Route des Grandes Alpes and others nice roads around

About Col de TENDE
Picture of Col de TENDE access on french side (Google Earth)


How it was in August 2016. Even on G.E, there is a difference between the Satellite view and the Street view.


Exit of Col de TENDE tunnel ( Tunnel is just behind me when video is beginning. Access to Col de TENDE is on first turn of left.

DAY 4 August, the 20
I take the road to the north, to Col de TURINI, by D 2566. (Looking South)


(You can see N.D de la MENOUR in the distance)




Bridge to N.D de la MENOUR

There is a video about that part of the road on the end of post # 056.
I stop at N.D de la MENOUR and decide to climb to the chapel, for the very first time !
The road from the chapel



The facade of the chapel


Looking south from the chapel square




Then I continue to the north, to Col de TURINI (1607 m), where I take a small road between an hotel and the D 2566 going north, the D 68.



After several kilometers with a nice view on "Parc du MERCANTOUR", I arrive near Casernement des cabanes vieilles ( Old hutsgarrison) http://fortiffsere.fr/avancedenice/index_fichiers/Page1435.htm

M 5 STUART Tank







Col de TURINI is in the curve on the right of the tank.






Col de TURINI is in the curve


Back on the D 68 which make a tour toward others garrisons





...always with a nice backward.


KH

Kryz....trés cool!!

D 2566 to Col de TURINI (03'00) and then D 68 to the "'old huts garrison".



The problem I have with my videos is I'm discovering that there are plenty of moments I should have stop the bike to take pictures !!!

KH

Parc du MERCANTOUR from D 68 back to Col de TURINI


This road is a one way road. So when you arrive to the house, you take the down road to the Abandonned houses and you came back by the upper one.


Proof : The girl was selling vegetables and fruits.





Down to Col de TURINI, I continue to the north, on Route des Grandes Alpes, to La BOLLENE VESUBIE with nice point of view.




"Better to drink here than on the other side"

Well, it seems to be closed since a moment...Which may explain there was nothing on the other side !! (I was not thirsty !)
I keep on to the north, to ROQUEBILLIERE, then turn back to the south to LANTOSQUE.



And the beginning of Gorges de la VESUBIE. I remember this area to be very windy.


Few kilometers after, I turned on D 19 to LEVENS...



And CONTES...




to get to COARAZE



where I stop to eat ( at 02. 30 P.M !) The problem with nice scenery is you don't listen to your body. Here, my body was more thirsty than angry...
Back on the bike toward the north to col St ROCH (991 m)

Looking back. I was alone on the road, when suddendly, in a curve...Canyonning fans everywhere !





Looking back.


I made one pic, and a second and the third is an addition of the two !



Back on D 2566 to PEIRA CAVA


...and Col de TURINI. Then I get down to SOSPEL by the D 2566, road I took that morning to the north. I stop in SOSPEL Center for a bier, watching motorcycles on the Route des Grandes Alpes, going north, or coming from the North.

116 Kilometers.

KH

Formerly some bars used to call like that in the villages, and when people turned round they generaly faced a river !

DAY Five August, the 21
While taking my breakfast, I asked the campground manager where to find a gas station in SOSPEL
" she has burned ! But there is one in MENTON entrance, a few 15 kilometers down."
So, as I had planned to go that way... Arrived in MENTON, I found the gas station, refuelled the bike and continue to the coast, turned to the right /West to follow the coast.

Coast to the west


Coast to the east


MENTON and the end of Alps chains




I ride to the west, following D 6008 and arrive in a not "no man land area", known as MONTE CARLO/MONACO





With nice little boat lying at anchor.... Little because not closed to me !


I enter this area of building.


and get to the harbor, park the bike to visit.



I get back to the bike to see if she had not a lack of oïl. In case, I could...Who will see !



Private ferry boat...







Note the building on the middle right which look like a yacht.











KH

I succeeded in escaping the city several hours later and came back to reality.
Going West, I turn to another route, the D6007, higher upon the sea.

Golfe de St HOSPICE, on the east of St JEAN CAP FERRAT


Saint JEAN CAP – FERRAT and EZE


EZE


The road between D 6008, near the sea, and D 6007.


View from the road



The D 6007 going west.

