This years Epic Summer trip

[barryd]

Does annecy still have clean aire zone ?

Yes. We drove through it today. Actually every day we have been here. Van is a number 2 class. No idea about the bike. I presume they dont matter.

Presume you have been up to Semnoz? If not highly recommend for drive and view from the top.

Yes I think we have on the way over to Lac Bourget last time we were here. The Col de La Forclaz is another cracking one on the opposite side of the lake. We will do that one for sure while we are here but maybe not today. Only set to hit a high of 24c today so might wait until it warms up a bit. Lovely day though.

 

[barryd]

So it took about an hour to do the 16.5 miles this morning from the other side of Annecy to the Aire at Lathuile. Getting the LPG in Annecy was "fun". First we had the bum clenching moment wondering if we would fit under the barrier with the nasty looking chain hanging down. I had planned ahead though using streetview and went down into the car park first so I could come up and get the angle right to avoid the chain. We missed it by a mile anyway. Unmanned station and I couldn't get the LPG to work. Eventually a lady turned up who was super helpful. I had already thought that you maybe need to go to another pump to select LPG and your pump number but it only showed Gasoil, petrol etc. Sure enough though that's what you had to do and she found it. Then none of our flaming cards would work. First direct was declined and then Chase so I resorted to the Halifax Clarity credit card which has not been used for years and it worked!! I think the Chase card was down to about £90 so that's why that got declined as they take over €120 deposit for some reason which is daft on a debit card, no idea why Chase was declined but thank God for Halifax!

Slow drive down to the Aire at Lathuile. Plenty of space but I forgot how short the pitches are. Plenty of space between vans but our behemoth big white brick sticks out a bit. Got an end so don't care

Just worked out. Last time we used this Aire was ten years ago. It was €8. Now its €24.

 

[jacquigem]

Our Halifax Clarity card is also our card of last resort. Surprising how often it happens ,even when our Spanish Santander card won't work. We'll worth keeping.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

We had issues a couple of times with a Virgin money card, but only at pumps, the Barclays and Nat West worked everywhere.

 

[yeoblade]

Yes. We drove through it today. Actually every day we have been here. Van is a number 2 class. No idea about the bike. I presume they dont matter.

Yes I think we have on the way over to Lac Bourget last time we were here. The Col de La Forclaz is another cracking one on the opposite side of the lake. We will do that one for sure while we are here but maybe not today. Only set to hit a high of 24c today so might wait until it warms up a bit. Lovely day though.

Bit like the Englais Mort stickers, it's a requirment.

 

[r4dent]

We all like an epic trip.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

Cats are so awful.

 

[barryd]

Well quite the afternoon. Stunning weather. Lovely temperatures around 25c. This place truly is stunning but the downside is its over subscribed. Neither of us are sure how long we will last before we head for the solitude of the remote mountains and quieter places. Lovely late lunch at the bar where the paragliders land followed by a cracking ride up the Col du Forclaz. its a stunning ride up from the bottom end of the lake to a fabulous view point. I have created a short video but the internet whilst it was great when we arrived has now reduced to dial up as everyone returns to their campsite, Gites and hotels and naturally reaches for their phones and laptops. GRRRRR!

Now finally back at the van enjoying a few cold ones. Will try to upload the video later or in the morning.

A few (low res) images

 

[barryd]

Internet speeded up. Everyone seems to have gone to bed. Lightweights!

Little video

 

[Pudsey Bear]

Do you not fancy one of the paragliders with the big fan on the back, I'd love one of them buggers.

 

[barryd]

Do you not fancy one of the paragliders with the big fan on the back, I'd love one of them buggers.

Bollocks to that! Too cheap and chav for me now I'm almost "Bond" material. I'm going for "Little Nelly".

 

[Pudsey Bear]

Michelle might not like that.

 

[barryd]

Not much to report today. Did a lot of trip plotting this morning for the next week or so. Did a lot of swimming this afternoon but the beaches are a bit of a PIA to get to here so I had to swim the entire lake to make it worthwhile. Very choppy though.

Lovely ride out this afternoon with Michelle up into the woods and hills beyond where the Aire is if for no other reason than to grab some cooler air and of course admire the views. Then a trip along the shore again.

Tomorrow we will visit the Annecy town food market and hopefully finally see the town in some lovely sunny weather before heading up to 5000+ft up the Semnoz mountain. Then I think we will move on Saturday morning which is what I was planning this morning. Need some bigger mountains and certainly less people and traffic!

 

[barryd]

Well tonight we have had what sounded like the Band Camp from American Pie (Brass band) somewhere up the hill beyond us And now a fab firework display. The sound of the booms echoing off the mountain was amazing. Crap photos from the van

 

[mark61]

Well tonight we have had what sounded like the Band Camp from American Pie (Brass band) somewhere up the hill beyond us And now a fab firework display. The sound of the booms echoing off the mountain was amazing. Crap photos from the van

Just the locals warming up for some roast beef over the weekend.

 

[barryd]

Just the locals warming up for some roast beef over the weekend.

Someone filmed it.

 

[Sharon the Cat]

Cats are so awful.

Oi!

 

[Pudsey Bear]

Oi!

Yeah, but you're not really a cat...

 

[barryd]

Well it was worth coming here amongst all the summer Bastille weekend madness just for today. Its been absolutely epic, just got back.

We did the obligatory morning trip up to Annecy old town for the market, rake around and the standard Annecy photos. Then it was off up into the hills to a lovely peaceful animal park. Its amazing that in just a few miles away from the city and the lake how peaceful and beautiful it is, even on this weekend. Then we rode up the mighty Mont Semnoz. Cracking ride up the twisty roads to over 5500ft where the views were just breath taking. Up to the summit for more photos and you could see as far as Lake Bourget in one direction and Mont Blanc in the other which poked its massive head through the clouds a couple of times.

The ride down the other side back to the lake was even better. The differences in temperatures on the bike were considerable. 30c in the city, about 19c at the summit.

Lots of swimming in the afternoon in several locations then to top off the day we rode around the other side and back over the Col de Forclaz we did the other way just in the opposite direction.

The huge mountains in the distance are where we are heading in the morning. The last two you can make out the mighty Mont Blanc through the clouds. I wonder if I can take the bike up it. Might need snow tyres.

 

[barryd]

We eventually escaped the Intermarche. Drove through Beaufort which looks delightful but I wasn't expecting the ride out up the first half of the col Du Pre to Areches and Le Planey to be quite the drive it was. Lots of switch backs but the van never missed a beat. The only downside was having to haul an 8.5m big white brick through what seemed like the Tour de France. Cyclists everywhere crawling their way up it. A fair few first gear moments but I laughed all the way up! Its all coming back to me now! Mountains, mountains, Mountains!!!! A fairly steep ride up to the ski resort of Le Planey where we are now which I am slightly worried about for the little Honda as we will need to get up it to go anywhere but it should be fine.

What I must get sorted is some way of securing all the water we took up here. Michelle is fond of these 5 litre drinking water carriers and they are feckin breeding! I counted six today. Then there is the big 25 litre carrier. 3 of the littleuns fit in the hab door footwell but with all the twisties she is having to hang on to the others. Will have to get the bungies out.

36 miles I think and it took two hours. 1hr 55 of that in the Intermarche.

Its just a scruffy car park in a quiet ski resort but it will do nicely. Lovely 23c here forecast to hit 25c. 3700ft above sea level I think. Only us here but as I type, another van has come in. Plenty of room though and its great to escape the madness of Annecy.