Thonon - Antibes "via the Pre-Alps" (Jean-Marc Lefèvre, CC 3331)
(984 km - 47 passes - 17962 m ascent)
Preamble
On the strength of my experience in 2000, on the famous route from Thonon to Trieste, I decided this year to do it again on the French side, and thus complete the crossing of the Alpine arc, that formidable rocky barrier stretching from the Adriatic to the Mediterranean.
The plan was to travel from Thonon to Antibes via the Pre-Alps (Chartreuse, Vercors, Provence) and return to Antibes Thonon via the "Alpine" and its major passes (Bonette, Izoard, Iseran etc...), a total of 1600 kms, 90 passes and 36,000 metres of ascent.
This copious and tempting programme was to be completed in 14 stages.
Unfortunately, life isn't always a 'long quiet river', so the trip ended in Antibes, due to a completely fallen road which delayed my journey by a day, and as I don't have a lot of time off... you can guess what happened next!
The start
Sunday 17 June, departure by car for Thonon les bains. Again this year, I'll be spending the night at the accommodation centre (a kind of youth hostel, very welcoming and very clean).
Monday 18th June, 8am, the start of the "Préalpine" adventure. The first checkpoint, the first pass (Col de Saxel), was passed in the rain, which didn't leave me for the rest of the day, but tomorrow the weather is supposed to be fine over the Alps. I'd like to see!
The route mapped out by Georges Rossini crosses the Chartreuse and Vercors regions before arriving in Provence.
I'll be doing 136km on my first stage and climbing 7 cols, including the Colombière and the tricky Col de Romme.
Every trip has its share of gags, some comic, some epic. Today it's all about the comedy.
On the ascent to the Col de Romme, as I was passing through a charming mountain village, and the road was rising steeply, I asked a lady who was watching me, leaning against her window:
-" Excuse me Madam, how much further is it to the Col de Romme?"
The lady, who obviously didn't understand my question, replied:
-" Wow! Rome, you've still got miles to go! ! !
At the Plaine Joux checkpoint, I asked the bistro owner:
-Is this bad weather going to last much longer?
-" I hope all week ! ! "
No comment.
And to end the day on a high note, as I was making a phone call from a payphone, a young girl who probably thought my conversation was too long shouted at me in the street. What a way to welcome tourists (cyclo). The scene took place in Menthon st Bernard.
The breakdown
The 2nd stage, which was rain-free, was 127 km long and ran from Menthon-Saint-Bernard to Saint-Pierre-d'Entremont. It was a great ride through Annecy, a beautiful town with a cycle path around the lake that's a must-see!
Ascent of the Granier pass, Mont Revard and the Col de Leschaux, where the gag of the day took place.
As I began the descent, my eyes were probably looking at the landscape, but I didn't see the stone on the road and I hit the obstacle hard. The result was a severe blow to my rear rim, which caused an unpleasant 'jump'.
There aren't many bike shops in the mountains, so I took advantage of my visit to Chambéry to try a quick repair. After riding around for a while, I finally found the mechanic who agreed to unveil my wheel.
More than an hour late, I attack the Col du Granier, a fairly easy 15km climb, and it's 6.15pm when I reach Saint-Pierre-d'Entremont. I had planned to do the Cucheron climb again, but given the lateness of the hour, I preferred to stop.
And that's how the programme I'd drawn up got turned upside down. Barely 2 stages and already 25 kms behind schedule, and above all I had to cancel the hotels. One thing's for sure: next year I won't be booking in advance!
Cycling touring does not rhyme with adventure
The 3th The next stage will be a succession of gags that could have gone badly wrong, but wisdom prevailed, and that's just as well.
The day begins with an ascent of the Col du Cucheron, followed by the Col de Porte. After rounding Grenoble via the Vence and Clémencière passes, the route takes in the Veurey-Voroise Autrans section, via the Montaud pass and the Mortier pass. The organiser points out that a landslide has washed away part of the road on this section, but that in dry weather it is possible to use a footpath. The weather was fine today, so I decided to take this route. When I arrived in Montaud, I had something to eat and asked the innkeeper about the state of the road. The good woman strongly advised me not to continue, even telling me that the previous week, a cyclist had been evacuated by helicopter.
What can I do? I'm halfway there, 6 km from the obstacle, but never mind, I'll go, after all I prefer to judge for myself.
The road is completely deserted, littered with branches and stones, and the further you go, the more frightening it becomes. Signs remind us of the dangerous nature of the area. I'm seriously starting to put my foot down. At last I'm there. There's nothing left of the road, a whole mountainside has collapsed and I'm at least 200 metres from the other side.
I try to get onto the semblance of a path, but every step I take causes a rockslide. My bike, loaded with its 3 panniers, wasn't designed to make my task any easier. I turned around and unhooked my panniers; I'll come and get them after I've taken my bike to the other side. Another attempt, another scare! A cyclist coming from the opposite direction tried to pass underneath, but slipped with each step. I finally realised that the innkeeper was right, it's far too dangerous. If I slip, with the weight of the bike, I won't be able to do anything and I'll crash a few hundred metres further down!
I'm giving up, far too old to play the hero, or far too young to die! Cycling should always be fun and I don't think it should ever get out of hand!
There are days when nothing goes right!
Once I was back on the road, a doubt popped into my mind: I'd never get to Antibes in the time I'd planned, and at that moment I realised that it would be impossible to make the round trip.
But no matter, I'm forced to turn back anyway.
There are definitely days when you'd be better off staying at home! See for yourself?
