Brigadières on an expedition - Beaufortain
The idea
Surrounded by an incredible playground in Annecy, we dream of the legendary mountain passes that surround us. We dream, we consider, but are always held back by the distance to reach the goal or the athletic ability that we underestimate.
Without hesitation, I started sketching with Openrunner. Sometimes outlandish and very challenging, but I finally found THE route that met all our expectations. The idea was to leave from Annecy over two days to reach all the much-anticipated mountain passes… there will be many kilometers, so panniers are essential!
I know that the Brigadiers are tough and eager to take on these challenges (we saw that clearly in Girona), but I am trying to see which Brigadière is ready to push herself to the limit to absorb all those kilometers without returning to Casa in the evening.
To my surprise, we finally found ourselves with a fine team of 7 Brigadières, well-equipped with panniers to set off independently to the Cormet de Roseland. 200km and 4500m of elevation gain awaited us.
Eve of departure
After cutting out the route, we send everything to the Wahoo, fill the panniers. We equip ourselves with badass Brigadières outfits, and load up the supplies.The slight stress and excitement of setting off on this new adventure begins. None of the women on the team have ever gone bikepacking. The experience without male assistants is also a first, as is the short two-day trip.
The Departure - Day 1
Meet at 8:30 am at Brûmes Coffee Shop (yes, we're getting back into our old habits after lockdown). Time for a coffee and a chat about who has the lightest panniers. Of course, some have two panniers for comfort, while others have just one for maximum efficiency.
9am - we're off. 103km and 2450m+ of elevation gain planned for this first day.
The journey begins in the euphoria and familiarity of its first few kilometers along the shores of Lake Annecy. There's already some traffic, and cows (real ones) hurry to cross in front of us to slow our frenetic pace.
We then head to Faverges to tackle the first mountain pass of our trip: the Col de Tamié. Accessible from Annecy, it's not exactly a new discovery. It's a rolling, easy climb, perfect for warming up and making you forget about your panniers. 
Having reached the summit of Tamié, we descend back to Albertville. Water stop for refreshments.
We continued on towards Beaufort, where a lunch break was in order. This allowed us to break up the journey and recharge. We had already covered more than half the distance for this first day, but the biggest climb still lay ahead. In Beaufort, we arrived at the main square where a magnificent London bus was parked. They served balanced meals and, most importantly, homemade ice cream :) We settled in to enjoy our food and treated ourselves to a little something extra at the end of our meal: ice cream!
It's time to set off again. Still carrying the euphoria and enthusiasm that have reigned since the beginning of this trip, we immediately begin the climb towards the Col du Pré (12km at an average of 8%). This pass was a first for everyone, so we had no reference points. The beginning is fairly easy going.Only once Arêches is behind us do the real challenges begin. There are 8 km of climbing left in the sun at an average gradient of 10%. It's like an oven, the tarmac is steaming with heat, the GPS reads 40°C… We hang in there, we stay well hydrated!
Luckily, when we reached the summit, there was a cow fountain! We practically plunged our heads in.
A quick break at the summit, and then we descend towards the Roselend dam. The views are breathtaking; the switchbacks are regular and offer an incredible vista with every pedal stroke. We arrive at the dam, and there too, we don't know where to look, it's so impressive.
At the dam, the pass is called the Col de la Merallet. We're usually so focused on the summit of the Cormet that we don't pay much attention to this pass. From there, it's only 6 km to the coveted summit. With the heat we experienced on the Col du Pré, some of us wonder if we still have the energy to finish these last few kilometers. But we motivate ourselves; we want to stay together, and we do. So the whole group heads towards the end.
Some arrive early, giving them time to take their turn taking photos in front of THE sign confirming that we've done it. There's so much to see that time flies, and the last ones are already here. Then we take THE group photo of the trip, which perfectly captures this adventure: smiles, friendship, and pushing our limits.
Since our hotel is on the shores of Lake Roselend, we're retracing our steps. This allows us to admire the stunning scenery from both directions. The hotel is simply fantastic. 
The team greeted us with smiles, clearly impressed by the journey we'd just made. Some opted for a beer straight away, while others went for a shower. A fantastic meal awaited us: Croziflette. A meal fit for champions! We recharged our batteries with this homemade recipe. The sun set over the lake, the light was incredible. A delicious meal in an amazing setting, with friends… what could be better?
A little stretching session and then bed… only one of our brigadiers is feeling the effects of the afternoon heatstroke and is not feeling well at all… woman down… let’s hope the night will be a saving grace.
