Alps
Alps. Haute Route through the Ecrins massif.
DURATION: 6 days | LEVEL: | MODALITY: Cyclotourism / Road
The route of the Alps. Crossing the Ecrins massif. The route is a challenge for mountain biking enthusiasts, through some of the most beautiful mountain passes in the Alps.
We will cross the Ecrins National Park which has several summits between 3000 and 4ooo meters and about twenty glaciers.
We will pedal through the grounds of the classic annual cycling march Marmotte Gran Fondo Alpes, a legendary annual event that climbs mythical passes such as the Galibier, Alpe d’Huez, or the Telegraph. Ports that we combine in our travel proposal with others of great tradition as La Madeleine, La Croix de Fer, Col de Glandon, Col du Laureret, Col de Granon, and the Izoard, plus a special entry into the National Park des Ecrins through a spectacular valley to the Refuge of Pré Madame Carle.
During the 4 stages the vehicle will be available to give assistance to the participants and provide them with water and a complete picnic. mid-stage picnic.
Two of the stages, located in the northern part, will take place in the town of Bourg d’Oisans, where we will stay at the comfortable Hotel Milan for 3 nights. The other two stages, the first one crossing the Ecrins National Park to Briançon, will be done with 2 nights accommodation in the latter town, at the Hotel Suite Home Briançon Serre Chevalier. From here we will return the last day to Barcelona.
In the map you can see the different colors for the 4 stages. In all of them there is the possibility of making a shorter or longer version, adding or discarding in all of them some port and extra route. Each day those interested in these itineraries for the subsequent stages will be registered and the logistics for the whole group will be analyzed. In the detail of each of the stages, which is detailed below the map, these variants are explained.
Duration: 6 days
Transfer stage from Barcelona. We will stop for lunch en route at a bar or service area for about 1 hour. Transit meals are not included.
Blue Itinerary.
75 km. / 2,460 mt. Without the ascent to Deux Alps 56 km / 1,860 mt.
We leave from the same hotel Milan in Bourg d’Oisans, to face one of the most mythical and spectacular passes of the Alps. Alpe d’Huez is famous for its 21 horseshoe bends that are announced by a poster where are engraved all the winners of this classic stage of the Tour de France since its inception in 1952, with the victory – in that distant edition – of Fausto Coppi.
Legend has it that whoever comes out in yellow at Alpe de Huez, keeps the jersey until Paris. Many of the most memorable pages of the Tour de France have been written on its 21 turns. We will save a drop of 1073 mt. in a route of 13 km with an average gradient of 8%. We must face with couragethe first 3 kilometers that are the most complicated of the climb.
The descent will be via La Serenne, long called “the hidden face” of this famous pass. On the way back to Bourg d’Oisans we will have an optional pass: Les Deux Alps. 10 km with an average gradient of 6% that will take us to the same winter resort.
Violet itinerary.
110 km. / 3,610 mt. Short option reducing km. on the ascent to the Madeleine.
In this second stage we will have breakfast before, to start the day early. We have a long link to reach Feissons-Sur-Isère. From there we will tackle the pass of La Madeleine, a pass classified as special category, both from its slope from La Chambre and from Isere. From Feissons 25 km await us to overcome the 1573mt. of elevation gain at an average of just over 6%.
Then we will have a fast and long descent of 21km to La Chambre to start the ascent to the Col de Glandon and La Croix de Fer. Up to the Glandon the distance is 22k, to cover a difference in altitude of 1474mt. at 7% average. Before reaching the col and looking back, we will see spectacular images of the entire Montblanc massif. Reaching the Croix de Fer will be 2.5 km added, at 6.5%, which will leave us at the elevation 2067mt. Again we will descend to the Glandon to start a long descent of 36km. to Bourg d’Oisans, with a small slope on the route of 100mt.
Green itinerary.
106 km. / 3,470 mt. Without the Coll de Granon 86 km / 2,512 mt. Without the Granon and the Galibier 69 km / 1,969 mt.
Third stage that will take us to one of the giants of the Alps: the Galibier. From Bourg d’Oisans we will take direction to Briançon. Today we move to this village where we will stay for the next two nights.
We will pass the Chambon dam with 4 illuminated tunnels (but remember that we also have to light up!!). We will continue to La Grave, which is listed as one of the most beautiful villages in France. We will continue the ascent to the Col de Lautaret (2058 mt.), the previous step towards the Galibier from which it is separated by 8 km. These last kilometers are full of high mountain atmosphere, with truly sublime landscapes that offer panoramic views over the valleys and peaks that surround us. The creator of the Tour immortalized this pass with a famous phrase: “It is as if nature had made the Galibier for the Tour”. 48 km from Bourg d’Oisans to reach this summit at 2642 mt. If you have the chance, enjoy reading about Federico Ezquerra’s exploit in the Tour of 1934, with a bicycle without gears and all the elements against him.
From the Galibier we descend again to the Col de Lautaret and take the direction to Briançon. In the middle of the descent we will meet an optional pass: the Col de Granon. This pass has a distance of 11km from Saint Chaffrey. A narrow but well paved road will take us to overcome a drop of approximately 1000mt. The average is 9% which makes this pass one of the most demanding challenges of the Alps, with several ramps of 12 to 15%.
Once the challenge is overcome by the most daring, we will start the descent of about 20 km. to Briançon. During the whole stage, from Bourg d’Oisans to Briançon, we will cycle along the limits of the Ecrins National Park on our right. The next day we will follow its contour on our left and we will enter it.
Orange itinerary.
130 km / 2,910 mt. Without the Refugé du Pré Madame 93 km / 2,117 mt.
Last stage that will take us to another giant of the Alps. The Izoard. Its inclusion in the Tour dates back to the origins of the race. After locating some of the giants of the Pyrenees, so well described in Ander Izagirre ‘s wonderful book “With lead in his pockets“, the founder of the Tour, Henrie Desgrange, went in search of equivalent impossible and agonizing passes in the Alps and in 1922 incorporated the Izoard to the French round. Of it he commented: ” The Izoard is endless, it has that bent look that makes you think you’ve mastered it, but suddenly it sends you up a slope that would make a mule collapse. The Izoard, that terrible challenge that lies somewhere between difficult and terrifying. “. Now the state of the road and the technological level of the bicycles, makes that everything has changed a lot. But it is still a giant.
From Briançon the first 10 km. are quiet and pleasant, with a smooth profile, including a long stretch of bike path that will give us more security. From the village of Le Laus, the slope will have an average gradient of 9%. In total 19 km to overcome a difference in altitude of 1136 mt.
From the Izoard a long descent of about 30 km. to the village of Guillestre through the impressive gorges of Le Roy.
From Guillestre the roads, secondary and less traveled, will take us through a beautiful valley that climbs up to the Refuge du Pré Madame Carle, within the Ecrins National Park, located at the foot of the Blanc Glacier and starting point for several of the excursions of the natural park.
From La Besse Basse, the climb is 24 km long, with two very distinct parts. The first 15 km have a very gentle profile except for two 7% peaks. From km 15 onwards the climb is between 7% and 8% with some breaks.
On the way back we will have about 15 km downhill and another 15 km in slight ascent to Briançon?
Transportation of participants, bicycles and luggage.
Bed and breakfast (five days)
Dinner (5)
Mid-stage picnic (4): Snack with easily assimilated products. Fresh fruit, dried fruit and nuts.
Activity insurance
Assistance
The van will be available to assist participants and bicycles in basic repairs.
Photo report
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Alps. Haute Route through the Ecrins massif.
