The Route des Cols, Cirque de Navacelles, and the Route des Grandes Alpes

[MartinK]

Mark (ikkje on here) and I enjoyed a mammoth ride in September 2022. 3046 miles in 16 days. The route was inspired by Mark, having seen a similar route in a newspaper.
The route follows (loosely in places) two Tourist Itinerary routes - the Route des Cols through the Pyrenees and the Route des Grandes Alpes.
See:

Route des Grandes Alpes - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Discover the Pyrénées by the Route des cols (mountain passes)

The Route des cols is an itinerary weaving its way through the Pyrénées and offering lots of ideas for walks and discoveries. Choose your locomotion… motorbike, car or bike!

www.nouvelle-aquitaine-tourisme.com

Lots of cyclists do the Route Des Cols, so you'll often see it on cycling websites. It's signposted in places, but don't rely on the signs, as they're not always seen...

Anyway, it's a fabulous route. It was a bit of a push to do the 3000+ miles in just 16 days without using motorways, if possible I would allow an extra couple of days...

So the reason for posting today, I just got around to creating a YouTube account, so I can now share the video... Hope you enjoy!

 

[Pukmeister]

Thanks for that, an enjoyable video. I've done part of the same route recently in May, sadly also needing to use the Mont Blanc tunnel due to high passes being closed, did Chamonix and Le Puy en Velay also.

 

[Arsey]

Nice vid.
I’ve done the Alps to death , especially the RDGA but didn’t know about the Route des Cols. Might have to give that a go one day as have previously been on the Spanish side riding the N260

 

[timeandtide]

Enjoyed the video - thanks for posting.

 

[Wapping]

Nice vid.
I’ve done the Alps to death , especially the RDGA but didn’t know about the Route des Cols. Might have to give that a go one day as have previously been on the Spanish side riding the N260

The Route des Cols is good. Start at one end, finish at the other. I last rode along its entire length, west to east; it’s a very odd feeling as you approach the Mediterranean and realise that you are no longer in the mountains. One minute you are, the next you are not.

 

[Arsey]

The Route des Cols is good. Start at one end, finish at the other. I last rode along its entire length, west to east; it’s a very odd feeling as you approach the Mediterranean and realise that you are no longer in the mountains. One minute you are, the next you are not.

I’ve done the N260 in its entirety west to east.
Would be nice to do the the Route des Cols west to east and then drop south into Spain and do the N260 east to west.

 

[G&T]

Nice Martin. Wapping also posted up a thread of ‘100 Cols’ recently. If you like mountains and biking this is nirvana - with good weather.

Do you have a gpx?

 

[Wapping]

Here’s a GPX track of the Route des Cols:

 

[Arsey]

Here’s a GPX track of the Route des Cols:

Ta


Sent from my Nokia 3310 using Thetwatcantalk

 

[paul08]

Not checked the route against the relevant Icelandic maps and Google Streetview yet , so ….. Can anyone advise if the roads are suitable (eg wide enough etc) to be driven in a (sports)car?
-

 

[MartinK]

Not checked the route against the relevant Icelandic maps and Google Streetview yet , so ….. Can anyone advise if the roads are suitable (eg wide enough etc) to be driven in a (sports)car?
-

Yes. Definitely. One or two cols are a bit narrow, but generally no problems. The Route des Alpes has more wider roads...

 

[paul08]

Yes. Definitely. One or two cols are a bit narrow, but generally no problems. The Route des Alpes has more wider roads...

Many thanks.
we did the Route des Cretes in a 7.4m Motorhome, so happy/willing to try a narrow road up to a point

 

[Wapping]

The Route des Cols is mostly conventional French D roads (coloured yellow on a Michelin map) with a smallish part of red conventional N roads. You only need to watch out when the roads are coloured white and / or with a broken border.

 

[Arsey]

Ta


Sent from my Nokia 3310 using Thetwatcantalk

And added to

 

[Wapping]

And added to

Me and me mates we is wanting to get back to like Sanitary Seb but yor root donut go their can u tell us we if of earl e dors sat bril if pos