This summer Peter &
Esther moved to the Cantal in France where they bought a camping
farm. A nice goal to cycle there. We don't start from home, but
travel by train through Germany to northern France. The cheap monthly
pass that allows unlimited travel through Germany on regional trains
for 9 euros during the summer months seems attractive. However, the
huge crowds is also a thing to take into account. We therefore decide
to leave early with as few changes in Germany as possible. The plan
is to take the train from Arnhem via Wesel and Koblenz to Saarbrücken
and from there start the cycle tour of France. Since there are no
trains to Arnhem, we will cycle from home to the border, catching an
early train in Elten the next morning.
The bike route first goes along the Valleicanal and then parallel to the railroad
towards Arnhem. We are not bothered much by train traffic as there
are no trains due to works. Around Ede-Wageningen station there are
also many detours along the railroad line. The detour goes right
through the new housing estate "Op Enka" on the former ENKA
factory site.
After a beautiful ride through the Veluwe we
descend to Arnhem and then over the dike along the IJssel and
Neder-Rijn to Herwen. After pitching the tents at the Boschhof
campsite, we go to the take-away Chinese restaurant in Lobith, where
we order a beef tenderloin dish with noodles. We eat in the
campsite's gazebo, where there is also a kettle, refrigerator and
charging plugs. Great camping!
In the morning at about six o'clock it gets light and we get up early. We can easily
catch the eight o'clock train from Elten to Wesel because it is only
fifteen minutes by bike to the train stop. Fortunately, the train is
not crowded despite the super-cheap 9 euro ticket. In Wesel we
transfer to the train to Koblenz. Here it is not crowded as well and
there is still enough room for the bikes. Only from Düsseldorf
it get really crowded. Fortunately, we did not transfer here, because
that would not have been possible. Most travelers are senior citizens
who seem to be doing a day trip to Koblenz. In Koblenz overcrowded
platforms and long lines for the elevators. Fortunately, the train to
Saarbrücken has some delay and we just barely catch it. This
train is fortunately less crowded and follows beautiful stretches
along the Mosel and Saar rivers.
After a long journey we reach Saarbrücken, a drab industrial town. The
elevators here are much too small, only one bike fits, only in
vertical position. We quickly leave the city on a bike path along the
Saar. Without noticing we pass the French border and do some shopping
at a large Intermarché in Sarreguimines. The St. Vit
campground near Neufgrange is not far away. It turns out to be a huge
sprawling bungalow park with a tiny tent site with some bicycle
campers at the very back of the site. The facilities are ok, but very
expensive (€28 incl. shower). Tomorrow towards the Vosges
Mountains and the Col du Donon.
Tuesday 23/8 Neufgrange-Abreschviller (105 km, 1400 hm)
Up again today at six and on the road again shortly after eight. First one kilometer
back cycling through the vast vacation village to reach the exit.
After Hambach via wide cycle paths through an abandoned Europôle
de Sarreguemines industrial area where probably a lot of EU subsidy
money has gone up in smoke, nobody seem to cycle here. The route that
Brouter has calculated soon proves to be illogical via dirt roads and
roads that are forbidden, so we map out some alternatives ourselves.
It goes up and down through an agricultural area, past small villages
without facilities, with occasional views of the Vosges massif in the
distance. It is French flat, meaning continuous climbing and
descending. Only when we reach the Vosges mountains it levels off and
we follow a beautiful towpath along the Canal de Marne au Rhin with
many locks and red Bunter sandstone rocks until we start the climb to
Dabo. We have a nice view of Roche de Dabo with a little church on
top. Unfortunately, we don't have another opportunity to take a
picture because brouter sends us back onto a super steep shortcut
where in retrospect it would have been easier to follow the main
road. In Dabo we buy some provisions because after this there is
nothing at all, only forest. At the local campground (which seems to
be closed) we have lunch and start the first serious col, the Col du
Schleif. It is only a short climb and not too steep but I am
completely annoyed by the huge clouds of flies circling around my
head. I remember I've experienced the same thing on a previous trip
to the Vosges, never been so bothered elsewhere. At the top of the
col we climb some more on a reasonably passable Route forestiere des
Russes, a gravel road. The slower we cycle, the more irritating the
flies become. At a soft stretch of gravel my recumbent slips and I am
down, fortunately without damage. When it gets steeper I have to walk
again, which the flies like even better. Luddo is not bothered by the
flies and thinks I am acting too much. He wants to continue on the
dirt roads to the top of the Donon, but I can't take it any longer.
