From Chamonix, all looks good. The sun is visible, and the morning begins with a good breakfast and we are off to Martigny.

We cross the Col des Montets, a low pass typical of France. Then it is on to the Col de la Forclaz, a wider, more open pass that is higher up. We are enjoying a bit of sun and the weather is good. We cross into Italy and pick up the 203.

Martigny is a beautiful sight – the terraces of vines remind me of a mix between the Wine Road of Italy and the Rhein valley near the Lorelei.

As we pick up the 21, I miss the turn for the Col de Champex, and we continue on to the Grosser Sankt Bernhard. My riding partner is very unhappy and makes it known, but does not want to return to the pass, something I would like to do. The Grosser Sankt Bernhard, or Col de Grand Sankt Bernard in French, is not a difficult or particularly technical pass like its smaller brother, but it is far cloudier. The clouds at the top are so dense that we are unsure which direction we came in from. It is the oldest known pass in the Alps and separates Mount Blanc from Monte Rosa. A hostel of some sort is documented back to 1049. We stop for a hot drink, I visit the cloister built in 1563 built to honor Saint Bernard of Menthon as a travelers’ hostel. The descent is foggy and rainy into Aosta. In Saint-Rhémy-En-Bosses, we pick up the 27 and ride into Aosta. In fact, then entire Aosta valley is cloudy and rainy and redefines the pilots’ term “low ceiling”.

From Aosta, we rejoin SS26 and ride the Kleiner Sankt Bernhard in the opposite direction. I fall in the early hairpins, distracted by some personal thoughts. Thankfully, the bike is only cosmetically (although expensively) damaged, and I ride to the top to collect myself, my thoughts, and my ADAC card.

The ADAC is the German version of AAA. I joined when I lived in Germany, and keep my membership current mostly because the monthly magazine is so good. It is a window into the German driving psyche and motor culture. Today, a call nets me the address and phone number of a nearby Honda shop who will gladly check the bike for me. I also check BMW for a nearby dealer – the closest is a shop in Sion, Switzerland. The Honda shop will have to do for now. I call ahead to announce myself, and the person at the shop speaks just enough moto-english to get the job done. He will be there until 19.00, too. I have five hours to get there, it will only take about one. We descend the pass and I continue on the D1090 while my parther heads north on the D902.

In Aime, I find Alpes Moto Cycles, and inside, a gentleman who charges me 15€ to give the fork a sharp poke and check that things are sufficiently true to continue. I’ve packed a much smaller tool set than normal, and have a T40, a T50, and a T55, but not the T45 required to loosen the fork and insure it is not stressed. Not really needed, thankfully. He sends me on my way with instructions to get my head back in the game and to ride my own ride. Oh, and check with BMW, because after all, he is only a Honda/Yamaha/Kawi shop, and this is a German bike. I want to kiss him. I turn back to fuel up and find the D902 and the Cormet de Roselend.

Just before the pass, the D902 becomes the D925. The road runs past the Lac du Roselend and over the Col de Mèraillet and continues north. After Mèraillet comes Col de Saisies, a big surprise. I turn onto the D218 and begin the ascent. Saisies is a festival of curves. It features every imaginable type of turn, from long sweepers to tight switchbacks that do not let up. It is challenging and fun, and I enjoy it immensely in spite of the day’s earlier events. At the top is the typical carnival atmosphere of an Alpen ski resort town, although at this time of the year, completely empty. The gentle northern ramp brings me to Notre-Dame-de-Bellecombe and the D1212, which I take east.

Before Combloux, I turn right onto the D909, and then rejoin the D902 in Saint-Gervais-le-Bains. I pick up the D1205 in Le Lac and head to Martigny as the day is closing. As the sun is just starting to set, I cross Col de Montets and Col de la Forclaz again and ride into Martigny to see thousands of little streetlights twinkling. It is a beautiful sight, and while I am tired and need to find a hotel quickly, it is quite inspiring and I am glad I have come as far as I have and get to see it. The aromas from the vinyards are strong as I descend into the city. Once in town, I take out my trusty iPhone and pull up booking.com – the Motel des Sports is not cheap, but also not expensive. They offer me garage space for the bike and WiFi in the restaurant, too. I phone home to decompress a bit, then sleep well.

BMW will open at 8.00 in the morning, and I plan to be there right on time.

Leaving the Refuge Napoleon, we have more fog. Prior to checking out, I discover tshirts in the bottom drawer of the souvenir cabinet – while the GS logo ones are all size way-too-big, this one is just perfect.

We follow the D902 to Briancon, and turn north onto the D1091 to Col du Lauteret and Col du Galibier. Galibier is a stone’s throw from Lauteret, where we have found some Peugeots on a rallye.

Near Valloire, we find giant straw sculptures.

Descending the Col du Galibier, I have maps again! Yay! We continue on the D902, still the Route des Grande Alps, and cross the Col du Télégraph. This is a little pass that counts only in the list. With little to see, we seek stickers, but no long pause. We set off again on the 902, turning off at Saint Michel du Maurienne onto the D1006.

