Long weekend trip to Jura region France and Lake Geneva

[dazza]

Having a few technical problems posting pictures, bare with me Foccers.
So,as promised Foccers. Here's a little thread about my long weekend trip to the Jura region in France.
After loading the bikes into the van the night before, we loaded up all our provisions comprising of enough alcohol to run a bar and enough food to feed a small army (I shit you not)
We left an overcast, cold and wet Britain to catch the 08.15 ferry from Dover.
As we waited to board we took pity on the bikers who were getting wet with nowhere to shelter,thinking they're going to have a miserable start to their journey and smugly praising ourselves for making the right decision to take the van (so up yours Midden)
We made the dash down to Lac de Chalain, Fontenu in a little over 6 hours taking the toll roads alternately listening to both our favourite cd albums and munching our way through the mountain of food and snacks the sister in law had packed for us.
The sun was out, it was about 21 degrees and all was good.








We immediately set about prioritising our things to do and put the beer in the fridge.


Once we knew the beer was safe we kitted up and hit the mountain roads on the bikes.
We wanted to make the most of the dry weather as the forecast was wet all day for Saturday.
In less than an hour we had stumbled across a closed mountain pass and did what any self respecting Foccers would do, took it in turns to prevent any vehicles entering the only closure point and rode the shit out of it.
On the way back we did a circuit of the camp we were staying at and took some fantastic photos as the sun was setting.
On our return and after scrubbing in my new S21 Bridgestones we unloaded all the food

[dazza]

And prepared for the inevitable


Saturday greeted us with monsoon conditions that had set in for the day and although secretly hoping it would ease off so we could get a decent ride in, we decided to do a recce in the van and explore the mountains on foot.










After 20 minutes, cold, wet, and windswept we'd had enough of that exploring lark and got back in the van on the hunt for a a twisty little circuit from the campsite.
All the ingredients were there. Fast,wide sweeping bends with left and right handers that went on for ages and narrower,tighter mountain roads without a straight bit anywhere in sight.
Sunday morning, regardless of the weather, we are going to kit up and ride.
Whether  we make it to lake Geneva remains to be seen.
More to follow folks, unfortunately the photos have not pasted to the thread in the right order so doesn't quite have the same effect.

[dazza]

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[dazza]

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[robbo]

Nice report and photos Dazza.Keep 'em coming.Hope the weather improves for you.I hope Mark's got that can wired on tight .

[red98]

  Nice one dazza......hope the weather improves today for you...

[Hedgetrimmer]

Nice one dazza......hope the weather improves today for you...

And again, 


I might be headed that way in mid June, and don't hold out too much hope for the weather even then, especially after last year's debacle of monsoon-like conditions around the same time.

[dazza]

Sunday morning came and as agreed we kitted up and ready'd the bikes.
It had been raining hard  all night but now was much lighter.
We set out following the route we had recce'd the previous day in the van.
We ended up heading for Geneva via Morez and as we climbed the mountains, the altitude had a noticeable effect on my bikes performance.
The temperature was dropping and the rain started to get heavy again then my brother had a nasty moment when he had a two wheel side wards slide on a bend.
He wasn't even going fast and although it happened on a sharp right hand bend, he wasn't even cranked over that much.
We pulled over and put it down to greasy roads and his Maxxis tyres that had squared off in the middle and had a definitive ridge before it went over more to the edge.

[dazza]

From that moment on he had lost all confidence in his tyres and at the very next corner we came across an accident involving a car that had skidded off the road.
They must have been in convoy with a few other classic sports cars as they were out their vehicles and making gestures to slow down and that the road was slippery.

[dazza]

We crossed the Swiss border and made our way towards Lake Geneva, stopping for an elevated picture but we were still in the clouds so the view was limited.

[dazza]

We rode the winding road with fantastic switchbacks and lefts and immediate rights but due to the wet weather, couldn't get the most out of them.




We turned round at the bottom and rode it back up but after my brother had lost confidence in his tyres and the knock on effect it had had on me, forcing me to select traction control 3, we headed back to France with the intention of visiting a series of waterfalls.






The journey back was nasty. The weather conspired against us and there was still snow by the roadside as we went over the mountains and the temperature markedly dropped off.
I know there are some hardcore, all weather riders on here but, when it's for pleasure, I'm not one of them.






Seeing as we were wet, we thought the water falls were a natural progression but went back to the caravan first, got out of our wet clothes and drove to Cascades du Herrison to get wet for the second time.

[dazza]

The power of water always amazes me and seeing these falls in the flesh,hearing the roar and feeling the wind created from the vast amount of water falling over 200 ft is a sight to behold.

[dazza]

We wanted to get across to a cave entrance high up the bank where people have arranged rocks that are perfectly balanced on top of each other but the only way to get there was to pass behind a 60 metre fall on a slippery, rickety path that was being sprayed by the backwash.

[dazza]

We were getting wet just standing near it, then my brother disappeared into the white spray so I had to follow.

[dazza]

What a rush that was, more exiting than riding our bikes tentatively in the pissing rain.
Couldn't see anything at one point so had to scramble on through feeling our way against the rock face.
It was like having a violent shower with strong vortexes of wind blowing you about and in the back of your mind was the thought that you could be sucked off ( wishful thinking perhaps) or that the path had been washed away. Obviously we got soaking wet but I'd had the insight to wear my waterproof trousers and coat so got away with it to a point.
That is until we had to go back behind it to get out. Due to the amount of rainfall we were getting the flow of water had visibly  increased in the time we had been in the cave and our mad dash back through was even more intense.

[dickturpin]

Great pictures....thanks for sharing.
Trying to see a positive from the poor weather your having...at least the waterfalls are spectacular.

[dazza]

Cheers Dickturpin       

Tomorrow,
(Monday) is meant to be sunny. We shall see. If it is we will get a ride in before we pack up all the food we haven't  eaten and head back to England.
Having trouble getting reliable wifi so will be a delay posting up and this site seems to be running so slow. It's a real wind up and messing with my karma.




Monday was pretty much the same. Until we were leaving that is 


For now, here's a few shots of our 'Happy time '

[HarryHornby]

Cheers for posting this Dazza, looks like you guys are having a great time.  I've been behind a waterfall in Wales, it's quite an experience, eah!? 


How's Frank, is he still angry?

[midden]

Squared tyres?  Your Bro isn't a member of the square tyre brigade, he told me so.
perhaps they became square from all the bouncing around in the back of the van , yeah that'll be it 

[red98]

Great piccies dazza......shame about the weather but waterfall looks fantastic , wet weather gives you an excuse to go back 

[dazza]

One of the closed mountain pass (hopefully) having real trouble posting this