Upon reaching the asphalt, I want to descend as quickly as possible
to Abreschviller where a campground is located. In the descent we go
too fast for the flies so no more trouble there. The small camping
municipal is in the middle of the village, is simple but clean. We
have a grassy area with a picnic table and chargers next to the tent.
Showers are free and without push buttons and the price is a bargain
at only seven euros for the two of us! We even are allowed to pick
herbs from the herb garden. In short, much better than yesterday's
boring vacation park. The weather is also fine, not too hot and
sunny
Woensdag 24/8 Abreschviller – Corcieux (90 km, 1044 hm)
At 8:30 am we
leave the campsite and cycle a bit to the west on a voie verte bike
path.
Through small villages and very quiet B-roads parallel
to the Route des Crêtes we climb to the Pierre Perceé
reservoir. The views are somewhat disappointing (lots of forest) and
only at the dam the route passes the reservoir. We descend again and
via the voie verte de la Vallee de la Plaine we reach Raon l'Etappe.
The route to Saint Die is very boring, a parallel road along a
freeway with many settlements. By now it is hot, >30 C. From Saint
Die we turn onto the D31 which runs through a quieter side valley to
Corcieux. Through the woods it is much more pleasant and cooler here,
although the D31 is still quite busy.
In Corcieux, we look for
a campground. We look at one (Au Mica) but we find it too busy.
Camping le Clos de la Chaume is also crowded but the site seems
better. But it is still a lot more expensive (€26) than
yesterday. Tomorrow we continue to Gérardmer and
further.
Thursday 25/8 Corcieux-Villersexel (104 km, 935 hm)
Today another
hot day and we start immediately with a climb from Corcieux to the
col de Martimpré (796m). We can avoid the busy D8 until the
col, by taking a super steep shortcut from Gerbépal. An
irregular climb with max 16%. The climb turns out fine on my
recumbent, no need to dismount anywhere. The short descent we have to
take the busy road, but fortunately in Gérardmer there are
bicycle lanes. We cycle past the campsite we planned for yesterday
but it appears to be fully booked. Fortunately, we did not continue
yesterday. Outside the city we start the next col, a short but steep
climb over a quiet road to the Col de Sapois (833 m). Then downhill
through beautiful scenery along voie vertes, bike paths on old
railroad tracks through the Moselle valley until the last col of the
day, col du Mont de Fourche (620 m) from Rupt-sur-Moselle. A 4 km
long but less steep col with many hairpin turns to the plateau de
Mille Etangs, a forested lake area. Up and down a bit here and then
downhill to Lure. Here we look for a supermarket but it is hard to
find one in this medium-sized town. In the large industrial area we
miss a large E.Leclerc hypermarché completely and cycle to the
city center, where all supermarkets on the OSM map appear to be
closed. Nevertheless found a grocery store in the center and then
another hour of cycling along a railroad bike path straight to
Villersexel. The campground Le Chapeau Chinois is a quiet and cheap
campground (€15). Continuing south tomorrow towards Besançon
and the Jura.
Friday 26/8 Villersexel - Champagne sur Loue (99 km 826 hm)
From Villersexel we continue the bike path along the river l'Ognon on a
former railroad line. It is cloudy and less warm, a pleasant cycling
weather. The bike path cuts through a hilly region a la South
Limburg. Just before Rougemont, the bike path suddenly ends and the
route crosses the TGV Rhin-Rhône line via an unpaved path, the
route is clearly finished here "in the French style"
(meaning sloppy). After Rougemont there is another stretch of
railroad line/bicycle path, but it ends abruptly, as the route is
still being extended.
Via quiet D-roads and smaller
agricultural roads we cycle to Besançon and even come across
cycling node routes. As we descend towards the city center, it starts
to rain. When it starts to rain harder we take shelter under an
awning at a bakery and order a pizza. When the rain persists we look
for a better shelter. First a park but we find nothing there, then we
go to an abandoned schoolyard with a large awning and picnic tables.
