Chamonix

fraserq
fraserq Posts: 14
edited May 2009 in Tour & expedition
Hi there
I'm off the Chamonix in June for 3 weeks and have persuaded my other half to let me take my Bike! Mad woman! I'll only see her in the evenings!!
I'm assuming the roads will be great, but has anybody any information on routes, difficulty, snow?!
cheers
F

Comments

  • pneumatic
    pneumatic Posts: 1,989
    Up and down the valley will be fine (it is quite long). After that, you only have the col de Forclaz that takes you over to Martigny in Switzerland. It is not a very hard climb either way but the views are excellent. You can also ride up to the lac d'Emosson to the West of Le Tour (end of the valley) which will involve some short sharp climbing.

    That is probably about it, since, as far as I remember, you can't cycle on the main road into the Chamonix valley (a motorway on stilts) and your only alternative in and out of the place is a very serpentine minor route through Servoz that was notorious in years gone by for being treacherous and hilly.

    You might take your time in Chamonix as an opportunity to learn some MTB (or VTT as they call it in France) I imagine the possibilities for that are truly world class.

    Snow shouldn't be an issue at that time of year.

    It is a wonderful place, btw.

    Fast and Bulbous
    Peregrinations
    Eddingtons: 80 (Metric); 60 (Imperial)
  • psmiffy
    psmiffy Posts: 236
    That is probably about it, since, as far as I remember, you can't cycle on the main road into the Chamonix valley (a motorway on stilts)

    You can and I have but I am sure it is not allowed - or recommended - very interesting whirlpool bit halfway down

    The serpentine bit to Servoz you mention was closed by a rockfall at the time - so desperate measures were required
    http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/psmiffyontour2009
  • fraserq
    fraserq Posts: 14
    sounds nice "cycling into Switzerland". Thanks for the info.
    F
  • psmiffy
    psmiffy Posts: 236
    There is a rail station in Chamanoix it would be esy enough to get a local train down the valley and do saises and rosemund et.al
    http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/psmiffyontour2009
  • andymiller
    andymiller Posts: 2,856
    psmiffy wrote:
    There is a rail station in Chamanoix it would be esy enough to get a local train down the valley and do saises and rosemund et.al

    It goes up the valley too - so the world's your oyster!
    Italy Cycling Guide
  • ju5t1n
    ju5t1n Posts: 2,028
    pneumatic wrote:
    ...you only have the col de Forclaz that takes you over to Martigny in Switzerland. It is not a very hard climb either way but the views are excellent.
    Yes it is! ...from the Swiss side it's 13.3kms - climbing 1058 meters at an average gradient of 7.9% - i.e. almost exactly the same stats as L'Alpe-d'Huez. I rode it on a hot day and it was a real swine

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