In Lanslebourg- Mont-Cenis, we turn off onto the reappearing D902 to ride up to Lac Mont Cenis. More clouds and fog. Very disappointing from a scenery perspective. Rather than continuing to the lake, we stop at the pass and have lunch in a café that smells of gas and cream sauce. The hot food is welcome, and decidedly not Provencal.

Continuing north on the D902, we cross the lesser Col de la Madeleine (1746), then continue on to the famous Col de l’Iseran, second highest pass in the Alps and in France after the Col de Bonette. l’Iseran has one of the most photographed pass markers in the Alps, and the stone building on top is just as photogenic as the pass marker. The pass is not terribly demanding, but is steep and offers beautiful views until the clouds hit. The top is covered in wispy fog.

In Seez, we pick up the D1090 and begin ascending the Kleiner Sankt Bernhard. I am delighted to see the French spelling of “Bernard” – in French, the pass is Col du Petit Saint-Bernard. My older son is named Bernard, for Bernard of Clairvaux instead of Bernard of Menthon, but whatever. I am on the first of the three “Bernard” passes: Kleiner, Grosser, and San Bernardino. This is a delightful technical pass  with rhythm that brings us over the Italian border to Strada Statale 26 and Pré-San-Didier, where we pick up SS26DIR and enter the Chamonix-Mont Blanc tunnel. The 11.6km tunnel links Italy back to France and allows significant goods traffic to cross where no roads exist. On the Kleiner Sankt Bernhard, I find some of the French “Seitensicherung” – the portable electric fences used by farmers to keep the sheep and cows off the road.

In Chamonix, we find lodging after consulting the i – the information board just outside of town. While Chamonix is largely full of multi-star spa resorts, a few smaller guesthouses exist and are easy to find if you know what to look for. Our tiny room off the D1506 on Route du Bouchet at Hotel la Source has a balcony and a private bath, which is excellent for the price. Dinner is light and welcome after the long days’ ride.

Castellane is lovely in the morning. The market is waking up, and so are the riders. I am brave and eat a yoghurt, this works. We pack out of the garage after watching a fish delivery truck turn around inside of it, without coming near the bikes. Either talent or practice, but totally pro.

My map fix is working, I navigate from point to point using the well-located directionals. This is a bit of a surprise, I do not expect such completeness from France. We head north on the D955 in the direction of Barcelonette, changing to the D908 near Le Coulet des Fourches. This takes us to the Col d’Allos. We rejoin the D902 in Barcelonette, where it turns into the D900. In Jausiers, we turn off onto the C4 and head for the roof.

We ride to Col de la Bonette – the highest pass in the Alps – and further out to Cime de la Bonette – the highest paved point in the Alps. Atop Cime de la Bonette is a small observation deck. I walk a bit up to take pictures, the ground is unstable and my boots are not really up for the task. The fog is pressing us, we ride to the actual pass and take some photos. Col de Restefond is on a dirt road to the side, unfortunately, we do not find it on the way and pass it. The road is now the M64. It further changes to the M2205 as we continue the descent.

From Bonette, we ride south to Isola where we pick up the M97 to Isola2000 (Isola at 2000m), and on to to Col de la Lombard. At some point, we pass a marker for the Col de Granges Communes, but cannot find it on any maps later. We do not find the old Lombard road, instead take the new one, SP 255, it is a nice ride and not as difficult as noted in the books we have read. I have maps for a short while in Italy. We turn northwest on SS21 north to the French border and Col de Larche. We rejoin the D900 on the French side, and I am Garmin-less again.

The D902 appears, we ride north and cross the Col du Vars.

We descend into Guillestre and continue north to Col d’Izoard, well-known from many appearances on the Tour de France. It is easy to see why – Izoard hides its magnitude in a gentle slope and not-overly-technical curves. It is a high pass, one that requires a lot of work. The road surface is painted with inspirational messages to cyclists. We encounter a unique type of bourne – milestone – that has the distance to the top, the slope over the next kilometer, the altitude, and various notes marked on them. At our speed, it is difficult to read them in detail.

Atop Col d’Izoard, we find one of the three remaining Refùge Napoleon hospices. Originally, six were built by Napoleon III to honor his grandfather’s various trips through southern France and the difficulties he faced in moving troops. The other two are on Col du Vars and Col de Manse. The hospice is in private hands and an overnight includes dinner and breakfast. We get a room that sleeps six. I pick up a tshirt with a motorcycle theme. We put the bikes in the garage and enjoy the beauty. Pass hospices continue to be the accommodation of choice, they offer all that is needed and the prices are great.

I frequently tell people that the view is very fine from GS Land, the mythical place that I inhabit when I am riding my old yellow GS single, sitting up above the sad little cagers, seeing the world with all of my senses. But if GS Land was actually a place, where would it be? It would be where the roads are questionable, the cows are plentiful, and there is always a little farm road or trail beckoning. The view is not of scenery, per se, but in scenery. A place of great majesty, where history is written in the stones by water and wind. Where every single sense is attacked, confronted with stimuli demanding attention and respect. It is a very good place to be.

