Posted by: Kyle

Today we rode from Bourg d'Oisans up the Veneon Valley, which one of our guide books describes as one of the most beautiful valleys in the French Alps. It really was amazing. The route followed the Veneon River (which runs into the Romanche River further down the valley) much of the way. We stopped to soak our feet on the way up. Some of the rivers in this area are a chalky turquoise like this one. Others are crystal clear.

Some photos from the climb up the valley

On the way up the valley we went through the villages of Venosc, St. Cristophe en Oisans, and Les Etages. The road ends high up the valley at the village of La Berarde, where we stopped for lunch of gallettes stuffed with ham, egg, and cheese. From our table we had a good view of La Meije, one of the highest peaks in France. This old church is in the center of town.

The road up the valley was ideal for cycling, maybe less so for driving. Here are some photos from the way back down.