Tour Reports

Posts with the Tag 'denis smyth'

Route Description – The Camargue Circuit runs from Arles to Saint-Maries-de-la-Mer through the Camargue National Park and back to Arles. Distance – An easy 140km

Route description – Starting and ending in Théoule (west end of Cannes) this route takes the Corniche D’Or (gold road), Frejus, St. Raphael, St. Maxime, Port Grimaud, St-Tropez, the forest’s of Massif des Maures and a couple of great villages. Distance – 254km

Route description and places to stay along Stage 8 of this great Alpine tour: Stage 8 – St Martin du Vesubie to Menton Distance – (Stage 7a – 148km) (Stage 7b – 157km) Cols – Col St.Roch, Col de Braus, Col de Turini featured in the first episode of Top Gear series 10 when the [...]

Route description and places to stay along Stage 7 of this great Alpine tour. Stage 7 – Castellane to St Martin du Vesubie Distance – (Stage 7a “Purple” – 148km) (Stage 7b “Green”- 157km)

Route description and places to stay along Stage 6 of this great Alpine tour. Stage 6 – Barcelonnette to Castellane Distance – 182km Cols/Gorges – Col de la Bonette (el. 2715 m./8907 ft.), Gorges de Valabres, Gorge du Daluis, Additional Routes – Grand Canyon du Verdon (Marked Yellow on Map)

Route description and places to stay along Stage 4 of this great Alpine tour: Stage 4 – Lanslebourg/Val Cenis to Briancon Distance – 110km Cols – Col du Telegraphe, Col du Galibier Additional Route – Including Col du Lautaret, Col de Sarenne, Croix de Fer, Col du Glandon (300km)

Route description and places to stay along Stage 2 of this great Alpine tour Stage 2 – Grand Borand to Bourg St Maurice Distance – 100km Aprox 3.5hrs, 4.5hrs inc Col du Pré +20km This stage passes – Clusez, St-Jean-de-Sixt, La Giettaz, Flumet, Les Saisies Cols – Col des Aravis – 1486 meters, Col des [...]

Route description and places to stay along Stage 1 of this great Alpine tour. Stage 1 – Thonon-les-Bains to Grand Bornand Distance – 90km This stage passes by Morzine, Gets, Taninges, Cluses, Le Grand-Bornand Cols – Col de Gêts 1163 meters, Col de la Colombière 1613 meters Cols (Stage 1b) – Col du Ranfolly, Col [...]

The Route des Grande Alpes is a tourist itinerary through the French Alps between Lake Geneva and the French Riviera passing over all the highest passes of the French Alps. It also hugs the Swiss and Italian borders so feel free to explore off route.

Route length 168KM At 1236 metres (4055 ft) above the valley floor, Montserrat is the highest point of the Catalan lowlands whose name means serrated mountain, it’s about an hours ride west of Barcelona and easily possible as a return bike ride from Tossa, plenty of petrol stations and places to eat and stay. Barcelona [...]

This route takes you from coastal Mediterranean cliff side roads through Gerona, farmlands and low hills to the wonderful medieval walled town of Besalu.

This route starts just outside of Rathdrum simply because the stretch of road from here to Laragh is a great bit of crack if it’s quiet, there are a couple of really tricky turns on this road close to Rathdrum, you will know what I mean when you try them. Best to ride it slowly [...]

As a landscape photographer I get to spend a lot of time in the Dublin and Wicklow mountains and have gotten to know many of the most scenic back roads. So if you’re in the area why not check them out, as they are all within an hours drive from Dun Laoghaire port.

If anyone is interested in riding this route, as well you should, here are some useful links to help plan your trip, and a little advice of my own.

I am not a real fan of the coast here, its crowded, over priced, polluted, seriously packed with tourists, car drivers are aggressive and the cops here seem to be worse then anywhere else. But in fairness I used to live here so have a different opinion than the normal biker just riding through.

My God I’m tired, it’s been a very long time since I’ve ridden a bike so far and the late nights and early starts are starting to get into my old bones, my pains have pains and my brain is on auto pilot. But my goal is in sight as I’ve decided to spend the [...]

I really did not want to leave, I loved the little town of Torgnon in the Aosta Valley and for me the little place I had stayed in was perfect, rustic, full of character and charm. If your ever up there it’s worth staying with them, I’ll insert the GPS location soon, but for now [...]

Friday, 21 May 2010 As I write this, eagerly awaiting my wild boar stew, I look out over the mountain vista where across from the restaurant the owner’s son tends his goats, the faint sound of their bells hinting at the desert of goats cheese to come. Jesus, I wonder if I am really here [...]

Thursday, 20 May 2010 A difficult day as I lost a screw on the GPS holding bracket so the GPS got a knock and somehow lost the maps I loaded for the route into Italy with the result being I had to use the old fashioned way of navigation. After more then a few wrong [...]

Wednesday, 19 May 2010 What a day, Normandy in early summer is amazing, blue skies, and green fields emblazoned with yellow flowers of rapeseed, the vibrancy of the colours almost a shock to the system after the grey seas of the journey over. Unfortunately I had little time to take photos as the route I [...]

The Oscar Wilde Tuesday, 18 May 2010 On the ship there is not too much to excite the traveler, food is over priced and mediocre but no surprise there. The real disappointment is the lack of entertainment; there are only a couple of bars / lounges with no entertainment apart from some washed up twat [...]

Starting from Tuesday morning (18-05-2010) I’ll be riding to Rosslare to catch the ferry to Cherbourg. From there I’ll be half on half off motorway to Avallon which is just north of Lyon where I will crash (hopefully not literally) for the 1st night.