Cycling in the high mountains. Alps, Dolomites, Pyrenees etc

actually i have! lovely place to ride; @TTM has more than once

I did it a few years back on a cycling trip to Granada. Very cool climb. Took us all day to get up there and 30 mins to get down - we mistakenly went up via Hazallanas!

We walked/rode the last gravel bit right up to the top. It was a perfect day for it, didn't even need a jacket at the top.

The problem with that is :
1 - eurostar bike service has not restarted yet ?
2- as things stood pre-pandemic, Eurodespatch would not guarantee a drop-off time for your bike ( it could very well embark a next train if things were busy/full/slow ).

Ah, I thought he was still at hiring bikes in France.
Should have maybe read through the whole thread in more detail...

There are two stations, Valence TGV (2hrs10mins from Paris) and Valence Ville (2hrs 35mins from Paris). Most TGVs these days go to Valence TGV, but from Gare de Lyon there are a few each day which go to Valence Ville.

FUCK! you are right. That is our ticket (already booked).
Our train reaches the TGV station quite late, almost 9PM, there are only 2 trains after that that go to Valence Ville (7 min journey), thats where our hotel is. I always assumed the TGV would go through the town.

Actually I haven’t. I’ve spent a fair bit of time in that area riding, but haven’t ticked that climb off.

From a town called Cadiar, where I stay when I’m over there, you can ride it off road from the south which looks like an incredible climb. I think that’s the way they ride it in Badlands? One day I’ll take the off road bike over to do that.

Did it about 5 years ago, can’t remember how long it took bar ages. The gravel road bit at the very top is cool, so quiet, almost eerie. Was about 15C at the top but 43C back in the valley.

I didn’t ride the descent, my mate drove up in a car so popped the bike in the back and stopped for a beer and some melon and ham on the way back down).

In Granada? Yes, twice. Road and gravel sides during Transiberica and Badlands.

Lovely view from the top at 1am...

Better view the second time...

Road climb definitely easier than gravel...

Thanks all. My tenative plan is a 3 day gravel/bikepacking/hotel-hopping loop, starting in Grenada, climbing Veleta on the road side, dropping down the track on the other side to Orgiva, joining the Transnevada trail and then looping back to Grenada on that. Silly idea or bonza plan?

Depends on if you want a relaxing holiday or a trip where you question your motivation repeatedly and decide that cycling is a fucking stupid activity.

LOL

relaxing holiday

Wot dat?

a trip where you question your motivation repeatedly and decide that cycling is a fucking stupid activity.

Ah, now I resemble that remark. That sounds like me.

If I was doing it I think I’d want to climb the gravel side and descend on tarmac. That’s a long way down on the rough stuff and doesn’t sound like much fun to me. My off road skillz are crap though

Excellent. Personally I'd climb the gravel and descend the road, but I'm odd like that.

If you want some good local knowledge, contact Gary at Vamos Cycling in Cadiar. He knows every inch of that area, off road and on

100% recommend this ^

also I went there twice in October and it was like 28º one day .. summer could be hard work

I'd climb the gravel and descend one of the amazing MTB trails.

That's what we did in Badlands and I certainly wouldn't go back there just to descend the gravel side.

We're doing this lot in a month or so... just a few little lumps and bumps like Passo Stelvio, Passo Gavia, Mortirolo, Ghisallo, Panoramica Zegna, Oropa, Colli del Nivolet...

1 Attachment

Unpaved 8k on Colle delle Finestre will be fun in the huge storm that I'm bound to bring in...

There's some more dirt heading down to Andrate. Assume it's hardpack rather than grav grav so road tyres should be fine.

We went late September and it was mid to high 30s, pretty brutal

That’s where we stayed, comfortable accommodation and great food

Holy shit. Do you have that as .gxp files? It looks incredible

niviolet is the greatest climb ever so enjoy that one. If you want resturant reccomendations in/near Turin then let me know.

Nope, but I have it in 14 files: https://alpi4000.it/en/tappe