Val d'Aosta 2022

† Explanation of BAC Ride Fee – This fee is not included in the Estimated Cost and is non-refundable once submitted. The Ride Fee for US and Canada is $85 and $100 for all other countries, both are per participant.

Ride Description

OVERVIEW: This tour in the Val d’Aosta region of northwest Italy, features Swiss-style villages, snow-capped mountain views, French influenced castles and Italian food and wine. The tour starts in the northern city of Courmayeur and travels south through the valley to Pont-Saint-Martin. This tour has multi-night stays at every stop and is the fourth time it is offered by leaders Tom and Julie.

Courmayeur, which borders France, is a skier’s paradise with views of Mont Blanc and Petit Saint Bernard. After our arrival day there is time to set up your bike and go for a test spin. A lay-over day in Courmayeur has a loop ride or optional sight-seeing activities such as riding the gondola up the mountain pass. En route to Arvier we cycle a spectacular mountain pass to Cogne or the more ambitious Petit-Saint-Bernard pass. Our lay-over day in Arvier features the 'epic' Val-de-Rhemes. The scenery changes with almost every hair-pin turn. From Arvier we travel on village roads to Aosta, known as the 'Rome of the North'. Here we spend three nights with optional rides or a rest day. It’s an easy walk to see all of the ancient Roman relics in the centro storico. On our arrival nite we dine at a trendy trattoria where pasta and risotto are a must-eat. Loop rides for Aosta include visiting Switzerland at the Saint Bernard pass, Glacier and/or Place Moulin. All have views of the snow-capped Swiss Alps. On our ride to Saint-Vincent there is a spectacular loop up the Saint-Barthelemy pass that winds through tiny villages. There is an optional ride up the Matterhorn pass. If you’re in need of some R& R you can indulge in a massage at the famous town spa or as the sign advertises, enjoy treatments for your liver, stomach and intestines. On our ride to Pont-Saint-Martin we have a mountain loop to Brusson and an optional stop en route to visit the extensive Forte du Bard Museum of the Valle d’Aosta just a few kilometers before Pont-Saint-Martin. We have group dinners here where we will taste the chef's risotto with apples and Fontina cheese as well as the tagliatelle with venison. There is an optional loop ride for one last view of the snow-capped peaks laced with a necklace of clouds before we pack the bikes and bid arrivederci alle Valle d'Aosta.

RIDE RATING: The trip is rated a 4B with an average of 36 miles/day and 3,800 feet of climbing. Lay-over day rides are out and back so short or long options are personal choice. The two toughest rides are both 38 miles, with 4,400 ft climbing, going to St Bernard pass and the foot of the Matterhorn. There is an optional extension with more climbing on the ride up the St. Bernard Pass. There are unavoidable tunnels on many routes. Most are 100-300 meters long and well lit. Those longer than 400 meters have by-pass lanes. A linkg to the maps and cue sheets is available in a document called Event link in the Ride Leader Docs.  You should download your own routes and print your own maps and cue sheets.

LOGISTICS: Fly in and out of Torinese-Caselle International airport (TRN).  Arrival day is Saturday, June 4, 2022 at Turin airport. We meet at 12:30 PM to take a chartered bus from the airport to Courmayeur.  On June 4 we have an informal meeting at 6:00 PM in the hotel lobby.  June 5 is our first formal meeting and group dinner. At the end of the tour on Monday, June 15, 2020, we depart from Pont-St-Martin at 8:30 AM for a 10:00 AM drop-off at the Torinese-Caselle International airport. Bike boxes will be transferred from first hotel to last hotel by the tour leaders.  

COVID: All participants must be fully vaccinated, including booster shots, if applicable, and voluntarily present vaccination documentation for viewing by Ride Leader.

TANDEMS / E-BIKES / RENTALS
Tandems and e-bikes will be accepted on a case-by-case basis.  Talk with the leaders about this. Rental bikes will be available through CycleEurope (cycleeurope.com). To reserve your rental bike go to "Ride Leader Docs" "Cycle Europe Form" to find the link to reserve your bike for this tour.  Each rider will pay CycleEurope directly with a credit card.