We descend from Turini on the M70, a small road that carries us to La Bollène Vesubie. From there, we ride the M2565 north and west over the Col Saint Martin to Saint Sauveur -sur-Tinée and the M/D30, which takes us over Col de la Couillole. M appears to mean “single lane with cows” and D “double lane with sheep”. From Beuill, we head west on the D28 to Guillaumes, crossing the Col de Valberg, and ride the D2202 south through the Daluis Gorge.

Near Dèchetterie, we pick up the N202 west and cross the Col de Toutes Aures. We continue west to Lac de Castillione , where we pick up the D955 south to Castellane. From Castellane, it is the D4085 south over the Col de Luens and the D6085, the Route de Napoleon. In l’Artuby, we pick up the D21 and begin the proper tour of the Grand Canyon du Verdon, but not before first crossing the Col de Clavel. In Comps-sur-Artuby, we pick up the D71, and in Aiguines, the D19, then the D957. We get separated looking for fuel, and meet up later in Castellane. At the D952, we head east, turning off for the Route des Cretes, the D23.

The Grand Canyon du Verdon is a gorge cut through the south of France during the ice ages. Six million years of running water have left lower France scarred and wounded by nature, leaving some of the most beautiful views in the entire country. We ride the left route – Route Gauche – and look into the cavern as we ride. We travel through the Tunnel du Fayet, which will be visible from the other side. We cross the Col d’Illoire and Col d’Olivier near Aiguines. On the right side, we cross the Col d’Ayens, and then ride the Route des Cretes – a loop that takes us around the mountain and looks out over the gorge. The Route des Cretes is very poorly maintained, and for the first half, is one-way. The two-way part is rather tight with motorhomes and other traffic. This is another area that I would consider for multiple trips through in the future. Like Nufenen and Furka, it is difficult to find comparable riding and scenery all in one place.

It is on the Route des Cretes that I realize that I have found GS Land. It is the south of France, tucked in between the great gorges and bleating sheep, waiting for someone to visit.

After the Route des Cretes, the road is often covered by overhanging rock. It is breathtakingly beautiful. We follow the D952 back to Castellane and stay at the Grand Hotel du Levant, which is fully renovated inside. The view from the room is of the market place, where I capture some nougat to take home as a prize for my sons. Fog looms menacingly.

In Novi Ligure, we encounter our old adversary, the Italian automated gas pump. After losing 20€ to a mistaken pump grab, a kind Italian lady offers to buy our credit slip. Then, she makes the same mistake. Oh, Italy….

From NoviLigure, we get back on the Autostrada and head further south, eventually picking up the A10 west. We ride through the Italian soap and spice region and everything smells amazing. We stay on the highway until we exit for Monte Carlo, Monaco, which we visit prior to returning to Menton, France, the base point for the Route des Grand Alps. It is a heady ride, we stop at the Monte Carlo beach for a snack and try to find our way up to the palace. Monaco costs us time, but is fun, and crosses another country off the list, no matter how small it is. At this point, I come to the conclusion that my Garmin unit is not broken, but missing maps. Somehow, the set of maps called “Alps” by Garmin and NavTec does not include the Alps Maritimes. Crap.

We ride back to Menton on the D6007 coastal road, a road I know well from visiting my cousin who has lived in Menton for many years. It is fun to take the turns on a bike instead of fighting them in the car. We stop again in Menton for a proper meal. These old FIAT Pandas pop up everywhere. The Panda was the last car built with flat glass panes instead of modern curved ones and was resold under many nameplates, including SEAT Marabella. I pull out the big map of the Alps, a Freytag 1:500K tablecloth and begin marking up the overview maps I printed using www.gpsvisualizer.com. I have seven segment printed, so I sort out what is missing and mark the appropriate ones with cities, passes, and road numbers.

From Menton, we start the climb of the Route des Grand Alps following the Route de Sospel. Sospel is a little hippy artsy town north of Menton and always makes me smile with the people one sees there. We continue on the D2566 north to Col de Turini.

Turini!! Highest point on the Rallye de Monte Carlo! Every bit as cool as it sounds, and slightly terrifying in the process. The road is poorly maintained and narrow, our first taste of what riding in France will largely be like. Far from the commercial passes of the north, the passes in France are more of afterthoughts. Think along the lines of Hey! We built a road over a mountain! How cool is that! Oh, look, those Swiss guys call the top of it a pass! Let’s do that, too! But we have nothing to carry over it except cows, so um, let’s not worry about maintenance. Those silly automated carriages are never going to be used here! All over France, we see what amounts to road ruin.

On the way up, we ride through a short tunnel that marks the Col de Castillon. To the left is Col de Braus, but is is getting late and we are unsure if there will be a hostel on the pass or not. There is, the Hotel les Trois Vallees, host of the aforementioned rallye and about one hundred other French driving events. The inside of the hotel is papered with rallye placards and photos of cars and drivers. It is a total rush to be there. Dinner is a welcome piece of salmon with rice and veggies. The room looks southeast, with a small balcony perfect for airing out boots and such. We are not the only riders there, a group of diverse bikes has shown up from Germany, seems like one of everything.