Staying in Oz (en Oisans) next summer for a week with family and friends where we’ll partake of some thin tyred fun (maybe some fat too if we get time!). A friend has climbed the Col du Sabot beyond Vaujany which looks like a must do. But I also noticed the track/road that goes the other way from Vaujany to Montfrais, L’Alpette before going past Lac Besson and on to AdH.

I’ve tracked the route here: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/1971429

Would that track/road be suitable for road bikes?

I have an answer from elsewhere. Seems it’s a gravel track at best so not really road bike suitable.

Between point 10 and 17 is gravel access road on or next to ski piste.
Real 4×4 only.

We cycled this last year when the tour was on. The climb up Alpe D,Huez is not for the faint hearted, but well worth the effort though.
You can continue over the top past the airstrip on your right, but the first couple of miles is a bad surface.
You will feel like turning back, but just stick with it and you can loop back around to the start.
Have fun.

Nosherduke996

Thats the Col du Sarenne you are talking about, nice climb but wrong valley !

OP

The Sabot is dirt road at the top for the last k or so, more than rideable on the road bike, lovely view up the valley to the Glandon and Croix de Fer from the top,

Not been up the other one you are talking about, however i have skied down it, its def not raod bike material, mountain bike yes but it would be a hell of a slog and not that pleasant.

Well I’ve done the first, oh, 5 odd km’s of that. Past the ski station, past the restaurant but turned back (to be honest I didn’t know where the Alpe ‘officially’ stopped and just kinda kept on going). Even that distance the road isn’t great. It’s pretty rough at the restaurant and the downhill crosses over a couple of time (dragging dirt and gravel across the road).

Having been that way once, I’ve no desire ever to go up there again.

When it started to go down again and I saw the sign saying the Lac I decided, on reflection, I probably had actually ridden the whooooole Alpe…. 😳

Next time, I’m just gonna stop at the square….

For this year they are improving the road surface to facilitate 2 ascents in one stage. No idea when that will be complete by except before July obviously.