To Pont-en-Royans

May 24, 2025

At forty miles, the ride to Pont-en-Royans will be the longest ride of our short tour. Rachael, still feeling the effects of her fall from seven days back, doesn't think this is the right time to hop on the bike again and elects to keep János company for the day. We can't check in to our hotel until around four, so they break the ride with an extended stop in the famously scenic Bourne Gorge. We're anxious for Suzanne to get caught up on her journal so we can see his drone footage.

Suzanne, Susan and I are riding though, and we all assemble in the garage at ten, happily unloading our panniers into the car and then cycle off toward the Isère River, which we'll closely follow for the next twenty miles. There was considerable discussion about whether to take this, the easiest route by far, or the considerably more challenging ride over the top of the Vercors by climbing up to Villard and then coasting down through the Bourne Gorge to the hotel. Susan in particular is in favor of this approach, but I talk the others out of it based on my experience and excellent memory. It's a three thousand foot climb to Villard, a climb Rachael and I took a decade ago when we were younger and at our strongest and which I remember as having been considerably harder than it looks on the map; so I tempt them with my memories of the excellent views of the Chartreuse we'll see from the river (and which we just saw a week ago on our train ride to Annecy).

What I've forgotten though is that we came to this ride already softened by considerable climbing in the Chartreuse itself, and it was hot, and of course we didn't have János of course to carry our panniers to the top for us. and I couldn't have anticipated that in the last ten years the trees along the bike path have continued to grow so that the ride feels more like a twenty mile tunnel of green lined on either side with view blockers. We do get occasional nice views across the river to the Vercors, but we never do get that view of the Chartreuse I remember even though I'm intently watching for it all morning.

So sorry, Susan. You were probably right. Again.

I particularly remember this spot, which our journal from ten years ago says was taken from the Isère bike path.

I see that I came back without even one TOG photo, but I've got it covered in the video below. Shots taken in these first twenty miles were limited to the occasional views across the river to the northern face of the Vercors:

The Vercors is such an exceptional region, striking from any vantage point.

The character of the ride changes at about the midpoint, when we come to the bridge across to little Saint-Gervais. We bike across the bridge to see if there's a suitable spot for our snack break, but after finding none we recross the bridge and start climbing away from the river toward Vinay, a larger place that looks like we'll be able to find something.

Almost immediately the ride becomes more interesting as we pass through mile after mile of walnut orchards, with views south across to a series of severe gorges dropping to the river inspire us. And Vinay itself is a surprisingly interesting little place, complete with a chateau, a church of note, a mairie, and a sweet shop where we pick up snacks and drinks to enjoy on a bench beneath the church.

The bridge across the Isère at Saint-Getvais.

We bike through mile after mile of walnut groves.

Windows from one of the several derelict walnut oil mills we passed.

It's nice that we have abundant TOG footage in today's video, but unfortunately the battery died right after we crossed the river and the battery road became more interesting. And even more unfortunately, the backup battery I'd remember to bring along was also dead so we're stuck with stills for the rest if the ride.

Sound track: Lulubia, by Anat Cohen and Trio Braziliero

Looking back across the river at Saint-Gervais and the yawning chasm behind it.

Main Street in Vinay, a more substantial place than I'd expected.

We must have passed a half dozen oil mills here, most of them in much worse shape than this one.

The gorges along this side are so green and dramatic. This one reminds me of ones in Crete.

Here's another one. There are four or five gorges along this wall, one of which is the stupefying Gorge du Nan. Maybe this one?

This part of the ride is decidedly lumpy. Here we've dropped to the river again, before climbing back above once more. Nothing is especially difficult or challenging though.

Finally we drop back to the river and cross it for the last time before making our way the few last miles to Pont-en-Royans. As we bike we're staring straight up the impossibly sharp V-shaped throat that's the entrance to the Petits Goulets.

I've never biked up into that V, but it's certainly a temptation.

As we pull into the parking lot in front of our hotel, a familiar voice hollers from above. It's Rachael, yelling at us to turn back because the entrance to the bike garage is behind us. She and János (also watching our arrival from his window) have been here awhile and thoughtfully checked us all in and lugged our luggage up to our room. Very nice!

Later, the historic and long anticipated 7-CBers-in-France meetup occurs when we share dinner with Al and Jacquie who arrived last night.

János is looking down from the fourth floor as we arrive. Rachael was at the open window on the third floor on the left, until she came down to help orient us.

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Today's ride: 41 miles (66 km)
Total: 877 miles (1,411 km)

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Rich FrasierUh, Scott, I think you got clobbered by the spell checker. That town isn’t called “Vijay”. It’s “Vinay”. I was wondering how a small town in France got a name I usually think of as a first name for Indian dudes…
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2 weeks ago

Scott AndersonTo Rich FrasierThanks, Rich. Suzanne pointed that out to me at dinner also.
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2 weeks ago