chris, a mate who splits his time between the Côte and Sydney. We’d been planning a short trip in the maritime Alps and had finally decided to have a go at the Ligurische Grenzkammstraße. It doesn’t seem to have a name in any other language though the IGN map does call part of it ‘Route Strategique’.So It’s either the ‘Ligurian peaks border road’ or the ‘Strategic road’. I’ll stick with LGKS.
For those of you who don’t know, it’s a military road built by the Italians in the 20’s and 30’s and runs for 63 km from the Col de Tende to he Col Melosa. For most of it’s length it is above 2000m. It’s unpaved and, apart from a few footpaths, pretty hard to get off except in one place so it’s divided into a northern (Tende) and southern (Melosa) section.
On the Friday we rode up gently from Nice towards Tende via Sospel and found a place to camp in the Vallée de la Roya, or Vallée des merveilles (A sharp left turn a few miles before you get to Tende). The sign at the bottom said no camping but we asked and were told we could put our tents up anywhere where it wasn’t expressly forbidden (we didn’t see any other signs saying ‘no camping’). So after exploring we found a place in some trees by a river, set up camp and went for a walk. The valley is beautiful and so wild and deserted that it feels more like the Rockies than the Alps, especially higher up and the wild life is amazing. As we walked we kept on hearing the whistles of Marmots which, when they finally broke cover, were everywhere!
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/anchovy/4868492928/" title="Vallée des Merveilles by Gaulois, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4123/4868492928_f9209c5c5c_z.jpg" width="360" height="640" alt="Vallée des Merveilles" /></a>
Head of the Roya Valley from our campsite
Back to the camp where it was becoming decidedly chilly and cooked our food before going to sleep. It was veery definitely chilly in the morning but then we were at 1580m according to my iPhone. The plan was to set out early which we did taking a track from the valley up to the Col de Tende. Whilst we were there we had a chat to a couple of German bikers who had done the LGKS on mountain bikes a couple of years ago. They told us that it was in very bad condition and at one point impassable for motorbikes. The road must have been fixed as we had no problems whatsoever.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/anchovy/4867880423/" title="Col de Tende by Gaulois, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4119/4867880423_8537b62dae_b.jpg" width="1000" height="563" alt="Col de Tende" /></a>
Fort Central and col de Tende
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/anchovy/4868493608/" title="Fort by Gaulois, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4099/4868493608_07e7fd81b2_z.jpg" width="640" height="360" alt="Fort" /></a>
Ruined fort north of Fort Central
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/anchovy/4868493902/" title="Fort Central by Gaulois, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4074/4868493902_cef906c24b_z.jpg" width="640" height="360" alt="Fort Central" /></a>
Fort Central - Barracks Block
So after a quick visit to Fort Central we set off down the Italian side of the col and found the beginning of the road which at first winds its way up some ski slopes before getting up near the summit ridge. I’m not a hard core off roader (total experience a few pistes in the Anti-Atlas and Atlas mountains) and found that it suddenly got quite tough with steep rocky sections. Firebird, my companion on one Moroccan trip, had told me the best way off road is to “ride it like you just nicked it”. I decided to go for it and it suddenly got easier with the bike becoming much more positive and I started to enjoy myself a lot more.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/anchovy/4867881163/" title="Ruines au Fort Central by Gaulois, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4079/4867881163_4658af0057_z.jpg" width="640" height="360" alt="Ruines au Fort Central" /></a>
Looking down into France from Fort Central
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/anchovy/4867881493/" title="Fort Central from LGKS by Gaulois, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4094/4867881493_006239c662_z.jpg" width="640" height="360" alt="Fort Central from LGKS" /></a>
Looking back at the col de Tende and Fort Central from the beginning of the LGKS
The improvement meant I felt happy to go on but still left me too nervous to stop and take many pictures. After a couple of hours we stopped for lunch at the Col de Boarre, IMHO one of the most dramatic and beautiful parts of the route. We had our lunch on the col with no signs of human activity (apart from the piste and a border stone).
