Day 3 - Driving in the snow
So, another early start today, up at 7am, and we may have been the only 2 guests at the hotel, but they put on quite a spread for breakfast, bread, cereal, cheeses, jams, hams, etc
We left the hotel at 9am and checked the weather (which is vital). There is rain and thunderstorms forcast for later in the day. We also double checked the staus of the next pass which was closed, Col du Galibier,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Col_du_Galibier it was still closed. However, the alternative route, Col du Mont Cenis,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Col_du_Mont_Cenis is open.
After collecting food for the day, and filling up with diesel we headed upto Col du Mont Cenis. And it wasn't long before we reached the 2083m summit.
Boy, was the weather different to the day before. The day before was lovely, dry, sunny, and warm. Today, wet, cold and miserable.
The temperature dropped to 3 degrees, and started to lash down. The descent from Col du Mont Cenis took us into Italy.
Leaving Italy via Col de Montgenevre (1854m alt.),
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Col_de_Montgenevre and entering France we have our passports checked for the first time on this trip!
Looking back at the top of Col de Montgenevre
From there we stopped for food at Briancon, before heading to Col d'Izoard (2360m alt.),
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Col_d%27Izoard one of the highest passes on te route. With gradients of 6% and 8% and plenty of hairpins, its a good workout for you and your car.
Here is a stock photo of Col d'Izoard.....seems i was too busy thrashing the car to stop and take photos. Whoops.
After Col d'Izoard, we moved swiftly on to Col de Vars (2109m alt.)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Col_de_Vars
Better watch that 10% gradient on the way down
We arrived in Barcelonnette where you have to make a decision. Take the larger of the 2 roads, the D64, or take the D902 with the road carved into the rock face, and where much of the road is single track, with few passing spaces. Decisions, decisions.
We decided to stick with the D902 and brave the single track roads. We'd seen little traffic on the roads so far, and didn't see why that would change. Not long out of Barcelonnette, we start our climb of Col de la Cayolle (2326m alt.). Obviously, nobody told this place it was nearly summer, and was decidely winter.
It rained at the bottom of the pass, and the further up we got, the colder it got. At the summit, a nippy 0.5 degrees, and a snowstorm.
And snow to the left....
And snow to the right...
No place to park up at the top, as all the parking was under 8 ft of snow.
That was the last pass of the day. From there it was on to the next hotel in Valberg. And it turns out that Valberg is actually on the summit of a mountain....so there was another pass of the day.
By the time we got to Valberg at 5pm, we were in the middle of a massive thunderstorm.
The morning after was sunny again. Again, another nice hotel, only 2 other sets of guests.
Evening meal consisted of cooking your own steak!
Total miles for the day, 174 miles, (9 hours on the road including all stops)