The Traversée du Massif Vosgien, Alsace, France

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jaminb
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The Traversée du Massif Vosgien, Alsace, France

Post by jaminb »

Anyone on here been?

I have a week free in mid July and was all set to go and explore the Lake District, which i have never done, however after reading a thread on a much less well informed forum I read about the Vosges mountains and found the attached route below which sounds like a real adventure.

Should I stick with my original plan or try continental bikepacking for the first time?

Any thoughts greatly appreciated - especially on how to book a train ticket with a bike to Strasbourg!

http://www.bikepacking.com/routes/bikep ... f-vosgien/

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ianfitz
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Re: The Traversée du Massif Vosgien, Alsace, France

Post by ianfitz »

I've not been to that part of France, but have ridden in plenty of other parts. It's always been great; good food, very respectful drivers, amazing scenery.

The only thing you need to be aware of in rural areas is a traditional approach to opening hours and food service times. I've found myself missing out on a feed by messing up arrival times before now. I've mainly done day rides so hadn't been carrying much with me.

That looks like a great trip waiting to happen. If you can figure out the trains then go, go, go.

Please take photos and report back!
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Alan63
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Re: The Traversée du Massif Vosgien, Alsace, France

Post by Alan63 »

Strasbourg is an awkward spot to get from/to. Looked at getting back to UK from Strasbourg. All trains I could find go through Paris.

The best bet I could find was bike express (www.bike-express.co.uk) which goes through Nancy or Epinal. You could get a train from there.

Hope this helps.
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pistonbroke
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Re: The Traversée du Massif Vosgien, Alsace, France

Post by pistonbroke »

I spent a miserable 2 weeks there end of July and early August a few years ago. Rained 3 out of 4 days and turned the trails to a muddy mess. The area is very forested and hilly, Wales on steroids. I'd be looking to get the train to Karlsruhe rather than through France as there's good links down the Rhine valley and ferries to Hook of Holland from Harwich or Hull. Basel has a biggish airport with cheap flights to get back.
jaminb
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Re: The Traversée du Massif Vosgien, Alsace, France

Post by jaminb »

Given up trying to train it, in a day, with a bike so driving to Strasbourg.

Given pistonbrokes caution on weather can anyone recommend a large waterproof jacket that packs tiny? I have a howies one that packs up to pub peanut packet size but wouldn’t fancy it’s chances for a week of soggy duties

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relativeunknown
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Re: The Traversée du Massif Vosgien, Alsace, France

Post by relativeunknown »

I know I'm late to the party here but was interested to hear how your trip went. My wife & I picked the TMV for a first foray into bikepacking a couple of years ago....to her credit (as a very relaxed cyclist) she lasted three days before claiming that riding uphill so much just isn't for her! We hit some hot weather - a couple of days 40+ which made things a little tough but I enjoyed it loads and have some of France's other GTVs in mind for next year.
jaminb
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Re: The Traversée du Massif Vosgien, Alsace, France

Post by jaminb »

In June I completed the 260 miles and 35,000 of climbing. I think technically it was off road touring rather than bike packing - I had a hammock, a sleep mat and spare footwear FFS!

It was my longest ever cycling tour and I loved it. I drafted a write up but it was so boring it wasn't worth publishing - please see link to some of my photo's instead!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/147112040 ... res/CY68sX
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RIP
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Re: The Traversée du Massif Vosgien, Alsace, France

Post by RIP »

Strasbourg. Blimey. That jogs a memory. <sounds off-topic-klaxon> <sounds wayyyy-off-topic-klaxon>. Actually, (bike)/bivi/Strasbourg, I'm 2 out of 3 so not so bad, so I'll plough on anyway..... Bivi'd in Strasbourg in, um, 1983 I think it was. Reckon it was my first genuine bivi. Had to take a mag tape (ask some other oldie to explain...) to Valence in France to install some software. By plane was boring (was, still is, and always will be) so took a ferry from Dover, with the tape wrapped up in my spare clothes and sleeping bag in a rucsac, then a TGV from Paris, dossed in a Formule 1 or whatever, did the installation, then trained from there via Lyon to Strasbourg for no obvious reason. Overnighted in Strasbourg then returned via Amsterdam and Harwich, all by train - a roundabout route shall we say :wink:. For some bizarre reason my boss was completely happy with this extremely sensible use of my travel expenses allowance. What he was slightly more nonplussed about when I got back was my overnight accommodation with his valuable mag tape. I was aiming to stay in central Strasbourg youth hostel but unfortunately it was full up due to a summer football match. Oh. "Où puis-je dormir s'il vous plaît?". Disinterested gallic shrug in reply. Oh. Late at night, nowhere else, I wandered down to the river, slid myself under a bush in my sleeping bag, with the rucsac for a pillow. Woke up in the morning to find a French tramp lying next to me! He said he'd WALKED there from Lyon "for his holidays". We exchanged a few cordial words en Francais, doffed our hats, and bid each other good day and good tramping. Before we parted, he gave me a secret I promised never to reveal, and exactly 31 years later I joined BBB to find out he'd been right all along ............... :wink:
"My God, Ponsonby, I'm two-thirds of the way to the grave and what have I done?" - RIP

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