Here we can hold out for a while. It keeps raining and on the rain
radar we see that it gets drier a little to the south. The showers
continue to hover over the city. After 2 hours of waiting it becomes
drier and we continue cycling. Through the tunnel fluvial de la
Citadelle (a bike path / canal tunnel under the citadel) we leave the
center and follow the Eurovelo 6 on a beautiful bike path along the
Doubs. The showers also leave again and after six we reach the
Departement Jura, where we pitch our tents on a quiet campsite near
Champagne-sur-Loue. Tomorrow we continue south through the
Jura.
Saturday 27/8 Champagne-sur-Loue - Louhans (103 km 882 hm)
This morning it is still foggy when we
leave. We cycle south via Mouchard to the nice town of Arbois. From
Arbois we climb gradually to the Cirque-du-Fer à Cheval via
the Reculée des Planches, a beautiful rock formation along
which the D469 winds. The road is quite busy. We leave the busy road
after the impressive rock formations and climb further up a route
forestiere, a poorly paved forest road through the Forêt de
Arbois. The asphalt becomes gravel once we reach the top of the
plateau. South of Poligny, we cycle along the edge of several canyons
that the Seille River has carved into the karst plateau.
First, we throw a glance at the Cirque
de Ladoye and then we cycle past the two viewpoints of Cirque de
Baume. These are the most impressive, overlooking the village of
Baume-les-Messieurs located at the bottom of the gorge valley. The
expected traffic on the D471 towards Lons-le-Saunier is not too bad
and we cycle right through the not very interesting town. In the
center we see another Challenge recumbent (Chamsin) parked. Via wide
cycle paths, again over old railroad lines, we reach Louhans where we
camp next to the soccer stadium on the excellent and again very cheap
(€11) municipal campsite. Tomorrow we continue in the direction
of Mâcon.
Sunday 28/8 Louhans – Lamure sur Azergues (120 km 968 hm)
In the morning we cycle back into town
for a bit to do some shopping, as most stores are closed on Sunday.
Along the Seille River we cycle out of the village on a voie verte
bike path. In Branges we leave the rather boring voie verte and cross
the Seille. On the quiet D167 the route heads south towards Mâcon.
Although the route is fairly flat, it still goes up and down a lot.
Along the way we end up in a cycling race and we pass nice towns like
Romenay. In short, not a very boring ride at all and we can once
again keep going, in contrast to the rather boring bike paths on
former railroad lines where you have little view of the surroundings
(lots of overgrowth of bushes and trees or deeply cut into the
landscape). Villages are also often avoided, but most irritating are
the numerous fences you have to meander around. In the placement of
fences, the French have gone completely mad, they are even at
crossings of field tracks! At noon, after 60 km, we reach Mâcon.
We decide not to cycle directly into the hills, but to descend
further along the Saône to postpone the climbing. The cycle
path along the Saône turns out to be an unpaved gravel road
which is partially closed, so we take some other shortcuts. At
Thoissey we cross the Saône and cycle into the hills of the
Beaujolais region at Belleville. First we follow again a voie verte
(du Beaujolais) and towards Quincié-en-Beaujolais it is again
climbing between the vineyards towards the col de Croix de Marchampt.
A 6 km long, not too steep (5%) climb, but due to the hot stage in
the lowlands we are already fairly cooked with already over 100 km on
the counter. After a 9 km descent, we reach the campsite in Lamure at
6 pm. More of a bungalow park for migrant workers who work in grape
picking and are transported by busloads full of them. No idea where
they all have to stay at this small campsite...? The facilities for
campers are also nothing to write home about, lukewarm showers and no
wifi, in short, not recommended. Tomorrow further west, towards the
Auvergne.
Monday 29/8 Lamure sur Azergues - Saint Thurin (88 km 1314 hm)
Hill ride with many small hills. Only
the first one has a name, the Col de la Cambuse (7 km a 4%). From
Lamure-sur-Azergues we first cycle south on a busy D385. A few
kilometers outside the village we do some shopping at the Intermarché
and then take a small road that leads via Grandris to the col. This
col is fortunately not that difficult and it is still cool in the
morning. Then we descend to Amplepuis after which another small hill
follows on a small road to St. Claude. Then down again to St
Symphorien and then another 7 km climb to Neulise. The last two cols
are more difficult because of the heat. After lunch in Neulise we
descend to the Gorges de la Loire. After St. Georges we continue west
on a dead straight road to St Germain Laval where we end up in
another cycling race (Grand Prix de Pommiers-en-Forez). There is a
lot of cycling in this region and yet remarkably you see many less
e-bikes than in the Netherlands or Germany. No more easy voie vertes
either, so you have to love climbing in this region.