What you may see behind the tree in the distance is not sand. It is NICE International airport.
This road finishes in NICE,



where I get lost for a moment before escaping to the north east via the D 2204 to L'ESCARENE,



Col de BRAUS (1002 m)


Col St JEAN (642 m)


SOSPEL



131 Kilometers for the day. The next day will be a departure toward the north.

KH

DAY SIX August, the 22

After the packing of the bike,

a shower, and the breakfast, I get down to SOSPEL to take the D 2204 to BREIL Sur ROYA, where I took the direction to the North.

The road to Col de TENDE.

I remember to have overtaken a queue behind a R.V and was hurrying to do the pic before their arrival, in vain. I knew I could easily overtake them later before the trafic light, but the road and the trafic did not put me in a safe position to make pics. (Well it is more myself who didn't put me in a safe position !)
I overtook all the numerous cars waiting at the trafic light and waited with others bikes for the red light,


then follows a noisy H.D Sporster under the tunnel.
Where you discover that ten minutes are long, and makes you understanding the limit of having a nice noise and the limit of suspension ( Which was not my problem !)
Then down to LIMONE PIEMONTE, BORGO SAN DALMAZZO ( Where I noticed ITALY was not on the map of FRANCE !) In fact, on the map, there is Italian areas close to the border. But when I go a bit further ( Which was planned !), I need another map, a map I bought and let at home ! I did not print in my mind that a map good for planning, at home, could also be good for riding, on the bike.
And turned west on S 21 toward the west, following the bottom of the valley.
DEMONTE, where I noticed the road to take the day after. ( I came back on my map of FRANCE ! What an adventure !)
AISONE where commercials trucks can't cross each others.




And VINADIO where I climb back in the mountains to Col de la LOMBARDE via a nice road.





Santuario Sant'Anna di VINADIO


Fews kilometers before Col de la LOMBARDE (2350 m).


Then down to ISOLA 2000, well-known french skiing resort, as you can see with the lack of trees sometimes!!




Then down toward ISOLA




Where I turned to the south on the D 2205 to St SAUVEUR sur TINEE. I join the "Route des Grandes Alpes" during 4 kilometers. I continue south on my D 2205 while the "Route des Grandes Alpes" turned east to St MARTIN VESUBIE.

One kilometer and a half later, I stop in a small crossroad for pic.

And stays on that nice little road, the D 59, to ILONSE, PIERLAS.


The main road is D 2205 from Col de la BONETTE on the left to the D 6202 and NICE, on the right. And the small one with the bridge is where I took the preview pic.

Climbing upon the valley



Nice point of view



The first road is the one I was riding few minutes ago. And in the bottom of the valley, there is the crossroad I have used earlier...And the D 2205 to Col de la BONETTE.


ILONSE


KH

I passes the Col de la SINNE (1438 m), with people watching me passing by. Who is disturbing the silence ? Like me, they hadn't seen anybody since a moment, I guess !

PIERLAS








Red rock.


Several kilometers later, I join the D 28, a.k.a "Gorges supérieures du CIANS" and took it to the north.



After several minutes, I stop on the side of the road, on a parking made on the old preview road, and walked on that nice road, closed to circulation.














Then back on the bike to the north, to BEUIL,



(Video to the South from BEUIL could be found on post # 047.)

where I turned to the West, on "Route des Grandes Alpes" towards VALBERG, seven kms. There, I quit the D 28, to get on the D 29 to PEONE



And I join GUILLAUMES, turned to the south to get to the "Campground of bridaveil bridge"
This stop was planned since the beginning, because I wanted to ride the access to the campground. When leaving GUILLAUMES by the south, you take the D 2202 going through Gorges de DALUIS. Two or three kilometers after the village, there is a small former rail road on the opposite side of the river. And it goes to the campground.

I pitches the tent and head toward the manager office, which is also a bar - restaurant and asked for the rest of the rail road, after the campground.
He says that thre was a huge rock on the middle of the way to stop circulation but no problem to ride it on a motorcycle. So I drove it and join the D 2202 to the south and get to ENTREVAUX.
While coming back, I make a stop near a bridge. It permit to take a nice road (They are always nicer before you ride them ! I guess this one will be after, also !) toward PUGET THENIERS, the D 316.






296 Kilometers.

KH

I checked the area on Google Maps and was very surprised to discover that Street View is available for a hiking trail named "circuit d'Amen" near the previous railroad.
I was even able to catch the shadow of the Google hiker : https://www.google.fr/maps/@44.0452399,6.8723096,2a,75y,296.21h,45.67t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s73G5UmRyEDtQAUVD6ULO0A!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=fr

I have to visit the area with my mountain bike !

