We say Goodbye to our farm campground above Lake Neuchâtel (CH) and head toward Lake Geneva (Lac Léman).
On the shore of Lake Geneva, it suddenly appears: the Mont Blanc. In the French-Swiss border region, behind the Alpine peaks that plunge into the lake on the opposite side, stands the white giant. 4,807 meters high, massive, majestic. It soars into the sky with its white cotton-like peaks.
Overnight we stay at the beautiful Le Genêts campground in Gex(F), at the foot of the Jura Mountains, with a game of boules.
The next day, we spontaneously decide to change course. Instead of heading along the Jura Mountains toward Grenoble, we set our sights firmly on Mont Blanc. First, we ride right through the heart of Geneva. We share the waterfront promenade with many others as we ride through the old city with its stunning Belle Époque buildings.
The weather is perfect in Sallanches, where we put up our tent. Here we find a spot filled with hikers, bike packers, and other nature lovers. Everyone enjoys the incredible view of the mountain. The next day, we visit the tourist office to find out the best viewpoints of the Mont Blanc massif. Plaine Joux and Servoz are the recommendations. Definitely not Chamonix, which is overrun with far too many Americans and Asians.
We hop on our bikes and ride to Servoz—twelve kilometers and four hundred meters of elevation gain. The view is beautiful, but we still have enough energy for the second option. Off we go to Plaine Joux, 1,347 meters above sea level, with a 900-meter climb. At eye level with Mont Blanc. A panoramic ascent. Perhaps only the view from a paraglider is more beautiful. You can take off and land here with one. There is a hostel and a wonderful campground up here.
At night, the sky pours down rain. Our expedition tent holds up well. The next morning, the mountain appears just as majestic as it did the day before.
As we continue on toward Albertville, we tackle the first climb to Combloux right in front of the professional cyclists in the Tour l’Avenir. From there on, we are behind them. On the sixth stage of the Tour, these riders have 5,000 meters of elevation gain on the schedule. We enjoy the cheers from the support vehicles. They race all the way to Val d’Isère. That is our direction, too. However, it will take us two more days. The route and the area are breathtaking. We are thrilled, exhilarated, and overwhelmed by nature. Experiencing it on a bike is a unique experience.
Rolf removed the crank himself, and the nice mechanic at Decathlon quickly replaced the bottom bracket.
We continue through Val d’Isère, heading toward Alpe d’Huez. The valley lies between the Northern and Southern Alps. The mountains rise to a height of 3,300 meters. We have dozens of campgrounds to choose from, ranging from **** to * star(s). After checking it out, we decide to leave the Aire Naturell we chose: it is too “naturell.” We settle in at ‘Camping Le Château de Rochetaillee’ and head straight for the pool. The next morning, we move on again. Another ****-stars campground does not make the cut after we checked it out. Finally, in Allemond, we find our dream spot: ‘Camping Le Grand Calme.’ A wonderfully peaceful, lovingly maintained campground with a brightly shining * star. Everything we need is within walking distance: a boulangerie, a swimming pool, a bar, a brasserie, and a grocery store. For €3.60, we take the cable car to the ski area and back. Since the desert wind is blowing again, continuing the ride to the top is not possible for safety reasons. After a lovely hike, we go back down to the valley and head to the swimming pool to cool off.
We wait for the predicted drop in temperature. At night, the sky opens up. The wind is howling and a storm is raging. The tent holds up well. In the morning, there is reddish Sahara sand on the tent. The weather conditions are extreme. We have a good spot and stay. Legendary mountain passes await us.
