Video diary - 2007 Brevet de Randonneur des Alpes - cousin to the Marmotte

standringr@yahoo.co.uk

Hi all,

Yesterday, I rode the 225 km Brevet de Randonneur des Alpes. It's an
event that is held every two years and that's similar to the Marmotte
with the Col de la Croix de Fer, Col du Mollard, Col du Telegraphe and
the Col du Galibier, and adds up to over 4,600 metres of climbing.
Unlike the Marmotte, there is no Alpe d'Huez at the end, but you need
to descend into the headwind back to Vizille from Bourg d'Oisans.

The event starts in Vizille at 2:00am, 3:00am and 5:30am depending on
when you want to start. I left with a few hundred at 5:30am. Cloudy
on Croix de Fer, and it warmed up with sunshine on the Galibier.

Here's a link to a video diary from part of the nine hours 57 minutes
it took to get around the circuit. I thought it was a little
different than taking photos.

http://video.google.fr/videoplay?do...863656030&hl=fr

Now we just need a few more foreigners to come and take part as I only
saw two other Brits.

Cheers, Russell
www.grenoblecycling.com

Ken Roberts

Thanks a lot, Russell -- I liked your video even better than a sequence of
nice photos.

Last time I was at the Col du Galibier I was on skis, and the last time I
was at Croix de Fer I was on inline skates -- but in a few weeks I hope to
visit both of them on my bicycle.

> Now we just need a few more foreigners to come

I'll be happy to show up and ride those cols. I just don't see the need to
do it as part of some organized event. (And I surely do not feel the need of
starting down in Vizille, or of adding the Mollard climb). I'm not any sort
of racer, so I suspect there's a greater probabity of _finishing_ enjoyably
if I choose the day and the starting time and pacing that's most suitable
for me -- rather than the presence of other riders tempting me to go too
fast early. It's not like there's a lack of places to get drink and food
along the way.

And thanks for your most helpful website at www.grenoblecycling.com

Ken

japeters@mail.com

On Jul 23, 3:49 am, standri...@yahoo.co.uk wrote:
>

....<snip>...

> Now we just need a few more foreigners to come and take part as I only
> saw two other Brits.
>
> Cheers, Russellwww.grenoblecycling.com

Russell, I really enjoy your Grenoble web site. Your BRA warm blog was
tres bien.

I rode along with TdF in 94 and am gettting the bug to hop the pond
again, http://groups.google.com/group/rec....3dbe32eb0d08df8

Grenoble sounds like the ticket for base camp to do the French Alps.

BTW Breaking Away Tours used Alp d'Huez as base camp this year.

Cheers,
Jim, CO USA

Ken Roberts

Jim wrote:
> Breaking Away Tours used Alp d'Huez as base camp this year.

I think the higher I sleep, the faster I acclimatize to altitude. I don't
acclimatize fast, so in addition to taking acetazolamide, usually the first
night or two I try to sleep high, like near the top of a high col.

> Grenoble sounds like the ticket for base camp to do the French Alps.

Another idea is at or near St Michel de Maurienne -- which is in range of
four high + pretty places: Col du Galibier, Col de la Croix de Fer, Col de
l'Iseran (by way of the quiet Haute Maurienne valley), and Mont Cenis with
its lake. And it's on the Marmotte route.

Ken

japeters@mail.com

On Jul 24, 9:07 pm, "Ken Roberts" <iKen7Roberts7-nn7_n...@yahoo7.com>
wrote:
> Jim wrote:
> > Breaking Away Tours used Alp d'Huez as base camp this year.
>
> I think the higher I sleep, the faster I acclimatize to altitude. I don't
> acclimatize fast, so in addition to taking acetazolamide, usually the first
> night or two I try to sleep high, like near the top of a high col.

Altitude is not really an issue for me, I live in foothills of the
Rockies. So doing
Alp d'Huez is only a 1k climb for me

BTW the Mt. Evans climb was last weekend, sommett >14k feet.

Back in 94 I was living in Dallas so mountain stages would have been a
killer.

Cheers,
Jim

Kenny

On Jul 23, 5:49 pm, standri...@yahoo.co.uk wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> Yesterday, I rode the 225 km Brevet de Randonneur des Alpes. It's an
> event that is held every two years and that's similar to the Marmotte
> with the Col de la Croix de Fer, Col du Mollard, Col du Telegraphe and
> the Col du Galibier, and adds up to over 4,600 metres of climbing.
> Unlike the Marmotte, there is no Alpe d'Huez at the end, but you need
> to descend into the headwind back to Vizille from Bourg d'Oisans.
>
> The event starts in Vizille at 2:00am, 3:00am and 5:30am depending on
> when you want to start. I left with a few hundred at 5:30am. Cloudy
> on Croix de Fer, and it warmed up with sunshine on the Galibier.
>
> Here's a link to a video diary from part of the nine hours 57 minutes
> it took to get around the circuit. I thought it was a little
> different than taking photos.
>
> http://video.google.fr/videoplay?do...863656030&hl=fr
>
> Now we just need a few more foreigners to come and take part as I only
> saw two other Brits.
>
> Cheers, Russellwww.grenoblecycling.com

Damn it! I hate this report. It makes me want to go there. Hmmm....

sergio

On Jul 23, 7:45 pm, "Ken Roberts" <iKen7Roberts7-nn7_n...@yahoo7.com>
wrote:

> Last time I was at the Col du Galibier I was on skis, and the last time I
> was at Croix de Fer I was on inline skates -- but in a few weeks I hope to
> visit both of them on my bicycle.

... let us know if you come farther south.
I am just back from the Dolomites; be sure that when I was at Rifugio
Auronzo I did think about you (on skies).

