Holy crap. I've never liked that road, and they've done loads of work there.
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
My French isn't too good! How long is it closed for? I was planning on using the Flumet-Ugine section on saturday. I assume the landslide is in this section
The road has been closed since earlier this month because they were due to blast the section that slid as it has become dangerous. This saves them the bother and should make the job much easier! Trebles all round. The road is closed at the Ugine level, you have to use the mountain road. The clearance work will take 6 weeks, about.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
rob@rar, this is rockfall alley - never like this road and I tend to drive it late at night with no other cars anywhere near!
It's the most expensive French road to maintain, apparently.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Thanks for this post; will be travelling from Avoriaz to Maurienne at the end of next week, so this clears my options; the boring long way round!!
After all it is free
After all it is free
cstreat, the road they use as a diversion (north of the Gorge road) is slow but doable and quite interesting. I have only done it once as none of my present journeys involve the Gorge road, but I remember getting "coincé" in one tiny village where everyone for miles around had gathered for a funeral and were thronging the street - we had to try to politely inch our way through but got lots of dirty looks.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
loatie wrote:
My French isn't too good! How long is it closed for? I was planning on using the Flumet-Ugine section on saturday. I assume the landslide is in this section
That section has been closed since the 3rd of January and was not expected to open for 3 months. That may now be delayed......
You can see their take on it here: http://www.cg73.fr/3144-actualites.htm see the report on "Fermeture des gorges de l'Arly" . In that one they're talking about the 4000m2 lump of stone that had started to move a few cm per day, looks like it speeded up a bit... I drove under that on the 31st december
AIUI there is (and has been since the original closure) a diversion which started about 4km west of Flumet on the D109 to the north of the 1212, which takes you to Ugine. It is I'm told "more scenic" so I don't know if its currently affected by "weather".
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
As above, there is a diversion, adding about 10-15 mins to the journey
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
We would have used that section tomorrow to get from Megeve back to Meribel but will have to use the diversion - glad to know its only 15 mins longer. There are signs at the roundabout as you enter Megeve saying the road is closed.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
There's no problem with the diversion via Hery-sur-Ugine. Certainly better than the "long way round" via Annecy. Radio France Bleu Savoie spoke about 2 months to re-open the road in the gorge.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
marksavoie wrote:
There's no problem with the diversion via Hery-sur-Ugine. Certainly better than the "long way round" via Annecy. Radio France Bleu Savoie spoke about 2 months to re-open the road in the gorge.
i guess that lot coming down has solved the problem about what to do about it!
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Yes as valais2 says, technically that is a rockfall rather than a landslide
But quite worrying, that's the first rockfall I've ever driven under
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
5 months on and the reopening of the road is "within sight", and opening date is expected to be announced soon.
Took the diversion in April to drop some skis at the EOSB, trouble is I forgot to engage brain and blindly followed the frantically re-plotting satnav rather that the signs once I was off the gorge road. Ended up on some bloody logging track or something, rockfalls all over it, washed out in places. rarely been as pleased to see a dual carriageway. Carefully followed the signs on my return trip!
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
midgetbiker, satnavs need switching off round that part of the world, unless used in conjunction with a decent map.
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Blimey. I've used that road lots of times and had no idea.
I've used that road lots of times and had no idea.
If you've used that road "lots of times" and never had to do the diversion you are fortunate - it seems to have been closed almost as much as it's been open in recent years. There are lots of problems because of the terrain - it costs them a fortune. There are gates, like level crossing gates, both ends of the gorge section, so they can close the road instantly.
The signed diversion is not a big problem for cars - in fact it's quite interesting - but not passable for HGVs.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
I suppose it depends on your definition of lots of times, in relation to the route concerned.
I don't live there, but I ski in France pretty much every year, sometimes twice a year, and I've been doing that for the last 25 years.
During that time, I've used the road out of Geneva airport (say) more, but compared with the risk of ending up like the bloke in Valais2's link the number of times I've used the gorge, blissfully unaware of the % likelihood* of being squashed flat at any given moment, feels like a lot to me.
Driving down Park Lane fifty times isn't a lot. Driving along Highway 1 in Afghanistan twice is a lot.
I know there's always a risk of rockfalls on almost any Alpine road; I just didn't realise how serious it was.
I can't remember ever being diverted, maybe I have been and have forgotten. But yep, maybe I'm fortunate. I am in most things.
*Still not very high, but higher than on the road out of the airport.
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
satnavs need switching off round that part of the world, unless used in conjunction with a decent map. 