The organiser, being far-sighted, provides an alternative route in case the contender for Thonon Antibes decides not to take the mule track. That's what I do, turn around and start downhill to find the alternative route.
Shortly after Montaud, the DDE (Direction Départementale de l'Equipement) decided today to resurface the road. In the distance, I can see construction machinery. Suddenly, just a stone's throw from the tarmac, my front wheel sinks into the hot asphalt. My first instinct is to put my foot down, but it's no good: my foot sinks completely into 10 cm of tarmac. I screamed in rage. Faced with the desolate sight of a slightly distraught cyclist, the workmen help me carry my bike, move their machine, which takes up the whole width of the road, and guide me forward onto solid ground "at last".
The first observation was distressing: apart from the fact that my shoes (including the chocks) were 'scaled' with tar, my wheels looked like mountain bike tyres. The workman, a little mocking but nonetheless full of compassion, says that it won't hold, and that when you drive it will all come off. The future will prove him right.
The alternative route takes a road with heavy traffic, and the heat and fatigue are enough to discourage any cyclist. With the sound advice of a member of the 100 cols (CC 4221) whom I met there by chance, I stopped off in Lans en Vercors this evening.
I'm now certain that I won't be able to make up the lost ground. It's a shame, but that's the way it is!
Awe-inspiring landscapes!
This 4th stage, will be the best of the trip.
Crossing the gorges de la Bourne (very dark, impressive), climbing the Col de la Machine, and a magnificent descent into the "Combe Laval", a magnificent panorama, one of the prettiest viewpoints I've ever seen: a must-see.
This evening I'll be stopping off at Vassieux en Vercors (a major Resistance stronghold), after 114 km in the warm sunshine.
The next day, the stage begins with the ascent of the Col du Rousset (easy on this side) and the crossing of its long, well-lit tunnel. The descent to Die is a beautiful one.
I'll have lunch at a friendly inn at the top of the Col de Cabre. Excellent meal, ideal for a cyclist: lasagne!
The 60 km and 3 passes that separate me from Saint-Etienne-en-Dévoluy, where I'm stopping, seem easy. I've done 133 kms today and it's still 6pm when I put my bike down outside the gîte d'étape. It'll be a quiet night, as I'm the only guest. It's also true that the gîte doesn't open until tomorrow, but the friendly warden allows me to spend the night there.
The evening meal will be 'GARGANTUA' style, and all for a modest price.
Extreme heat, extreme fatigue
I'm starting my 6th stage in the fog, climbing the Col du Noyer. 10 km on a small isolated road where, apart from a few cyclists, I didn't see anyone. On the other hand, it's a dangerous descent, in the middle of a rally of vintage cars, which is nice to see, but sometimes they scare me with their jalopies from another era!
It's sweltering in the Alps today, and I'm tired, so I end this stage at Le Lauzet-en-Ubaye.
The hotel, Le Relais du Lac, where I decide to spend the night, is very nice, at least on the surface. The hotelier had warned me:
-" The room I have left has only one small window!"
Indeed, the window is small, almost non-existent, in fact it's a 20 cm2 hole in the top of the wall, through which the sun still penetrates providing a minimum of light. But when you're tired, you need a rest!
The room still cost 180 francs!
Two passes over 2000
After a good night's rest and a hearty breakfast, I'm ready to tackle the 2 passes above 2000 metres on this tour. The Col d'Allos (BCN/BPF) is a good climb, with a gentle gradient and beautiful snow-covered scenery, and the Col des Champs is a particularly difficult 16km climb with steep gradients, but the reward at the top is a beautiful alpine setting, and the joy of photographing my bike leaning against the snow banks, the remnants of a harsh winter!
A beautiful crossing of the Daluis gorges, just before arriving in Entrevaux, a town fortified by Vauban. I'm sleeping tonight at the gîte d'étape.
That evening I witnessed an unusual procession. The men from the village had set off the night before with "St John" (a life-size statue) to a chapel in the mountains. They spent the night up there (a very drunken evening, to hear them tell it) and this evening they return to the village and take St John back to his church. The main road was cut off, bengal fires were lit and the departure point for the procession was at the entrance to Entrevaux. The whole village, led by the parish priest, set off in the direction of the church. Caught up in the crowd, I felt obliged to accompany them. The men are all in black suits, hats and ties, just like in the old days. They are singing hymns. We pass through the whole village, a large crowd of villagers, tourists and a cyclist entering the church for mass. It's 11pm, but I still manage to slip away (phew!) and after a diversion to the village square where the disco follows the hymns (?) I return home, delighted with this very surprising evening.
The end of the journey
The last stage gets off to a strong start: there are no cafés open this morning in Entrevaux. Despite this, I buy 2 pains au chocolat and have lunch on the outskirts of the village.
I don't like to leave without a coffee, and I like even less to start the day with a tough climb. Well, I'm in for a treat here, with the Col de Félines for breakfast, which is pretty tough (at first, in the first few bends), followed by the dreaded Col du Buis, with its 17 % gradient - tough! tough!
It's still as hot and heavy as ever, and I'm not very enthusiastic when I arrive at Gréoliéres, the penultimate checkpoint on this tour. Another pass (Vence) and then it's a bumpy descent to Cagnes sur Mer and the laborious crossing of Antibes.
The last stamp on my route book, and a good beer to finally appreciate the end of this unforgettable pre-Alpine hike.
Jean-Marc LEFÈVRE 29 September 2001.
I can provide interested cyclists with a breakdown of my stages and a list of hotels.
Send your request to : jean-marc.lefevre2@wanadoo.fr
Impressive!
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