It's still only a conceptual plan, though it's been in my head for several months now.  It's evolved since Al and I first discussed the idea of going to the Alps back when we were still looping the Pyrenees last year, but it's starting to coalesce.

Back then, we were thinking it would be nice to do more big climbs with unloaded bikes, but without paying someone else to move our stuff.  We'd much rather spend our money on food and accommodation.  So I started trying to identify good places to do day rides without too much climbing in between.  Meanwhile, Al asked his buddies for their ideas.  Many of them have cycled in the Alps, but always riding lightweight road bikes and fully supported, following routes that were basically collections of big climbs between stops.  Al might love that kind of trip, but I wouldn't, as they are not designed for cyclists like me.  Or him, possibly.  A few of his buddies did one in 2023 and discovered that they aren't as young and strong as they used to be.

Then, on our Portugal trip in November, we met two other touring cyclists who mentioned that they'd done the Route des Grandes Alpes on their heavily loaded touring bikes last year.  They were strong cyclists but not much younger than us and encouraged us to do it.  We aren't getting any younger, after all.

So the backbone of this trip is sort of based on the Route des Grandes Alpes, the Route des Grandes Alpes Gravel, and (of course) TA's tour in 2015 and the Classen's just this past fall.  We will ride from Thonon-les-Bains to Nice, but with several variations from the (apparently signposted) route.  The concept as it stands:

• We are thinking of six weeks starting sometime in the middle of May to get home around the end of June.  We will likely fly to Lyon and ship our bike cases to a hotel near the Nice airport.  We will go southward because it's always nice to finish with a couple of beach days and apparently the climbs are easier in that direction, relatively speaking.
• A warm-up ride from somewhere near Lyon Airport to Pont-en-Royans, where we will revisit some of the fantastic roads we rode in 2017.
• Continuing up the Gorges de la Bourne to the Isère and on to Chambéry and over the Pont de l'Abime to Annecy.  After a day or two there, our longest planned ride overland to Thonon-les-Bains.
• Diverging from the "official" route, we will head south-southwest towards Le Grand-Bornand, joining the standard road/gravel routes as we pass through Cluses.
• Eventually, we will arrive at the Mediterranean at Menton and spend a few days on the coast somewhere before heading to Nice and our flight home.

The screenshot below shows the plan as it stands today.  The live and evolving routes are all in this RWGPS event.

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Scott AndersonWhat an exciting trip for you Jacquie! I’m sure I’ll have many thoughts and comments on this, probably spaced out over time as I have time to think about it. Would you like them all as comments in the blog, or as private correspondence?

Also though, I’m interested in your timeline. Assuming we get to go to Europe this spring there’s a fair chance we could cross paths somewhere south of Annecy, where we’re tentatively planning a meetup in late May with Susan, Suzanne and Janos. We should keep in touch and watch each other’s spaces for possibilities.
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2 weeks ago

Jacquie GaudetComments or private correspondence are both fine! I've only visited the western edge of the Alps, on our 2017 tour that copied the first half of yours from 2015, and a few places in Switzerland and around Chamonix back in 1981 on my train-and-backpack trip after graduating from university. I really doubt many guidebooks cover the little towns and villages on our route, except maybe as ski areas.

We'd love a meet-up if the timing works!
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2 weeks ago

Scott AndersonTo Jacquie GaudetGreat. More later, but in the meantime I’ll keep a good eye on you. Rachael commented that I apparently also have an eye for black humor, which is true.
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2 weeks ago

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Of course, I'm posting this because I am looking for input.

• Are there any places we will be passing by that we should try to include?  Any good day rides?
• We are thinking of prebooking our accommodation so we don't need to spend time doing that en route or risk having to change our destinations.  What are the best places en route to take a day off the bikes to either play tourist or go for an easy hike?
• Where is a good place to spend a few days on the coast?  Is it worth riding into Italy?  How far?

Any and all thoughts are welcome!