The Vercors—Green Plateaus, Gorges, and the Marquis

Although I have ridden my bike in France many times, this is my first trip to the Vercors. The Vercors Massif is a range in the French Prealps. It lies west of the Dauphiné Alps and is south and west of Grenoble. The cliffs at the massif's eastern limit face the city of Grenoble.

The Vercors consists of high plateaus, deep gorges, and limestone peaks. Le Grand Veymont is the highest point of the massif at 2,341 meters (7680 feet). Le Mont Aiguille (2,086 meters or 6841 feet), with its characteristic silhouette, had its first ascent in 1492 was the birth of alpinism. Vercors have been called the French Dolomites.

There are also deep gorges here with cliffs exceeding 400 meters (1300 feet).  There are spectacular several roads carved out of the sides of the cliffs.  These roads are not for the faint of heart.  A bicycle helmet will do you no good if you go over the side.  Your chances of survival are less than zero.

The plateaus of the Vercors are filled filled with lush green pastures.  If you want to get a better idea of the scenery, watch the movie, Une hirondelle a fait le printemps (2001).

I am spending four nights in La-Chapelle-en-Vercors at the Hôtel des Sports.  I chose this wonderful little hotel based on Trip Advisor recommendations—very clean, nice room, nice bed, and a nice little restaurant.  As with so many of these little hotels, the people who run them make the difference.  They helped me chose routes to ride even let me keep my bicycle in the lounge next to the bar.  The food is delicious too.  My only complaint is that the wifi is a bit sketchy.

The Vercors has an interesting history. The Maquis du Vercors, part of the French resistance fought the 1940–1944 German occupation of France during World War II. In April 1944, a Vichy government paramilitary militia attacked the village of Vassieux, burning several farms and shooting or deporting some of the inhabitants. This action did not have the intended effect, and the local population continued to support the marquis. On June 5, 1944 the Free French government in London called upon the people of Vercors to take up arms and tie down the German army. D-Day was June 6. The Free Republic of Vercors was proclaimed on July 3, the first democratic territory in France since the beginning of the German occupation in 1940.

In early July, the Germans deployed nearly 10,000 soldiers and policemen to deal with the situation. Vassieux-en-Vercors was hit particularly hard. Several gliders carrying German, Russian, and Ukrainian troops landed near this small community, where they slaughtered approximately 200 civilians and burned most of the houses in the area. The Free Republic of Vercors ceased to exist by the end of the month. However, all of France was liberated by the end of 1944, and Nazi Germany fell in May 1945.  Never forget!