Day 11: Sun 9th July 2006

 

Ride: Etreaupont to Bewdley - 347 miles

 

Today we had a short 130 mile dash to Calais - mainly autoroute - a ferry crossing to Dover, and then a final 200 miles or so of motorway to cover before we'd be back home in Bewdley. The ride/drive home was uneventful although the high winds we experienced were enough to kept us alert right to the end of the trip.

 

Overall we had a fantastic trip and everyone had a great time. Chris B, Kyle and Chris P covered 2,331 miles. Gaz clocked up an additional 97 miles for his Wednesday afternoon run around the Oberalp, Lukmanier and St. Gotthard passes with Phil. Phil covered 1,615 miles on his K1200 and another 1,577 miles in the car.

 

On a final note, many thanks from everyone to Phil for his route planning, hotel bookings and general navigation throughout the trip - we promise we'll all have a GPS of our own for the next one. And a big thank you to Mark for letting us use his chalet - we hope you can make it next year.

 

Next year we're thinking of heading to the Pyrenees, possibly catching the Santander ferry and touring the Pyrenees-Atlantiques and Hautes-Pyrenees...

 

 

 

Day 10: Sat 8th July 2006

 

Ride: Chamonix to Etreaupont - 446 miles

 

Our destination today was a small village called Etreaupont. It's a 130 miles from Calais and we'd booked a stopover there at a Le Clos du Montvinage. We wanted to knock as many miles of today as we could so we were only left with a short dash to the ferry terminal on Sunday morning. We had about 430 miles in front of us and we figured it would take around 7 hours. Fortunately the weather we woke up to was an improvement on yesterday and we were all packed and ready to roll shortly after 9:00am. Not bad considering we'd had a bit of a boozy day yesterday. Phil was trailering his bike up the autoroute with all the luggage and while the bikes were quicker when they were rolling they lost time at the peages and refuelling. As a result we all arrived pretty much together. The hotel was quiet and relaxing, the owners very friendly, and the restaurant superb.

 

 

 

 

Day 9: Fri 7th July 2006

 

Ride: Chamonix - Day off

 

The stormy weather that we'd encountered in Switzerland yesterday arrived in Chamonix early this morning and it was pretty wet until lunchtime. This wasn't a problem though because there was no ride planned for today as we were all too aware that a long haul up the autoroute lay ahead of us tomorrow. Instead the morning was spent checking the bikes, packing up our gear, cleaning the chalet - generally just relaxing.

 

The weather did clear a little by the afternoon and the roads had started to dry although it remained overcast. We toyed with idea of going out for a short blast but we came to our senses and instead headed into Chamonix for a bit of R&R. We took a train ride up to the Mer de Glace on the Montenvers Railway before we all cracked and retired to a bar for a few afternoon beers. Amongst other topics we discussed what we were going to do for dinner tonight. After a week without a curry everyone was getting withdrawal symptoms and Kyle knew of an Indian restaurant in town. The decision was made although some of the group might come to regret it before tomorrows ride to Etreaupont.

 

The curry was good and can be recomended. Here's a final group photo taken at the restaurant.

 

 

 

 

Day 8: Thur 6th July 2006

 

Ride: Andermatt to Chamonix - 302 miles

 

Today we were heading back to Chamonix but before we left Andermatt the plan was to introduce Chris B, Kyle and Chris P to the delights of the Oberalp, Lukmanier and St. Gotthard pass roads. These passes form part of a scenic 97 mile loop that conveniently starts and finishes in Andermatt. Phil and Gaz rode the loop yesterday while the others retired to the bar. This morning we were all up and about nice and early, however, from the moment we got up the weather looked decidedly unpredictable. Nevertheless we checked out of the hotel, loaded up the bikes, and headed up the St. Gotthard Pass. Unfortunately the weather turned very quickly this morning and as you can see from the photos below the top of the St. Gotthard was shrouded in mist.

 

Here's a couple of views taken from the top by the museum.