Sergio
Pisa

Ken Roberts

Sergio wrote
> I am just back from the Dolomites; be sure that when
> I was at Rifugio Auronzo I did think about you (on skis).

Getting up to Auronzo on a bicycle is pretty steep, isn't it?

If you're around in late August / early September, I'm thinking of Col d
Nivolet (2612m) -- perhaps then after I get to the highest point on the
road, leave my bike and hike on the trail to the big view on the summit of M
Taou Blanc (3438m). (But if you're riding up to Auronzo, I doubt I could
keep up with you).

I'd also like to try riding up some of the cols + climbs around M Viso, like
Sampeyre, d'Esischie, Faunaria / dei Morti, or Piano d Rey. (I'm thinking
Agnello is too hard for me, unless I walk some sections). Any advice on
which ones are most interesting?

I'm also open to suggestions about single-day rides combining seaside +
hills around Imperia + Savona.

Another strange idea I'm considering is to ride _around_ Gran Paradiso. A
loop in the clockwise direction, like start from Aosta, climb south to Pont
on the west side of GP, then hike and roll (and carry?) my bike up to Col d
Nivolet (about 500 vertical meters), then mount my bike and ride from
Nivolet down southeast to Cuorgne. Then around the east side of GP thru
Ivrea back to my start. Anyone know how hiking with bike from Pont up to
Nivolet compares with the southeast side of Col du Grand Ferret or Col de la
Seigne?

Ken

Sergio

On 9 Ago, 07:10, sergio <serva...@df.unipi.it> wrote:

Ah!

Credo di
> essere stato io di fargli venire la voglia
a

Sergio
Pisa

Ken Roberts

Sergio wrote:
> A friend of mine from Rivarolo has done that counterclockwise loop
> hitting Nivolet this spring as a one day outing. The hike is about a
> couple of hours long.

Thanks, that's helpful to know. Now that you mention it, taking the off-road
/ unpaved section downhill would be easier -- by doing the loop
counter-clockwise.

> This may, just when the Giro was going over Agenllo, I had taken up
> to the greater Fauniera area. I did go up from Boves to Valcavera.

Yes starting from near Cuneo makes sense. The "Cycling Italy" guidebook of
Lonely Planet suggests riding the passes Sampeyre + Faunaria from north to
south, with an overnight stay between them at Marmora-Venetti (though I
could possibly imagine doing it in one long day, looks like about +3500m of
climbing and 165km distance).

> I would be most happy to hit that corner of Italy, virtually unknown
> to me and to most of my countrymen, first time I have the chance to.

I just sent you an Email with my phone numbers.

Ken

sergio

On 10 Ago, 23:23, "Ken Roberts" <iKen7Roberts7-nn7_n...@yahoo7.com>
wrote:
> Sergio wrote:
> > A friend of mine from Rivarolo has done that counterclockwise loop
> > hitting Nivolet this spring as a one day outing. The hike is about a
> > couple of hours long.
> Thanks, that's helpful to know. Now that you mention it, taking the off-road
> / unpaved section downhill would be easier -- by doing the loop
> counter-clockwise.

Hold on, Ken.

The long unpaved section is just up from Pont. So you
hit it downhill on a clockwise loop.
Also, be advised that just below Ceresole Reale there is a long,
stinky, vicious tunnel. Not really a problem if you go downhill there
(on a counterclockwise loop), but you better avoid it by detouring
along the parallel older trail if you are riding clockwise.

Sergio
Pisa

Ken Roberts

Thanks for straightening me out on "counter-" versus "clockwise", Sergio.
So your friend took the off-road section by Col d Nivolet _uphill_ in about
two hours -- that's even better news.

New York Times just had an article with a story of riding la Marmotte:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/19/s...lay-endure.html

If there's a day of decent weather in 28-30 August, I'll get my chance to
try the la Marmotte route.

Ken
_________________________________________________
sergio <servadio@df.unipi.it> wrote in message
news:1187390680.371546.295440@w3g2000hsg.googlegroups.com...
> On 10 Ago, 23:23, "Ken Roberts" <iKen7Roberts7-nn7_n...@yahoo7.com>
> wrote:
>> Sergio wrote:
>> > A friend of mine from Rivarolo has done that counterclockwise loop
>> > hitting Nivolet this spring as a one day outing. The hike is about a
>> > couple of hours long.
>> Thanks, that's helpful to know. Now that you mention it, taking the
>> off-road
>> / unpaved section downhill would be easier -- by doing the loop
>> counter-clockwise.
>
> Hold on, Ken.
>
> The long unpaved section is just up from Pont. So you
> hit it downhill on a clockwise loop.
> Also, be advised that just below Ceresole Reale there is a long,
> stinky, vicious tunnel. Not really a problem if you go downhill there
> (on a counterclockwise loop), but you better avoid it by detouring
> along the parallel older trail if you are riding clockwise.
>
> Sergio
> Pisa
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>

Tim McNamara

In article <O6jyi.2414$wW6.2330@trnddc08>,
"Ken Roberts" <iKen7Roberts7-nn7_no7s@yahoo7.com> wrote:

> New York Times just had an article with a story of riding la
> Marmotte:
> http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/19/s...0819play-endure.
> html
>
> If there's a day of decent weather in 28-30 August, I'll get my
> chance to try the la Marmotte route.

It's a big ride, difficult but magnificent:

http://www2.bitstream.net/~timmcn/alps2002-3.html

Ken Roberts

Well thanks, Tim -- with such a nice detailed story, I've got no excuse for
being prevented from completing the route by something I didn't expect. And
with those photos already available, I can save the weight of bringing my
camera.

Here's a look at the high point of La Marmotte, but with different timing:
http://www.roberts-1.com/t/t/galibier

Ken