To escape the winter 4x4Explorer.co.nz founder Richard Soult headed to the UK and Europe to plot routes for his latest project 4x4ExloreEurope.
One of the great things that I love about Overlanding is the great people that you meet and the great places we visit.
About two days into our trip from Chamonix to Nice via the French and Italian Alps, we had an amazing end to the day.
We had been in Italy for a day and were in the area of Sestriere, home to the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics. Andrea, my partner, is always checking on various websites for things to do in the places that we visit. It had been quite a long hot day and we had one last Col (Saddle) to get over before camping at an old military fort.
As we climbed up through a ski field, Andrea told me that she had found a bar at the top, run by an English lady called Rachel, which was open. Whilst I was hanging out for a cold drink, I couldn’t imagine that there would be a bar open at 2000m at an Italian ski resort in the middle of summer.
Cheers!
Well, when we got to the Col, the bar and Rachel were there waiting for us. After a few minutes of discussion, she told us that the Punta Colomion is very popular with 4WD Overlanders and that there is a great wild camping area with a fire pit, not far from the bar. Note to myself, stay there next time... Rachel will provide a full breakfast with bacon and eggs...
We stopped for a welcome cold beer before heading off to the Fort Foen, which was our destination for the night. Whenever I arrive at a hut or a campsite, I’m always in two minds. Will there be others there or will we have the place to ourselves? When we arrived, there were already three trucks parked up. A Safari, a G Wagon and a Jeep Rubicon with all the toys.
Willkommen!
I normally get set up and then go and introduce myself, but before we could even get the tent up, Andreas, aka Andy, owner of the G Wagon and trip leader came over with German Schnapps to welcome us and an invitation for us to join them around the fire that they had prepared.
We had a great evening around the campfire and Andy and I “clicked immediately”. His is the first G wagon that I have seen Overlanding and he was happy to explain to me the few things that he done to the truck and how it performs.
I had assumed that they were all friends, but he told me that they had only met the family with the Rubicon, the day before. The guy had just bought it, was really friendly but didn’t even know how to put it into low range. All the gear but no idea! Good on him though for getting in touch with experienced people for his first trip!
Better than a hotel
As we sat there bonding around the campfire, I told Andy that I would prefer being there than in a five-star hotel. He simply looked to the sky and said, “Rich, here we have a five billion star hotel.” So true!
The following day, they were planning to drive up to the Col du Sommelier, which, at 3009m is, if not the highest, certainly one of the highest points that you can drive to in Europe. They invited us to join them and travel in convoy and, whilst this wasn’t part of our original plan, I knew that it would make an excellent day excursion to the Alps trip that we were logging for 4x4Explorer.
So, next morning, we were up early and away in good order. Before we set off, Andy told me that they were working on Channel 16. We were unsure of the laws regarding CB radios in Europe and were travelling alone, so had brought a couple of handheld units. I was surprised that CH16 in Europe did not correspond with our New Zealand handsets.
Cheap at the price
The Col de Sommellier is on the border of France and Italy, but only accessible in a vehicle from the Italian side. The road is tarmac up to about 2000m, where there is a Rifugio (mountain restaurant) and a gate. The cost for access is about $10 and its closed one-day a week to motorised vehicles for hiking and mountain biking.
The drive up is incredible as the views open up and you and the truck start to feel the altitude. At the summit, there is a small lake and despite the recent heat wave, there was still snow on the ground. Any trip through the Alps is best done between July and September.
At the Col, we stopped for photos but didn’t stay long as our new friends had a long day ahead of them and Andrea and I had decided to return to the Fort before continuing to log the Route down to Nice.
On the way down, we stopped at the Rifugio and had a cheap and excellent lunch of polenta with local sausages, tomato sauce and a glass of red wine. This is what we really miss in New Zealand!
Route available now
This route is an excursion on the Chamonix to Nice Expedition Route, available on https://www.4x4explorer.co.nz/?aff+2818 . The total route is nearly 1000kms in length and can be driven in four to seven days. The route takes you from Mont Blanc, over some of the highest and most spectacular mountain passes in Europe, down to Nice and the stunning Cote d’Azur.
As with all Routes available on 4x4Explorer, the package includes a GPX track, high quality photos, route notes, access information and recommendations on accommodation. We’ve done all the planning for you to enjoy your time Overlanding!