COST & ADMINISTRATION: Included in price are 11 nights lodging in 3-4 star hotels, all breakfasts, 6 group dinners, happy hour refreshments, luggage van & driver, and bus transport from the Turin airport and back to the Turin airport at the end of the tour. Estimated cost is $1,540 based on an exchange rate of $1.30 = € 1.00 plus the $ 100 non-refundable BAC fee. The final payment of $ 1,040 and Single Supplement of $ 215 is due on April 6, 2022.

SINGLES: It is recommended that singles wanting to share a room try to find their own room mate. The Ride Leader will assist singles to find a room mate. When a single rider applies for the ride, you will be placed on the wait list and a room will be reserved for a limited time. Once a room mate is found, both riders are added to the tour. If a single rider cannot find a room mate, they may be added to the ride on a “space available” basis.

SOLOS: Space for 2 solo rooms with an estimated solo supplement of $ 215.  Solo supplement payments, due April 6, 2022, should be made by check and sent to BAC. Checks should be made out to “BAC” with a notation of the tour name included on the check and mailed to:  Bicycle Adventure Club, PO Box 23998, San Diego, CA 92193.

WEATHER: Weather is usually cool to cold Am & PM turning warm mid-day: average highs will be 67 F, average lows will be 47 F. June has an average of 5 days with rain but when it rains it will feel cold so plan to bring full rain gear.

CANCELLATION POLICY: The BAC ride registration fee and payment processing fee is not refundable unless the entire tour is canceled due to participation below stated minimum requirements. Refunds of tour payments will depend upon whether a replacement rider signs up, and on costs that can be recouped. The amount refunded will be based on the principle that the tour’s remaining participants will not incur any additional cost as a result of cancellations. If the canceling participant is replaced, a refund will be made at that time. If the canceling participant can't be replaced, any refund will be determined after the ride and final expense report are completed. If a single participant cancels and another roommate cannot be found, in addition to other costs that cannot be recouped the canceling roommate may also be liable for the solo supplement fee of the roommate remaining on the tour. BAC encourages members to purchase trip cancellation insurance.

RIDE PARTICIPANT RESPONSIBILITY: Please remember that BAC Ride Leaders are volunteers, and that successful tours depend on participants providing much of their own support. Participants are expected to come to the ride well trained, in good health and ready to accomplish the required daily riding using well-maintained bicycles. All participants should accept responsibility for a safe and enjoyable tour. We encourage you to read the ride description carefully and respond to requests from Ride Leader. While on the ride, support your Ride Leader with offers to help with various tasks such as happy hour preparation and clean-up. Please do not interfere with the ride by inviting non-participants onto any portion of the ride or tour. Please keep the Ride Leader informed of any special request you may have and respect the Ride Leader’s decisions.

INSURANCE: Before participating in any BAC tour, members should review their medical coverage and assess whether what you have is sufficient. If it isn’t, you should purchase additional travel medical coverage. BAC maintains a policy that provides coverage for expenses related to medical emergencies and repatriation when members are on tours outside the US and their home country. The policy ceases to be applicable if a member makes a personal deviation (e.g., makes a side trip not related to the planned BAC tour), has limits on expenses covered for family members and only applies for 45 days following departure from home. None of the policies maintained by BAC will cover costs associated with self-quarantines that may be government mandated. Members should also ensure that vaccinations are up to date (e.g., annual influenza, tetanus, etc.). If traveling outside your home country you may wish to consult with a travel physician or nurse to ensure that the appropriate vaccinations are up to date.

SIGN-UP: To submit a request to join this ride use the "links" displayed above this Ride Description. When you are accepted, the Ride Leader will move you from the Wait list to the Pending List. At this time you will receive an email notification to login to the BAC website to sign the release of liability form and pay the non-refundable BAC ride registration fee and the initial tour deposit $500 by credit card. As soon as your deposit has been processed, your name(s) will be added to the Participant List. To contact the Ride Leader, "click" the name at the top of this Ride Description.