Col de Semnoz

My first Alpine mountain pass was Col de Semnoz. It was too hazy to see Mont Blanc but the closer mountains were beautiful. There are a lot of tractors on the roads and hundreds of bicyclists. The latter are easy to pass but the former, not so much.

With the engine off, I heard the cowbells. The animals came towards me as if I had a treat for them. Or maybe they knew who I had for dinner last night. I left when they got close.

This was a good introduction to mountain riding because the parts with step drop-offs are short and the road goes through a forest for most of it.Read more