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So me and the boy want to do the above (probably) just wondered if anyone had done some of the cool routes the usual but more importantly any hotel recommendations? We aren't hugely fussy on posh, I just find recommendations always easier to book than spending hours trawling booking.com.
Additionally any routes or advice/ideas more than welcome. Thanks!
Isn't Bourg d'Oisans is France, or is there another one?
Has several nice campsites, two at the foot of the Alpe d'Huez climb.
Boug is in France, plan is to go there for maybe a week then head over to Switzerland to MErinigen and do the Gottpard pass etc. Sorry If i didn't make myself clear!
I had a brief stopover there a couple of years back. Stayed in the Hotel des Alpes. Was acceptable for the price. Not much more. Looks like it's gone up in price a little after the renovation (photos look nice, it was old school when I went) though so could be a nice option.
There's a good campsite at the foot of Alpe D'Huez, 10 minute walk into town. They have some cabins too if you don't fancy camping – http://www.camping-piscine.com/
From Bourg you have the usual candidates.
Alpe d'Huez
Les Deaux Alpes
Col de lauteret
Col Du Galibier
Col do Croix De Fer
Col du Glandon
Les obvious ones
Col du Ornon
The ride out to La Berade
Alpe d'Huez :-
via the baclcoy road
via Col de Sarenne
via Villard Recluse
THe campsite at the bottom of ADH is pretty nice. There's another one called RCN Belledonne https://www.rcn.nl/en/camping/france/alpe-d-huez/rcn-belledonne that's also pretty nice. A bit out of town, although you're on the way to the croix de fer.
Also
From Bourg you have the usual candidates.Alpe d'Huez
Les Deaux Alpes
Col de lauteret
Col Du Galibier
Col do Croix De Fer
Col du Glandon
Or just do them all by following La Marmotte course...
[url= https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2014/2741194258_3d9cdf3a23.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2014/2741194258_3d9cdf3a23.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/5bekxY ]La Marmotte Sportif[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/brf/ ]Ben Freeman[/url], on Flickr
Oh fab some useful information on routes and hills to climb! Despite the fact I'm sure the campsites are lovely... I'm just not a camping fan.... arsing about with tents and hard floors. Happy with basic accommodation doesn't have to be posh just have a bed which is clean and a shower!
Happy with basic accommodation doesn't have to be posh just have a bed which is clean and a shower!
Sounds like the campsites TBH. You don't need to take a tent!
We stayed in Vaujany last year - 20 mins drive to Bourg d'Oisan and is perched halfway up the Col du Sabot which is itself a fairly brutal climb.
The ride from Vaujany, to the balcony road (Pas de la Confession) which comes out at hairpin 6ish (I think) on Alpe d'Huez is absolutely stunning.
If staying in Vaujany just bear in mind the road riding will end with a c. 6km ride back up to the village at average gradient of about 9%.
S.
Forget to say we booked an apartment though Vaujany Ski Company who were helpful and a 3 bed apartment in Chalet du Verney (at top of village by the shops) was I think about £550 for a week in July/August. Was a great apartment for us (family of 5) and would happily stay there again.
We booked a chalet in Alpe d'Huez village. I wouldn't recommend it as every day's ride had to finish with an ascent of all 21 corners of Alpe d'Huez climb. I was sick of it by the end of the week...
^^ bus, park at the bottom ? 😉 much respect of course.
Years ago we stayed in Valloire which was ok, and at altitude so extra benefit!
Definitely do the Col de Sarenne, it's a good circular route.
If you then head north then stay at the southern end of the Colombier then go to Cluses/ Taninges and ride the Joux Plane.
If you want something different try the precarious cliff side route up to Villard Notre Dame, It starts from the centre of Bourg and you can either come back the same way or go over the top (gravel road but I've ridden it plenty of times on a road bike) and back down some of the best roads in rhe area.
It brings you out on the Ornan road and back into Bourg its a nice morning ride you wont forget.
Good shout wilbert , forgot that one .
Takes some lights for the tunnels.
I stayed in an AirBnB place in Bourg at the foot of the ADH climb (more or less next to the campsite referred to above).
The place is a fairly large detached house with adjoining garage (so plenty of bike storage space)
The owner uses the bottom floor and has three separate rooms (with own locks) on upper two floors for rent, including a basic breakfast.
(I didn't actually meet the owner as she was away, but she was an Olympic gold medalist snowboarder ...)
I can't remember the accommodations name but if you zoom in on the AirBnB map for Bourg, it's on a road called Les Essoulieux (literally KM zero of the classic ADH climb,about 100m from the D211)
Oh, and Wilbert's suggested ride is well worth doing....
^^ bus, park at the bottom ? much respect of course.
We learnt our lesson and the next year stayed in the campsite at the bottom....
We learnt our lesson and the next year stayed in the campsite at the bottom....
Munqe-chick and I stayed in the Grange ou Frene campsite in Les Gets years ago (a few hundred metres above the village) which put us off camping on riding holidays (we don't want posh luxury but enough comfort to be able to sleep well and relax). Riding back up was a ballache after a big day out (though I did do it with a camelback full of beer one year when the Passeport finished there and the beer tents were closing down and giving it away...)
