Col De La Madeleine

Undeterred by the previous day's landslide closure of the Col de l'Iseran, we pressed on, back up another mountain, June 24th, this time headed for the Col de la Madeleine, perhaps the most popular of all the passes. Popular with hikers, bicyclistes, motor-cyclistes, sports/exotic car enthusiasts, and, yes, even RVers. It was a weekend, and the narrow twisty mountain road was crammed with all the above, and more. Madeleine is perhaps most famous for its distant views of Mont-Blanc, and the great white mountain is visible at almost every turn for much of the way.

A cycliste hesitates before one of France's iconic road signs

Street scene

Passing through a mountain-side village

Hairpin after hairpin after hairpin...in the Dolomites
and elsewhere, the hairpins are numbered and signed;
we lost count...

Initially we wondered what the great white giant was, having never
seen it from this angle and distance

Hikers

Cows

Wildflowers at their height

Mountain brooks and streams

Team Porsche zooms by

Never-ending alpine views

Finally, the summit

And its excellent signage

Mont-Blanc, from the south

Of course there's a bar/bistro/gift shoppe

Not every meter of the Tour de France is painted, but some of the
main bits are, and the paint remains as a testament to the glory...

Distant glacier/icefield

Just enjoying my coffee

And the views

A long way back down to the valley