 

 

 

The weather looked like it was set in for the day so we had a coffee and left heading for the Susten Pass which runs east to west from Wassen, north of Andermatt, to Innertkirchen. This was a great road, especially going up from Wassen.

 

Below are a series of photos that we took on the way up.

 

 

 

And a couple more photos. One looking back down the valley (left), and one taken at the top looking down over the cloud towards Innertkirchen (right).

 

 

The pass down was much more difficult and quite technical but still fun. We stopped by the glacier on the way down for a break.

 

Below are a couple of spectacular views of the glacier with a shot of Kyle and Chris on the right.

 

From Innertkirchen we had planned on riding back through Gstaad - playground of the rich and famous - to Bex but near Interlaken it decided to throw it down with rain so we retreated via the autoroute to the base of the Col de la Forclaz.

 

Below are two views that were taken after we'd parked the bikes up by the roundabout at the very base of the Forclaz. You can just about make out the pass running up to the first hairpin, a fantastic biking road.

 

 

From the base of the Forclaz we rode up to the bar at the top and made our now regular end of ride stop-off before heading down the valley over the Col des Montets and back into Chamonix and the chalet.

 

 

 

Day 7: Wed 5th July 2006

 

Ride: Chamonix to Andermatt - 129 miles

 

The next couple of days were going to be spent in Switzerland and we'd booked a hotel in Andermatt for the tonight. From Chamonix we headed due east over the Col des Montets and Col de la Forclaz, through Martigny and Brig, and towards the Furka Pass. Leaving Brig the road got more interesting and eventually we passed Ulrichen, the start point for the Nufenen Pass. Coming out of Oberwald the pass road starts in earnest. The road up from the western side takes you towards what you think must be the Furka but which is in fact the Grimsel. Bearing right at the base of the Grimsel lets you see the Furka in all its glory. It's a cracking road, reasonably wide and well surfaced.

 

The two views below were taken looking down from the Rhone glacier viewing point just below the summit. They just about show where the Grimsel and Furka meet in the valley floor. The hairpins on the right of the left-hand picture are the Grimsel.

 

 

Here's a group shot taken by Gaz at the same viewing point.

 

 

And below are a couple more photos taken at the same viewing point, this time of the bikes.

 

 

After a cup of coffee we got back on the bikes and rode up to the summit.

 

The pass going down into Andermatt on the eastern side is much tighter and without the benefit of any armco or any similar protection on the open side of the pass. A momentary lapse of concentration at this point and you are facing a long drop. However, we all arrived safely in Andermatt.

 

The hotel we chose, Hotel Bergidyll, was very popular with bikers. With secure parking, reasonably priced, and with good food it wasn't difficult to see why - later that evening there were at least 15 bikers who sat in the hotel bar to watch the World Cup semi final football match between France and Portugal.

 

Below is a photo of Chris P, Gaz and Kyle as they arrived at the hotel.

 

Ride: Oberalp, Lukmanier & St. Gotthard - 97 miles

 

When we'd checked in at the hotel most of us were happy to get out of the saddle and relax for the rest of the day - except Phil and Gaz. While Chris B, Kyle and Chris P retired to the bar Phil and Gaz were the only ones with enough energy to get out and ride the Oberalp Pass, Lukmanier Pass, and St. Gotthard Pass roads. If you're planning a trip that takes you near Andermatt it's certainly worth making the effort to ride the 97 mile loop that includes all of these passes.

 

If you look at the photo above, towards the top left-hand corner, you can might be able to make out the entrance to the tunnel which the cog railway uses. This railway winds up the Oberalp immediately behind the hotel alongside the road, before joining it once again out on top.

 

The Oberalp is excellent for bikes with fantastic wide grippy hairpins and great sweepers once you get out on top.

 

Below is a view taken from the top looking back towards Andermatt. It's from here that you run down to Disentis where the Lukmanier is well signposted.

 

 

This pass could be one of the best but unfortunately the road surface is terrible. It's been laid in concrete in what appears to be 25ft long blocks so every 1/2 second you hit one of the joins between the two. Phil reported that neither him or Gaz could find a comfortable pace. Not even with the K1200's ESA where ultimately the Sport setting was the best.

