Route Des Grande Alpes map, GPS track and additions / variations - Scroll through

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As lots of people ask for it.....

I scanned the whole map last year and then painstakingly glued it back together on my mac....

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DOWNLOAD the map HERE

It's a 12Mb JPEG but is pretty good quality if I do say so myself..


10-March-20: I have edited out some of the posts, only to make Hingis (I hope) simpler. Richard
 
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Route Des Grande Alpes map

An alternative 'double route' for the RdGA, starting and ending in Martigny.

Go down one way and come back the other, perhaps?

Courtesy of AlpenTourer magazine.


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Route Des Grande Alpes map

One of the clearest maps I’ve found. Cropped from the pages of Alpentourer magazine:

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It’s made me start thinking about where to go for my Billy No Mates tour this year and I reckon it’d suit a 1290 GT rather well. The only problem is where to go for the other 10 days :nenau

If you do the RDGA going south it places you near the start of the Route Napoleon.
You could then travel north up the RN and onto the Vosges Mountains then the Ardennes.
10 days would give you plenty of time to take it easy and maybe a few deviations from this
could enhance it even more.

Just a suggestion.
 
This might help people visualize the options

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A. From Menton to Tinee

The only notable pass is Col di Turini, good food / drink options at the top.


B From Tinee to Barcelonnette

There are a lot of other alternate routes here and that is why we always spend an extra night or two in the area (Barcelonnette / Valberg / Tinee) as there is just so much great and varied riding, just one extra day will allow you to loop around most the stuff you will miss by just choosing one route option.

1. The Modern Official route over La Bonnette - short and easy (plus "Bags" you the highest paved road in the Alps and is a great ride with stunning views at top (but no facilities,plenty on the approach and after the descent)

2/3. The original route over Couillole (Just before Valberg) Valberg (2) and Cayolle (3) - A bit more varied, Couillole is stunning, narrow and rugged, Valberg a real good ride on any bike with great curves and Cayolle is scenic and rugged again (Valberg is a handy place to stop for coffee or lunch)

4/5. After Valberg you can dive down Gorge du Daluis (4) and then over Col du Allos (5) - This ticks of more passes (and a gorge) than the other options and if your not bothered about following the "official" routes is probably the best for cramming as much into your ride as possible (as well as Valberg for Lunch there is a great refuge at the top of the Allos)

6/8/11. At Tinee head over Lombard (6) and then take Larche (8) - Many will say the most boring, and TBH I would advise taking La Bonnette, this is an option if you have done that before and want an easy alternative, the Lombard is a load of (wide and well surfaced) hairpins up and a very scenic run back down the other side. The Larche isnice enough, it is an easy pass but does have some nice curves and a handy little cafe by a small lake just before the French border.

6/7/9/10. Over Lombard (6) Colli di Valcavera (7) Sampeyre (8) and then Agnel 10, although this bypasses the options of 11 / 12 - For those that like a bit of rough, after the Lombarde yuo have aa bit of dull road before swinging up towards Sampeyre, this is a remote valley where you wind up and down some narrow roads, there is a small hostel that does drinks and snacks about half way along (and is very cheap) but not much else, going up Sampeyre (Heading North) is not so bad, but the descent into the town of Sampeyre is pretty rough, broken up and bumpy - great fun IMO, but any mates on sportsbikes or huge tourers may not be too happy. The you have Col Agnel that is a real Beauty, generally decent surface and wide and great views at the top.


C. Barcelonette to Briancon

I can only see one choice here - Col de Vars (11) the other route is predominantly main roads, you do get to ride past a big lake, but unless the Vars is closed or weather appaling I would take the Vars as it is a great riders road, wide, grippy, open, smooth.

Either way you still get to ride the Jewel in the Crown, the Izoard, one of my favourite passes int he Alps, not sure why as nothing is all that exceptional - except the gold rock formations, but I always love riding this pass.

D. Briancon to Bourg St Maurice

Three good options here, the classic route of the Galibier (14) is what I would do on a first trip, and it is fantastic, there is a small tunnel at the top so dodge that to go right over the highest point (or stop at the cafe just there and enjoy a cuppa whilst taking in one of the best views from the pass)

The second option would not be my first choice (15) it uses a lot of more main roads but there are a few variations and you could take in Alpe d'Huez and col du Glandon, and take a detour around Col du la Croix de Fer and Col du Mollard.

My second choice (or maybe first if you have done the Galibier before) would be to go over Col du Mont Cenis (good choice of restaurants at the top) this is also a bit faster and cuts out a bit of boring stuff between Briancon and Galibier and between the end of Galibier (Or the Telegraph to be precise) and Mondane - at the expense of a short stretch of motorway.


Hope that helps some folk decide they need a couple of extra days and don't forget to save a day for the 7 pass loop around Mont Blanc, you can stop anywhere between Bourg and Morzine to ride this loop.
 

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An alternative, courtesy of Tourenfahrer magazine 6/2021

From the blurb:

If you, as a Western Alps lover, already know every curve and bend of the Route des Grandes Alpes by heart, you may be happy about a fairly parallel alternative for advanced gourmets. Lars Wennersheide (text & photos) and Andreas Muth (photos) are looking for the rather unknown next to the well-known path from Lake Geneva to the Mediterranean. (Part 1)

Assuming they publish the second part, I’ll add it here when they do.



