French Alps Grand Traverse 🇫🇷

Meet the team and the rest of the group at 9am at Thonon less Baines SNCF railway station. We will jump straight on the bikes and warm up on the quiet mountain roads of the Col de Jambaz.

Highlights:

• Ride the beautiful Vallée du Giffre and Val d’Abondance (level 3)
• Cycle the “Portes du Soleil” area of Morzine, Les Gets, Avoriaz (level 3)
• Discover the Diable gorges and bridge (level 3)
• Views of the Mont Blanc range
• Col de la Colombiere: the first difficulty of the week, and the first real mountain pass of the Alps
• Le Grand Bornand, a reputable ski resort

Passes of the day:

• Col de Jambaz, 1027 m (level 2)
• Col de Joux Plane, 1712m (level 3)
• Col de la Colombière, 1613 m

Highlights:

• Discover the Aravis mountain range with stunning views of the Mont Blanc
• See the Olympic resort of Les Saisies
• Explore Beaufortain and its famous cheese, the Beaufort (possibility to visit the cheese cooperative)
• Views of turquoise waters of Lake Roseland, surrounded by beautiful alpine scenery

Passes of the day:

• Col des Aravis, 1486 m
• Col des Saisies, 1650 m
• Col du Joly, 1989 m (level 3, optional)
• Col du Pré, 1703m (level 3)
• Cormet de Roselend,1967 m

Highlights:

• Navigate between the two biggest valleys of the Alps: the Tarentaise and the Maurienne
• Take on the Col de l’Iseran: simply one of the most beautiful and longest passes in the Alps
• Panoramic views of the Vanoise National Park
• Discover small, traditional villages and their stone houses (Le Miroir, La Gurraz) where time seems to have stood still

Passes of the day:

• Col de l’Iseran, 2762m

Highlights:

• A string of some of the most famous cols of the Tour de France
• Valloire ski resort and its enchanting setting (level 2)
• The « high mountain » atmosphere of the Galibier (level 2)
• Panoramic views of the Ecrins and its famous summit, the Meije

Passes of the day:

• Col du Télégraphe, 1566m (level 2)
• Col du Galibier, 2645m (level 2)
• Col de la Croix de Fer, 2067m (level 3)
• Col du Glandon, 1924m (level 3)
• Col du Lautaret, 2058m

Highlights:

• The passage from the Northern Alps to the Southern Alps and its larch forests
• A clever itinerary between Barcelonnette and Guillestre that avoids the busier roads (level 2)
• The charming Haute Vallée de l’Ubaye
• The Col de Vars: one of the most major cols of the Alps with over 1000 metres of altitude gain on both sides

Passes of the day:

• Col de l’Isoard, 2360m (level 3)
• Col de Vars, 2109m

Highlights:

• The switch from the Ubaye valley to the Haute Vallée du Verdon on the ancient route of the Col d’Allos
• The Col de la Cayolle and Col des Champs: superb climbs through the heart of the Mercantour National Park
• The Gorges de Bachelard

Passes of the day:

• Col de la Cayolle, 2326m (level 2)
• Col d’Allos, 2250m (level 3)
• Col des Champs, 2087m (level 3)
• Col de Valberg, 1650m

Highlights:

• Winding mountain roads through typical southern Alps mineral landscapes of larch and pine forests
• The village of Roubion
• Les gorges rouges (the red gorges) of the Tinée valley and its torrent
• La Lombarde, one of the prettiest cols in the southern Alps (level 3)
• La Madone d’Utelle, offering superb views of the Préalpes d’Azur (level 2)
• The Vallée de la Vésubie (level 2)

Passes of the day:

• Col de la Couillole, 1678m
• La Madone d’Utelle, 1174m (level 2, optional)
• Col de la Lombarde, 2351m (level 3, optional)
• Col de Saint Martin, 1500m (level 3)

The final day of the tour ends around noon in Menton. Additional nights stay or airport transfers can be arranged upon request.

Highlights:

• The Col de Turini, last major climb of the tour – all the major cols are behind us
• A superb chain of small passes (Orme, Able, Braus) with fantastic views of the Mediterranean
• Arriving at the Mediterranean Sea

Passes of the day:

• Col de Turini, 1604m
• Col de l’Orme, 1005m
• Col de l’Ablé, 1169m
• Col de Braus, 1002m
• Col de Castillon, 370m