Riding the Alps in October

nunowoolmez

HI all

Due to an injury (double ankle fracture) at work I will have to pan my trip to the Alps in July/August. Gutted! Anyway, due to work work commitments after my recovery I can't take any annual leave til October. The place I booked with have said I am welcome to stay from 2nd week of October,w/c 6th. I would be staying just over a week, so 6th - 13th. Does anyone have experience of riding in the Northern Alps at this time? My intention was to ride the Alpe D'Huez, Croix De Fer, Galibier & Telegraphe, Madelaine, & maybe the Glandon & Mollard.

I have read that some of the higher Cols can be very cold & sometimes snowy & that cycling may be doable but maybe not that enjoyable - which is the whole point! I have even read that some of the Cols close if the weather is too bad. I don't want to waste my time going a find I can't ride or find it a miserable time. Oh, I should add that I'm far from a fair weather rider but I do tend to suffer from the cold easily even if I wear proper gear.

Would be interesting to hear from others who have experienced riding there at this time, or advice from any others of course!

Cheers all

Ali

SFT

Hi Ali, I often go out to the Alps for the first weekend in October and for the last two years the weather has been fantastic and ideal for cycling.
So you could be lucky, but it's the mountains so can change quickly... I've been wet and freezing in July!

If I was you I would go ahead, but make sure you have good kit

Cheers
Simon

sancho_panza

I've had weekends riding around the area you mention in the middle of November and it's been glorious - you can have the best weather of the year that time with lots of sun and very little wind. A little bit further south and you'll have even more chance of great weather. Gap, for example.

airwise

It's luck Ali. You might find the higher cols closed - you might get glorious sunshine. You will however avoid the awful traffic levels of July and August - ime the worst possible time to ride there. June and September would be my favourites but I've ridden well into October the last couple of years. Good luck!

knedlicky

I've ridden several of the passes south of Briancon a couple of times in early October and both times have found the weather fine and the roads quiet.
Only thing I would mention is that if there has been an early snowfall (possible in September even if it soon thereafter melted), there might be gravel on the road, especially at its edges, and more than one might expect, spread by locals when the early snowfall occurred.

nunowoolmez

Thanks all for your contributions, very useful! I guess what I do will be dependant on weather but there are at least lots of options for me out there! Can't wait now!! I guess one positive will be that the roads will be mostly empty that time of year which will be safer & better for descending as there will be less cyclist traffic!