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MTB and Cycling in Oisans |
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Season's events
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MTB and Cycling in Oisans |
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Season's events
Climbing
This long round trip has some strenuous sections. However, the varied and spectacular route will make up for the hardest parts.
From Bourg-d’Oisans, cycle up the road to Alpe-d’Huez as far as La Garde-en-Oisans, then take the D211a to Auris-en-Oisans. Go through Armentier-le-Haut and then take the road to Le Chatain and Le Freney-d’Oisans.
Once you are on the RN91, cycle in the direction of Briançon. Cross the Chambon barrage and soon after turn left and take the D25 towards Clavans-le-Haut and the Col de Sarenne.
Follow the road up to the pass when arriving at Clavans-le-Haut. From the pass, you will see the Croix de Cassini on the left. Then go back down to Alpe-d’Huez and back to Bourg-d’Oisans.
Clavans and the peddlers of l’Oisans
Clavans means "the key", since the village has always had the keys to the passes of La Valette and Quirlies, on the former border to Savoy. Its ancient houses still bear witness to the prosperity of the peddlers. It is during the long harsh winter months that those men went out to become peddlers. They would leave l’Oisans with their bundles in autumn to sell their goods across the whole of France and sometimes they would even take haberdashery and small household items as well as local plants, such as sweet-smelling oats, abroad. This plant, which is also known as ’bison herb’, grew on the plateau of Emparis and was sold as far as Russia to flavour Russian vodka. Violets were sold for making herbal infusions.
Those travellers were called the ’swallows of l’Oisans’, as they used to return to l’Oisans in early spring. Their return would be eagerly awaited by the locals to hear news from all over the world. These peddlers were the forerunners of modern door-to-door selling and sales representatives.
"My bicycle is the thing I value most in the whole world." - Alfred Jarry
