We are Katie and Lee, avid bikepackers, mountain professionals and passionate about travel. We are incredibly fortunate to have explored some of the most stunning, wild and remote corners of the planet. However, we are always blown away by the jaw-dropping beauty of the Alps when we return home. The spectacular landscapes, picturesque villages, speciality food, remarkable history and abundant wildlife, can rival that of anywhere else on Earth.

For both work and pleasure, we have travelled the western Alps extensively, yet it was only during the lockdown of spring 2020 that we realised we couldn’t find quite what we were looking for. We had ridden the Route de Grande Alps, a paved route from Lake Geneva to the Med, taking in the highest road passes of the French Alps. We had hiked the GR5, a long-distance hiking trail also from Lake Geneva to the Med. But we were looking for something in-between. We wanted to stay off the busy road cols, but have a journey that is considerably more ‘rideable’ than the GR5 would be, and so the route creation began.

After 3 years of exploring many of the gravel roads, quiet paved lanes and small sections of single-track that connect the dots, we finally have a route we love and we want to make it as accessible to as many bikepackers as possible.

We personally love a good suffer-fest on the bike, being tested physically and mentally to complete challenging routes ahead of the cutoffs, alongside other strong-willed (slightly crazy) ultra-cyclists. But we understand that ULTRA’s aren’t for everyone.

For those who want to take their time and soak it all in, we will provide free route files and a PDF route guide to be able to tour the route at your leisure. For the TOUR, you choose how, when and with who. There will be several variants of the route available, to pick and choose the route that suits you best.

In addition, we hope in the future to have a RALLY. No spot trackers, no deadlines, just a bunch of like-minded people on bikes enjoying the breathtaking scenery, each other’s company, and the sheer joy of pedalling. And then for those of you who really want to see what you’re made of, in the future, we will have the ITT (individual time trial).