Exploratory blog - news and happenings at Alpine Exploratory

Cycling fan or in search of spectacle? 2009's Tour de France route gives lots of scope for viewing while on one of our trips to the Alps, as follows. Come and see it...

... on a chalet holiday in the French Tarentaise
The Tour de France spends the night of 21 July in Bourg Saint Maurice, having dropped down from Col du Petit Saint Bernard and before heading off over the Cormet de Roselend. Bourg Saint Maurice is a pleasant town local to our chalet holiday in the Tarentaise. There's plenty to do in the area as it is, as well as our easy Alpine walks, but the added bonus of the Tour will make this a special week.

French Alps Multi-Activity

... on a break in Chamonix
Chamonix is not visited by this year's TdF, but is handily placed on the train line between two viewing places. Take the Mont Blanc Express in one direction on 19 or 21 July to see the riders at Martigny; take it in the other direction on the 22nd to see them pass through Sallanches.

Chamonix Mountain Walking

... on the Tour du Mont Blanc
As in 2007, the Tours coincide near les Chapieux. This time they're riding from Bourg Saint Maurice to Beaufort rather than the other way round. So, with a bit of spare time on 22 July you can catch the riders as they labour up the slopes to the Cormet de Roselend.

Tour du Mont Blanc

... on the Walker's Haute Route - in Switzerland!
Unusually for the TdF, two nights will be spent in Switzerland. On 19 July this gives a chance for Haute Route trekkers to follow the race in the valley between Sembrancher and Le Chable before its uphill finish in Verbier. The race rests in this resort on the 20th before restarting from Martigny on 21 July, again passing Sembrancher on the way to Col du Grand Saint Bernard.

Walker's Haute Route

Please contact us for greater detail. Timings are key, both of your start dates and of your walking times, and we can advise on the ins and outs.

Labels: alps, tarentaise, tour de france, tour du mont blanc