Download for a couple of euro or copy the excellent map to create your own version.

https://www.tourenfahrer.de/tour-datenbank/tour/alp-traum-1061/detail/

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A six day (six separate jaunts over six days) that I found on Tourenfahrer’s ‘Scouts’ section.

https://www.tourenfahrer-scouts.de/?s=Westward&searchsubmit=

Follow the link and scroll down.

‘TF Scouts’ are just bods who submit what are basically good ‘Trip reports’ such as you’d find on these pages but often better presented.

The GPS routes download really well for free. Here they are displayed in Pocket Earth Pro, using nothing more than an iPad. Instant holidays.

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As the six routes all start and end from the same spot, you can work out where they stayed.

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https://goo.gl/maps/WF3wttPXJ6dC1ang6

A quick look shows several hotels in the town and its surrounds, I am sure they won’t all throw stones at you when you have the bare faced audacity to arrive on your awesome. There’s also a large campsite. Job done, mate, as they say.

Edit:

I have coloured in each of the individual six one-day jaunts, so they’ll stand out better. I must say each looks pretty good.

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It shows what can be done by choosing a good central location as a permanent base, rather than just hacking down and then back up the R de GA.
 
Great area, we tend to stay in Barcelonnette as we like the Hotel / Town, but Valberg is another decent base location.

There are loads of good rie outs in all directions from there, Med Coast, Gorge du Verdon, Sampeyre - I can see a few of my fave days out in these routes, although they have not been brave enough to tackle Col di Sampeyre which I love.
 
I guess the problem is that, like any holiday, there is only so long you have available and can’t do it all. Similarly, it’s quite possible that the same Tourenfahrer ’Scout’ hadn’t done the col in the past or had it down for his next jaunt.

I too stay in Barcelonnette, when in the area, not least as it offers good alternatives.

https://alpenrouten.de/Sampeyre-Colle-di_point433.html If anyone is wondering about Rasher’s reference to Sampeyre, which is in Italy.
 
The Sampeyre is a good one, indeed.

I guess the problem is that, like any holiday, there is only so long you have available and can’t do it all. Similarly, it’s quite possible that the same Tourenfahrer ’Scout’ hadn’t done the col in the past or had it down for his next jaunt.

I too stay in Barcelonnette, when in the area, not least as it offers good alternatives.

Horses for courses.
I’ve done the area extensively in the last decade.
Stayed in many places including Morzine,Les Clusaz, Valloire, Le Montier-Les-Bains,Valberg,Sospel etc etc.
But my favourite place ,by far is Castellane.Ok, it’s not on the RDGA as such but is a perfect base for dipping in and out of the RDGA, it’s situated slap bang in the middle of the Route Napoleon,is minutes from the Gorge du Verdon and all roads that lead in and out are utter magic.

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Take the RN itself, or the D955 around the Lac de Castillon, or the D102/952/955 down to Draguinon and beyond.

Or do the loop around the gorge.Don’t miss out the Route des Cretes

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Even looked at buying a small place down there
 
Yes, there are lots of places in France (and elsewhere) that are great to stay, in order to go to other places. Every suggestion made can be chewed over, digested or spat out, as bods see fit. What we are lucky to have is people that are prepared to create good articles, married to good maps and / or GPS data that can answer the oft heard: “Me an’ me six mates we is off alps, need great roads (no shite motorwaze) an’ we leaf tomorrouz”. Of course it won’t actually help them at all, as they won’t even have been arsed to look or try.
 
An alternative, courtesy of Tourenfahrer magazine 6/2021

From the blurb:



Assuming they publish the second part, I’ll add it here when they do.



Download for a couple of euro or copy the excellent map to create your own version.

https://www.tourenfahrer.de/tour-datenbank/tour/alp-traum-1061/detail/

fb37b6652a59df8c4d01fa9ee95ecd81.png

I just bought the e-paper for this issue but is doesn't translate articles (or at all) like the Alpentourer e-paper does. I may just have to stick with Alpentourer alone!
 
Hi Khulu, try copying the link to the page and then in Google search enter "Translate:" and then paste the link (without the " ") It took a few moments but then it quite happily translated the page for me.

I have to say I'm convinced and will be saving this link in my "plans for when we are allowed out" file.
 
Hi Khulu, try copying the link to the page and then in Google search enter "Translate:" and then paste the link (without the " ") It took a few moments but then it quite happily translated the page for me.

I have to say I'm convinced and will be saving this link in my "plans for when we are allowed out" file.

When I open the link in post #9 it will translate fine but not when I try to do it from the e-paper.
 
An alternative, courtesy of Tourenfahrer magazine 6/2021

From the blurb:



Assuming they publish the second part, I’ll add it here when they do.



Download for a couple of euro or copy the excellent map to create your own version.

https://www.tourenfahrer.de/tour-datenbank/tour/alp-traum-1061/detail/

fb37b6652a59df8c4d01fa9ee95ecd81.png

How did you get the link to this article, please?

I have the e-paper but it just givers a web address and not an individual article address so I can't print out like I can with Alpentourer.

TIA.
 


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