Day 2
The team woke up cheerful and excited about today's program. We repacked our saddlebags before heading down for breakfast at 8 a.m. A lavish buffet awaited us: sweet and savory treats, homemade cake… we were treated like royalty. All this was accompanied by a parade of grazing cows, wiggling their rumps gently as they made their way to a higher meadow. We were completely immersed in the alpine atmosphere!
Our brigadier, who was ill yesterday, is still not better… she decides to stop there. Her boyfriend will come to pick her up in Beaufort.
Departure 9am
She's coming down with us to at least enjoy this beautiful descent to Beaufort. The challenge: weaving through the cowpats we saw during breakfast. They've done the whole climb up from Beaufort. The slalom is a great game and an exercise in agility with the panniers. Riding experience activated!
At the crossroads of Beaufort and the road to Hauteluce, our sick brigadier leaves us…a little pang of sadness to see a brigadier stop on such a good path. 
We continued our journey, climbing towards Hauteluce. The route was great, and the village was very charming. We stopped there to refill our water bottles and then set off again for Les Saisies. The climb went by so quickly, being so smooth and pleasant. We finally arrived at the Les Saisies resort.A lovely, lively resort in the middle of June! We waste no time and continue our journey across the plateau towards Planey before descending back down to Flumet. The goal is to arrive at Aravis by 1:30 pm, the time reserved for our restaurant reservation. 
We pass through Flumet and quickly arrive at La Giettaz, as there are only 4km between the two, and they're mostly flat, even rolling. The 10km climb to the Col des Aravis quickly shrinks to 6-7km, leading into switchbacks that are partly shaded and partly sunny. We know that once we reach the tunnel, there will only be one kilometer left. Yes indeed, the Col des Aravis is a regular on our team rides. It's so good!
We arrived at the restaurant at 1 p.m., changed tables 3 times because the weather was sunny then grey, windy, and finally a violent downpour… welcome to the mountains!
Luckily we had been moved inside!
We take advantage of all the dishes on offer, that's the great thing about doing mountain passes.
Our eyes are glued to the curtain of rain falling outside… we check every possible weather app… None of them are really accurate and none of them say the same thing… so we assume that we're bound to get caught in a downpour once we leave!
We waited a bit under cover, hoping the rain would ease up a little, so we took our time enjoying a small dessert! Then around 3 pm we finally got motivated and headed straight back to Annecy, and if it rained, well, so be it…
Great descent to La Clusaz and then Thones. We really pushed hard on the pedals during this descent!
At Alex, we turn off at Bluffy and arrive at the top of this last little pass, always difficult at the end of the ride, we realize that the sun is still above us, and that we haven't gotten a drop! We made it through.
We hurry to the small port where we take the opportunity to swim in the lake. Swimsuit? Sports bra + cycling shorts = great combo! 
We took the opportunity to take the last group photos of an amazing weekend spent with the girls, having fun and pushing ourselves together! Discoveries and new experiences bring us closer and create bonds! We won't forget this weekend!
Time to head back! Luckily, we didn't get caught in the rain, but a huge black cloud is rolling over the old town! We're on the move, even though we're soaked from our swim in the lake, at least we won't get drenched by the rain! We're rushing home and already dreaming about our next independent trip with the girls!
Juliette:
What motivated you to go bikepacking with the girls?
Flore and the group of girls motivated me.
What did you find the most difficult?
The hardest part is the number of hours spent on the bike haha #sorebutt
What did you like best?
I loved everything, but especially the feeling of accomplishment after the first day and the moment at the restaurant to celebrate together!
Would you be willing to do it again? Where?
I'm definitely up for doing it again! Anywhere with the same team :)
Manon :
What motivated you to go bikepacking with the girls?
I've always wanted to try this experience, and for a first time, experiencing it with girls over two days was exceptional!
What did you find the most difficult?
Col des Prés, after chocolate ice cream, at 2:30 pm in 30 degree weather ahaha!
What did you like best?
Take your time. Take the time to discover the landscapes and enjoy the present moment.
Would you be willing to do it again? Where?
Absolutely! Why not explore our beautiful regions of France or other European countries? We'll see what happens depending on the season…
Charline :What motivated you to go bikepacking with the girls?
Spending two days doing nothing but cycling with other girls who ride, and getting to know you all better as a result 😉
What did you find the most difficult?
The hardest part was the difficulties of the first day in the afternoon; it was easier in the morning for me, but that's just how the course was.
What did you like best?
I loved almost everything, I had a great time and I'm so glad I dared to do it with so few miles!Would you be willing to do it again? Where?
And of course, ready to do it again, maybe a little further away to change regions!