In St Germain-Laval it is still too
early to stop, so we go ahead and do part of the planned ride for
tomorrow. It starts again with a 7 km climb up to 700m to
Saint-Martin-la-Sauveté. Because of the heat, I "encounter
the man with the hammer" (Dutch expression for being exhausted)
and Luddo can finally gather some points for the mountain
classification. We finally descend to St. Thurin, where there is a
camping municipal. There is no manager yet and showers with coins, so
that will be a cold shower. The campsite is almost deserted but
otherwise ok, good grassy field, unfortunately a lot of flies. So we
cook in the sanitary block and pay later when the madame comes to
collect money. The damage is not too bad, with €5.90 the
cheapest camping so far! Further west tomorrow, showers are expected
later in the afternoon, so we'll look for a campsite early.
The day starts rainy, between the
showers we quickly pack up the tent and through the light rain we
cycle to Noiretable along a not very busy D1089. After a stop at the
bakery we cycle further up to a col of 948m, a not too difficult
climb through a beautiful wooded area of the regional nature park
Livradois-Forez. The rain has stopped by now, only the flies are
present again, fortunately not as bad as in the Vosges. After a
beautiful descent with views of the Auvergne volcanoes, we pause in
Vollore, where we can dry the wet tents and laundry on a nice covered
picnic area. The public toilets in the villages are usually clean,
and with toilet seats and toilet paper more luxurious than on many
campsites. I also find a hose clamp with which I can fix my front
derailleur which keeps dropping down (could only use the smallest
front blade). The hard part of the stage is over, via Courpierre it
is mainly downhill to Billom over nice little roads. Along the way
there are looming thunderclouds but apart from a small shower it
remains dry. For the planned campground in Billom it is still too
early to stop so we cycle on in the direction of Clermont-Ferrand.
The roads are now much busier but fortunately also provided with
bicycle lanes. Via Cournon d' Auvergne we reach the campsite le Clos
Auroy in Orcet. From a Dutch owner, a bit more expensive (€25)
but also more luxurious than the previous campsite. Fortunately, the
predicted showers stay away. Tomorrow we continue in the direction of
Mont-Dore.
Wednesday 31/8 Orcet-LaTour d'Auvergne (61 km, 1454 hm)
Beautiful ride through Auvergne,
highlight and highest point until now!
From Orcet on busy roads to Tallende
and St. Saturnin. There we deviate from the planned route which leads
over too busy D-roads, and opt for the smaller inner roads. Turns out
to be a fine and quiet route. A steep little road, the D119 climbs to
Olloix. Via the D74 over undulating roads to le Vernet. On the way we
see the Puy de Dôme for a while. Via a steep gravel road where
I have to get off we reach the D5 to Murol, but we soon leave this
road by taking another steep side road to the col de la Croix Morand
(1401m). Eventually we do end up on the D996 to Mont-Dore but that
road turns out to be very quiet. The climb is also very gradual and
not steep and with nice views of the Puy de Sancy. At the top of the
pass it is a lot busier. A short steep descent brings us to
Mont-Dore, a nice tourist town. We had planned to camp here but it is
still too early so we cycle a bit further. Via a super steep road out
of town. This D645 flattens out after a few kilometers and leads
through a wooded area to 1245m altitude. Then follows a beautiful
descent to La Tour d'Auvergne where we find a small but nice Camping
la Vallée (also not expensive €12). The home-made pizzas
seem to be very tasty, but unfortunately are only on the menu from
Friday. Otherwise, the hamburger with beef from the region also
tastes good. Tomorrow we continue towards the foot of the Puy Mary,
which we have already seen in the distance.
