July 2013 - France/Italy Alps trip on the mountain trails and roads

[AndyCook]

2 days to go!

but currently away from home on a 2 day work trip to Edinburgh. Most of packing done luckily.

roughly proposed route attached, won't be doing all of this since I plan to spend less time in the LC this year than previous trips - to give more time for looking round old forts and riding our mountain bikes and chilling. so will skip some sections of trail in places.
A lot of new trails, but revisiting some excellent trails I drove last year too

will update progress a couple times on trip when we have wifi.

 

[Gav Peter]

Looking forward to the trip report already Andy

 

[AndyCook]

Looking forward to the trip report already Andy

ha - no hassling me for photos the moment i step back in UK mind you

can't wait to get on some of the new to me high trails on the Italian Alps - the scenery looks amazing from the photos i have seen so far.
and the trails around Susa/sestriere are amazing and loads of old forts to look around

we will have to skip the tunnel du parpaillon againt http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Col_du_Parpaillon


again, as it doesnt open until july 15th, and even then, its often too icy inside for vehicles,
last year the trail to it was blocked by landslide and the tunnel itself had 3ft ice snow inside, as we met some german motorbikers who told us about it.
so we will just have to drive over 2700m coll to Risoul instead

in convoy with another LC this year too
but not meeting up with our friends in Hilux this year as they are in Africa

 

[AndyCook]

All packed and ready to start the trip tomorrow

mountain bikes in bike bags where the 2nd row seats normally live

no room in fridge for any beer though full of food.... once tomorrows lunch eaten beer will go in to replace it

 

[froggy Steve]

Have a good one, and dont forget the beer!
Steve

 

[AndyCook]

Good trails at Risoul yesterday. And Demonte in Italy last night. Trails blocked by snow today, then landslide. Greay scenery. Towed out of snow field by andrews 120 when i got stuckin it. Cant upload pics on tabelt.
y.

 

[AndyCook]

photo albulm link removed - i have added photos and captions to thread below now

 

[Gav Peter]

Great link Andy - thanks for that Looks like you are having a great trip

 

[roy90]

Thanks for the link to the pictures, looks like a good trip, nice weather and plenty of bike action too. Enjoy the rest of your travels!

 

[froggy Steve]

Looks like fun! Terrific views
Steve

 

[clivehorridge]

Thanks for the link to the pictures, looks like a good trip, nice weather and plenty of bike action too. Enjoy the rest of your travels!

Great advance with the photo link Steve! Thanks!

Tell me, where are the bikes when you're traveling, I don't see any racks or stowed dismantled bikes?

Enjoy your freedom!

 

[AndyCook]

Bikes are stowed in Neil Pryde bike bags where 2nd row seats normally reside. On a shelf I made, with stuff stored underneath them and water jerrycans behind passenger and drivers seat. I will add a photo of them soon. In Modane now and its raining . Had some good trails and wildcamps in Sestriere and Susa area. Met quite a few UK motorbikers over for Via Alpina and German and Austrian Offroaders. Bagged Mount Jafferau this time and most of col du somellier.

 

[AndyCook]

Home now after another fantastic trip - 2500 miles

and watching stage 18 of the Tour de France at L'Alpe d'duez was brilliant, got a spot by 2km to go banner and had two passes of the riders.


ps Clive - look at first couple posts, you can see bike bags!
photos and full report to follow

 

[Neil Stone]

Great pictures Andy !
Now I best get back to work

 

[AndyCook]

Going to take a while to type report and organize the photos, but here is the SPOT tracker log

The Sanef Telepass gadget was brilliant, saved queues at the tolls and faffing with Euro change - will always use this in future

 

[moggy1968]

jealous? Hell yeah!!

great trip, great pics. Love the Alps but not done any offroading there yet, hoping for next year.
What's the deal offroading in France now? My understanding was it's illegal, is this the case or can you use tracks?

