Route des Grandes Alpes en Moto

[tricepilot]

Very nice reporting from Europe.

I lived near Kaiserslautern for three years and covered a lot of that territory, now your excellent photojournalism makes me wish to return.

[Olirider]

Originally Posted by squawk77

Just a good dose of dopamine here. Living the dream along the Route des Grandes Alpes.

Funny, I spent 3 days in this very same campground and I was also the only camper.
But it seems that you found a 4 legged friend !

The fort is the Fort de Tournoux https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_de_Tournoux
It's only possible to visit on organised tours and I missed the last one from the season by one day.
The trail to go up there is closed by locked chains.

But did you visit Fort de Roche Lacroix which trail entry is just 5 minutes from the campground ?

[squawk77]

Originally Posted by SplitRock

What fantastic terrain ! This is just a stunning part of the world. Your images are very good as well. Thanks for sharing the trip with us. It is very inspiring !!


Brent

Glad you enjoyed it

[squawk77]

Originally Posted by Drif10

Gk?

Yes

[nocashnosplash]

*Canada plate exist for people working for the government of canada,embassy-military etc.. Hoping that didnt blow
your cover ..

[Mtl-Marc]

Originally Posted by nocashnosplash

*Canada plate exist for people working for the government of canada,embassy-military etc.. Hoping that didnt blow
your cover ..

[Drif10]

Originally Posted by squawk77

Yes

Did 6 in Brussel myself. Miss the riding.

Go by Lahr and you'll wonder why we kept gk instead.

Left there for ytr. What a let down.


Have fun.

[squawk77]

Originally Posted by Mtl-Marc

Nice pictures.

Thanks! But yea there are also Canada plates in Canada on everything from Canadian Forces, DND, Parks Canada, Nat Resources Canada, Canada Revenue etc etc. Pretty rare to see a motorbike with one I think

[squawk77]

Originally Posted by Drif10

Did 6 in Brussel myself. Miss the riding.

Go by Lahr and you'll wonder why we kept gk instead.

You should check out my other thread I just made a post on Lahr here Canada is also leaving GK next year

I will miss the riding and biker friendly culture in Europe for sure

[boboneleg]

Superb photos, you've caught the very essence of the alps

[squawk77]

Originally Posted by advNZer?

where is this place.Do you know what it is/was.Looks abandoned?



How are the on bike shots taken?

I love these types of random abandoned buildings. It's near "Bonneval les Bains" and from what I can gather online it was a thermal spa and hotel abandoned since 1937. The thermal waters were discovered and used by the Romans and has been under a lot of tests and disputes over the past few decades. I'm not really sure why they abandoned a thermal spa in such a great location?





The concrete slide and diving board seem to be hidden in those trees now or maybe gone. The floor of the pool was made of asphalt



The shots on the bike were taken with a GoPro on time lapse. Most of them turned out blurry with all the changes in temperature and altitide the lens quickly fogs up. Thanks for looking

[squawk77]

Originally Posted by Olirider

But did you visit Fort de Roche Lacroix which trail entry is just 5 minutes from the campground ?

I had a waypoint saved likely from your thread for the Fort de Roche Lacroix. I followed a dirt road up a mountain towards the waypoint, but never found the bunkers. I was running out of daylight so I couldn't look too hard unforunately. It was a nice trail and a nice camp ground none the less

[squawk77]

Originally Posted by tricepilot

Very nice reporting from Europe.

I lived near Kaiserslautern for three years and covered a lot of that territory, now your excellent photojournalism makes me wish to return.

K-Town is where I bought the bike There's a lot of nice backcountry riding around there and the Eiffel region

[squawk77]

The Col du Parpaillon is a gravel mountain pass in the Cottian Alps built by the French military in 1891. The pass is connected at the top with a tunnel at 8,650', one of the highest of its kind. The tunnel has been barricaded in the past and I believe at one time collapsed in the middle. As you enter the tunnel you can't see out the other end as it's curved and the floor is very wet and muddy. A lot of 4x4's and mountain bikers like this trail and the mountain sides are grazed by cows and sheep. This is the first real taste of dirt roads for my GS and I definitely need to seek out more of these!

[Drif10]

Originally Posted by squawk77

You should check out my other thread I just made a post on Lahr here Canada is also leaving GK next year

I will miss the riding and biker friendly culture in Europe for sure

Bag a slot at ramstein. Don't come back, stay as long as you can.