 

 

From here we dropped down into Biasca and then hopped on the Autoroute A2 to get up to Airolo where St. Gotthard - or San Gottardo on that side of the pass - starts. The exit off the autoroute is well signposted but you need to remember that there are two pass roads. The one signposted is the newer pass - a fantastic bit of road engineering with hairpins built on stilts out from the mountain. But there is also the old original pass - the Via Tremola - which is still open for those with mountain goat blood in them.

 

Below is a view of the new pass showing one of the open tunnels.

 

 

And here's a fantastic view of the old pass taken from the same point.

 

From there it's down the equally nice north side of the pass that takes you back into Andermatt.

 

 

 

Day 6: Tue 4th July 2006

 

Ride: Col de l'Iseran & Petit St. Bernard - 168 miles

 

The plan today was for a longer ride than our short blast up the Grand St. Bernard yesterday. Phil had planned a route that would explore some magnificent Alpine roads and gain a lot of altitude, and before days end would have us riding to the top of the highest pass in the Alps. There were a lot of miles to cover today if we wanted to get there so the concensus was that we needed to be on the road and rolling by 9.00am.

 

We were all on the road by 9.00am but not rolling because most of us needed fuel. There are plenty of places to fill up in and around Chamonix but we weren't sure what the situation would be like in the mountains. As we were going to be heading west from Chamonix we dropped a mile of so down the valley into Les Houches and filled up there. Everyone filled up regardless of whether they needed fuel or not - the SV and the Fireblade were brimmed. By 9.30am we were rolling.

 

From Les Houches we continued west and headed for Megeve on the N212 before turning at Notre Dame de Bellecombe up the D218B and over the Col des Saisies - part of this year's Tour de France route at 1,657m high - and down to Beaufort on the D925. The D218B was good but we had no idea how those cyclists manage to get up the passes. From Beaufort we kept on the D925 up the 1,605m to the top of the Col de Meraillet and then over the Cormet de Roselend at 1,968m. The scenery here was stunning but unfortunately we only stopped briefly at the top of the Meraillet and Roselend so no scenic pictures. There was more hairpin practice coming into Bourg St. Maurice and then again on the D902 through Val d'Isere.

 

 

We then climbed the 2,770m to the top of the highest pass in the Alps, the Col de l'Iseran. The D902 is justly rated as a 5-star biking road although we did have to stop for roadworks in a couple of the tunnels. However it is well surfaced and not too tight - so it was second gear for the hairpins and third gear for the straights. This was literally the highest we got but despite the altitude all the bikes were running perfectly.

 

The views from the top were spectacular as you can see from the series of photos below.

 

 

 

From the top we retraced our steps back towards Bourg St. Maurice before turning right off the D925 at Sainte Foy to cut across to the N90 meeting the pass to La Rosiere close to the top, and turning right for the Col du Petit St. Bernard. The climb up to the pass heading north is gentle and fairly featureless and tops out at 2,188m.

 

Below are some photos that were taken at the top of the Petit St. Bernard.

 

 

 

The pass going down towards Courmayeur is much more challenging with hairpin after hairpin after hairpin. Most of us found the trick was to stay in second gear for all but the tightest hairpins and use both the front and rear brakes before the bend, releasing the front before the bend but keeping the rear on and balancing it against the throttle, before releasing it as the bike straightened up.

 

From Courmayeur it was another trip through the Mont Blanc tunnel and then home to the chalet.

 

Coming down the approach to the tunnel on the French side you pass the memorial commemorating the efforts of those who died in the great fire in 1999. The fire started only 750 metres into the tunnel on the Italian side when a lorry carrying flour and margarine stopped and caught fire. 39 people died in this fire but one of the heroes was an Italian security guard named Pierlucio Tinazzi who was also a biker. He rode in and out of the tunnel as the fire raged rescuing a number of those trapped. Eventually he was forced to seek refuge in one of the shelters but it was one which had not been upgraded and he died.

