Galibier, Izoard, ADH, Deux Alpes, Granon, Blog & Routes

gavinbay
gavinbay Posts: 144
edited August 2011 in Sportives/audaxes/training rides
Recently back from my first week in the Alps in the Summer high season - I spend a fair amount of time out there in the winter - this year I trashed my ACL so have been building up my legs in advance of my op at the end of this month.

Did all the classic climbs and a few not so well known - have uploaded all the routes so you can see times / distances.

Stayed in La Grave which is a good location - Trek Travel use it

All here http://www.anotherharddayattheoffice.co.uk/lagravecycling.html
Cycling Routes in the Hautes Alpes Serre Chevalier Briancon

Comments

  • pennepacker
    pennepacker Posts: 15
    Thanks for posting this. I am planning my first trip to cycle in the Alps for next summer, so very interesting to read your thoughts on the experience.

    You mention the 'gnarly' descent from the Col de Sarenne. I assume you mean the quality of the road surface. Is it bad enough not to be recommended for the inexperienced? We are thinking of staying in Bourg D'Oisans, and it would be good to do a loop through Alpe D'Huez and back via Col de Sarenne rather than going straight up Alpe D'Huez then straight back down again.
  • 16simon
    16simon Posts: 154
    The Col de Sarenne road is very narrow and twisty and the surface isn't great. Some of it is under tree cover too. I wouldn't recommend descending it.

    If you want another way off Alp D'Huez, go down the descent towards Bourg but at Huez village take the road for Villard Reculas and follow it down for a very long, safe descent. You can then take the D1091 valley road back to Bourg.
  • gavinbay
    gavinbay Posts: 144
    16simon have to disagree with you there "Sir" - if you look at the Garmin track log of my ride that day in aerial mode http://connect.garmin.com/player/105449121 then you can clearly see the route - yes there are trees from the mid section onwards (Le Perron) but by then the road surface is fine and the route is no more twisty / gnarly than the audax event I did yesterday in the Tour of the Surrey Hills !
    http://connect.garmin.com/activity/108280452


    In fact the only issue with the road surface from the Col are 3-4m stretches where they have paved the roads with large slabs of granite where when the snow melts streams run across the road - in the height of the summer there is gravel between the slabs - but they are super smooth - you just brake, take it easy over them, and then you are on your way again.

    On reflection I'd say I'd enjoyed this particular day over the others probably because it was a route well away from what every one else does in doing ADH and then just cycling back down - and in Clavans there is that super Auberge to stop off at!
    Cycling Routes in the Hautes Alpes Serre Chevalier Briancon
  • 16simon
    16simon Posts: 154
    The slabs of granite (usually covered with gravel and mud) are on the ascent to the top of the Sarenne from Alpe D'Huez so they weren't really a problem. I would still say that the road down the other side is narrow and the surface isn't great, so you'll be on the brakes more than if you did the descent to Bourg or Villard Reculas.

    I prefer descents with longer straights and wide sweeping bends so that I'm not on the brakes too much as this makes my forearms hurt after a while.

    Nice route btw - we did it in reverse.
  • jzed
    jzed Posts: 2,926
    The descent off the Col du Sarenne is ace (the climb is torture). There are a couple of sections near the top with the granite water courses which you need to go over carefully. The top half of the descent has lots of short straights and hairpins, the road is narrowish but the surface isn't too bad. Once off the top section it was longer sweeping sections through the trees if I recall correctly.

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