This years Epic Summer trip

[Pudsey Bear]

Is that the tunnel they shoved the E Type and Ferrari off Kev?

Yup it is, and the bridge where what's his face drove into the dozer in the opening scenes, is clearly a different one.

 

[mark61]

Well, here's the SP50, seeing as you won't make it this trip. Youtube cut the soundtrack

You can get there from the Aosta Valley but it's a bit of a walk.

 

[barryd]

Well, here's the SP50, seeing as you won't make it this trip. Youtube cut the soundtrack

You can get there from the Aosta Valley but it's a bit of a walk.

Cheers. I remember you showing it to me before now. We did consider going into Italy. We may still but I doubt it this year. Too much on the agenda, so little time and the golden rule for us is never move on until you are ready to. At this rate we might make Provence by September.

 

[barryd]

Well mission find the Marmots partly accomplished. I found the exact Marmoty territory I suspected would be up on the Cormet de Roselend and of course you could hear them. Its a major Alpine route so there were a fair few people about though and the ever increasing number of cyclists in the run up to the big race(s) so they were clearly a bit shy. Michelle set off up the mountain of course in the opposite direction to everyone else and managed to see three. I couldn't get up there though so kept watch lower down. She wasn't quick enough for a photo though sadly then bugger me!! If one sneaky fecker didnt appear at the Sausage stall at the top of the Cormet right where I was! They love Sausages apparently.

 

[barryd]

I forgot about my Relive app. I stopped using it as it never included the photos, top speed and elevation in the free version but it does actually give you a good 3d perspective of the terrain. In the second link you can explore the route. I just remembered to turn it on half way down the Cormet. Just a short example but I wish I had remembered it before now

Afternoon Jul 17th | Relive

Motorcycling | Jul 17, 2025

www.relive.com

Explore 'Afternoon Jul 17th'

 

[Pudsey Bear]

Well, here's the SP50, seeing as you won't make it this trip. Youtube cut the soundtrack

You can get there from the Aosta Valley but it's a bit of a walk.

Pull it and let the normal van sounds play, or a track of Barrys.

I started Barry video and let it play in the background

 

[Tezza33]

Yesterday was our last full day here. Michelle did the cascades walk and in the afternoon we had a fabulous ride of about 70 miles down from High Jura to lower Jura to Baume Les Messieurs. We have been before many years ago. Lovely village but the attraction is the huge canyon it lies in and a 3km ride up to the Grottes and waterfalls at the end. Not much water yesterday though. It was a proper "lost in France" afternoon winding our way through all sorts of off the beaten track lanes, valleys, switch back mountains, forests and lakes. We managed to get a ticking off by the police before we left though for not wearing gloves on the bike. Its been law since before we were last here but it seems its one they enforce now.

We ended the day early evening at our favourite lake down below before going for something to eat in the village.

Off to Annecy area this morning. We are not heading to the lake just yet though as the forecast is not great so going to check out a couple of new places just before there for a day or two.

Découvrez Baume-les-Messieurs (Jura), un des Beaux Villages de France

Découvrez Baume-les-Messieurs (Jura) et son abbaye impériale au cœur des paysages grandioses du Jura : histoire, patrimoine, lieux de visite incontournables, bonnes adresses pour votre séjour…

www.les-plus-beaux-villages-de-france.org

Few pics.

Who is the large naked person in the middle of the first photo?

 

[mark61]

Pull it and let the normal van sounds play, or a track of Barrys.

I started Barry video and let it play in the background

Can't had it playing as we drove up, I like it real.

 

[mark61]

Those blooming marmots are scary when you get a few stalking you, like alpine honey badgers.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

Who is the large naked person in the middle of the first photo?

If it's really large, do you really need to ask???

 

[barryd]

Who is the large naked person in the middle of the first photo?

You seeing things? or just hoping to see them?