Thursday 1/9 La Tour d'Auvergne - Murat (79 km 1255 hm)
We leave the Puy de Sancy area via the
D203 past St. Donat. A nice village with a beautiful church. Then via
small roads south to the Gorges de la Rhue and along the Rhue east to
Condat. We are now in the Cantal. In Condat we doubt whether we want
to cycle up the Puy Mary via the Col de Serre. Considering the
weather forecast, this turns out to be too ambitious, so we cycle
directly to Murat. After St. Bonnet we pass a beautiful railroad
viaduct. Due to road works the D-16 ends and we have to backtrack. We
thought we could pass it because of a sign "velorail access
possible". However, this velorail turns out not to be a railroad
We cycle via the Col d'Entremont with
beautiful views of the Puy Mary massif on the D3 to Murat.
Fortunately, this "highway" does not appear to be too busy
and the road climbs very gradually. After a quick descent we arrive
in Murat, with the famous statue of Notre Dame de Haut Auvergne on a
high rock above the village. The municipal campsite appears to be
closed but there are other campers and no manager present
(self-service at the gate). The facilities are fine, while the
thunderstorm erupts we can cook in the recreation room.
This morning we want to cycle before
the predicted thunderstorms to St. Flour where we have arranged to
meet Peter, who wants to cycle a bit to meet us. A bit outside Murat
it does indeed stay dry but soon it starts to rain. As we approach
St. Flour it begins to rain harder and after an hour and a half we
reach the pub, soaked, where Peter has also just arrived from
Pouzols. After a coffee stop we get some sweet rolls and the weather
has actually cleared up as we start the final stretch to Pouzols. On
a small, beautiful but steep shortcut through Saint Georges we avoid
the busy roads around St Flour and descend to the Truyère
reservoir and the beautiful Viaduc de Garabit, designed by Gustave
Eiffel. From the bridge it's another short climb to Peter and
Esther's house in Pouzols, where we can stay in the gîte this
weekend. Initially, the plan was to pitch the tents at their campsite
La Source de Vie, but given the strong thunderstorms, a real bed
turns out not to be a bad choice.
Peter prepares for us a hearty
breakfast of pancakes as a tough mountain stage awaits. A little
before nine we leave Pouzols and Peter will accompany us until the
first climb, le Portus d' Auzenc, some 27 km away. First we descend
to the reservoir. Because my Avid BB7 mechanical disc brake was
acting up, I was able to take over a Shimano XT hydraulic disc brake
from Peter's old MTB and you notice it immediately, brakes many times
better!
Viaduc de Garabit is still partly
shrouded in mist, it remains impressive every time. We climb further
under the viaduct. Peter operates the GoPro and takes many videos of
us. He has to adjust his pace to our snail's pace and can now enjoy
the scenery more.
We cycle on to Ruynes-en-Margeride,
where a bakery is still open. Via the D4 we climb further, gradually
up to about 1345m. There we eat some coffee rolls and say goodbye to
Peter, who descends back home. We descend too, towards Saugues where
we have to take a shorter but steeper climb to get to the gorges de
Allier. The village of Monistrol d'Allier is beautifully situated
among the basalt rocks. After lunch we climb out of the gorge. The
climb is over 10 km long and the heat and lack of shade make this the
toughest climb of the day. The descent compensates a lot, beautiful
360 degree views of the mountains of the Ardèche. After a
quick descent on a wide tightly paved and quiet road, we reach the
pretty town of le Puy-en-Velay, where we camp right across from the
St. Michael rock with a church on top. The town campsite is quite
busy but cheap (€12) and within walking distance of the town
center. We take a nice walk through the downtown area in the evening
and eat pizza at Embellie. The salmon pizza is disappointing but the
calzone is tasty and filling. Tomorrow we continue east via the
source of the Loire.
Monday 5/9 Le Puy en Velay – Saint Fortunat sur Eyrieux (108 km 1233 hm)
We leave the campground at 8:30 am, do
some shopping at the Super-U around the corner and leave town on
separate bike paths. We cycle along the Loire to Coubon and continue
southeast toward Mont Gerbier de Jonc, the source of the Loire. The
climb is about 30 km long to a plateau 1400m high, runs very
gradually on wide quiet roads. Only the strong headwind makes it a
bit harder. By 3 pm we reach Mont Gerbier de Jonc and begin a very
long beautiful descent through the rugged mountain landscape of the
Ardèche, through narrow gorges and deep ravines. We also have
to take shelter from a thunderstorm, but fortunately it lasts only
briefly. The last stretch along the Eyrieux we follow another voie
verte, La Dolce Via, a former railroad line. This one is partly
gravel and quite muddy because of the many showers. We camp at the
campsite of Saint Fortunat. A small, clean quiet campsite with
sanitary facilities in the former station building. Tomorrow we
continue in the direction of Vercors.
