Brm, brm, Steve Mc Queen moment.

That's Mr Monger disappearing behind the trees

 

And here he comes now.

Here are a load of Itallian Cyclo's lining up for a photo shoot

Here comes their mate for his embarrassing moment of the year, when he fails to make the climb. My how he laughed.

 

 

Ft Jafferau, the view, and I'm looking down hoping those guys aren't going to nick the GPS of my bike.

They turned out to be very friendly Irish.

Rewind a bit and this is on the trip down in Chamonix. It was bucketing with rain, we stopped for a photo shoot and ended staying in this Hotel. Recommended.

Heavily loaded 'Fant, AT, Mr M at the Petit St Bernard pass

Ah, this is a bit more like it, the control on the Stella Alpina, buy your T Shirts here. That's John Boothroyd, famed winner of the White Peak Trial, coughing up.

Les, Tony, Dave am Paul Clarke drooling over a new 1200 GS. Well, Clarky is anyway.

Another shot of the Stella control, cash rolling in.

 

The Sommelier, as high as the big bikes could go

And there are the trials bikes zipping about above us.

Aaah, here we are, Kini fantasist and MX god look-alike A. Cadney and his mechanical nightmare. Tony says I should dye that beard blond.

After this morning of entertainment we did another few miles of track, during which John Monger's chain ingested a rock, bending 3 links. We didn't know it at the time but end of holiday for him.

What is that look on my face about?

The view from where I stopped, you can just see the Geordies standing on the right hand peak.

Here we are a bit further along the goat track, I've found somewhere wide enough to turn round, so I decided it was far enough for me.

 

The guys continued round the corner, up to the Fort in the distance.

The view back.

 

The view.

The bloody view.

And more view.

And even more view, oops it's those Geordies again.
They are those tiny dots on the top of the middle peak.

Day two, try to find the start of the Sestriere.

We've found the Sestriere.

another top view.

Here we are, about two thirds of the way along, stopped at a great view (as usual), for a route check. The guy in the red (KTM 450, what a surprise) had an MP3 player plugged into his ears, playing permanently, Vivaldi I think.....

And this is the route down, great eh?

The whole gang.

 

It's that view again.

 

Superb.

Halfway along, and this was a battle site between the French and Italians on the 17th of August 1747. The Italians won, hence the memorial.

The route on.

 

And this is the plaque giving a plan of the battle.

 

View, road, road, view, stunning.

 

This was a shot of a village in the distance, from the top of the Fort at Fenestrelle. (click for more info)
Dig that avalanche protection wall.

 

The Fort at Fenestrelle. (click for more info)
Lowest Fort.
Quick quote ' Fenestrelle fort is Piedmont's Great Wall. It was designed by Ignazio Bertola to defend the city from the French. The linear structure is based on three forts (San Carlo, Tre Denti and delle Valli) and five redoubts. These are connected by a covered stairway 1.5 kilometres long that has over 4000 steps (unique in Europe). '

 

The Top Fort. The Fenesrelle complex is amazing, and quite unique. Well worth a visit.

More Top Fort.

Groovy shot of the Top Fort.

 

This is the view up of the covered stairway, redoubts and Forts.

Another view.

 

This is a shot of the fort at Exilles, another extraordinary and unique fort.
Quick Quote ' The historical origins of Exilles are celtic and its geographic position was always considered strategic, because of its position in one of the most important itineraries known since prehistory.

You cannot speak about Exilles without mentioning the Fortress , which nowadays is the seat of a museum that you can visit.

You can follow, for example, the itinerary from the stables to the low Fortress, passing through the big Moat.
Then you go down from the Paradise ladder and arrive in Cortile delle Galere and in Cortile del Cavaliere.

Another itineray leads to the garrets and to the roofs, from here it's possible to admire a wonderful panorama over the valley and the complex layout of the fortress.'
Click here for further information about the fortress

The approach ramp.

The ramp, another view.

 

Another view of the fort.

 

Views from the fort of the approach valley (Italian side)

 

In this view of the same valley, looking towards Turin, you can see the strategic position.

 

Here is cool dude Tony on the floor, leaving lesser mortals in the shade. Lesser Mortals are (L-R) 1100RS Dave Barker, GS boy Les Goodwin, the inimitable Paul Clarke (the Leader), and Pegaso Pilot George Ballantyne.

The mountain on the other side.

How exciting, the cable car's arriving.

 

And going....

 

Bloody hell, those cables go into the clouds....

 

Oop top. Hmm, and people are walking about over there.

 

Some punters on a viewing platform, and ah, some mountains below them. Gulp.

 

Excellent, stopped shaking now, and here are some pretty clouds around a Mountain top.

 

 

Ah, the excellent Mr Rigg, Africa Twin thrasher par excellence. Nice Hat.

 

Foreground, television aerial thingy, background, well far background, down the bottom, Chamonix.

 

Ahh.., a clear view of the Chamonix valley.
Oooooh.

 

Chamonix and shelf.

 

Chamonix and boiyd.

 

These blokes (and goyls) had various tent pitched on the snow, ready to attempt to climb the remainder of Mont Blanc.

 

Chamonix, again.

 

Andy Rigg. And View. And Hat

 

Ze Snow, along with various tracks of those climbers.

This is the upper stage up about 80 metres, you can get there by lift (elevator), Thank God. We, of course, went up.

 

The view from the top.

 

More view.

The snow. The tracks. and small avalanche scar (top centre)

 

The lower platform, and Chamonix (gulp).

 

Upper air.

 

You can also Ski down from here, this is the track you have to negotiate in your ski boots before setting off. John Monger has done this apparently.
Just so outward bound.

 

This was the lift girl. Nice.

 

This was the view from our hotel that night, other side of Geneva.

 

And it had a pool, featuring a poser and two mere mortals.

 

Slim Tony with his clobber on.

 

Andy R, sans hat, plus finger.

 

Once we had arrived, had a swim and a bite to eat, Tony professed knowledge of a small lake 'just across the main road' and over some fields and fences....
Well, we had to go...

And this was the lake, more like an inland sea, the lights of ports and harbours glimmering on the horizon.

 

I call this pylon in the gloaming....
do you care?

 

Ah, the poo incident. Actually not the first on this holiday.

Pretty Pattern.

 

On the way back, there were huge clouds building up in the distance, due to the daytime heat, with sheet lightning cracking away inside the clouds.

 

Look at the flattened base of that huge cloud.
Most impressive.

 

 

That's all Folks.

nice holiday