Travellers’ Tales: Over the Alps

After a two-year delay due to Covid, my son Fred (27) and I (67) finally made our cycle trip over the Alps. We had arranged bike hire in Geneva because Eurostar had stopped taking bikes due to Brexit!

Our luggage included a tent as we planned four campsite stops as well as two hotel stays. The route would take us to St-Jean-de-Sixt, Beaufort, Bourg-Saint-Maurice, Val d’Isère, Bessans and across the border to Susa and Turin. It would take eight days.

The longest and most challenging climb was the 20km ride up to the Col de l’Iseran, which at 2,764m above sea level is the highest paved col in the Alps. Our greatest enemy was the sun, especially in the middle of the afternoon. We made sure we reached the cols by lunchtime, and we generally needed to carry between two and three litres of water each day.

All the downhills were fun but you had to concentrate. One misjudgement on a hairpin bend and you would be at the bottom of the valley much sooner than planned. The small towns of Bessans and Beaufort were the most enjoyable places to spend an evening. Val d’Isère was a ghost town.

Our final day in the Alps saw us climbing to the Col du Mont Cenis (2,084m), just before crossing into Italy and downhill to Susa. We then took the quieter route via Moncenisio to avoid the busy main road. The easy cycle route to Turin also avoided big roads and took us through delightful villages.

We lost the cycle route signs closer to Turin so reluctantly joined the main road to reach our apartment by the river Po, where we stayed for five days and met up with my partner Linda.

I would wholeheartedly recommend this trip for its exhilarating views, dramatic descents, challenging climbs and, as always in France and Italy, the food.