Lac de Serre-Poncon, Alpes d'Haut-Provence

Col du Labouret, Alpes d'Haut-Provence

New tyres, snow still on the mountains even in June. Rock layers twisted to a greater lean angle than any motorcyclist can achieve without falling off. The Alpes of Haut-Provence are the Big Country: grand views, challenging roads, roadside waterfalls, hilltop villages and Vauban forts.

Saint-Vincent-les-Forts, Alpes d'Haut-Provence

Grass in the road, Alpes d'Haut-Provence

Roadside waterfall, Alpes d'Haut-Provence

Via ferrata de la Grande Fistoire, Alpes d'Haut-Provence

New tyres, snow still on the mountains even in June. Rock layers twisted to a greater lean angle than any motorcyclist can achieve without falling off. The Alpes of Haut-Provence are the Big Country: grand views, challenging roads, roadside waterfalls, hilltop villages and Vauban forts. This route was the Col du Labouret (1240 m.), the Col Saint Jean (1330 m.), lunch at Saint-Vincent-les-Forts, with fine views of the Lac Serre-Poncon, one of the largest hydro-electric lakes in Europe; the GLME summercamp of 2012 was on the opposite shore, at Chorges. And a chance find: the Via ferrata de la Grande Fistoire. Three attached lines and a 60 m. rope bridge, surely one for the “Must Do” bucket list, if only for the quaint name..