Trip to France

[trevskoda]

When I said bleak was talking of Aviemore, which was basically a gravel quagmire.

Liz is looking up the places mentioned high up and they may get vetoed

Anywhere is better than this you old fa-t.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

Anywhere is better than this you old fa-t.View attachment 130922

This is why you get no visitors

 

[barryd]

When I said bleak was talking of Aviemore, which was basically a gravel quagmire.

Liz is looking up the places mentioned high up and they may get vetoed

Does she not trust your driving Kev?

Honestly you are going to miss out if you dont get up in the hills a bit. The roads are excellent and pretty safe especially the main ones. If you have done some of those scary roads in the highlands the Alps will be a doddle. UK passes are often far steeper and narrower but obviously much much shorter.

 

[trevskoda]

I think he is already over the hill.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

Does she not trust your driving Kev?

Honestly you are going to miss out if you dont get up in the hills a bit. The roads are excellent and pretty safe especially the main ones. If you have done some of those scary roads in the highlands the Alps will be a doddle. UK passes are often far steeper and narrower but obviously much much shorter.

Trust isn't the problem at all we've done too many miles together but vertigo is something you get over, what's the point of going up high if only one of us is happy, and how would you feel if your fear was ignored.

 

[trevskoda]

and how would you feel if your fear was ignored.

You meen like when liz prises open your wallet.

 

[barryd]

Trust isn't the problem at all we've done too many miles together but vertigo is something you get over, what's the point of going up high if only one of us is happy, and how would you feel if your fear was ignored.

Yeah that would be no fun but don't forget, a lot of the main routes through the Alps are low down and cut through the valleys and mountains. Annecy for example is relatively low down. There are no high routes to get there. From memory the roads up to the likes of Clusaz dont have any huge drops either. If in doubt do a bit of google maps streetview research but remember, Google Streetview often makes the roads look narrower than they are.

Maybe take some baby steps into the hills. Or dont bother. Its your trip. Im just excited for you and dont want you to miss out but not everyone likes the same stuff we do so as long as you are enjoying ourselves, thats the main thing.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

I know mate and we do appreciate all the help from everyone who has helped to make it all happen so far.

We are up a alp, well sort of.

We went into Annecy, but there was nowhere to park after a drive round so I looked for our next stop, Ugine looked nice and had some wriggly bits, so set off there looking for a coffee stop along the way which we found, we sat outside and there were 3 cyclists who happened to be Brits who lived nearby, they suggested the mont blanc tunnel, we checked the price and vetoed that idea so we're headed for Chamonix tomorrow, had enough for the day, found a place on the four site, but it must have been included by a 4x4 camper found another nearby not much better but enough is E Nuff.

A couple of lumpy bit pics.

And how do I get pics of the doodah onto.my phone please

 

[barryd]

Too late now but did you try and get on the Aire just outside Annecy town?

 

[mark61]

No where to park in Annecy was a bonus.

It's all good from now on. You heading into Switzerland then Italy after Chamonix, if not doing the tunnel? I wouldn't fork out for the tunnel either.

 

[barryd]

No where to park in Annecy was a bonus.

It's all good from now on. You heading into Switzerland then Italy after Chamonix, if not doing the tunnel? I wouldn't fork out for the tunnel either.

He wont want to go over the top thats for sure.

 

[TJBi]

<snip>
found a place on the four site, but it must have been included by a 4x4 camper found another nearby not much better but enough is E Nuff.

<snip>

Yes, that can be a problem with the 4 site. One of the reasons that I never use it.

 

[SimonM]

He wont want to go over the top thats for sure.

Of course he does
Perhaps the petit St Bernard pass or col de la bonette.


I remember meeting a yank in Switzerland some years ago on his VFR750 he’d brought across with him to “do Europe” and he had a book with him that details all of the highest navigable roads in Europe. We flicked through it and said ‘done it, done it, done it, doing that tomorrow, done it, done it……… I’ve still got a copy somewhere stashed away and most of the important ones have been done. All by bike, and a large number by motorhome, and a few by car.

 

[mark61]

Might be able to ski down the St Bernard Pass at the moment,
No chair lifts up the Col De Bonette yet, and it's a blooming long walk

 

[barryd]

Might be able to ski down the St Bernard Pass at the moment,
No chair lifts up the Col De Bonette yet, and it's a blooming long walk

This is Enchastrayes 3 hours ago at about 5000ft before you get to Col de la Bonette which I think is about 9000ft. So he aint getting up there unless he has a Chinook! My brakes set on fire coming down La Bonette. Fab ride up there though. Too early though and its well south of where Kev is.

 

[SimonM]

The col de la bonette is an over the top (in both senses) route between Italy and France and is hugely steep and twisty.

We met a Swedish biker at the top, and he said to us “just look at that other bike, more bloody Germans again” “perhaps they should change their saying Deutschland Uber Alles (Germany overall) to Deutsche Uberall (Germans everywhere)

A few hours later we were sat in a hotel bar supping beers when a pair of gendarmes came in accompanied by a very scared looking lorry driver. Apparently his brakes had failed on the way down the pass, but luckily he was going to be able to drive another day, but it was a close call. I bet he thought then it would have been better to have paid the tunnel charge. It was tough enough for us on the bikes going round the hairpins.

There was a TV on the wall showing an old black and white war film, in English with French subtitles, and everytime something happened to ze bosch there were cheers from the locals, and we felt obliged to join in.

 

[Canalsman]

And how do I get pics of the doodah onto.my phone please

Is it intended to connect via the USB-C connector to your phone?

If so after it's plugged in you should be able to view the contents in whichever file utility you have on your phone.

It will be labelled USB device or similar.

Select the files by clicking on them (technique to do this can vary) and then copying to the required destination folder on your phone.

 

[barryd]

The col de la bonette is an over the top (in both senses) route between Italy and France and is hugely steep and twisty.

We met a Swedish biker at the top, and he said to us “just look at that other bike, more bloody Germans again” “perhaps they should change their saying Deutschland Uber Alles (Germany overall) to Deutsche Uberall (Germans everywhere)

A few hours later we were sat in a hotel bar supping beers when a pair of gendarmes came in accompanied by a very scared looking lorry driver. Apparently his brakes had failed on the way down the pass, but luckily he was going to be able to drive another day, but it was a close call. I bet he thought then it would have been better to have paid the tunnel charge. It was tough enough for us on the bikes going round the hairpins.

There was a TV on the wall showing an old black and white war film, in English with French subtitles, and everytime something happened to ze bosch there were cheers from the locals, and we felt obliged to join in.

I still have the Col de La Bonette (Roof of Europe) sticker on the back window of Hank the Tank. People often ask me about it. If it ever goes to the knackers yard I might cut that bit of the back window out and stick it in a frame somewhere.

 

[mark61]

Oi!! Where's our morning update then?
Should we send out a search party.

Although looking at last position posted, probably had a late night down le Husky

 

[Pudsey Bear]

Too late now but did you try and get on the Aire just outside Annecy town?

Too early in the day for that, can't do the miles and see stuff sat in an aire.

I am extremely impressed with what these Frenchies and Swiss rolls can do with a few tons of old pallets.