La-Chapelle-en-Vercors

At this time of the year, if you get a day with a "ciel serein" (as accurately forecast today), you make the most of it. For me one of the joys of coming down at this time of year is feeling that the real cycling season has longer to go, and though it might have turned cooler, a cloudless day with moderate winds gives such a boost. And there was only one place to go: Vercors. I hardly got up there at all in the summer, thanks to its habitual cap of cloud - not a whisp today.

Not a long route today: as I had stuff to do in the morning, I restricted myself to La Chapelle and back. It's an old favourite (not least as it was my first Vercors ride in June 2012), but also it has a bit of nearly everything in just over 50 miles: the ever-fun ascent and descent of Col de Rousset; beautiful back roads through some of the most idyllic countryside you're ever likely to see; and a journey through villages which resonate with history, particularly the Second World War, and the terrible retribution the Nazis meted out to the Résistance in July and August 1944.

So, today's ride - actually,  what was new to me was doing the circuit on the Vercors anti-clockwise, and I must say I think I prefer it that way. So after Rousset, St. Agnan, La Chapelle (a good place for a coffee, and it has a little shop as well as bakeries) and then back to Vassieux. St.Agnan, La Chapelle and Vassieux all suffered terribly in 1944, and very little remains of their pre-war structure (apart from the historic church at La Chapelle). In amongst the photos of beauty from today's ride, there are one or two reminders of the history I rode through.

Oh, and you'll notice the 1100m Col de Proncel in there (it's between La Chapelle and Vassieux) - going from Vassieux it doesn't really feel like a col at all, but coming from La Chapelle it does feel a bit more col-ish, and since it's over 1000m I suppose it qualifies. But it's not going to get its own page. If it weren't sitting on top of the Vercors it would just be a lump of very modest dimensions. Though if you've ridden all the way from St-Eulalie-en-Royans, it's definitely a col, I suppose: you've gained about 850 metres in height. When I've ridden it that way, I might give its own page.

Mad mountains, crazy colours...

Yesterday was a washout (let's just say that the forecast was hopelessly wrong: it was cold, showery and windy, not quite the sunny intervals leading to a clear evening they promised). Still, I got lots of things done that I wouldn't have had it been cycling weather.

Today wasn't ideal for cycling either - although dry (and cool), there were forecasts of winds gusting up to "87 kph" (54 mph): I quite like the accuracy of the "87" (obviously 80 or 90 would sound like a guess). So no long ride today over exposed mountain passes: this morning was a simple 42-miler to Aouste and back, and this afternoon a walk I needed to do after having turned back close to the top in January 2013.

That was during the trip when I shook hands on the house. There was plenty of snow on the tops, and I fancied a walk with my newish crampons. The valley in which Romeyer sits goes right up into the heart of the Vercors plateau, and it is a relatively easy way up. In fact, it is the route that the annual 'Transhumance' follows, an amazing spectacle in which all the Drôme valley sheep are taken through Die up the Meyrosse (Romeyer) valley to the high pastures for the summer. Anyway, to cut a long story short, where the sheep have no trouble, I failed. Well, despite my crampons, there is one longish slope which had become icy enough to make me decide to turn round and come back another day.

Today was the day: cool, windy, but dry and sunny, with the glories of autumn all around. In itself, it is a very satisfying walk up to Pas de Chabrinel (with some steepish gradients, and one shortish bit of scree slope to traverse). But add in dazzlingly blue sky, the rich hues of trees changing colour, and the other-worldly landscape up on the plateau, with limestone pavement and a view of the 2341m summit of Le Grand Veymont, and you have a pretty spectacular short walk.

If you do this walk yourself, the place to park is as far as you can go on the D742: it becomes pretty scrambly in places near the top, then you'll come to a barrier, and you can park just before there on the right. Of course, as with all French mountain roads, if you go in the winter it might be closed, or open but treacherous. Probably one to do in clement weather, all in all.

First Autumn ride

Though I've only been away for six weeks, it's delightful to be back. October is a month when you can never be sure of the weather down here - on average it is by far the rainiest month, and the temperature can drop rapidly. Last year we basked in summer-like temperatures and with little rain, and after we had left the temperatures did indeed plummet.

With 2014 having been fairly unsettled here (and in much of Europe), I'd been prepared for anything this week - and though we're certainly not basking, so far it's not been too bad.

Having arrived on the Monday (via bike, plane, train, bus and foot), Tuesday needed a ride. A shortish one, as the weather wasn't looking entirely trustworthy, and the wind was lively: an amble round to Cirque d'Archiane to see the autumnal colours, and back via Luc-en-Diois. It ended up being a pleasant 50 miles. I was hoping to see some neglected walnuts lying at the roadside, but all the farmers round here had been very efficient and tidied them all away. I'm sure to see the produce at Die market.

Last two rides of the summer

Well, all good things must come to an end, and after five weeks here, I am due to return to Devon and some work to make up for all the fun I've been having. It's a good job I enjoy my work, otherwise I'd find it almost impossible to tear myself away from here.

Anyway, true to this summer's weather here, the last two days have been mixed: while there's been glorious sunshine, the wind's been gusting up to 30mph and 50mph on the two days, according to the météo, and Vercors has been shrouded in cloud (as in the first photo). So I adapted plans, kept off the highest ground, and got some miles in.

The first ride needed to be a bit of an epic, so over Col de la Chaudière and heading south west to the Rhône, then north (including a stretch of Via Agrippa from Roman times) into a very stiff wind ("un petit vent" according to the météo - I wonder what a big wind is like!), and back home via Livron and Crest. A tiring but satisfying ride in Drôme Provençale, quite different in character from the Diois area: lots of pan-flat, fertile plain, and an abundance of crops such as cherries. 112 miles, including plenty of new ones for me. One warning though: the water fountains down in these parts were mostly either turned off, or clearly stated "Eau non potable". If it hadn't been for a random picnic stop I stumbled across on the N85, I'd have been knocking on someone's door asking for water. (Incidentally, don't be afraid to ask if you are in this situation - people are generally only to pleased to help.)

And the last ride (still a "petit vent") was chosen to keep out of a pretty mad wind: one small but satisfying col (Col de la Croix) bits of amazing tailwind, including the lovely bit of road south from Beaufort-sur-Gervanne, and the customary block headwind coming north into Pontaix. These two last rides bring the total mileage for the five weeks to 1920, so my legs are probably glad that the rest of my body will be mostly otherwise occupied for a few weeks before my October return here.

And as I let my neighbours know about my comings and goings, they once again lamented the poor summer. Well, yes, I know that it's been cooler and rainier than an average Diois summer; but I've only been rained on properly once, and have still ended up with tan-lines that might amuse other punters on my return to the swimming baths. So, all in all, a splendid five weeks, no complaints. Especially as it looks like there will be a bumper grape harvest for next year's Clairette.