 

[froggy Steve]

Most 'chemins' (tracks) around here are OK to use, but a lot are overgrown. If a track is closed, it will usually say so. Some (including one I was on in the van recently!) go straight through peoples gardens, this one clearly wasn't used a lot as the owner stood there with his hands on his hips! it was a real chemin, honest!
Steve

 

[AndyCook]

OK.. start of some photos and report..

we left Aberdeenshire early on Saturday 6th July to make our way down to Hull, drove in convoy with AndrewT and family for a bit, and met up at ferry port, before boarding ferry for Zeebrugge.



Stopped in Beaune for the Sunday night, a lovely town with nice campsite. famous for wine and historic centre.



Monday we continued down to Embrun via Lyon. a spectacular lake on way - Lac de Monteynard-Avignonet , with a bridge over the gorge




also went through Gap on the way to Embrun and first signs of the tour de france 2013



La Tourelles campsite in Embrun was a good spot. French owners wife was from Glasgow, we took her some irn bru and marmite in return for some beers at the bar



next day we had a day off driving, wife and I went for a mountain bike ride, took us 3hrs to ascend 1000m... and a lot lot less to descend back to Embrun



view over Embrun




I got the LC's wheels balanced in May, but they didn't seem to have been balanced properly, as truck was shaking on way down through frace on peage. so stopped at a garage in embrun and got the balanced - this got rid of the shaking.



Then onto the first trail on the trip on the Wednesday - climbing up to Risoul ski station from Embrun


stopped for a coffee on way up by a place we wild camped last year.


first of Risoul chair lifts

trail at 2400m - Col de Valbelle

Belvedere de l'Homme de Piere - Risoul

view down to North - Guillestre

new table working well

camping in Demonte - Italy after first day on trails

TBC

 

[AndyCook]

So after our first night in Italy at Demonte - we headed into the amazing Val d'Arma and upto Colle Valcavera

and did some marmot spotting on the way up

a shy one

and up

and at the col de Valacavera - a whole amazing view opened up and we started on a trail

we stopped to explore some wartime forts and have a coffee

gun emplacement

Then we spoke to some German 4x4 overlanders in a G-wagen and landrover, who were backtracking since the trail we wanted to take through to Marmora was blocked by 10-15ft deep snow fields...
so we thought we would take a side trail to look at a coll, this too was blocked by snow...

had to drive into the snow though

and get recovered by AndrewT

so backtracked to the road, and plugged an alternative route into Tomtom via Colle del Vallonetto

monument in memory of Marco Pantani - looked like Gollum...

the road had a sign saying road closed, but the barrier had been put to oneside, so we decided to chance it, since yet another detour would be 2hrs more drive to get to our destination...
cow bells on a farm house

alpine meadow lunchspot

oopss the road is closed... a landslide

but the digger drive said we can come through in 30mins, so i went for a walk, but was soon called back on PMR radio saying the digger had moved and was letting us through, so i ran back, we drove through and AndrewT gave the chap a cold beer from his fridge.

the nights camp was up a valley at a old fort converted to a mountain hostel, and campsite - Campo Base near Chiappera
amazing mountains e.g. Croce Provenzale@2400m
the hostel also had a nice Bar and cakes

campo base

the next morning, after letting a group of German 4x4 led by a guide past us, we set off down the valley to Sroppo, then up a canyon to Colle di Sampeyre

and at the colle di sampeyere, we left the road for a there-and-back trail to west @2300m

a swiss couple turned up in a nice Jeep

we had a coffee break and looked at some old fortifications

steep drops by trail

and back to the col di sampeyre

we crossed the road, as there is another trail 20-30km long heading East via Colle Birrone

cloud was bubling up, at first we were above it, but after 30mins we were driving in pea soup...

on the trail there was a rattling noise of loose metal from front of truck, i discovered the brake dust shield mounts were corroded and it was loose, that evening i removed the wheel and pulled up rotten dust shield off, and zip-tied it under AndrewT's truck when he wasnt around... next morning he wasn't happy when he drove off and there was a rattling noise under his truck!

we were camped at a site in Pontechinale - it was a Friday night so the site was a bit busy with Italians out for the weekend

nice village to explore - ponechinale

next day we stopped at market to buy more food etc
spotted an "ape" with this towel on back

TBC

 

[Leopard]

Looks like a fun trip!