Vercors with Marco
An extended weekend spent riding along winding, narrow roads in the Massif du Vercors, all thanks to my friend Marco's idea!
About this trip
Marco and I embarked on a Vercor adventure during an extended weekend, taking advantage of a Friday-Monday holiday. Our rides of choice: Marco on the Africa Twin, and me on the Tenere700. We opted for hotels over camping, skipped the off-road action for winding roads, and kicked off the trip on a Friday morning. Packed up with a 20L backpack and the big old tank bag, traveling light was the moto. It was also the perfect moment to try out my new GoPro setup with the chest strap, with the hope of capturing epic riding videos.
Summary of Our Vercor Adventure:
- Duration: 4 Days (3 Nights)
- Distance: Roughly 1500 km
- Overall Cost: Approximately 400 CHF
In just 4 days and 1500 km, we savored every twist and turn of the road. While the memories were priceless, our Vercor escapade did come at a cost. At 400 CHF, it wasn't exactly a bargain, but every kilometer was worth it!
Day one: Getting there
On the first day, our journey was all about getting closer to the Vercor Massif. We made a pitstop near Grenoble and rested at a charming Golf Hotel. The day might not have been action-packed, but a scrumptious dinner and a relaxing swim in the pool set the perfect tone for the adventures to come!
Day two: Exploring Vercors
After a restful night at our hotel right at the entrance to the Massif de Vercors, we left our luggage behind and set out to explore the winding mountain roads. We came across a fascinating old tunnel that offered breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains. We also stumbled upon a monastery, though we couldn't get inside, and then made our way to an old bunker with some World War II history.
Here's a tidbit: Germany wasn't allowed to have military planes after WWI, so they decided to build gliding airplanes, known as "Segelflugzeuge," to train their pilots. These gliders were even used in an attempt to surprise French soldiers stationed in Vercors, but the French managed to repel the attack, albeit with some casualties among soldiers and civilians.
Enough of the heavy stuff! We hopped back on our bikes and headed back to the hotel for a satisfying dinner and a relaxing soak in the jacuzzi to prepare for the adventures of the next day. Before turning in, I took a leisurely walk to catch the sunset, but, as luck would have it, I arrived just a tad too late! 😄
As I was putting together this blog, I decided to take a peek at the GoPro footage, and let me tell you, that chest strap was a bit of a fashion faux pas! Instead of epic mountain vistas, all I managed to capture was a spectacular view of my trusty T7 tank and, well, a bit of screen action. Lesson learned! 🤣 But fear not, I've since upgraded to a helmet mount – now we're talking some serious action-packed footage!
Nevertheless, I made the most of the situation and snapped a few pics with my trusty phone:
Day three: Taking a detour
We woke up quite early to make the most of our last day riding in Vercors. Our destination was Col du Rousset, known for its beautiful turns and corners, and the weather was in our favor. However, on our way to Col du Rousset, we encountered some strange weather phenomena. Suddenly, we found ourselves in the midst of a cloud with strong winds and rain, but it didn't last long. After a short break, mainly because it was quite cold, and grabbing lunch, we managed to ride Col du Rousset under the sun! Since we had been riding mostly on pavement, I was eager to try out some trails with my T7. When we came across a promising-looking trail, we decided to turn around and give it a shot.
Here's the video (although you'll notice that the chest strap didn't provide the best view) of our short detour. We weren't entirely sure if it was legal to ride there (probably not, but we stuck to existing trails and didn't race—just passing bikers and hikers, as you can see). 😄
To conclude the day, we returned to our hotel and indulged in a delicious dinner. This marked the end of our trip, and we prepared our bikes the following day for a lengthy journey back home on the highway.
