French Alps 2019

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Shut Up Legs

Down Under Member
I know many of you don't regard a B&B based cycling trip as a tour, and you'll question why I put this thread in this subforum. The answer's quite simple: if I put it in General or Cafe the mods will probably move it for me. So please don't be concerned about whether what I'm doing is a 'tour', and just enjoy the photos. :okay:

I'll be in the French Alps for a month, and will post photos daily. Here's a foreshadowing of what is coming.

My plane trips were Melbourne to Abu Dhabi 13.5 hrs then to Geneva 6 hrs, so when I got to Geneva, where I am now, I was very jetlagged (I got no sleep on the planes). Not so jetlagged, however, to fail to notice the European Alps from above! The plane flew through Italy along the south edge of the Alps, then through a small part of the Alps at the Italy / France / Switzerland borders, in fact over the very part of the French Alps I will be cycling in the day after tomorrow.

Below are 2 photos, one showing some very high snow-covered peaks with a cloud layer below the peaks (showing how high the peaks are), and the other showing the Alps from a distance as the plane descended into Switzerland and to Geneva. I took them with my phone out of a window of the plane.


 

Slick

Guru
Looking forward to seeing more.
 

briantrumpet

Legendary Member
Location
Devon & Die
I'll be interested to see your itinerary... I'm guessing if you're B&Bing, it's all planned/booked already (or mostly). I guess you're not straying as far as my area... ;)

Anyway, have a great time! :smile:
 
OP
OP
Shut Up Legs

Shut Up Legs

Down Under Member
I'll be interested to see your itinerary... I'm guessing if you're B&Bing, it's all planned/booked already (or mostly). I guess you're not straying as far as my area... ;)

Anyway, have a great time! :smile:
I'm not, sorry. I stay at Le Bourg-d'Oisans for 2 wks then Jarrier (10km uphill from St-Jean-de-Maurienne) for 2.5 wks. I have a long list of climbs to do.
 

briantrumpet

Legendary Member
Location
Devon & Die
The worst was very localised, mostly to Romans-sur-Isere - 10 minutes of golf-ball hail has caused 100% crop devastation for soft fruit and grapes, and cars and windows were smashed in. Would have been terrifying if you were in the middle of nowhere on a bike. But SUL is further east than that (not that there wasn't some lively weather over the region). Fortunately my region got away with some light hail, I'm told, so my Veluxes will have survived.
 
The worst was very localised, mostly to Romans-sur-Isere - 10 minutes of golf-ball hail has caused 100% crop devastation for soft fruit and grapes, and cars and windows were smashed in. Would have been terrifying if you were in the middle of nowhere on a bike. But SUL is further east than that (not that there wasn't some lively weather over the region). Fortunately my region got away with some light hail, I'm told, so my Veluxes will have survived.

Nice region, we've got some friends in Romans and Crest, get out there ebery few years. The hermitage may not be so good this year?
I wasn't sure exactly where he was or how localised the storms were. Went to Crest at Easter a few years ago and the Drome was in full flood.
 

briantrumpet

Legendary Member
Location
Devon & Die
Nice region, we've got some friends in Romans and Crest, get out there ebery few years. The hermitage may not be so good this year?
I wasn't sure exactly where he was or how localised the storms were. Went to Crest at Easter a few years ago and the Drome was in full flood.
I'm at Die for chunks of the year - fortunately it's generally sheltered from the worst, though I think this hailstorm was a real freak. Any cars left outside at Romans took a real hammering, with multiple dents, and windscreens smashed:

orages-supercellules-grele-rafales-de-vent-15-juin-rhone-alpes-loire-drome-isere-photo-1.jpg
 
OP
OP
Shut Up Legs

Shut Up Legs

Down Under Member
I did my first proper ride for this trip today, riding up to Les Deux Alpes and then back to Le Bourg-d'Oisans via the Auris 'balcony' road, all new routes for me. Not a big ride: 62km with 1550m climbing. Here's a few photos from my French Alps 2019 CC album for today:




Regards,

--- Victor.
 
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