 

 

 

Day 5: Mon 3rd July 2006

 

Ride: Col du Grand St. Bernard - 112 miles

 

There was no particular plan today and we'd always intended on taking it easy after all the riding we'd done over the weekend. After a late breakfast we gave the bikes a bit of a wash down and checked oil levels, etc. For those that had chains, they were also checked and oiled.

The bike line-up: (L-R) Kyle's SV, Chris P's Fireblade, Phil's K1200, Gaz's Blackbird and Chris B's K1200

 

By late afternoon we'd all had enough of sitting around and decided to venture out for a short ride to the Col du Grand St. Bernard - the great thing about Chamonix is that it's conveniently located in the western part of the Alps and borders Switzerland and Italy and provides easy access to some stunning Alpine roads and passes. When we got to the top the plan was to head down the Italian side and return to Chamonix through the Mont Blanc tunnel.

 

We left Chamonix and headed up the valley and over the Col des Montets towards Vallorcine and the French-Swiss border. From there we crossed into Switzerland and headed up and over the Col de la Forclaz and then on into Martigny. From Martigny the road up the Swiss side of the Grand St. Bernard is very good and fast until you reach the pass road itself where it is very tight in places. The first gear hairpins on Phil's K1200 proved tricky because of it's long wheelbase and it took a bit of practice to get used to them.

 

 

At the top we stopped for a coffee and took in the spectacular views that you can see below.

 

 

When we crossed the border into Italy we tried marmot spotting - without success. Below are two great views of the last section coming up on the Italian side, with Chris P searching in vain for the elusive marmot on the left.

 

 

We then rode down the Italian side and headed back to Chamonix via the Mont Blanc tunnel. It was only a short blast but in the space of a couple of hours we'd managed to ride a loop out over the Grand St. Bernard and back through the Mont Blanc tunnel, that took us from France to Switerland to Italy and back into France.

 

When we got back to the chalet we got cleaned up and then headed back into town for dinner. Tonight we went to Casa Valerio, a fantastic Italian restaurant that has a fabulous antipasti selection, and their pasta and pizzas come recomended.

 

Below is a group photo that was taken in the restaurant.

 

 

 

 

Day 4: Sun 2nd July 2006

 

Ride: Heudicourt to Chamonix - 339 miles

 

Today our destination was Chamonix Mont-Blanc and another long hot day lay ahead of us. Yesterday the weather was sweltering but today was going to be even hotter. We all felt surprisingly sharp this morning in spite of the time spent in the saddle yesterday, and all the beer and wine that was consumed last night.

 

The first order of the day was fuel and it being Sunday nowhere was open and all the unmanned pumps that we came across only accepted French bank cards. Refuelling was a recurring problem for the SV throughout the trip and its fuel light had been on for almost 20 miles. The Fireblade was also getting desperate for fuel before a solution finally presented itself. We managed to catch a French motorist fuelling up at an unmanned pump and offered him cash in exchange for him filling our bikes up on his card. Result.

 

Fully fuelled we left Heudicourt and headed back through Toul and Epinal. We stayed on the E23/N57 until past Remiremont where we picked up the N66 to St Maurice de Moselle. From there we turned onto the D465 which takes you up the Col du Ballon d'Alsace. The road has the potential to be good but heavy overbanding on many of the corners means that you have to take it very carefully around the hairpins. We all had the front or rear wheel, or both, slide at some point on the ascent.

 

The view was worth it though and here are a series of photos that were taken at the top.

 

 

 

The descending road towards Belfort also had to be taken with care because it runs down through heavy woods and the dappled light playing on the surface made it difficult to pick out imperfections in the surface - of which there were many. We were also warned by both cars and bikers of the presence of a Swiss police speed trap at the bottom approaching Delemont, where we again cut off through the Gorges de Pichoux referred to earlier.

 

Through the Gorges we were reminded of the advantage of local knowledge when we saw a rider on an old K1100 flying brick by the side of the road. He followed us and quickly swept past all of us at a speed which seemed barely credible. Good on him.

