Advice for French Alps etc

stick · Oct 10, 2011

Hi guys , just wondered if anyone could give me some advice on a tour rhat i am planning for next year,
I will as i always do scour maps and google etc to see the best routes so that is not a problem.
I have done many trips in Spain , mainly the Pyrennese Picos etc.
The trip i am planning would be to travel to Anncey and the tour around that area taking in the route Napoleon and down to Grasse, in between the Grand Alps routes.
Question : Have spent most time around June / July in Spain and the weather has always been hot and Air Flow Gear has always been worn , looking at different threads the Alps look cooler . and advice on times to travel as as may have to buy new gear so any help would be helpful.
Thanks :beerjug:

John Armstrong · Oct 10, 2011

The weather can be changeable, so I'd wear the airflow kit, but made sure I took a windproof top to go under the jacket for the chilly mornings, and waterproof over jacket / trousers just in case it rains / is cool on the top of the cols.

As an example this year in early September in Briancon it was 8 deg C at 9am, cool out of the sun, but in an hour once the sun was in the valley it quickly climbed up to 18 deg C, before finallt getting up to about 27 deg C near Sisteron. It probably won't be quite so extreme in July / August but then you'll have the possible problems of the TDF / School holidays / hordes of GS's "doing" the Alps. Annecy is nice.

Wapping · Oct 10, 2011

Airflow, some sort of layering system underneath and some sort of overall waterproof 'overtop' would seem sensible. The weather really could be anything and everything, all in the space of an hour, a day or a week . :beerjug:

stick · Oct 10, 2011

Advice

Thanks for the tips - may have been a silly question but with Mrs Stick on the back i dont want too much grief !! :beerjug:

Wapping · Oct 10, 2011

A very good plan, if marital harmony is to be continued over the next 11 and a half months :thumb2

As regards the 'layers'. I work on the theory that something that can double up for riding a bike and for 'off bike' time is best. I invested in two fleeces of varying thicknesses, either of which can be used on the bike or for days / evenings off. I don't take them both away with me, simply the one I think will suit the likely weather best while I am away.

The only thing I made sure of was that both fleeces had a zip that went right the way down the front and were long enough in the arm for motorcycling. They both wash OK, just lobbed in the washing machine at 40c and have seen several years' use.

Greggers · Oct 10, 2011

I'm off with mates to the Grandes Alpes (?) ... Turini, Briancon then off to Verdon at the end of October...

The guy at the hotel almost laughed when I asked if it would be snowy there - "hoh-hih-hoh .. eet eez not Fevrier you know..." he said ...

Anyone else know better??

Thermals and waterproofs will be packed, but will I need ice picks too?

G

John Armstrong · Oct 10, 2011

Greggers said:
I'm off with mates to the Grandes Alpes (?) ... Turini, Briancon then off to Verdon at the end of October...

The guy at the hotel almost laughed when I asked if it would be snowy there - "hoh-hih-hoh .. eet eez not Fevrier you know..." he said ...

Anyone else know better??

Thermals and waterproofs will be packed, but will I need ice picks too?

See paragraph 2: http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2859880&postcount=2 I think a :comfort

is in order, or some heated clothing.

PS seen this site: http://www.briancon-vauban.com/webcam.html

Rasher · Oct 10, 2011

John Armstrong said:
The weather can be changeable

That just about sums it up :thumb2

Last year we had some baking hot days and snowing on the top of other passes (August)

This year we mainly had stonking weather, but the top of La Bonnette was only about 6-7c, yet back down at the bottom of the south ramp it was about 25c, on our one miserable day it was down to 5-6c at the top of some passes and in the drizzle this felt pretty bloody cold.

Overall it "should" be pretty warm most of the time.

aeroffr · Dec 2, 2011

stick said:
Hi guys , just wondered if anyone could give me some advice on a tour rhat i am planning for next year,
I will as i always do scour maps and google etc to see the best routes so that is not a problem.
I have done many trips in Spain , mainly the Pyrennese Picos etc.
The trip i am planning would be to travel to Anncey and the tour around that area taking in the route Napoleon and down to Grasse, in between the Grand Alps routes.
Question : Have spent most time around June / July in Spain and the weather has always been hot and Air Flow Gear has always been worn , looking at different threads the Alps look cooler . and advice on times to travel as as may have to buy new gear so any help would be helpful.
Thanks

Hi, on my blog www.xtrememototouring.blogspot.com you can see some pics from French alps to Osterrich alps, all shots are purchased in June or setember, I always used winter pants and jacket without internal isolation wear and take on my bike some thermal clothes for weather adverse, last september in some cases during ALPEN MASTER temperatures decrease to-2ºC static.

Note: Some post on blog are translated to english.

Best regards :beerjug:

Advice for French Alps etc

stick

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John Armstrong

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Wapping

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stick

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Wapping

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Greggers

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John Armstrong

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Rasher

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aeroffr

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