Climbing Col Bonette. (Before Restefond).
My first Alp trip was in 2019. It was focused in Dolomitas region reaching to Grossglockner as furthest point. Due to Covid restriction I had to wait until 2022 to repeat Alps again. This second time in Alps was focused in France (Route of Great Alps) and Switzerland. Huge region unable to visit in one single trip... Alps is infinity. I'm fall in love with Alps. I think I will repeat Alps rest of my life, discovering new places and repeting others in differents ways and circunstances...
Route of Great Alps. Plenty of awesom Cols: Bonette, Lombarde, Maddalena, Vars, Agnel, Izoard, Galibier, Telegraph, Mont Cenis, Iseran, Roselend, Grand&Petit San Bernard...
10 days. From 1st to 10th of July. 4700km in total aprox.
Friday 1st July. Leaving home. Murcia-Tremp.
I didn´t want to ride during my first day 1000km highway to arrive Avignon in France as my friends wanted (and they did). So I decided start trip, one day before them, to be able to split this first stage in two parts. So I rode alone to Tremp from home. Tremp is near to Pyrenees. It provided me a good chance to visit part of Eastern Pyrenees next day.
Saturday 2nd July. Crossing border. Tremp-Avignon.
I was very interested in visit Pyrenees. I have never been before!!!. This Alps trip give me oportunity to visit East part of them. Envalira pass (The highest in Pyrenees) and Paillheres pass gave me good landscape views and fun twisty roads. I always try to avoid as much as possible boring highway kilometers... Crossing Eastern Pyrenees from Spain to France was good idea.
Envalira pass in Andorra and Paillheres pass in France. After crossing Pyrenees I got again highway to reach Avignon and get in touch with my friends at the end of day.
Sunday 3rd July. Avignon-Jausiers. Finally touching Alps!!!
My friends and me rode together until Switzerland border. After that I continued rest of trip alone again. They were not able to expend more time. In my case I prefered take the most of it, so I extended 2 extra days for visiting part of Switzerland. To go Alps from home is very far and expensive. Not possible to come back every time I wish. During this stage we crossed lavander fields, Verdun and Daluis canyons and Col Cayolle. Very beautiful. Amazing. At lunch time was a bit hot. We took refresh bath in Verdun river. Daluis Gorges was red color...Col Cayolle black!!! I am not able to get used these landscapes...lots of colours, shapes. I was surprised all time.
Monday 4th July. Jausiers-Briancon. It must be Heaven.
Hotel at Jausiers was very pretty. Dinner and breakfast very good. Good bed and shower. Free parking at back side.
DIY. Easy laundry. Do you remember lavander fields day before?. If cloths were still wet, dried them up while riding next day... Sack tied onto luggage. Lavander flowers smell very good...Use caution when pick-up Lavander flowers... only a few ones. Nobody wants farmer get angry with bikers...
It was the first Great Alps day. Until now we were only approaching. Bonette, Lombarde, Maddalena, Vars, Agnel, Izoard. All these Cols are fantastic.
Climbing Bonette you cross first Restefond. Some Forts and Bunkers are still there. War traces. Alps were borders. This day weather condition were mixing. After Col Vars windy, before Agnel rainy and finally Sunny Izoard. Remember. Rain usually last few minutes. Not necessary put rain coat. Only look for a coffe in bar and wait. Due to work in progress Agnel road was closed. I was very dissapointed. It was second time I would lost Agnel. (First time in 2019 very late at night we had to abort)... But one friend was very smart. He did not hesitate asking to native person there. We were lucky!!!... After rain we could manage to divert Agnel by another road. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse got Agnel!!!
Tuesday 5th July. Briancon-Sallanches. No doubt, It is heaven on earth.
Hotel was right. For dinner better restaurants are near hotel. Some Renault Alpines were there. Classic cars Tour???
Today was the second Great Alps day. Galibier, Telegraph, Mont Cenis, Iseran, Roselend were all awesom. Only Col telegraph dissapointed me. Lots of traffic, not very good road surface conditions and not so much beautiful landscape views...But you have to cross it if you want continue route. Unable to surround.
Restaurant for having dinner near hotel in Sallanches. Both quite good. Not expensive and near to Chamonix-Montblanc if you want to visit.
Wednesday 6th July. Sallanches-Disentis. Sad&Happy day.
Strange feeling: Mix of sadness, happiness, eagerness...I was excited and a bit nervous. A bit sad due to my friends and me say good-bye. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse became into The Three Musketeers and The Lonely rider??? At Switzerland border, after cross Forclaz pass, they started coming back home south heading. In the other hand I continued north heading to reach Switzerland. After few kilometers I felt better...Very happy and excited of riding alone so far from home. I am used to ride alone but not so far from home. Something new for me. Excited cause of new challenge. "9" of Andermatt would be my goal this stage.
"9" of Andermatt is how we know this fantastic track. When crossing some passes in the right way we draw a "9" on the map. Nufenen-Gotthard-Susten-Grimsel-Furka-Oberal...You have to cross twice Andermatt to make the "9". During my first Alps I rode the 9 but in reverse way. So this time was new experience again.