 

We then rode on to Biel and decided that we need to pick the pace up if we were to get to Chamonix at a decent time, so headed for Bern and the Autoroute A12 past Fribourg and Montreux to Martigny where we headed up the Col de la Forclaz for a well deserved beer.

 

 

Below is a group shot taken by Phil. We're outside the cafe at the top of Forclaz, a very popular stop off for bikers. It became a regular stopping off point for us too whenever we passed on our way back to Chamonix after a ride out.

 

From the top of the Forclaz it's only a short hop to the Swiss-French border. The border post is usually unmanned but take your passport regardless because you're bound to get caught out the one time it is manned. From the border the road twists its way down through Vallorcine and over the Col des Montets and into Argentiere. From there it's pretty much a straight run down the valley and into Chamonix. We finally rolled up at Chalet Le Bois Rond at 5.00pm, hot and very clammy, and it had indeed been a very hot day.

 

Below are a couple more group shots, this time that Gaz took. We're relaxing - and looking a little tired - on the front balcony before we headed into town for dinner.

 

 

 

 

Day 3: Sat 1st July 2006

 

Ride: Bewdley to Heudicourt - 488 miles

 

Today was the day that everyone was to meet up at the hotel we'd booked in Heudicourt-sous-les-Cotes, south of Verdun. At 7.00am Chris B, Kyle, Chris P and Gaz finally got their tour off to a start and headed for Heudicourt with 488 miles of motorway and autoroute in front of them - 218 miles to Dover, P&O crossing to Calais, and then another 270 miles the other side. The first 150 miles were incident free and they were making good time until Chris P unexpectedly left the M25 and joined the M23 heading for Brighton!?! At the last minute Gaz and Kyle followed like lemmings but Chris B, who had no intention of getting off, sailed past towards Dover. After a 20 mile detour normal service was resumed and shortly before 11.00am, just outside the ferry terminal, everyone was reunited. No harm done and the ferry was made with time to spare but clearly one GPS between four might be an issue when riding through France.

Ride: Chamonix to Heudicourt - 356 miles

 

Meanwhile Phil was riding up through France. The idea today was he'd try out the route that had been provisionally mapped out for the ride down to Chamonix on Sunday, when everyone would finally arrive at the chalet. Heading first back over the Col des Montets and Col de la Forclaz to Martigny he picked up the autoroute for a few miles before exiting at Aigle for a ride up Route 11 past Leysin and over the Col des Mosses towards Chateau d'Oex, and then on past Gruyeres - home of the cheese - Bulle and then the back road to Fribourg through Corbieres, La Roche and Villarsel to Fribourg.

 

The first part of this section up to Bulle was very good. The roads were technically demanding in places with a number of tight downhill hairpins, but with beautiful countryside to look at.

 

Below is a view taken north of Leysin looking back down the valley towards Aigle.

 

 

From Fribourg Phil headed up through Murten, Kerzers and Aarberg to Biel. The roads whilst pleasant enough were interrupted by too many villages to get any decent pace on. Grinding through Biel, thankfully aided by his trusty GPS, he turned north onto the E27/A16 to Tavannes where he turned left onto the road through the Gorges de Pichoux - through Chatelat to Bassecourt. This road was delightful - beautiful countryside combined with technically difficult roads.

 

From Bassecourt he bypassed Delemont and headed up the D432/D41 to Ferrette. A very good road full of long sweepers. From Ferrette he headed up through Altkirch to Cernay with the intention of switching onto the D431/D430 over the Col du Silberloch and Col du Herrenberg to Gerardmer. However the road from Ferrette onwards was slow because of a succession of small villages along the road, all with a 50 km/h limit. He worked out that his idea of riding the D430 and D431 was going to have to be shelved so thrashed his K1200 up the N83 dual carriageway to Colmar where he headed for the D417 to Geradmer over the Col de la Schlucht.

 

Even with the holiday traffic this is a good road for a bike with a good surface and fairly predictable and well marked bends. The final bit into Gerardmer was shut for roadworks so Phil had to divert south a bit before reaching Gerardmer. He then continued on the D417 to Epinal - a truly good road for his bike with wide sweeping bends and where he could catch up some time. At Epinal he picked up the E23/N57 towards Nancy and from there headed for Toul and the north to Heudicourt where we had all planned to meet up.