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/anchovy/4868494642/" title="Col de Boaire by Gaulois, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4135/4868494642_1e8cac6dee_z.jpg" width="640" height="360" alt="Col de Boaire" /></a>
Approach to the col de Boaire - One of my favourite parts of the trip
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/anchovy/4868494866/" title="Chris Bike by Gaulois, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4123/4868494866_3d5230c7a0_z.jpg" width="640" height="360" alt="Chris Bike" /></a>
Looking down into France from the col.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/anchovy/4867882483/" title="Looking into Italy from the border by Gaulois, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4075/4867882483_2f210ff828_z.jpg" width="640" height="360" alt="Looking into Italy from the border" /></a>
Border stone looking into Italy
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/anchovy/4868495690/" title="Boaire by Gaulois, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4075/4868495690_0d09ea278a_z.jpg" width="640" height="360" alt="Boaire" /></a>
From the col de Boarre to the col des Seigneurs the road is actually in France as the border was moved in 1947. After lunch we set out again and about 30 minutes in I had a minor off when I panicked using the engine break on a steep gravelly section and the bike slid out sideways. Once I was up again we set out and eventually arrived at the Col des Seigneurs, where the road goes back into Italy. we had a short discussion as to whether to stop for the night at the refuge 100m or so below the col but as it was only 2.30pm we decided to press on. Crossing the col took us back into Italy and, like the col de Boarre, the view was fantastic.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/anchovy/4867883025/" title="LGKS break by Gaulois, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4140/4867883025_8ff99dd4ea_z.jpg" width="640" height="360" alt="LGKS break" /></a>
Chris trying to find his puncture
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/anchovy/4868496024/" title="Approaching the Col des Seigneurs by Gaulois, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4073/4868496024_8ec8107224_z.jpg" width="640" height="360" alt="Approaching the Col des Seigneurs" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/anchovy/4867883379/" title="East from the Col des Seigneurs by Gaulois, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4119/4867883379_31b6e58c8b_z.jpg" width="360" height="640" alt="East from the Col des Seigneurs" /></a>
Looking east into Italy from the col des Seigneurs - note the loose stuff which is what is most common on the LGKS - unless it's bare rock.
A couple of miles after the col des Seigneurs the worst is over and the road descends slowly through a forest. I had stopped to take a picture when I was passed by some French students in an Espace going the same way as we were. They couldn’t have come the way we had as it’s way too rough for a normal car. They carried on and after a few minutes we set off again.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/anchovy/4868496418/" title="L1010127.jpg by Gaulois, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4123/4868496418_e0392c6604_z.jpg" width="640" height="360" alt="L1010127.jpg" /></a>
The refuge below the col des Seigneurs. If you look VERY carefully you can see the Espace about 2/3 of the way along the straight on the left of the picture
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/anchovy/4867883843/" title="Last hard part by Gaulois, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4101/4867883843_241b9aea37_z.jpg" width="640" height="360" alt="Last hard part" /></a>
In the forest we went around a corner and saw a trail of oil on the track. This went on for 2 km or so until we found the Espace parked and the students trying to get hold of the rescue services. They’d been caving for a week at a place a little higher than the col des Segnieurs and had got over the worst bits when they’d cracked their sump. They finally got through to the Italian AA and began trying to explain exactly where they were. (Everyone had a gps so co-ordinates weren’t a problem but the Italian operator couldn’t grasp that they were off road and kept on asking for a road number.
A couple of miles later we came to a junction with a tiny concrete road. This marks the end of the northern section of the LGKS and represents the only opportunity to ‘get off’ apart from at Tende and Melossa. I was knackered and Chris said he was feeling like he’d been through a wringer so we decided to stop and do the rest another time.
We rode down the track to a small ski resort and after a rest, headed down the valley to the coast at Imperia and then back to Nice where it was 37c and we soon wished we were back up in the mountains.
It was the best day’s riding I’ve ever done. The views were incredible. I wish I’d taken more pictures. Although I was absolutely knackered after riding about 25 miles off road I can’t say how exhilarated I felt. I can’t wait to go back and do the southern section (maybe we’ll find the impassable bit the Germans warned us about. When I do go again I will do it with an unloaded bike. I’m no lightweight and with my bike fully loaded I did feel it was all a it cumbersome. But who knows, I’ll probably shell out for some BMW off road training and my doubts will evaporate. I know that I’m definitely going to be hunting out un-metalled roads around here.
