photo sharing and upload picture albums photo forums search pictures popular photos photography help login
andybeck | profile | all galleries >> Galleries >> Cycling holiday in the Vercors region (sort of foothills of the Alps) tree view | thumbnails | slideshow

Cycling holiday in the Vercors region (sort of foothills of the Alps)

This was a "self-led" CTC cycling holiday in the Vercors region of South-East France. Basically we got use of a gite (shared with another cycling couple) and the owners gave us lots of suggested rides, but it was up to us to decide where we went each day. We travelled by European Bike Express, a coach service which takes bikes. The Vercors is a region of deep limestone gorges with crazy roads cut into (and through) the valley walls.
5am, offloaded from the coach in some godforsaken industrial estate just outside Valence
5am, offloaded from the coach in some godforsaken industrial estate just outside Valence		 8am, the sun is up but it's still cold!
8am, the sun is up but it's still cold!		 St Jean en Royans, the town where we were staying
St Jean en Royans, the town where we were staying		 Unidentified crop
Unidentified crop
Les Petits Goulets, a series of tunnels through the rock
Les Petits Goulets, a series of tunnels through the rock		 At the top, Alpine meadows
At the top, Alpine meadows		 Gorge de la Bourne, more tunnels
Gorge de la Bourne, more tunnels		 Sometimes they just hack the road out of the side of the valley
Sometimes they just hack the road out of the side of the valley
Pont-en-Royans
Pont-en-Royans		 Mad houses built overhanging the river
Mad houses built overhanging the river		 More tunnels
More tunnels		 Col de Carre, our highest point
Col de Carre, our highest point
Stopping on the way down to admire the view (and let the brakes cool off!)
Stopping on the way down to admire the view (and let the brakes cool off!)		 Hairpin bends
Hairpin bends		 A barn
A barn		 The lake at Roybon, nice to cool off in but shallow and weedy
The lake at Roybon, nice to cool off in but shallow and weedy
Looking across the Isere valley towards the Vercors
Looking across the Isere valley towards the Vercors		 Walnut groves abounded
Walnut groves abounded		 A viewpoint halfway down to Beaufort
A viewpoint halfway down to Beaufort		 The view from Gigors-en-Lozeron
The view from Gigors-en-Lozeron
An amazing sunflower
An amazing sunflower		 Lunch stop in Beaufort
Lunch stop in Beaufort		 The long hot slog back up to Leoncel
The long hot slog back up to Leoncel		 The final descent back to St Jean
The final descent back to St Jean
The Gite
The Gite		 Studying the map and route description
Studying the map and route description		 Boulangerie stop, fully laden en route back to Valence
Boulangerie stop, fully laden en route back to Valence		 Back at the industrial estate waiting for the coach, not much shelter from the rain!
Back at the industrial estate waiting for the coach, not much shelter from the rain!
Wendy hasn't converted to Islam
Wendy hasn't converted to Islam

comment | share
click on thumbnails for full image