I found out that Amen is a nearly abandoned hamlet which used to have up to 1 hundred inhabitants before WWII.
There was never a road to get there, only a mule trail.

Sorry, link is only in French : http://pays-d-azur.hautetfort.com/archive/2011/10/04/amen-le-village-des-chercheurs-d-or.html

...[I pitches the tent and head toward the manager office, which is also a bar - restaurant and asked about the rest of the rail road, after the campground.
He says that there was a huge rock on the middle of the way to stop circulation but no problem to ride it on a motorcycle. So I drove it and join the D 2202 to the south and get to ENTREVAUX.]...



KH

Fantastic ride, report, videos and pics!! Really enjoying your ride. Thanks for sharing it.

DAY 7 August, the 23

Woke up at 07.00 A.M, tidying, packing of the bike and leaving towards GUILLAUMES where I find a bar for a café. Then cool climbing of Col de la CAYOLLE. Biggest part of "Route des Grandes Alpes" of that trip.









Col de la CAYOLLE (2326 m)


Then down to BARCELONNETTE.
Col de la BONETTE : Open, but already checked,
Col de VARS : Open, but checked...
So let 's ride Col de LARCHE


Col de LARCHE ( Colle della MADDALENA) (1996 m)



Lac de la MADDALENA ( First pic of the day without the Bandit !!)


Down in ITALY via the S 21.



Trafic light in ARGENTERA, because commercial trucks can't cross each other.
VINADIO, AISONE with trafic light.
In DEMONTE, I quit the road to another one, smaller, toward the mountain, via FEDIO (Not on my map, too much on the East !), SAN MAURIZIO (Still too much on the east !) then SAN GIACOMO, (Yes, I'm on the right road, it is on my map !)





...to VALCAVERA,




... with a lot of cyclists and Colle di VALLONETO where I stop. This is where I discover there was a statue of Marco PANTANI, among the cyclists cars and lorries, few kilometers earlier. ( I knew there was one somewhere, but, as I did not saw it, I forget it !)



KH

The statue of Marco Pantani is at the summit of Colle Fauniera, a few km before Colle del Vallonetto. It's not a very big statue and easily hidden by cars and f@cking RVs. (But you can see it on gogole maps. )
Would have been cool to have a pic of the Bandit in front of the Pirat on his bicycle, tho.

When planning this trip, I had noticed the statue, but though it would not be hard to find it. (GOOGLE Earth pic )



I came from the left and continue to the right. But lorries, cars and R.V... Good reason to get back (If I needed one !)
Friend of mine told me to sold the bike and to buy a dog and a white stick.
On the other hand a pic of the pirat between two R.V...Not the best pic !
KH

Down to MARMORA, on a nice road with unpaved areas and many holes.







I arrives on the bottom of the valley, on the P 422 I took to the East for a single kilometer to get to ELVA road. On the middle of this nice little road, there was two block of reinforce concrete.

I suppose they were there to explain "You should not take this road", but the message to me was "It's not closed ! DO IT ! " (Problem of translation, I guess !)

To be honest, I was a bit under pressure, because that road was the one and only possibility for me to get to the north in time. So I was in a hurry to discover if it was good, or if I had to make fifty or more kilometers ( And exited my map !) to get to the next valley and to the pass.
During the three or four first kilometers, I had several tunnels, none existing or quickly repaired parapets and holes.






This signal sounds to me as the end of dangerous/interesting zone. (Looking back)


There was quite the same on the beginning of this road.






I continue to Colle di SAMPEYRE (2284 m), with nice views on superbs mountains, and a signal "DIVIETO DI TRANSITO MOTOCICLI". Can I continue ? A four wheels drive vehicle took the road, so why not me ?







...and down to the valle VARAITA where I took to the west, on P 251.

CASTELLO Lake


CHIANALE


...And to Col d'AGNEL. I stop in the climbing to put on my waterproof jacket (for smalls drops !) and make a little stop at the Col, because very windy.







Col D'AGNEL (2744 m)




Down in the valley to CHATEAU QUEYRAS and GUILLESTRE by several kilometers of nice and curvy road.




There I found a campground where I pitches the tent.



The Wind was still there, with clouds and thunder. They all disappear later in the evening. I may be wrong, but I guess the wind has to see with the heat in the valley going up in the mountains at the end of the day !

306 Km for the day

KH

ELVA Road

KH