Hope you find this useful and it encourages you to have a go. You really won’t regret it.
For those of you who don’t know, it’s a military road built by the Italians in the 20’s and 30’s and runs for 63 km from the Col de Tende to he Col Melosa. For most of it’s length it is above 2000m. It’s unpaved and, apart from a few footpaths, pretty hard to get off except in one place so it’s divided into a northern (Tende) and southern (Melosa) section.
On the Friday we rode up gently from Nice towards Tende via Sospel and found a place to camp in the Vallée de la Roya, or Vallée des merveilles (A sharp left turn a few miles before you get to Tende). The sign at the bottom said no camping but we asked and were told we could put our tents up anywhere where it wasn’t expressly forbidden (we didn’t see any other signs saying ‘no camping’). So after exploring we found a place in some trees by a river, set up camp and went for a walk. The valley is beautiful and so wild and deserted that it feels more like the Rockies than the Alps, especially higher up and the wild life is amazing. As we walked we kept on hearing the whistles of Marmots which, when they finally broke cover, were everywhere!
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/anchovy/4868492928/" title="Vallée des Merveilles by Gaulois, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4123/4868492928_f9209c5c5c_z.jpg" width="360" height="640" alt="Vallée des Merveilles" /></a>
Head of the Roya Valley from our campsite
Back to the camp where it was becoming decidedly chilly and cooked our food before going to sleep. It was veery definitely chilly in the morning but then we were at 1580m according to my iPhone. The plan was to set out early which we did taking a track from the valley up to the Col de Tende. Whilst we were there we had a chat to a couple of German bikers who had done the LGKS on mountain bikes a couple of years ago. They told us that it was in very bad condition and at one point impassable for motorbikes. The road must have been fixed as we had no problems whatsoever.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/anchovy/4867880423/" title="Col de Tende by Gaulois, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4119/4867880423_8537b62dae_b.jpg" width="1000" height="563" alt="Col de Tende" /></a>
Fort Central and col de Tende
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/anchovy/4868493608/" title="Fort by Gaulois, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4099/4868493608_07e7fd81b2_z.jpg" width="640" height="360" alt="Fort" /></a>
Ruined fort north of Fort Central
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/anchovy/4868493902/" title="Fort Central by Gaulois, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4074/4868493902_cef906c24b_z.jpg" width="640" height="360" alt="Fort Central" /></a>
Fort Central - Barracks Block
So after a quick visit to Fort Central we set off down the Italian side of the col and found the beginning of the road which at first winds its way up some ski slopes before getting up near the summit ridge. I’m not a hard core off roader (total experience a few pistes in the Anti-Atlas and Atlas mountains) and found that it suddenly got quite tough with steep rocky sections. Firebird, my companion on one Moroccan trip, had told me the best way off road is to “ride it like you just nicked it”. I decided to go for it and it suddenly got easier with the bike becoming much more positive and I started to enjoy myself a lot more.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/anchovy/4867881163/" title="Ruines au Fort Central by Gaulois, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4079/4867881163_4658af0057_z.jpg" width="640" height="360" alt="Ruines au Fort Central" /></a>
Looking down into France from Fort Central
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/anchovy/4867881493/" title="Fort Central from LGKS by Gaulois, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4094/4867881493_006239c662_z.jpg" width="640" height="360" alt="Fort Central from LGKS" /></a>
Looking back at the col de Tende and Fort Central from the beginning of the LGKS
The improvement meant I felt happy to go on but still left me too nervous to stop and take many pictures. After a couple of hours we stopped for lunch at the Col de Boarre, IMHO one of the most dramatic and beautiful parts of the route. We had our lunch on the col with no signs of human activity (apart from the piste and a border stone).