 

[barryd]

This is where we ended up this afternoon. Michelle walked around it and I Got as far as the dam. There is a gorge at the end of it with an 80m swing bridge. I'm hoping to Kayak down it tomorrow and then later in the day we might try and find the Col du Joly. I say "might try" as its so remote even google maps can't find a paved road up it but apparently there is one. I found a cycling blog about it. No streetview at all so its going to be guess work. It will be the highest pass we will do here although its effectively a dead end although it must go somewhere as otherwise it can't be a "Col". I think it just heads into the wilderness towards Mont Blanc. I am hoping finally for clear weather as this one is supposed to be one of the best places to view Mont Blanc there is, assuming you can get there.

 

[mark61]

Try wikiloc for a route.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

Just looking at it col du joly

Google Maps

Explore a place through a 360° photo.

www.google.com

As you say, no street view, but if you click the little yellow bloke, but not drag it wakes up the blue dots, which are pictures of various places.

 

[barryd]

Its gonna be interesting thats for sure. Simons route here https://www.questel.co.uk/col-du-joly/ definitely shows a paved road right near the top and if you zoom in to the Col du Joly there are cars at the top and they don't all look like 4x4s. The google maps route however does not match Simons and the bit you can streetview where it runs out shows it turning into a rubble goat track. However I think I have now matched his route with this https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/Le+Planay+d'Arêches,+Beaufort/45.7839007,6.6735413/@45.7813783,6.6626926,1990m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m20!4m19!1m15!1m1!1s0x478bdef172cc97e7:0x1ae9804716f97296!2m2!1d6.5420872!2d45.6724804!3m4!1m2!1d6.6425825!2d45.7820008!3s0x47895f4e9ac66513:0x229d1702ebb301e!3m4!1m2!1d6.6446208!2d45.7854681!3s0x47895f4c7ac84711:0xb7a38014ce92700b!1m0!3e0!5i1!5m1!1e1?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDcxMy4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw==

Only one way to find out.

Kayak trip first though.

I discovered last night that I have biceps again. The last three weeks have been like using a bullworker (remember them from the 80s?) for several hours a day.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

Looks a good run, wish I was there

Yes, my brother had a Bullworker, he gave it to me, I might even still have it in the garage.

No, I gave it to Liz's son ages ago.

 

[Robmac]

Its gonna be interesting thats for sure. Simons route here https://www.questel.co.uk/col-du-joly/ definitely shows a paved road right near the top and if you zoom in to the Col du Joly there are cars at the top and they don't all look like 4x4s. The google maps route however does not match Simons and the bit you can streetview where it runs out shows it turning into a rubble goat track. However I think I have now matched his route with this https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/Le+Planay+d'Arêches,+Beaufort/45.7839007,6.6735413/@45.7813783,6.6626926,1990m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m20!4m19!1m15!1m1!1s0x478bdef172cc97e7:0x1ae9804716f97296!2m2!1d6.5420872!2d45.6724804!3m4!1m2!1d6.6425825!2d45.7820008!3s0x47895f4e9ac66513:0x229d1702ebb301e!3m4!1m2!1d6.6446208!2d45.7854681!3s0x47895f4c7ac84711:0xb7a38014ce92700b!1m0!3e0!5i1!5m1!1e1?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDcxMy4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw==

Only one way to find out.

Kayak trip first though.

I discovered last night that I have biceps again. The last three weeks have been like using a bullworker (remember them from the 80s?) for several hours a day.

They were around in the 60's Barry I remember a lad at school had one.

He still got sand kicked in his face though.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

He should have twatted them with it.

 

[Robmac]

They were around in the 60's Barry I remember a lad at school had one.

He still got sand kicked in his face though.

Just found the old advert re sand in face - it was for Charles Atlas body building book, it still makes me chuckle;

 

[barryd]

Looks a good run, wish I was there

Yes, my brother had a Bullworker, he gave it to me, I might even still have it in the garage.

No, I gave it to Liz's son ages ago.

I think it will be the last one we do here but I'm 50/50 on this one. It will either be absolutely fantastic and finally we will get to see Mont Blanc in its full glory or it we will end up hopelessly lost and run out of road.

Tomorrow will be a lazy day I think, Sunday all the roads are blocked due to the Etape Tour de France which we will go to and Monday we will be moving on.