Tuesday 6/9 Saint Fortunat – Saint Jean en Royans (90 km 1338 hm)
Today we decide not to cycle to Die to
go into the Vercors tomorrow, but to do the Vercors today because of
the expected showers. From the campsite we descend along the main
road to the Rhone valley, which is faster than via unpaved Dolce Via
cycle route.
We cross the Rhone via a nice narrow
bridge at La Voulte, and try to avoid the main road eastward.
However, the smaller shortcuts go up steeply at Livron, so we just
follow the main roads again. At Allex, we turn onto the D125 which
goes NO through Montoison and Montmeyran towards the Vercors
mountains. These shortcuts are mean steep, lots of up and down. At
Peyrus we start the Col des Limouches, 11 km long and 6% steep, not
too difficult but the "flat" Rhone valley has already taken
a lot of energy. The col is not too difficult and at 4 pm we reach
the top. Via a very scenic descent through the Vercors we reach the
campsite municipal in Saint-Jean-en-Royans before 5 pm. Tomorrow
we'll continue through the beautiful Vercors.
Wednesday 7/9 St. Jean en Royans – Saint Laurent du Pont (88 km 1453 hm)
Today another beautiful ride through
the Vercors. Via the lovely town of Pont-en-Royans we climb into the
Vercors massif along the Gorges de la Bourne. A very beautiful
canyon, the road was much less crowded than I could remember from a
previous cycling trip. After Rencurel, we climbed further up to the
col de Romeyère. From Pont-en-Royans about 20 km of climbing
at 4%. After the pass, we descend through the Écouges canyon,
which fits pretty well into the category of most dangerous roads in
France, what an impressive canyon. First we have to go through the
tunnel. We have been anxiously awaiting it for days, but fortunately
it is now lit and there are no oncoming traffic. Then we descend
along the deep ravines of the Écouges. A very steep, narrow
and winding road, which fortunately is well paved and virtually
traffic-free. Because of the rocks on the road, I have to be very
careful. I am very happy with Peter's disc brake! After a spectacular
descent we cycle along the Isère river for kilometers on a
boring bike path. The approaching thunderstorm is on our heels and we
still haven't had lunch at 3pm. We didn't come across any picnic
benches along this cycle path. We did encounter many cyclists with
luggage and even one on an (Azub?) recumbent bicycle. When we want to
leave the bike path, we finally find a picnic area. After lunch we
continue for a few kilometers to Voreppe where we enter the
Chartreuse Mountains. The thunderstorm is getting closer and we have
to cross another col until the next campsite. The road to Col de la
Placette is very busy (evening rush hour) and the climb still quite
difficult. In the descent it begins to rain but the rain does not
continue as we reach Saint-Laurent-du-Pont on a terribly busy D520.
In retrospect, it would have been
better to follow the bike route west of this road, but the
thunderstorm was on our heels and we wanted to reach the campsite as
quickly as possible. Camping les Berges du Guiers otherwise turned
out to be a fine municipal campsite. Tomorrow on through the
Chartreuse on hopefully less busy roads.
Thursday 8/9 Saint Laurent du Pont - Seyssel (84 km 671 hm)
Heavy thunderstorms last night with
lots of rain, but fortunately we kept dry. In the morning the weather
cleared up completely. At the campsite there is also a couple from
New Zealand cycling from Amsterdam to Barcelona, even Amersfoort was
mentioned and praised. We first do some shopping at the local
Intermarché and now ignore the busy roads as much as possible.
We pass the campsite in Entre-deux-Guiers where we stayed on a
previous cycling trip and after Les Echelles we follow the D921
north. This climbs gradually through the beautiful landscape of the
Chartreuse. We see many cyclists, most on unassisted road bikes,
later many more e-bikers. The D road gets busier around Lac
d'Aiguebelette. It is much more touristy here, with many campsites.
