Stella Alpina Rally; July 2020
Some years ago, it must have been towards the end of the nineties, I knew someone called Phil who together with his wife decided to have a go at the Stella Alpina rally. Over one winter, Phil put together an outfit using an old BMW boxer, an R80R I think, mated to a boxy silver metal sidecar. If you've ever watched "The Great Escape", it looked like something the Germans were chasing Steve McQueen with. When Phil got back from the rally he recounted his story to us. What an adventure and I must give it a go sometime I thought.
Anyway some years later it's 2011 and after doing the usual domestic rallies each year we're looking for something different to do. So Chris and I decided to do the Stella Alpina rally. In 2011 the rally was held the weekend 9th/10th July with the traditional climb to the Colle del Sommeiller taking place Sunday 10th July.
View the 2011 Stella Alpina map on a Google map.
Now that we had decided to go I started to think about what bike to take. The Blackbird is a brilliant bike but it's never going to be good at off roading up an Alpine pass and, more to the point, I'm much too fond if it to put it through that anyway. The CB1000F Big One was a possibility but the more I thought about it the more I came to the conclusion that taking the Big One wouldn't be a good idea. The cam chain needs attention and I would have to equip it out to carry Chris and me across France and back in the comfort she's come to expect. So that would be luggage and something like a Melboy gel seat. So we needed a new bike. What to get? Something with a bit of off road capability that can carry two people in relative comfort across France and back. I wasn't prepared to pay too much either, a maximum of 2500 pounds.
So I looked for a second hand adventure bike. GS's were too expensive and anyway there are loads of wannabee Ewans and Charlies riding them. Contenders were Honda Transalp, Honda Varadero, Yamaha TDM and Aprilia Caponord. The Transalp was ruled out on the grounds that it was probably a little underpowered for the job especially as our budget ruled out the 700 version. The same logic applied to the TDM as well, the 900 might have done the job but it also seemed to be outside our budget. The Aprilia looked a good bike but I just couldn't bring myself to buy one. (Probably down to my bias towards Japanese bikes.)
Time was moving on and it was the beginning of June when a 2002 Varadero appeared in front of me on my PC monitor. A test ride on it and the decision was made. We had acquired another bike, a Honda Vardero XL1000V2 with 20K miles on the clock and a top box. We paid a tad over 2000 pounds which was a fair price. Go for the bike that hasn't been ridden by celebrities half way across the world and you'll get a better deal. It was basically a sound bike that went well but was in need of a bit of TLC. The only real issues were that one of the front discs was a bit warped and it occasionally backfired on overrun. (Both common problems with Varaderos I later discovered.) I gave the Varadero a full service (apart from bleeding its brakes) before we left but that was all. The tyres and chain were good to go. I toyed with the idea of fitting crash bars but decided against it. I had the naive impression that we would be riding along something akin to a Dorset lane. Why the need for crash bars?
Wednesday 6th - Friday 8th
Unbelievably Chris and I packed everything we needed for a week into a top box and a tank bag. On Wednesday 6th July we took the convenient high speed ferry from Poole to Cherbourg. It left Poole at 0700 UK time and arrived at Cherbourg 1030 French time so this gave us most of the day to travel. Our destination for that day was a Chambre d'Hotes a bit south of Le Mans near Vendome. We had our Alastair Sawday's special places book with us and it was one of these that we had pre-booked just before we left the UK. On the way to the Chambre d'Hotes we had our first off road experience with the Varadero. Fixated on the Satnav I looked up to see that I was going too fast into a corner. We left the road for a few metres bumping along the grassy verge to return to the road. A bit of nervous laughter from both of us and with the grass removed from the underside of the bike we carried on our journey to the Chambre d'Hotes. The Chambre d'Hotes was a very pleasant stay and we had dinner there that night. The Varadero was proving to be a very capable two-up touring bike.
