GTN CycleTours

Tour d’Oisans

The Tour d'Oisans, from 2nd to 9th June 2007, costs £475 and will be based in a gîte in the high Venéon valley between the high peaks of the Écrins region and the Grand Rousses of the High Alps. The Venéon valley continues for 20 kilometres into the heart of the Écrins National Park climbing to 1700 metres encircled by 4000 metre peaks and permanent glaciers. In the Grands Rousses on the other side of the upper Romanche valley are the famous climbs of Alp d'Huez, Col de Galibier and Col de la Croix de Fer. (Link to gîte details.)

From its source at 2200 metres in the Écrins National Park, the Romanche river flows through the ski resort of La Grave at 1500 metres, below Col du Lautaret, and for 60 kilometres down the valley through the Infernet gorge and Bourg d’Oisans into the Drac river just outside Grenoble.

The pleasant town of Bourg d’Oisans 8 kilometres from the gîte, which is known by cyclists as near the base of the 21 bend climb to the ski resort of Alp-d’Huez, has shops, bars and banks, and a proper bikeshop. The bus from Grenoble and from Briançon stops in the centre.

After the 13 kilometre ascent from the Romanche valley up 1100 metres to Alp d¹Huez at 1860 metres,  alternatives to descending the 21 bends are to cross 1996 metre Col du Poutran to the tranquil Huez lakes of  Lac Noir and Lac Besson or to continue for 9 kilometres gradually up to 1999 metre Col de Sarennes.

The Venéon river also begins in the Écrins 10 kilometres south of the Romanche, with the 3000 metre Blanc and Noir glaciers and the 4102 metre peak of Barre des Écrins between. It flows west for 30 kilometres past the gîte and into the Romanche river at the foot of the Infernet gorge.

From the gîte at 770 metres, we can climb the Venéon valley for 20 kilometres, passing the villages of Venosc and St Christophe, to la Bérarde at 1700 metres encircled by 4000 metre peaks and permanent glaciers.

The Parc National des Écrins was created in 1973 and is France’s largest, at 227,000 acres including 30,000 acres of glaciers, numerous mountain peaks above 3000 metres and more than 1000 kilometres of footpaths. There are roads into the centre of the park but none that go through to the other side.

Descending slightly to the Romanche valley at 740 metres, we can turn right up the valley through the Infernet gorge to Freney. To the right at the Barrage de Chambon dam at 1040 metres is the 14 kilometre road to the ski-resort of Les Deux-Alpes at 1650 metres, where the Tour de France has been known to terminate a stage. To the left is the Balcon d’Oisans road which runs along the ridge above the Romanche valley for 16 kilometres, emerging 5 bends up the road to Alp-d’Huez.

Continuing up the valley leads after another 25 kilometres to Col du Lautaret, where Scott spent some time acclimatising before his fateful trip to the Antarctic, beside the La Meije glacier and the 27 kilometre descent to Briançon.

The Mini-Marmotte: The ‘Marmotte’ randonnée starts from Bourg d’Oisans and climbs the Cols of Glandon, Croix de Fer, Télégraphe and Galibier before descending for 45 kilometres back to Bourg d’Oisans and the final climb up to Alpe-d’Huez - a total distance of about 180 kilometres with about 4500 metres of height climbed (and descended). The Mini-Marmotte returns to the gîte instead of the final climb of Alpe-d’Huez - slightly shorter at 170 kilometres and without the last 1100 metre climb, but still a severe test of bike and body. (GTN pictures of Col de la Croix de Fer.)

The Route des Grandes-Rousses crosses Col du Glandon into the Maurienne valley and returns over Col de la Croix de Fer.

The Écrins Valbonnaisse can be explored by descending the Romanche valley and crossing into the Roizonne valley or by crossing Col d’Ornon to the Béranger gorges, returning over Col d’Ornon.