Vercors: Combe Laval, Col de la Machine and Col de Carri
By Will • Apr 27th, 2011 • Category: Climbs, Cycling
Doreen and I spent a near perfect Easter weekend cycling in the Vercors Massif. This region is about as good as it gets for cycle touring: Quiet roads, cols everywhere, beautiful gorges, cliff roads, etc.
The highlight of the trip was our first loop up and along the cliffs of Combe Laval.
Starting in St. Jean-en-Royans the first 7 kilometres climb up a winding, quiet forest road. The route becomes less steep at Col de Gaudissart (see map below), turns right and suddenly ……… becomes the most amazing cliff road: Combe Laval.
That’s Doreen waving from the tunnel:
I was a little vertiginous here:
Half way between the North pole and the Equator, we crossed the 45th parallel:
After Reaching Col de la Machine we turned off onto another small road climbing to Col de Carri:
After a coffee in Chapelle-en-Vercors, the rest of the ride was almost entirely downhill through another beautiful gorge past the Grands and Petits Goulets. The little Grands Goulets cliff road is unfortunately now permanently closed. Instead, there is now a huge, modern 1.7 kilometre (downhill) tunnel – some people find it fun to descend here. Me? I was just happy we saw no traffic.
After such a great ride, Doreen was in great spirits – and I was hungry as a bear.
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Will is Happiest while cycling uphill. More enthusiastic than talented, his 2013 Challenge is to cycle a 150 Cols (mountain passes), slowly -- and to just enjoy.
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Absolutely fantastic roads. A little jealous too but thanks for sharing!!!
Amazing roads. Need to keep those in mind. Would be a perfect place for a short cycling vacation.
Encore une route fermée et pas n’importe laquelle ! Quel dommage ! Maintenant on a droit à un tunnel sans intérêt pour les Grands Goulets. On peut vraiment pas s’y engager ? Comme elle vient très récemment d’être fermée, c’est peut-être encore faisable…
Bast,
Oui, c’est très décevant.
Il y a une clôture/barrière à chaque côté. Donc, difficile. Aussi, peut-être dangereux avec la falaise surplombée.
Bonjour,
Je découvre votre blog et le récit de votre escapade à vélo vers le Col de la Machine. Je crée un nouveau blog qui a comme point de départ le Col de la Machine. Je vais y mettre des documents, des textes, des photos de randonneurs, de cyclistes, d’automobilistes… qui sont passés par là… Si vous voulez m’envoyer le texte publié ci-dessus, je le mettrai dans mon blog avec un lien direct vers le vôtre. Le texte peut rester en anglais, si vous le préférez. Merci de partager vos impressions sur le Col de la Machine. A très bientôt, peut-être ! DLes amis du Col de la Machine : Myriam et Jacques
[...] The Vercors region of France is a cycling mecca, filled with great climbs and beautiful gorge roads. And Combe Laval- just below Col de la Machine – may be the best of the bunch. More details here. [...]
We plan on riding this area in June, 2012, and we thank you for the great photos. These are dream roads, and my mother always told me that dreams come true.