Next day, 7th July, we were aiming to get to another Chambre d'Hotes close to Macon in Beaujolais country. After a pleasant uneventful ride we arrived at the Chambre d'Hotes perched high up the hills in amongst the vineyards. A beautiful location but it was a long way from any restaurant. The husband and wife owners were very welcoming but between them had managed to double book the room. I think we ended staying one of their bedrooms rather than a guest room. The bathroom was enormous which turned out to be a blessing. The landlady had told us about a nice restaurant about 5 Km away. Not far and as we're going to a restaurant we won't bother with our waterproof trousers or boots. As we're having a nice meal the wind is ominously whipping up and shortly after it's raining very hard with thunder and lightning. On dear we thought, we're going to get very wet on the way back. Credit goes to Chris for remembering the way back to the Chambre d'Hotes in the dark. By the time we got back we were drenched. That's when the enormous bathroom came in handy for drying out our clothes. That was the only time it rained.
We're awoken in the morning by a digger outside our window followed by two extremely angry women berating each other in French. The men were standing back from the two women. It was an amusing sight. Unfortunately the cause of the fuss was that next door had cut off our water supply with their digger. I did manage to get a shower with the remaining water but Chris wasn't so fortunate. Our landlady was extremely apologetic and made up for it by taking 10 Euros off our bill and treating us to a glorious breakfast on the veranda overlooking the vineyards. It was a beautiful morning looking out over Mont Brouilly.
So on the 8th July we made our way to Bardonecchia passing Lyon to the north. We stopped for lunch at a beautiful spot overlooking a large lake. I guess we were in the vicinity of Aix-les-Bains overlooking Lake Bourget? To get to Bardonecchia we went through the Frejus Road Tunnel which cuts through the Alps on the French - Italian border. At 8 miles long the Frejus Road Tunnel is about a mile longer than its infamous cousin the Mont Blanc Tunnel. It cost us 25 Euros for a motorcycle. With the fumes and heat it's not a pleasant experience, especially for Chris who doesn't like going into tunnels. It was nice to emerge from it and make our way to our hotel in Bardonecchia.
Now we had almost given up on the Stella Alpina because we hadn't been able to find a hotel in Bardonecchia. In desperation I had turned to an adventure bike forum and on a Stella Alpina thread I had made a few enquiries about Bardonecchia hotels. This got me in contact with an English couple who run the hotel Sempre Ski and I managed to get us a room for the Stella Alpina week. When we arrived at Bardonecchia the reason for the shortage of hotel accommodation became apparent. The football team Juventus were holding their summer camp at Bardonecchia for 2011 and the town was full of their supporters who had come to watch them.
The Sempre Ski hotel turned out very well. The hotel was comfortable and the English couple who run it were very welcoming. There were several other bikers staying at the hotel with us. Two who were riding BMW GS's, a R1200GS and a R1150GS. The 1200 looked to be very expensive being comprehensively kitted out with Touratech gear and gizmos. Another six were riding a mixture of KTMs, Africa Twins and a lone Transalp. (They clearly weren't GS types.) They have gotten together on the XRV Honda Trail Bike forum to ride to the Alps and to do the Stella Alpina rally. Four of them were from the Bath and Bristol area with one from south Wales and one from Cumbria. As we were riding a Honda Varadero they adopted us.
The XRV lads were a good bunch to be around and we got on really well with them. Their leader seemed to be 'Bob One Leg'. One of his legs had been amputated below the knee but it didn't bother him and it certainly didn't slow him down. When I saw the bikes outside the hotel it started to dawn on me that riding the Stella Alpina rally might not be the same as riding a Dorset lane. All the bikes were serious off roaders fitted with knobbly tyres and, front and rear crash bars. Oh dear, our Varadero was fitted with standard road tyres and no crash bars. Better not drop it then!
Bardonecchia is a nice little town which the weekend we were there was crowded with Juventus supporters and bikers. In the winter it's a ski resort and in 2006 it hosted the Winter Olympics. After settling into the hotel we took a wander around the town and ended up at a restaurant called La Filanda the couple running the hotel had recommended to us. It was frequented by locals, the food was great and the staff entertaining. We went there all three nights we stayed at Bardonecchia. Great little place. I loved the seafood spaghetti dish.
Saturday 9th
Next morning, Saturday 9th, we're at breakfast and get chatting with the XRV lads and an older bloke who had been doing the Stella Alpina rally since he'd been a lad. We talk about the rally and I'm starting to wonder whether it's a good idea to do the rally on the old Varadero? Anyway while I ponder on that they show us an alpine route which takes in a few local mountain passes. It's a lovely day for a ride around the Alps so that's what we decide to do.
