First Alpine Trip

I'm going to 'the alps' with some mates for a spring tour.

I'd like a decent scale road atals/map (2 inches to the mile) that
covers only the alpine region. All of it.

Not *just* the French alps or the Austrian Alps etc.

One Atlas/Map covering the lot at a scale where I can make out twisty
scenics...

Do Michelin provide such a thing???

I'm buggered if I'm taking eight different road atlii [1] with me.

[1] Plural. ;-)

 

DannyBoy () wrote:
: I'm going to 'the alps' with some mates for a spring tour.
^^^^^^
Note that some of the passes can be blocked with snow until June.

Blair.
'97 CBR600

 

Its Atlasurasotimi

 

Michelin Yellow maps and look for the roads with a green edge

--
Steve Parry

http://www.gwynfryn.co.uk

http://wrexhamseals.tripod.com

 

**** me, son - that'll be a *hell* of a big map. For example, the
large format "AA-type" map books are what, 4 miles to the inch.

Tell you what, have a look here:
http://www.calamander.co.uk/maps/maps.htm

These people are very bike friendly, carrying all sorts of kit and do
a vast range of waterproof maps in various scales.

Better than Atlasses, which are just big (and I mean BIG, obviously)
Northern girls.

 

(DannyBoy) wrote in

Best maps to use are the Michelin yellow [0]single sheet jobbies.

You can fold them easily to get a nice size section in your tankbag/map
holder window. If one gets wet then you only have to dry that one which
is much easier than trying to dry a book. [1]

They are easy to follow. 1:200,000 scale has all rideable roads plus
most of the unpaved goat tracks. Each hairpin is visible. I find it easy
to translate the map image into a route in my head and then use a
variation of the CPS [2]to get from A to B.

I've ridden thousands of miles in the Alps and they are by far the best
maps for detailed route planning. I use an ancient A4 booklet for
general route planning [3] and buy the relevant Michelin sheet for any
area where I want to play in the twisties.

As someone else mentions, unless you go in mid-late June you will find a
lot of passes shut. E.g. I came home from Italy in 3rd week of July last
year via the Grand St Bernard which had only been open a few days.

Go here for latest weather updates & reviews of each pass:
http://www.alpineroads.com/

[0] yellow for France, orange for Austria & Germany
[1] you may want to consider the Tuffmap mentioned in an earlier thread
[2] Champ Positioning System TM BBear
[3] see [1] which is fine for route planning but does not have local
detail