Euro Bimble 2019 - Back to the Alps

This year Mick and I are joined by Mick's son Sean on his 1200 GS and his mate Jason on his Yamaha MT09 Tracer for a nostalgia tour of the Alps. Mick wants to introduce Sean to some of the wonderful rides and favourite places we have discovered in the Alpine regions over the last twenty years. This time we are taking the eas y route to Europe on the P&O ferry from Hull to Zeebrugge in Belgium. Hull is only 50 miles from our homes in  Doncaster and I certainly won't miss the long haul down from Yorkshire to the Channel ports. I began the route planning after Christmas in the depths of the British winter. I like to have a set of defined routes for each day of the tour, with a few "spare days" included to allow for bad weather or the interesting diversions that we always find cropping up on long tours. However experience has shown that no plan ever survives contact with the tarmac, so the plan generally evolves as the tour progresses. ++++++++ While many

Sunday 7 July 2019 We are all set to go at 2:30pm. In fact I’ve been ready since 10 this morning, champing at the bit and worrying about what I have forgotten to pack. No long haul down to the channel ports this time, just a short one-hour trip over to the P&O ferry terminal in Kingston Upon Hull for this evenings boat over to Zeebrugge in Belgium. Obligatory "Gentlemen start your engines" photo It is an easy ride over to Hull and we are at the check in early. The border force need to reach their targets so we are all directed into the search shed.  On board the ferry Naturally we are all clean and after a cursory check in a pannier here and a top box there we are allowed to proceed to the ship.       PREVIOUS POST                                      NEXT POST

Monday 8 July 2019 Disembarkation is smooth and by 9am we are out on the road to Bruges. Motorway at first to get past Ghent then we turn off onto small roads to avoid the Brussels Ring where I have had some horrendous traffic holdups in the past, think M25 London orbital on a bad day! Steaming into Zeebrugge Pit stop on the N4 approaching the Ardennes We arrived at our destination mid-afternoon after an uneventful (actually rather boring) ride down the N4 with a coffee stop in Bastogne’s tank square. The High Chapparal and Camping Moulin is a favourite waypoint for us and we’ve stayed here maybe 10 times over the years. We are warmly greeted by Dutch proprietor Ed and soon have the tents up by the babbling River Sure. Tents up at the High Chapparal Now it is time for our first Weizenbier of the trip and a plate of Ed’s famous spare ribs. Food of the Gods at High Chapparal Tomorrow a bimble through the glorious Luxembourg countryside then a fast run dow

Tuesday 9 July 2019 When we arrived at High Chapparal Sean found that his bike was losing brake fluid. He topped it up but when we stopped for breakfast in Esch-sur-Sure the fluid level had dropped again. This could become serious so we decided to get it checked out at the BMW Motorrad dealership in Bastogne. Hanging around at the BMW dealership So after three hours hanging around at the dealers their conclusion was that they could not find any fault despite the fluid visibly dripping out onto the floor. The explanation was partial as the mechanics didn’t speak much English and our command of technical French was somewhat limited. There was some suggestion that the ABS system had an overflow valve and maybe the problem would go away. However Sean was advised to ride steadily and check the level frequently’ and on no account go riding on Alpine passes in case he had a catastrophic failure. Well that’s great, since Alpine passes are what we are here to do. So after muc

Wednesday 10 July 2019 Morning comes with a cloudless sky and the promise of a hot day ahead. Our first mission is to ride the famous B500 road which runs north-south from Baden-Baden to Freudenstadt. It follows the high ridge along the western edge of the forest in long sweeping curves. Excellent surfacing and bike-friendly cambers mean it can be ridden at high speed. However recently there has been a crack down on illegal speeders and the road is heavily policed at times. Still it’s a great road to ride and this morning there is little traffic about. We only see two police cars during our ride. High up on the B500 After Freudenstadt we turn off the main road and Loop down from the heights through glorious little villages and steep valleys on our way down to the border with France.  We cross the Rhine at Mulhouse and then ride across a hot, dusty plain on small roads with the Vosges Mountains rearing up in the distance. We found the Moto-Hotel Col de Bussang a co