 

While Phil had been enjoying scenic roads through beautiful countryside Chris B, Kyle, Chris P and Gaz had spent all afternoon storming down the A26/A4 from Calais. The ride was pretty uneventful and fuel consumption varied wildly according to speed ridden. The ride was broken down into manageable 90 minute chunks and stops were timed for when fuel was needed. However at one point Kyle did manage to drain the 17 litre fuel tank of his SV in 47 minutes thus proving riding faster will not necessarily get you there any quicker. Matters weren't helped much when Gaz saw Kyle pointing at his fuel tank - the universal sign for out of fuel - and took that to mean he wanted to race. Gaz promptly sped off, the others following, leaving Kyle to limp to the next fuel station. The result being the group became separated for the second time that day.

 

Phil arrived in Heudicourt just after 5.00pm, checked into Hotel du Lac de Madine, and waited for everyone to turn up. The rest of the group rolled up an hour later. It had been a long day in the saddle and everyone was pretty relieved to get to the hotel.

 

 

The accommodation for the night comes thouroughly recommended with a very good restaurant and reasonably inexpensive lodgings.

 

 

 

Day 2: Fri 30th June 2006

 

Ride: Laon to Chamonix - 429 miles

 

Phil's plan today was to drive down to the tour base in Chamonix arriving sometime late afternoon. He'd then get his bike off the trailer ready for the ride back up through France tomorrow to meet up with the rest of the group in Heudicourt. After an uneventful but pleasant drive down Phil finally approached Chamonix and caught his first glimpse of Mont Blanc from the motorway near Annecy.

 

Below is a view from the car, you can just make out Mont Blanc in the background.

 

 

Phil arrived at Chalet Le Bois Rond in the early afternoon. The chalet, that was to be our base for the next week, is owned by Kyle's brother-in-law Mark who had intended making the trip himself on his Pan European. However a new job had intervened at the last moment and sadly he couldn't make the trip.

 

Ride: Col du Grand St. Bernard - 112 miles

 

Having unloaded all the luggage, stocked up the fridge with beer, wine and the other essentials of life, Phil got his bike off the trailer and decided that it was time for a ride. He headed the two miles from the chalet to the Mont Blanc tunnel, filtered to the head of the queue, paid his €21.70, and headed for Italy. Running down to Aosta he then picked up the signs for the Col du Grand St. Bernard and headed up the valley.

 

 

Climbing up the valley the road to the pass is clearly marked with a turn off to the right whilst the traffic wanting to use the tunnel heads straight on. The lower slopes of the pass climb through woodland but eventually emerge above the tree line about the point where the tunnel crosses the valley - this sounds odd and it looks it since the tunnel emerges from one side of the valley and crosses the pass road totally enclosed in concrete before diving into the other side of the valley.

 

The pass continues to climb and just when you think you might be near the top another raft of hairpins emerges.

 

 

The road was quite narrow with just enough room for two cars to pass. On the Italian side extensive roadworks were in place and care was needed because of loose gravel and a badly deformed road surface in places. Apparently there are a lot of marmots in this area and for those that are alert enough, and know what they're looking for, you might spot some. Phil spotted two but that was the only sighting of the entire week!

 

Below are a couple of photos that were taken at the top of the Grand St. Bernard.

 

When Phil finally reached the top he headed down the Swiss side towards Martigny. From there he turned left and headed over the Col de la Forclaz. The run up is a fantastic road with tight hairpins on the lower stretches that open up and become fast sweepers as you start to climb. The pass over the Forclaz is an important link to Chamonix and is a very popular destination for weekend excursions and bicycle and motorcycle tours. There is a busy bar-restaurant and shop at the top.

 

From the top of the Forclaz it's a twisting run down to the Swiss-French border and Vallorcine, and then over the Col des Montets and into Argentiere. From there it's only a short run down the valley and you're back in Chamonix.