The climb out of Bardonecchia into the mountains takes us back into France to the old town of Briancon. There are lots of things to see and explore at Briancon but it was way too hot for us to walk around the town in our gear so we passed through the town heading for the Col D'Izoard at 2360 metres. At the Col we stopped, took some photos and watched a couple of skate boarders start off down the road from the Col.
A couple of Austrians on yellow and black BMW R100GS were in front of us as we left the Col and started descending from it. I thought I would try and keep up with them. Big mistake! It was a hot day and I was continually braking into corners as we descended and I tried to keep up with the Austrians. Going in to one corner the rear brake decided it had had enough and stopped working. There was no compression in it when I stamped the rear brake pedal. Thankfully the front brakes were working fine so I slowed down and pulled over by a cafe when we got to the bottom. When I checked the rear brake the calliper was red hot. A 'helpful' Swiss biker said he could smell burning from the Varadero. Oh dear, could our holiday be over already? We decided to have a drink at the cafe and let both us and the bike cool down a bit. Happily compression returned to the rear brake as it cooled down and we were able to continue on our way.
What was the thing I didn't do when I serviced the Varadero? Oh yes, I didn't change the brake fluid. It probably hadn't been changed for quite a while so when it got hot all the water in it boiled and the back brake lost compression. We found out that Bob One Leg had the same problem with his KTM. After the rear brake incident we took it easy. We passed through an area which is known as Las Casse Deserte because of its resemblance to a desert.
We got to the Colle Dell'Agnello which straddles the French - Italian border at a height of 2744 metres. Mission accomplished we turned around and headed back to Bardonecchia and our favourite restaurant for some dinner. After dinner we go back to the hotel and have a chat and a few drinks with the XRV lads.
I learn that night that there are two stages to the Stella Alpina rally. The first is to make it to this Italian guy who sells you a medal if you manage to get to him. Basically he gets as far up the pass as his van allows. The second is to make it right to the top where you get well into the snow line at 3000 metres. Based on what I heard and the Varadero's lack of off road pedigree I was thinking that I would just go for the medal and that we would have to see how far Chris could come with me.
Sunday 10th
Sunday 10th July comes around, it's a beautiful day and it's also the day of the Stella Alpina rally. The GS lads have already gone but the XRV lads are just getting up when we leave the hotel. We're not totally sure which road to take out of Bardonecchia so we stop to ask a couple on a Cossack outfit whether we're going the right way. Spot the newbies! They point to the Hotel Sommeillier we're stopped outside of and we squirt off climbing out of Bardonecchia!
It's around 16 miles to the Col de Sommelier and the tarmac disappeared after about 4 miles after passing through the small village of Rochemolles. The tarmac was replaced by a dusty rutted dirt track strewn with sizeable rocks. The old Varadero bucked around as I tried to avoid the larger rocks and the ruts. Once again I wished I'd fitted crash bars. At the 10 mile point we came across the campsite where those hardy types had camped the previous night. After passing by the campsite the track rose steeply zigzagging back and forth up the mountain. The 360 degree switchbacks were proving to be difficult and it was at one particularly rock strewn dust bowl of a switchback that we thought about giving up. A guy on a GS had just turned around because he'd had enough and we were stuck in the loose earth looking over the side of a sheer drop. Anyway defeatism quickly passed and I told Chris she had to get off and push. With a lot sweating and pushing we managed to get the Varadero around the switchback. Chris remounted and we carried on.
Fortunately none of the other switchbacks were quite as bad. We eventually arrived where the enterprising Italian who runs the Stella Alpina rally had gone as far as he could in his van. He was selling souvenir medals and refreshments. I think we paid 35 Euros for two small medals and a can of Tango! He just knew we had to buy a medal after making the trip.
That was as far as we intended to go as far as we needed to get our medals and for many that's as far as they go. However, the XVR boys had now caught us up and we're egging us to go to the top. Carrying on two-up on the Varadero to the top didn't seem like a good idea so I left Chris and carried on by myself to the top. After more dust, dirt, rocks, zigzagging and switchbacks I eventually got almost to the top when I found the track was blocked by a large amount of snow. A lot of people had gathered at that point as that was as far as they intended to go. I was about to do the same and turnaround when the XVR boys, who had got there ahead of me, instructed me on how to get around the snow. Before I knew it, I've left the track and I'm riding along a very rocky melt water stream.
