France
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Last leg(s) to the sea
Day 55 (27th September) – Puget-Théniers to Villefranche-sur-Mer. Last day of our Alps Odyssey… From Muggia (Italy) on the Adriatic coast to Villefranche-sur-Mer (France) on the Mediterranean via the full length of the European Alps. 6 countries. 33 days, 3,400+km… Continue reading
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A lesson in strategy?
Days 51-52 (23rd to 24th September) – Briançon & Briançon to Briançon and Barcelonnette. 23rd September – A rest day in historic Briançon, the highest (1,326 m) city in France. A chance to wander about its well-preserved UNESCO World Heritage… Continue reading
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Galibier
Day 50 (22nd September) – Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne to Briançon The Col du Galibier (2,642m) looms large in cycling folklore. Introduced to the Tour de France in 1911 by Henri Desgrange, the founder of the Tour, it has since been crossed 63 times, making… Continue reading
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Bourg-St-Maurice to St-Jean-de-Maurienne
Day 48 (20th September) – Bourg-St-Maurice to St-Jean-de-Maurienne The highest paved mountain pass (2,770m) in the whole of Europe and France’s longest climb makes the Col de l’Iseran a favourite for cyclists. First featured in the Tour de France in 1938,… Continue reading
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Le Grand-Bornand to Bourg-Saint-Maurice
Day 47 (19th September) – Le Grand-Bornand to Bourg-Saint-Maurice Three significant climbs today – the most we have done in one day. The advantage of three climbs in a day is the opportunity for 1st breakfast-1st climb, followed by 2nd… Continue reading
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Thonon-les-Bains to Le Grand-Bornand
Day 46 (18th September) – Thonon-les-Bains to Le Grand-Bornand. We set off in darkness heading south on the 720 km Route des Grandes Alpes from Lake Geneva to the Mediterranean coast. La Route des Grandes Alpes was conceived in 1909… Continue reading
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The Upper Rhône Valley
Days 43-44 (15th-16th September) – Fiesch to Thonon-les-Bains. Fed by mighty glaciers, including the Aletschgletscher, the upper Rhône River stretches from its source at the Rhône Glacier near Grimsel Pass to Lake Geneva. A rain shadow effect created by the surrounding… Continue reading
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The Jura
The Jura Mountains rise along the France-Switzerland border and separate the great river basins of the Rhine and Rhône. High sub-alpine plateaus of fossil bearing and folding limestone, dotted with lakes and colourful wildflowers, and slopes of oak, beech, spruce, and… Continue reading
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