Day 14 - Over the Really High Stuff
Saturday 12th September 2015
We leave early and follow the Tinee river up a steep gorge towards the famous Col de la Bonette. This is the highest paved road in Europe, topping out at 2,802 metres.
The sun returns as we drop down the valley and stop for coffee and fuel in Jausiers.
And then on to the Col de Vars. It rises to 2,109m, and the weather stays clear all the way over. The run down the north side is beautiful, a wide well-surfaced carriageway with broad radius hairpins.
Next up is the much trickier Col d'Izoard high and proud at 2,360m. This Col may well become my favourite ride in the Alps though I have to do it the other way round to be sure.
We stop for coffee and stickers at the small hut at the summit and meet an American biker called Michael Jordan.
Yesterday was Michael's 70th birthday. The stickers on his panniers tell the story of a life spent riding some of the best mountain roads in the world. He's been to most if not all the places we have.
We recommend the Transfagarasan and Transalpina in Romania. He suggests we take the boat over to Corsica and Sardinia. That may well feature in next year's blog!
Now our route takes us down into Italy for a spell. Unfortunately it also includes the Frejus tunnel as our route back into France. We are running late if we are to reach our chosen overnight camping spot in Bourg Saint-Maurice and the tunnel is a lot quicker than the alternative.
The tunnel is 13 kilometres long and costs just shy of €30 for a bike. It is truly horrible to ride through. There is a speed limit of 40 kph and plenty of speed cameras to make sure you obey the rules. For long sections the surface had been planed creating tiny grooves that grab your front tyre and force you to follow them. Never again.
But it all gets better once we are back into France. The final high Col of the day is another monster, the Col de l'Iseran which tops out at 2,770m, So 13 metres higher than Stelvio. And it is better than Stelvio from a purely riding point of view, though the summit is disappointing, no coffee and a wasteland of gravel parking areas.
Finally the run down to Bourg Saint-Maurice and our overnight stay at Camping Versoyen. We just make it to the nearby supermarket two minutes before they close at 7:30pm and grab bread, cheese and beer.
After supper it starts to rain and we go to sleep nicely anaesthetised and with heavy drops drumming on our tents.
We leave early and follow the Tinee river up a steep gorge towards the famous Col de la Bonette. This is the highest paved road in Europe, topping out at 2,802 metres.
After the recent rains there are numerous torrents crashing down the steep rock walls into the Tinee river down below.
It's a lovely climb up and just as good down the other side to the small town of Jausiers. Like most high alpine roads in France there are no barriers at the roadside so it's just a steep drop off the side of the cliff if you get it wrong.
I didn't count the hairpins but there are a lot. But traffic is light, the road surface is not so bad and we make quick time up to 2,500 metres. At this height we climb into cloud and the going gets a lot slower.
The summit is in cloud so we don't stop long. Just time for a few quick photos and a chat with a french couple on a pair of Beemers who are making the trip the other way.
 |
| Lots of torrents after the rain |
It's a lovely climb up and just as good down the other side to the small town of Jausiers. Like most high alpine roads in France there are no barriers at the roadside so it's just a steep drop off the side of the cliff if you get it wrong.
 |
| Unfenced roads on the climb up Bonette |
I didn't count the hairpins but there are a lot. But traffic is light, the road surface is not so bad and we make quick time up to 2,500 metres. At this height we climb into cloud and the going gets a lot slower.
The summit is in cloud so we don't stop long. Just time for a few quick photos and a chat with a french couple on a pair of Beemers who are making the trip the other way.
 |
| At the monument on the summit of La Bonette |
The sun returns as we drop down the valley and stop for coffee and fuel in Jausiers.
And then on to the Col de Vars. It rises to 2,109m, and the weather stays clear all the way over. The run down the north side is beautiful, a wide well-surfaced carriageway with broad radius hairpins.
 |
| The well-stickered Col de Vars sign |
 |
| On the run down from col de Vars |
Next up is the much trickier Col d'Izoard high and proud at 2,360m. This Col may well become my favourite ride in the Alps though I have to do it the other way round to be sure.
We stop for coffee and stickers at the small hut at the summit and meet an American biker called Michael Jordan.
 |
| Top Sargeant Michael Jordan |
Yesterday was Michael's 70th birthday. The stickers on his panniers tell the story of a life spent riding some of the best mountain roads in the world. He's been to most if not all the places we have.
 |
| Monument at the Col d'Izoard summit |
We recommend the Transfagarasan and Transalpina in Romania. He suggests we take the boat over to Corsica and Sardinia. That may well feature in next year's blog!
Now our route takes us down into Italy for a spell. Unfortunately it also includes the Frejus tunnel as our route back into France. We are running late if we are to reach our chosen overnight camping spot in Bourg Saint-Maurice and the tunnel is a lot quicker than the alternative.
The tunnel is 13 kilometres long and costs just shy of €30 for a bike. It is truly horrible to ride through. There is a speed limit of 40 kph and plenty of speed cameras to make sure you obey the rules. For long sections the surface had been planed creating tiny grooves that grab your front tyre and force you to follow them. Never again.
But it all gets better once we are back into France. The final high Col of the day is another monster, the Col de l'Iseran which tops out at 2,770m, So 13 metres higher than Stelvio. And it is better than Stelvio from a purely riding point of view, though the summit is disappointing, no coffee and a wasteland of gravel parking areas.
 |
| Lots of snow on the high tops |
Finally the run down to Bourg Saint-Maurice and our overnight stay at Camping Versoyen. We just make it to the nearby supermarket two minutes before they close at 7:30pm and grab bread, cheese and beer.
 |
| It's a wild climb up the Iseran peak |
After supper it starts to rain and we go to sleep nicely anaesthetised and with heavy drops drumming on our tents.
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