The Alps have to appeal to almost every motorcyclist. High passes, deep valleys, mountain lakes, glaciers and rugged peaks. Among these peaks is the highest in Europe: the Mont Blanc. All this beauty is connected to mountain roads of usually very good quality and must therefore yield a motorcycle cocktail to write home about. So with this the fourth route of a series of five from the Motorbike Guide part 2.

This route has many passes with beautiful curves and the necessary hairpins. We go up and down the mountain, so we have wonderful steering, with beautiful panoramas along the way. This route is in line with the previous route so we leave from Bourg St Maurice.

We drive through the Vanoise National Park just along the border with Italy on beautiful winding passes with beautiful roads and some rugged mountain paths.

Van Bourg St. Maurice to Val-d'Isère (RP5) we drive on the D908, a well-paved two-lane road with nice gentle curves, but also an occasional hairpin bend.
After about 19 km we leave the D908 to drive over the narrow and very winding D87B to the dam in the lake Lac du Chevril (RP4), at RP2 you drive along the river Isère.
After the dam we drive back to the D908, we now get a stretch with many tunnels that are sometimes partly open, which gives you a nice view of the lake, the forests and the mountains. Pay attention in these tunnels because the lighting is poor and cyclists are also driving.

After various tunnels and the Lac du Chevril you will arrive in Val d'Isère (RP5), a well-known ski resort and home to the most famous 4x4 fair in France (around mid-August). This is followed by a very beautiful part of the tourist route with a real Le Col de L'Iseran (RP7) pass of 2764 meters high. Stop just before your Col merges with RP6 there you have a really beautiful view and you can possibly also have a drink.

Then the Col de L'Iseran itself, here the Alps show their rugged side, there is snow all summer and usually the col does not open until the beginning of July, so keep in mind the planning of your ride. Via this beautiful pass you drive on narrow winding roads through a breathtaking environment with beautiful panoramas to Bonneval-sur Arc. This sympathetic town, at an altitude of no less than 1885 meters, has made an effort to preserve the old aspect. The roofs covered with rust brown stone are not ruined by TV antennas and all kinds of wires.

Via Bessans you drive underneath the Vanoise National Park, as this beautiful area is also called This national park was the first in France (1963) and the emphasis was on the protection of the last ibex. Of these, only 40 remained in the year of incorporation. Now more than a thousand are hopping around.

We drive via the Col de La Madeleine (RP9) towards Modane. At RP10 there is another interesting stop possible at Parcobrance du Diable, the largest forest adventure park in Savoy (some call this type of tree climbing park). There are 230 workshop games of all levels, spread over 24 different circuits. It is near the Redoute Marie-Thérèse (barrier of the forts of Esseillon) just above the gorges of Arc and of the Pont du Diable, a wooden bridge over an 80-meter deep Gorge, so definitely worth a visit. stop.

From Modane to St. Michel-de-Mauríenne it is a little less interesting, but there is no alternative, we drive on the D1006 (parallel to the A43 / E70 motorway). In St. Michel-de-Mauríenne (RP12) we take the D902 and cross the track, the river Arc and the new highway in order to enjoy the festival of the thousand turns again.

Via the Col du Télégraphe (RP13) we arrive at Valloire, here there are a few less bends in the road, so just a step back, for the great last sensation of this tour Le Col du Galíbier! This topper of the Tour de France is also a topper for motorized turn knights and the tires and brake discs do not get time to cool down. No time to enjoy the scenery, we will do that upstairs, so definitely stop at RP14 to enjoy the great view at 2645 meters. It also means almost the end of this great ride that ends a little further in La Grave near the Col de Lautaret.

You can spend the night at one of the campsites or at one of the hotels in La Grave.

This route is undoubtedly worth 5 ***** Stars, the roads, surroundings and beautiful passes remain on your retina for a long time to come and the following route connects to this and is also incredibly beautiful.

Another summary of the Cols we drove;

RP6 The Col de l'Iseran is, as part of the departmental road D902, with its 2,770 m the highest paved mountain pass in the Alps and Europe.

RP9 The Col de la Madeleine is a mountain pass (1993mtr) in the French Alps. The mountain pass is best known for cycling stages in the Tour de France. The Col de la Madeleine has been recorded 25 times in the Tour de France. The first time was in 1969, the most recent time in 2018.

RP13 The Col du Télégraphe (1566m) is a mountain pass in the French Alps. The mountain pass is best known for cycling stages in the Tour de France.

RP14 The Col du Galibier is a mountain pass (2642m) in the French Alps. It connects Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne and Briançon via the Col du Télégraphe in the north and the Col du Lautaret in the south. The pass is closed in the winter.