Via Novalaise we reach Yenne, a nice little town. Our planned ride
would end here, but since we cycle a little faster than planned (it
is only 1 pm) we can continue a bit further. The route is much
flatter now and we follow the Rhone on the Via Rhona cycle path. Lots
of cyclists here, mostly on e-bikes. Along the impressive Grand
Colombier we reach Seyssel where we look for a campsite. There are
two, Camping International is just above Seyssel, so we have to climb
a steep hill. The campsite is very quiet and otherwise fine. Tomorrow
will be another tougher ride with a long climb to the Jura, goal is
Les Rousses.
Again we continue the Via Rhona cycling
route north on quiet D-roads. Again we encounter many cyclists with
packs, a popular cycling route. The route rises gradually to about
500m. Around Bellegarde we leave the cycling route which continues
east towards Geneva and end up on busier roads. Near Eloise we can
avoid the busy road for a part via a nice shortcut, but to get in and
out of Bellegarde we have to go through traffic. Then we follow a
quiet D991 north through the Haut-Jura, the road climbs gradually to
a plateau of about 1000m. In Chezery-Forens we had planned a
campsite, but we are still half a day ahead of schedule so we cycle
on towards Les Rousses. After Mijoux the roads get busier again so we
take a nice shortcut parallel to the main road. We avoid Les Rousses
because of the traffic on the N5. A cycling route down to Morez via
Premanon seems a much better alternative. Route barrée is
posted at the beginning of the descent, but we ignore it and descend
anyway. We ask an oncoming cyclist if we can get through. "More
or less yes" is the reassuring answer. After a long fast descent
we encounter the roadblock. We walk around the bulldozers but one of
the road workers sends us back up. The stretch where they are working
is only about ten meters so we ignore his advice and walk stubbornly
past the reluctant road workers and climb back on the bike. A little
further on we end up in the hustle and bustle of Morez and cycle
along a narrow and very busy N5 to the upper Morbier where we find a
cheap (€10) campsite. It has remained dry until then but in the
evening heavy showers fall again.
Last night it rained continuously and
it doesn't get dry until after 9:30 this morning, so quite a late
start. Fortunately, we leave the busy roads aside and cycle along the
D18A a forest road through the Forêt du Mont Noir towards
Pontarlier. It is very cold (11 C) so the jackets have to be on, this
is the coldest region of France and it shows. The route climbs some
1100m to Mouthe, the source of the Doubs and then descends mainly to
Pontarlier. With a tailwind, we do quite a few kilometers. We arrive
at Mouthe before noon, the planned stop for today, so we are half a
day ahead of schedule. Just before Pontarlier we have to cross a very
busy and narrow N57. We bike right through the pleasantly busy center
and leave Pontarlier on the voie verte Le Chemin du Train, a 20km
bike path to Gilley over a former railroad track. This one is not
boring for a change. Often high above the valley with beautiful
views, sometimes cut through the rocks, a very nice bike route. After
Gilley we are chased by dark clouds but apart from a splash of rain
we keep it dry. After a short climb, we descend to Morteau and camp
at the campsite located at the edge of the center on the Doubs River.
In the evening we walk to the not too lively center and have dinner
at the bistro La Bousse. Luddo orders trout, but gets some kind of
fish & chips, I order a Raclette burger (hamburger with a slice
of Morbier cheese). Simple, but otherwise tastes fine and was served
quickly. Going into the Swiss Jura tomorrow.
Sunday 11/9 Morteau – Delémont, Zwitserland (95 km 1263 hm)
This morning a dense fog hangs over the
campsite and it is quite cold. All layers are now on as we get on our
bikes. First shopping in the village, the Intermarché turns
out to be closed but the Casino nearby is open. We continue cycling
towards the Swiss border along the D461 which is fortunately quiet
now. Just outside Morteau the fog lifts and it becomes sunny, the
long pants, sweater and jacket can be taken off. A quick stop at the
bakery in Villers-le-Lac and then we cross the (unguarded) Swiss
border at les Brenets. Here we climb a steep road out of the valley.
Via the signposted mtb route 3 we cycle through the Gorges du Doubs
to the Saut du Doubs. Because of the drought, this waterfall turns
out to be just a pathetic little stream. The asphalt ends here and we
cycle further up on a rough gravel path. After a few tunnels, the
trail returns to a narrow and very steep asphalt road that leads to a
plateau at an altitude of 1000m just above La Chaux de Fonds. Then we
descend again on a wider road with many hairpins all the way to the
Doubs and then climb out of the valley again on a narrow and super
steep road with percentages of 10-15% The Wizard appears to be able
to handle this very well, climbing is much better for me now than it
was last year. I thought it was mainly because of the SPD shoes I
left at home last year*.