Getting to a raised plateau was the end game but to get to it I had to ride down a small muddy slope and then up a large muddy bank. The XRV boys were telling me to gas it when I get to the bottom of the slope to make sure that I don't stall going up the bank. I sat at the edge of the slope for about 5 minutes thinking that it was going to end badly. Somehow it didn't. The Varadero with me on it popped up over the bank and we were there at the top! Poor bloke behind me wasn't so lucky and ended up in the mud as he stalled his KTM near the top of the bank.
The Colle del Sommeiller is 3009 metres above sea level. The scenery was fantastic and the weather beautiful. It felt great to be up there. I wandered around a bit and had a look at the lake. There were also some Italian lads on small trail bikes who were riding up scree slopes. It was amazing to watch them as they seemed to be almost climbing vertically.
The first thing I had to do to get back to Chris was to ride back down the bank I had come up. Once again the XRV boys were on hand to give advice. "Whatever you do, don't use the brakes while you're going down the mud bank they told me". At the top of the bank I spent a few minutes contemplating what I was about to do and then went for it. I was going quite quickly by the time I got to the melt water stream. The Varadero shuddered a bit as it rumbled over some rocks but fortunately I stayed upright. After that it was back the way I'd come to get back to Chris.
As I slowly picked my way back down to Chris the XRV boys tear past me standing up on their foot pegs. Show offs! I'd been gone quite a while so Chris was getting a bit concerned when the XRV boys got back ahead of me. They told her I'd gone over the side and that I had told them that if anything happened to me on the way down the first one to get back could have Chris. As Chris contemplated the pros and cons of this arrangement I chugged into sight. My arms ached and I was knackered. It was a beautiful day so we took the opportunity to have rest before making the trip back to Bardonecchia. For me the trip back down to Bardonecchia was a lot easier that the trip up. For Chris, who doesn't always get on with heights, the sharp turn just in front of a sheer drop as a switchback was negotiated was a bit unsettling.
Back in Bardonecchia at the hotel the XRV lads were packing up to head for home except for Bob One Leg who was off to visit his Italian relatives (his wife's Italian). We said our goodbyes to them and went for a wander around Bardonecchia. It's our last night in Bardonecchia so we head to off to our favourite restaurant. On the way we chat with the couple with the Ural combination we had spoken to earlier. They were just behind us all the way up watching me struggling.
Monday 11th to Wednesday 13th
On Monday 11th July, with some sadness, we packed up everything into our tank bag and top box and headed for home. I had planned for us to circle back up over the Alps through the Vanoise national park into France but we decided against opting to use the Frejus Road tunnel again. I was still a bit achy from the previous day, the Tour de France was in the area and it added quite a few miles onto our trip. That was probably a mistake in retrospect but never mind.
Monday was a lovely day but it was also very hot at about 35 centigrade. The heat got to us at one stage and we stopped in the shade of some trees to cool off. For Monday night we consulted Sawday's and ended up staying at a nice Chambre d'Hotes in the Auvergne just short of Bourges. It was a nice place with plenty of character. A French couple travelling to a HOG meet on a Harley were also staying there. Certainly is a lifestyle choice!
On Tuesday we did about 300 miles. We again consulted Sawday's for a place to stay and came up with somewhere run by an old English lady. When we got there a huge German Shepherd came bounding towards us. Unlike the old lady, the dog was friendly enough. She insisted that we leave all our expensive motorcycle gear in a shabby 'tack room' were the dog stayed. We tried to explain how expensive our gear was but she was having none of it so we left. That was the first time we have had a real issue with a Sawday's. We pressed on and found another Sawday's just outside Argentan. This was run by a very welcoming French lady (and it was quite a bit cheaper).
Wednesday was a short run in to Cherbourg on very familiar roads. If we had gone straight to Cherbourg we would have been there far too early. So we slowly meandered towards Cherbourg stopping at various places. We walked around the market at Bayeux. After that we visited the beach where the American rangers (Saving Private Ryan) invaded at D Day. Unfortunately we keep missing the British landings of Sword and Gold. They were further east of us. Eventually we found ourselves at Cherbourg where we had a few drinks at a cafe while we waited for our ferry. Soon after we were back home in Corfe Mullen mission accomplished. What a fantastic week that was.