Courtesy of Tourenfahrer magazine, July 2020
Download available from the magazine’s website, as usual.
Download available from the magazine’s website, as usual.
A nice route, Vaucluse, Drome, Vercors, including Mont Ventoux
- Thread starter Wapping
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Combe Laval and Ventoux, nice!
That looks pretty good, never thought to tag Mont V onto a stay in the Vercors, with this plus a clockwise and anti-clockwise loop of the great big lump of rock you have 3 great days riding from a single base.
I agree with you, Rasher. I was lucky enough to have parents that lived near Apt, Provence, from where you could see Mont Ventoux away in the distance. Having them there meant I could ‘do’ the area over several years, including Ventoux from its several sides. I never once went up it and got a clear view of my parent’s house, heat haze most often blocking it. I guess the perfect time would be when the Mistral is blowing, though that requires thermals.
In passing, as I have said before, the Tourenfahrer website has some great suggested routes of all sorts, sizes and shapes. Recommended.
In passing, as I have said before, the Tourenfahrer website has some great suggested routes of all sorts, sizes and shapes. Recommended.
The Mistral is caused by a flow of air between high and low pressure zones, thermals are caused by the suns heating.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mistral_(wind)
I've flown a few times in the Alpes de Haute Provence, and reached over 20 000 feet around the Montange de Lure when the Mistral blew.
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I have a feeling Mr Wapping understands a little bit about thermals and winds and stuff. I believe what he meant was that if you want to go up Ventoux while the Mistral is blowing, you wiill need thermal UNDERWEAR.
Ha, ha, ha I see where the confusion has arisen. Thermals vs thermals.
One August I went to my parents’ house for a fortnight. Day one scorchio! Day two, a slight rustling of the leaves, followed by a drop in temperature, a strange noise like a train and a drop in temperature similar to stepping into a chiller room. Four days of this, unable to sit outside and requiring long trousers, which I hadn’t brought. Very blue skies though. Day five.... scorchio, as if nothing had happened.
One August I went to my parents’ house for a fortnight. Day one scorchio! Day two, a slight rustling of the leaves, followed by a drop in temperature, a strange noise like a train and a drop in temperature similar to stepping into a chiller room. Four days of this, unable to sit outside and requiring long trousers, which I hadn’t brought. Very blue skies though. Day five.... scorchio, as if nothing had happened.
My early gliding trips to the Sisteron area was in the spring, so the Mistral days were clear and bright, not normally warm anyway. Later ones were in September when the temperatures again weren't normally so high so I didn't experience wide variations. Those ones were mainly for the lift caused by thermals which helped generate the valley breeze. Even later on my motorbike was in June, missing out on the violent thunderstorms that seem to be in the school holidays time. Been down there off an on for the last 35 years, one of my favourite areas of France and was rather jealous of the Wicked Willy author, better known as Peter Mayle.
Courtesy of Tourenfahrer magazine, July 2020
Download available from the magazine’s website, as usual.
Don’t suppose you’ve got a link ?
Can’t find it on the website. Ta.
Might go ride that in a week or so .
Got a link, mate?
Natch, mate: https://www.tourenfahrer.de/tour-datenbank/tour/departement-drome-952/detail/
If you do, let us know what you make of it, please.
Just spent a week based at Le Camping Moto in the Vercours. I did a lot of that route and it was just great - Combe Laval is spectacular.
Excellent. Thank you.
I will. Ta muchly .
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If you’re anywhere near Romans-sur-Isère pop up to Hauterives and visit the Palaiis Ideal du facteur Cheval
http://www.facteurcheval.com/en/index.html
You’ll have to book at the moment because of covid
http://www.facteurcheval.com/en/index.html
You’ll have to book at the moment because of covid
I have never been there, though it’s on my list, for sure. Truly bonkers.
I’ve only got 4 days there . Beggars can’t be choosers
For some reason they have done a loop round to Grignon in the Rhone valley (probably because there is a bit of a Chateau there.) Personally I think the road from Crest to Nyons via Bourdeax is worth a morning. Coffee in Bourdeaux and lunch in Nyons + photo op on the Roman bridge there and a taste of the appellation controlee olive oil thats twice the price of champagne.
A good suggestion. That road is near enough shown on the map drawing in the opening post, in white between the C of Col du Valouse and Nyons itself. Any route suggestion in a magazine is always a compromise. Maybe the whole article (it’s several pages) in the magazine explains why they went the way they did? I don’t speak German, so it will have to remain a mystery, I’m afraid.
Anyone planning in incorporating alan29’s suggestion by just pumping the three named towns into their GPS, do take care with the town of Bourdeax...... or you might well be surprised that your eagerly anticipated morning’s hoon is a bit longer than you thought. It’ll be Garmin’s fault, of course.