Or just do them all by following La Marmotte course...
It's an option but as we're likely to be riding for over 2 weeks we might spread the 'love' rather than break ourselves with a big day. We did something similar in the Dolomites last year by breaking the Maratona in two, which meant a week later we still had sufficient legs to manage a double-ascent of the Stelvio* during the (closed roads) Bike Day.
*and yes I know Stelvio isn't in the Dolomites, we moved from Corvara to Bormio 😉
*and yes I know Stelvio isn't in the Dolomites, we moved from Corvara to Bormio
Hmmm, interesting! I'll be tapping you up for some info on that! I just booked 9 days accommodation in Corvara to do some road & mountain biking and some hiking (and then we're gonna head west so I can do the Stelvio and maybe some mountain biking in the Vinschgau (sp?) valley
wilberts route up ville notre dame is a proper good one , over the top via ville raymond and onto the ornon , got to say , we first saw this route while wild camping at the foot of the cliff and saw car headlights seemingly ascending the cliff , looked unbeleivable that a road went up there !! envious of two weeks in that area
It's an option but as we're likely to be riding for over 2 weeks we might spread the 'love' rather than break ourselves with a big day.
It's pretty brutal, although leaving off AdH makes it a bit easier. I've done the route twice but only when I was really fit. You will blow completely on Galibier at some point....
Markgrayfish feel free to drop us an email if you want more info on the Italian riding best holiday ever! You should stay at the cycling hotel just outside Corvara run by an ex Italian pro CXer it's cracking!
There is a hotel in allemont just below the dam that looks good, also near municipal pool although it has a splash pool.
Also there is chateau d'oz on way up to oz en oisans which does B&B or you can self cater
good ride up la sarenne is to go up to the 5th bend on the AdH climb then turn off and follow the balcony road above the valley floor, drop down to the barrage du chambon and then do the climb up la sarenne. Lovely cafe right at the top of the climb
cammpalumpa do you know what the name of the hotel is? looking at booking.com or airbnb there is SO much stuff it's actually quite difficult to see past it all!
"good ride up la sarenne is to go up to the 5th bend on the AdH climb then turn off and follow the balcony road"
Going that way puts you next to the exposed edge of the road and a very big drop.
I have pm'd you a place to stay suggestion, dont want the whole of STW rocking up to one of my favourite places!!
Check out Kevin and Delphine's place just outside of town
[url= http://www.cyclingascents.com/ ]Cycling Ascents[/url]
beautiful house with private locked rooms with ensuites, hot tub, ground floor with TV/DVDs, brilliant breakfast every morning (my favourite part of the day) and the possibility of dinners cooked for you also (we never took them up on this). Good bike storage and Kevin is pretty rapid by all accounts and does guided rides (I think).
Don't forget the Lacets de Montvernier! Bit of a trek to get to right enough...
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I never actually made that ride because I got too distracted by the local peaks, climbed Le Rochail from the village, long, steep, beautiful hike, perfectly do-able in trail runners even though a wee bit scrambly at the top.
Fell in love with Bourg, just counting the days (well, years, probably 🙁 ) till I can go back.
Years ago I rode from Bourg up less deux alpes then got a cable car down to Valley and went left to restaurant. Then rode back by Col d'Ornon. stunning route.
wilburt I have just checked my email and I haven't had anything! could you re sent it to franwhyte AT hotmail DOT com that would be awesome thank you
Yes thanks to Wilbur accommodation is booke tunnel booked... Switzerland half booked! so a holiday is nearly booked with 30 mins of planning .Thanks for the top tips above I shall review them all as I start planning the strava rides!
Brilliant, glad to be of help.
Hope you have a good un.:)
[url= http://bike-oisans.com/en/cycling-oisans/road-cycle-routes-oisans ]Check here for routes...[/url]
The website above has some great routes. You used to be able to email the tourist information office and they'd send you a booklet with them on (or email a PDF - but those don't seem to be an option any more). Check out all the rides on the balcony roads, some are scary, but amazing!
Try climbing part way up to AdH and turning off at bend 16 in La Garde and across the balcony road, after the descent you end up near the base of the climb up to L2A. Climb up to L2A, descend back down but turn off towards Bons, this is another cracking balcony road, then back towards Bourg.
Agree with the advice about not staying up high. Every morning starts with a cracking descent, but then the end of the day after a lovely ride you have to toil up the same climb every day (it stops you from going out on slightly longer rides having the extra end climb to do).
Hammerite thanks for that top information! WE have accommodation booked now in the valley so it's time to get route planning we have 6 nights there, so a good chunk of time to cover everything there!
6 nights in Andermatt to then do all the Swiss stuff like Gotthard, Furka etc! Then hopefully 4 nights back in Belgium somewhere. Done oudenaarde a lot so thing Namur maybe.
Cheers for all your help.
Have a great time! We've always loved it there.