At the rim, a winding roadway provides a white knuckle drive and vertiginous views. On one side the cliff face, on the other, empty air. Cycling enthusiasts toil up the steep climbs and freewheel down the declines. Motorcyclists lean into the sharp corners of one of the best cruising roads in France. And everyone hopes not to meet a lumbering motorhome on one of the blind corners, narrow tunnels and hairpin bends.
At the end of the long circuit, at the Galetas bridge, where the river meets the man made Lac de Sainte-Croix, tourists hire pedalo boats and paddle along through the gentle lower reaches of the river, under towering cliffs. Riding on the milky turquoise waters, the reflection of the sky from rock flour and minerals, is a relaxing way to end a day of touring.