Alps 2012 + 4
This is Col de la Machine , breathtaking , incredible, unbelievable and dare I say utterly 'awesome'! That last word is not a word I use generally and in fact find it overly used in modern times to the extent I have built up an immunity to its meaning. This was a rare occasion indeed and ‘awesome’ was without doubt the word of choice, in fact there simply aren’t enough superlatives to describe seeing this place with the naked eye. Internet images are one thing, reality is something entirely different. Each time I speak and write of this place the goosebumps come visiting again and again and again.
My breath was simply ripped away from me. The sight demanded my attention, demanded I stopped, dismounted and took some time to absorb what I was witnessing. This place really grabbed me and it will be a very long time before I see anything better. I question myself ‘does it get any better than this’?
My breath was simply ripped away from me. The sight demanded my attention, demanded I stopped, dismounted and took some time to absorb what I was witnessing. This place really grabbed me and it will be a very long time before I see anything better. I question myself ‘does it get any better than this’?
I rode on up to the next left hander and dismounted for more views.
My heart raced as I pulled up to the wall that was probably no more than 12-14” wide that separate me from a sheer drop of close to 1,000ft, maybe, to an unquestionable cause of death!
This would be the place of nightmares for the squeamish and in fact this road has been known to be closed to vehicles in certain weather conditions due to numerous deaths over the years.
If you take liberties here it will be your very last mistake!
A fall over the edge here and you are history in the time it takes to free fall nearly 1,000ft , or more , and if that didn’t introduce you to your maker then the quickly pursuing GS would certainly finish the job off!
The wall that separates life from death!
This would be the place of nightmares for the squeamish and in fact this road has been known to be closed to vehicles in certain weather conditions due to numerous deaths over the years.
If you take liberties here it will be your very last mistake!
A fall over the edge here and you are history in the time it takes to free fall nearly 1,000ft , or more , and if that didn’t introduce you to your maker then the quickly pursuing GS would certainly finish the job off!
The wall that separates life from death!
A little further up I pulled in at a tunnel to take a closer look at a cave entrance to my left. To get to the cave the pathway narrowed to a ledge about 2ft wide and down a slope about 4ft lower than where I was standing. 40yrs ago I would have been stupid enough to attempt the ledge to the cave but now is 40yrs later! Below the narrow ledge was the excessive drop , 1000 feet or more!
I stopped the other side of the series of hollow drive-thru rocks and took some more photos. Many bikes were using this route today and probably most other days.
I started looking for a place to set up camp at a gentle pace. I had enough daylight on my side to not need to rush, and besides , this is not an area for dropping your guard.
I came across numerous secluded areas including a woodland thick with trees and an easy access route immediately at the roadside. All I would need to do is to ride a small rise and I’d be in the wooded area away from headlights, though I doubt too many vehicles use the Combe Laval Road after dark. I parked up and walked a short way in to the wooded area but quickly decided against. Far too many biting things in flight for my liking.
On the other side of the road another woodland with a steep narrow path that ran downhill deeper into the wooded area. This looked a bit too challenging for the mornings exit and again, would have been an infestation of critters.
I started looking for a place to set up camp at a gentle pace. I had enough daylight on my side to not need to rush, and besides , this is not an area for dropping your guard.
I came across numerous secluded areas including a woodland thick with trees and an easy access route immediately at the roadside. All I would need to do is to ride a small rise and I’d be in the wooded area away from headlights, though I doubt too many vehicles use the Combe Laval Road after dark. I parked up and walked a short way in to the wooded area but quickly decided against. Far too many biting things in flight for my liking.
On the other side of the road another woodland with a steep narrow path that ran downhill deeper into the wooded area. This looked a bit too challenging for the mornings exit and again, would have been an infestation of critters.