Thursday 11 July 2019 Today we are heading south at a leisurely pace, avoiding all motorways and sticking with the twisty small roads. So we bid farewell to the Bussang crew soon after 9am and head for the Ballon d’Alsace peak. We knew the Tour de France was in the area from the multiple signs posted in the small villages we pass through but we didn’t realise that today’s stage finishes at the summit of of The Ballon d’Alsace. The finish line It soon becomes obvious from the crowds of people and thousands of camper vans lining the sides of the road in every available parking place. Signs warn us that the road is closed but we are allowed through the check point. The finale of today’s race will come around 5pm but now, 8 hours earlier, the spectators are lining the route. The road itself is a cracker. Twisty as hell and pretty steep. There will be some very tired bicyclists this evening. We raise our arms in victory as we pass the finish line but nobody seems intereste

Friday 12 July 2019 We remembered to order croissants and baguettes from the camp shop last night so make a rudimentary breakfast with butter and jam. It will do for now, and we are back on the bikes nice and early. It is a cloudless sky with the promise of a very hot day to come. One of many small cols in the Jura Summit of Col de Berentin We stop for coffee in a tiny village called Ruffieu and I get talking to a local who also has a K1200rs. You don’t see many about so it’s good to find a fellow enthusiast. His is from 2007 and has 90,000 kilometres logged. Mine has a few more than that but is five years older. We arrive at Camping le Petit Nice in the hamlet of Saint Martin de la  Chambre 3pm. It is blazing hot and there is nobody around. The site is around 500m above sea level in a valley with the usual torrent carving it’s way through. Finally the owner turns up and we check in for the night. We need a shaded site so he shows us a small area in front of an un

Saturday 13 July 2019 We’re off early today. Breakfast doesn’t seem to be a thing here so no point in hanging around. A small road signed for the Col de Chaussy takes us up from the camp site on a steep and winding ride to the summit. We could be on Mars judging by the lack of traffic. Here's a link to my YouTube video of the Col du Chaussy run: Col du Chaussy - Youtube video (4.01 mins) Not quite the M25 At the summit we wave to one passing biker. We see no other moving vehicles. The sky is cloudless. It is getting very hot in the sun so after depositing a sticker on the col sign we crack on down the narrow little road to the village of Montvernier.  That sneaky sticker man has been here before me Now it’s hard to describe the descent that follows. The Arc River flows through The Valley below us through the village of Pontamafrey. To get there we will ride down the Lacets de Montvernier (lacets means laces in English). There are 17 hairpins in the 2.5 kil

Sunday 14 July 2019 Today is La Fete Nationale, that’s Bastille Day to you and me! We awake pretty early in the beautiful setting that is Camping Moto. There are maybe a dozen other campers plus a few folk  staying in the cabins that are dotted around under the trees. There is room here for hundreds so I guess it counts as a quiet weekend for them. Breakfast is the usual minimalist French style, bread and croissant with butter and two little pots of jam, plus coffee and orange juice. Mick selects a different option which gets him three fried eggs but no orange juice. I think Mick chose the better option We are thinking that the roads will be very busy with day trippers today in this beautiful region of France so we decide to make a simple tour on extremely tiny roads, up into the mountains and back, 60 miles or so. It is getting very warm so the camp swimming pool is looking like a good option after a few hours twisting slowly over the nearby peaks. It is going to

Monday 15 July 2019 Overnight the weather has changed. No sun this morning, cloud looming over the mountains around us. It is quite chilly in the stiff breeze as we neck another eggy breakfast at Camping Moto. Today we have a long bimble around the Vercors planned, so panniers off and let’s get to it. Gentlemen start your engines We start the gentle climb up to the first col. it is cool and breezy and the mountain peaks are covered in cloud. Remarkable rock formations rise up in craggy bluffs to either side of the small road. Rocky bluffs in Central Vercors As we ascend up to the Col de Bacchus the sun is trying to break through the clouds but it looks pretty ominous up ahead. After the 1000m mark we start to ride into the mist. Soon it is getting hard to see more than 50m in front as we enter thick cloud. Photos and videos become impossible and I thank the Lord for the fresh white lines painted on the road as our speed drops to no more than 20 kph. Fortunately th