Luddo is struggling a lot more because
of his heavier luggage and is complaining about sucking Almotion
tires which offer more resistance. When we arrive at the top of the
plateau, a fun and excellently signposted cycling route through the
Alpine meadows follows. The weather is nice and pleasant bells from
the grazing cows. Wonderful cycling in Switzerland, quite different
from France. Occasionally we have to open and close gates to cycle
through the meadows. It is already in the afternoon when we start the
descent to Delémont. We pass another beautiful gorge, the
Gorges du Pichoux. The cycle path then runs parallel to a railroad
line until Delémont. Just before Delémont, we reach the
campsite, a somewhat dull campsite full of trailers. The facilities
are ok, the price is probably steep, but we won't know until tomorrow
morning because we can't pay at the moment. Tomorrow is the last ride
to Basel. Then the plan is to take a French train to Strasbourg and
then camp at a German station (Appenweier) to continue the day after
tomorrow by train home.
*After returning home, I only found out
that the rear shock I had swapped for my old shock before leaving had
a much bigger impact on the steering. This is because the (newer)
Cane Creek damper was leaking and actually too short. Therefore, as a
precaution, I reinstalled my old shock with steel spring. This one
turns out to be slightly longer, which provides more stable steering,
especially important at lower climbing speeds.
This morning very fresh and foggy, 6 C.
The price of the campsite is indeed not that good, €40, 3x as
expensive as an average municipal campsite in France! Via cycle route
23 we cycle to Basel, often along the railroad via small roads,
sometimes over a cycle lane along a busy N-road. In Basel SBB Bahnhof
we draw 2 one-way tickets Strasbourg (€54) at a TER machine of
the French railroads. Bicycles are free. The 12:12 train is already
about to leave and the carriages have high boarding so the bikes have
to be lifted into the train (without bags). Moreover, the places for
bikes are cramped and they have to be hung vertically on hooks, which
is not very convenient. The journey continues quickly with few stops
and beautiful views of the Vosges Mountains. Dust masks are
recommended but hardly anyone wears them.
At 1:40 pm we arrive at Strasbourg. The
traffic in the center is not too bad and there are many bike paths.
We explore the old beautiful city center while walking/cycling and
then cycle towards Kehl, Germany where we get a Quer-Durchs-Land
ticket and 2 bike tickets for tomorrow from the machine at the train
station (€61). Then we bike to the village of Sand where we
pitch our tents at a small campsite. Return home tomorrow from
Appenweier by train.
from Appenweier
via Karlsruhe (1) - Neustadt a.d. Weibstrasse (2) - Kaiserslautern (3) - Koblenz (4)
- Oberhausen (5) to Arnhem (6) and then further by NS to Utrecht and Amersfoort.
In the morning we leave the campsite a
little after eight o'clock. It is only a short bike ride to the
station in Appenweier and we have some time to buy provisions for the
road at the local Edeka. At the station fortunately no hassle with
elevators and the trains have level access. The train trip continues
smoothly and follows a slightly different route than we are used to,
not through the boring Rhine valley but through the Pfalz and the
Hunsrück to Koblenz. It is very quiet in the trains compared to
the trains on the outward journey (because no more 9 euro tickets).
In Koblenz follows another bottleneck
at the elevators where many cyclists want to go up including two very
heavy e-bikers with whom the elevator has problems. Fortunately we
have plenty of time for the transfer to Wesel. On the way to Wesel we
are almost thrown off the train by the Corona Polizei (3 men strong).
I did not have my Vive le velo mask on my nose properly and Luddo was
doing it all wrong with his Batik cloth. He was kindly but urgently
requested to put on an FFP2 mask. No word on mine, which probably
looked good enough because of light blue colour ;-)
As usual, in Oberhausen we change
trains to Arnhem: same platform, no hassle with small elevators as in
Düsseldorf. This train is again very crowded and very little
room for bikes. In Arnhem we can change trains quickly to be home
before sunset.