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/anchovy/4868494642/" title="Col de Boaire by Gaulois, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4135/4868494642_1e8cac6dee_z.jpg" width="640" height="360" alt="Col de Boaire" /></a>
Approach to the col de Boaire - One of my favourite parts of the trip
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/anchovy/4868494866/" title="Chris Bike by Gaulois, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4123/4868494866_3d5230c7a0_z.jpg" width="640" height="360" alt="Chris Bike" /></a>
Looking down into France from the col.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/anchovy/4867882483/" title="Looking into Italy from the border by Gaulois, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4075/4867882483_2f210ff828_z.jpg" width="640" height="360" alt="Looking into Italy from the border" /></a>
Border stone looking into Italy
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/anchovy/4868495690/" title="Boaire by Gaulois, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4075/4868495690_0d09ea278a_z.jpg" width="640" height="360" alt="Boaire" /></a>
From the col de Boarre to the col des Seigneurs the road is actually in France as the border was moved in 1947. After lunch we set out again and about 30 minutes in I had a minor off when I panicked using the engine break on a steep gravelly section and the bike slid out sideways. Once I was up again we set out and eventually arrived at the Col des Seigneurs, where the road goes back into Italy. we had a short discussion as to whether to stop for the night at the refuge 100m or so below the col but as it was only 2.30pm we decided to press on. Crossing the col took us back into Italy and, like the col de Boarre, the view was fantastic.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/anchovy/4867883025/" title="LGKS break by Gaulois, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4140/4867883025_8ff99dd4ea_z.jpg" width="640" height="360" alt="LGKS break" /></a>
Chris trying to find his puncture
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/anchovy/4868496024/" title="Approaching the Col des Seigneurs by Gaulois, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4073/4868496024_8ec8107224_z.jpg" width="640" height="360" alt="Approaching the Col des Seigneurs" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/anchovy/4867883379/" title="East from the Col des Seigneurs by Gaulois, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4119/4867883379_31b6e58c8b_z.jpg" width="360" height="640" alt="East from the Col des Seigneurs" /></a>
Looking east into Italy from the col des Seigneurs - note the loose stuff which is what is most common on the LGKS - unless it's bare rock.
A couple of miles after the col des Seigneurs the worst is over and the road descends slowly through a forest. I had stopped to take a picture when I was passed by some French students in an Espace going the same way as we were. They couldn’t have come the way we had as it’s way too rough for a normal car. They carried on and after a few minutes we set off again.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/anchovy/4868496418/" title="L1010127.jpg by Gaulois, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4123/4868496418_e0392c6604_z.jpg" width="640" height="360" alt="L1010127.jpg" /></a>
The refuge below the col des Seigneurs. If you look VERY carefully you can see the Espace about 2/3 of the way along the straight on the left of the picture
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/anchovy/4867883843/" title="Last hard part by Gaulois, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4101/4867883843_241b9aea37_z.jpg" width="640" height="360" alt="Last hard part" /></a>
In the forest we went around a corner and saw a trail of oil on the track. This went on for 2 km or so until we found the Espace parked and the students trying to get hold of the rescue services. They’d been caving for a week at a place a little higher than the col des Segnieurs and had got over the worst bits when they’d cracked their sump. They finally got through to the Italian AA and began trying to explain exactly where they were. (Everyone had a gps so co-ordinates weren’t a problem but the Italian operator couldn’t grasp that they were off road and kept on asking for a road number.
A couple of miles later we came to a junction with a tiny concrete road. This marks the end of the northern section of the LGKS and represents the only opportunity to ‘get off’ apart from at Tende and Melossa. I was knackered and Chris said he was feeling like he’d been through a wringer so we decided to stop and do the rest another time.
We rode down the track to a small ski resort and after a rest, headed down the valley to the coast at Imperia and then back to Nice where it was 37c and we soon wished we were back up in the mountains.
It was the best day’s riding I’ve ever done. The views were incredible. I wish I’d taken more pictures. Although I was absolutely knackered after riding about 25 miles off road I can’t say how exhilarated I felt. I can’t wait to go back and do the southern section (maybe we’ll find the impassable bit the Germans warned us about. When I do go again I will do it with an unloaded bike. I’m no lightweight and with my bike fully loaded I did feel it was all a it cumbersome. But who knows, I’ll probably shell out for some BMW off road training and my doubts will evaporate. I know that I’m definitely going to be hunting out un-metalled roads around here.
Hope you find this useful and it encourages you to have a go. You really won’t regret it.
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Might give that a go this summer....
