Route des Grande Alps: on the Col l'Izoard, Briancon

 

Arriving after a 19km drive up the Col l'Izoard

Another day of navigating the tight switchbacks and roads here in the Grande Alps, along with cyclists, motorcyclists, alpine 'skiers', the Porsche Club outing, utility vans and trucks, cars and the Kersten's. I remember hearing Ant Mccrossan on the Tour de France talk about the difference between the roads of the Alps versus the Pyrenees, the main difference is that Alps are designed for traffic. 

Gosh, nervous passenger the whole way up and over and back up and down - 60 km of incredible roads, would have loved a quieter day...

We took in the scenery and then headed out on the Clot la Cime hike, it was a narrow vertiginous path but we were away from the noise of the motorcycles and floated above the pass which was a joy. And a quite perfect picnic moment alongside the road, baguette, market bought vine tomatoes in olive oil and Italian Toma cheese from the farm near our apartment in Sestriere....

Hiking along the Clot de Cime with its magnificent views

The view from our hiking trail, another Tour de France epic mountain pass.