Saint Gotthard Pass, by tremola road. Tremola is not asphalt. Is old style. Cobblestones?
Here you are. Andermatt`s 9. You can ride in 2 ways depending on your destination. Until July is not all passes opened at all. Furkapass usually is latest one to open due to snow. Between Grimmsel and Furka pass, there is a special glacier. Spring water Rhone river is here.
Climbing Grimselpass. From Guttanen. North face. Raterichsbodensee and Grimselsee.
Rhone springwater river. Furka Glacier (Behind Belvedere Hotel). Just after Gletsch and before Furkapass top.
Forclazpass where said goodbye my friends. You have to buy "Vignette" to use highway in Switzerland. I used it for few kilometers but I prefer buy it to save time. Only 2 extra days for visiting differents passes in Switzerland. Beautiful villages probable after Brig. Nunfenen, Lunch at San Gotthardpass top, Susten, Grimsel-Furka, "Red lighthouse" at Overalpass.
After Overalpass I arrived at hotel. Sweet and pretty hotel at Disentis/Munster. Dinner and breakfast was wonderful. Free Parking.
Beautiful Village. I tried special meal for dinner. The best in area. "Capuns". I enjoyed a lot this day. It was perfect despite being my first day riding alone. I was very satisfyed myself.
Thursday 7th July. Disentis-Brig. Switzerland!!! Here I am!!!.
My second day riding alone in Switzerland also was perfect until I had to cross Italy for a little while...
Do not misunderstood me. I love Italian people, his coutry and their traditions but I am not use to drive among them... After Switzerland sweet and quiet traffic condition, I got opposite conditions in Italy. Rush hour after work at the end of the day trying to reach hotel did not help. A bit of traffic jam and roadrage. I have already known this. I learnt during my first Alps. When you are in Italy you have to re-adapt and get used how they drive. New country, new rules...Not always play the same...
For this reason, this time I managed to cross Italy as quick as possible. The shortest way to come back Switzerland after crossing San Bernardino Pass. Probably avoiding rush hour after work next time, it would get better experience...Via cantonale and Lady blood Sanctuary was very beautiful. So it was worth in the end.
My Little "race-track" crossing Italy...
I slept very well. Very quiet hotel at Munster/Disentis. After big breakfast. I started my second day in Switzerlnad. My next goal were Albula, Julier and San Bernardino passes... cross Italy by Via Cantonale and come back Switzerland crossing Simplepass.
Remember. Do not hesitate asking native people about roads at vicinity. Paying bill at hotel, receptionist recommended me another road to get Albulapass. Ilanz-Bonaduz was by Versam instead of 19 road by Flims.
After Albula I headed to Julierpass. Just there, before climb Julier, there is Silvaplana village. Philosopher Nietzsche usually go there for having rest. House Museum you can visit. It is said that near Surlej Rock he was inspired to write "Thus Spoke Zarathustra: A Book for All and None "
After Julierpass I would had like to get Splugapass top, go backward and continue San Bernardinopass but it was late and rainstorm was just begun. So I decided to cancel Spluga and go direct Bernardino. Once at south face it was sunny again. After descend long, funny and twisty Bernardino (North/South faces are very differents. North one is narrowed and tornantis road). I had lunch in quieter valley.
Often when riding across Switzerland you can see differents symbols at the edge of the road. They are border marks from all "cantons/provinces".
After San Bernardino I had to cross Italy little moment. My little "racetrack" in this trip...Cross Simplonpass and get Hotel at Brig.
Friday 8th July. Brig-Albertville. Last day in Paradise.
Hotel in Brig was correct. Modern and useful near highway and gas-station etc, but not very special. Probably I would try another one next time.
Trip was finishing. I had to come back home. First step was get France. Instead of coming back same way I rode 2 days before (Forclaz), I got Champex pass near Martigny. It is a little pass that connect with Grand San Bernard Pass...after this, I continued south heading to cross Petit San Bernard. Both of them are very beautiful. (Not confuse Grand&Petit San Bernard passes with San Bernardino pass). I arrived hotel at Albertville in the evening. Hotel was not very good, a bit old but I slept well, breakfast was good enough and receptionist was very nice. You have two option for parking. Free at back side or pay underground. It is your choice.
Champex Lake, Grand&Petit San Bernard.
Grand San Bernard.
Saturday 9th July. Albertville-Vilafranca del Penedes. Welcome to the Jungle!!!
The worst day of trip. I mistook arrenging this day. I have to improve for next time. Probably I was a bit tired and I would had to have taken longer rest. Take one more extra day to come back home... but time and money is not infinity...
I chose only highway to come back Spain. First error. Windy day. Traffic jam around toll gates and on several areas between Grenoble and Perpignan. I had to manage to push between cars and trucks...
Next time probably I would better ride by Vercors National Park, D1075 or N85+D95...To avoid Highway.
Sunday 10th July. Vilafranca del Penedes-Murcia. Home sweet home.
Only highway. Quieter day. Not so much wind. I got earlier than expected at home. Definitely two last days trip I didn´t design very well. I got tired more than expected and I didn`t enjoy so much. Next Alps about 2025? I try to do better.
THE END