While the rest of you were having a great time in Scotland, we headed south to ride the Great Alpine Road from Thon Les Baines to Menton on the Med.
(http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i116/hockleyboy/Route%20des%20Grande%20Alpes/RouteMap.jpg)
Only had a few days so it was all a bit of a rush and meant a couple of long days on the road.
So home from work at about 7pm on Friday, had tea, packed teh bike and then had a couple of hours sleep. 2am off to Dover to catch the 4 o'clock ferry. Had a fry up and another hours shuteye before hitting France.
Then it was a long ride down to Lullin,in the Alps just South of Thonon got there about 6pm after riding through some huge storms on the autoroutes.
Nice hotel there for the night
(http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i116/hockleyboy/Route%20des%20Grande%20Alpes/IMG_0683.jpg) (http://s70.photobucket.com/user/hockleyboy/media/Route%20des%20Grande%20Alpes/IMG_0683.jpg.html)
(http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i116/hockleyboy/Route%20des%20Grande%20Alpes/DSCN0291.jpg) (http://s70.photobucket.com/user/hockleyboy/media/Route%20des%20Grande%20Alpes/DSCN0291.jpg.html)
Next morning, up bright and early for a nice breakfast before riding into Thonon to start the Route proper.
(http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i116/hockleyboy/Route%20des%20Grande%20Alpes/DSCN0303-1.jpg) (http://s70.photobucket.com/user/hockleyboy/media/Route%20des%20Grande%20Alpes/DSCN0303-1.jpg.html)
From there we headed down the Route and into the mountains, over the highest passes and through some really spectacular scenery.
(http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i116/hockleyboy/Route%20des%20Grande%20Alpes/DSCN0325.jpg) (http://s70.photobucket.com/user/hockleyboy/media/Route%20des%20Grande%20Alpes/DSCN0325.jpg.html)
(http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i116/hockleyboy/Route%20des%20Grande%20Alpes/P1040769.jpg) (http://s70.photobucket.com/user/hockleyboy/media/Route%20des%20Grande%20Alpes/P1040769.jpg.html)
(http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i116/hockleyboy/Route%20des%20Grande%20Alpes/DSCN0321.jpg) (http://s70.photobucket.com/user/hockleyboy/media/Route%20des%20Grande%20Alpes/DSCN0321.jpg.html)
Until we reached Bourg St Maurice where we camped for the night.
(http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i116/hockleyboy/Route%20des%20Grande%20Alpes/IMG_0705-1.jpg) (http://s70.photobucket.com/user/hockleyboy/media/Route%20des%20Grande%20Alpes/IMG_0705-1.jpg.html)
More to follow.
Now that's what you call a full weekend :thumbsup . I have skied in a few of those places, the smell of fresh pain chocolat in the square of La Cluzas at 06:00 on a New Years morning after a skier coach trip from Glasgow, ye can't dislike the French at times like that :pimp
You're not fooling anyone standing next to the bicycle by the way :icon_wink:
Got to say, France and the French were brilliant and really geared up for motorcyclists (and the money they spend) in a way that most of GB isnt. Also, the standard of driving and repect for other smaller road users appears to be about a thousand times better.
So you don't believe I cycled up the highest climb of the Tour De France in full motorcycle gear then!
The next day we pushed on over the passes, riding fairly carefully.
(http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i116/hockleyboy/Route%20des%20Grande%20Alpes/P1040758.jpg) (http://s70.photobucket.com/user/hockleyboy/media/Route%20des%20Grande%20Alpes/P1040758.jpg.html)
The roads and the riding just awaesome (will upload some GoPro footage when I get a minute).
(http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i116/hockleyboy/Route%20des%20Grande%20Alpes/GOPR0080.jpg) (http://s70.photobucket.com/user/hockleyboy/media/Route%20des%20Grande%20Alpes/GOPR0080.jpg.html)
Towards the eveing the weather deteriorated badly and as camping was out of the question we found a nice hotel high in the mountains so that we could dry our stuff and enjoy some decent food and wine.
Views from the hotel
(http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i116/hockleyboy/Route%20des%20Grande%20Alpes/DSCN0335.jpg) (http://s70.photobucket.com/user/hockleyboy/media/Route%20des%20Grande%20Alpes/DSCN0335.jpg.html)
(http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i116/hockleyboy/Route%20des%20Grande%20Alpes/IMG_0715.jpg) (http://s70.photobucket.com/user/hockleyboy/media/Route%20des%20Grande%20Alpes/IMG_0715.jpg.html)
Tuesday the weather was better so we pressed on.
(http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i116/hockleyboy/Route%20des%20Grande%20Alpes/DSCN0357.jpg) (http://s70.photobucket.com/user/hockleyboy/media/Route%20des%20Grande%20Alpes/DSCN0357.jpg.html)
(http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i116/hockleyboy/Route%20des%20Grande%20Alpes/GOPR0107.jpg) (http://s70.photobucket.com/user/hockleyboy/media/Route%20des%20Grande%20Alpes/GOPR0107.jpg.html)
(http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i116/hockleyboy/Route%20des%20Grande%20Alpes/DSCN0356.jpg) (http://s70.photobucket.com/user/hockleyboy/media/Route%20des%20Grande%20Alpes/DSCN0356.jpg.html)
(http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i116/hockleyboy/Route%20des%20Grande%20Alpes/DSCN0360.jpg) (http://s70.photobucket.com/user/hockleyboy/media/Route%20des%20Grande%20Alpes/DSCN0360.jpg.html)
(http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i116/hockleyboy/Route%20des%20Grande%20Alpes/DSCN0342.jpg) (http://s70.photobucket.com/user/hockleyboy/media/Route%20des%20Grande%20Alpes/DSCN0342.jpg.html)
(http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i116/hockleyboy/Route%20des%20Grande%20Alpes/GOPR0118.jpg) (http://s70.photobucket.com/user/hockleyboy/media/Route%20des%20Grande%20Alpes/GOPR0118.jpg.html)
(http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i116/hockleyboy/Route%20des%20Grande%20Alpes/DSCN0367.jpg) (http://s70.photobucket.com/user/hockleyboy/media/Route%20des%20Grande%20Alpes/DSCN0367.jpg.html)
Until we reached Menton and the Med.
(http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i116/hockleyboy/Route%20des%20Grande%20Alpes/DSCN0373.jpg) (http://s70.photobucket.com/user/hockleyboy/media/Route%20des%20Grande%20Alpes/DSCN0373.jpg.html)
(http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i116/hockleyboy/Route%20des%20Grande%20Alpes/DSCN0381.jpg) (http://s70.photobucket.com/user/hockleyboy/media/Route%20des%20Grande%20Alpes/DSCN0381.jpg.html)
More to follow
Wow! Lucky you!
Sounds absolutely fab and dead jealous!
Wow!!,
looks like an amazing route you took, some great pics, thanks for sharing! :nod :thumbsup
It's a great part of the world we have a ridden all of that route at some time but normally because we have been on the way to somewhere else!! the bit south of Thonon is less busy because it's such a bastard to get too having to loop under Geneva but your bit down near Sospel and Menton!!! my parents used to take a caravan to Sospel for 6 weeks every year for what must have been?? 25 years at least happy days.
Brilliant! Just got back a week ago myself. After seeing this I want to go again. Realy need to do the entire route in one trip some day. Got a serious hankering to do it on my vintage Norton. Another one for the bucket list.
Nice report :thumbsup