Hi, am after a bit of advice from those that have ridden it the area. How pedally are the enduro routes (shown on the piste maps)? I can only take 1 bike (DH / 200mm boingy variety) so don’t mind a bit of pushing if needed 😯
Am particularly interested in those routes that go down to Vaujany. I’ll have 2 or 3 days to ride there, so looking at the map am assuming this will be more than enough to see the area? Mega route also on the plan!

The Vaujany route has a small fire road climb, then a bit of a flat traverse over a stop/start rocky section (for me anyway), then goes down. You’ll be fine. It’s beautify, above the trees with fantastic views down the valley towards the reservoir and Allemonde.

Some of the more XC routes, ie from Oz Station do involve a fair amount of climbing though, you might not enjoy those so much.

Thanks ADN – Small fire road climb seems OK to me! Not sure about the XC stuff, I’ll stick with the DH / Enduro routes for this trip.

I’m not convinced you can classify things as DH/Enduro/XC without a copy of Marketing Week to hand. The AdH map didnt even include the word “Enduro” 2 years ago, it was either XC or Pistes.

But you are probably right, there is a good “xc” route from Oz through the tree line that then has a great descent down to Bourg D’Oisans. I did it on a rainy day, when the bike park wouldnt have been much fun, but there was some pushing up.

You’ll have a great time, make sure you do the whole Mega run if you can.

Any input from the lunch bunch?

You’ll have a great time, make sure you do the whole Mega run if you can.

this! as many times as possible!

If you can get somebody to drive you up I suggest you try the descent from Oulles.

Its on the map you can get from the Tourist information office.

There is a YouTube video some where as well.

If you can get somebody to drive you up I suggest you try the descent from Oulles.

Is this one of the paths on the IGN map, or something else? Where does it drop down to?

Ahah, this:

http://bike-oisans.com/noewp_sitra/!/pid/1700/ficheid/sitraLOI919515/titrefiche/le-chemin-de-malaine

On the map here:
http://www.geoportail.gouv.fr/accueil?c=5.991511966161623,45.08060575198512&z=0.0000462550821462845&l=ORTHOIMAGERY.ORTHOPHOTOS::GEOPORTAIL:OGC:WMTS(1)&l=GEOGRAPHICALGRIDSYSTEMS.MAPS.3D::GEOPORTAIL:OGC:WMTS==aggregate(1)&permalink=yes

going NE?

Get in the car and head over to Deux Alpes and do the Venosc 🙂

You’ve got to love the advice on this forum!
@ mike, I am, for 10 days after Alpe D’Huez part of the trip. Then heading off further up the valley to Valloire, Montgenevre, and then over to Italy.

I’ll be in a motorhome and keen to get the most from each location, hence the question.

I have ridden a number of routes to Vaujany on my Scott Gambler. If you drop to the valley floor the climb back up to the resort and the cable car can be a hot and demoralising experience. The trails that come down the valley to Vaujany are OK.

@tw, thank you

the climb back up to the resort and the cable car can be a hot and demoralising experience

…which is why I would always use the free bus from Allemond.

If you are mobile and don’t mind a diversion then La Clusaz (kinda east of Annecy), is worth it, maybe not as well known but you can get a full day lift pass for 13euro and ride until the sun goes down. Soem pretty impressive routes too XC/enduro and DH

If you are mobile and don’t mind a diversion

– what the 190k there, let alone back 😯

My post earlier

You’ve got to love the advice on this forum!
@ mike, I am, for 10 days after Alpe D’Huez part of the trip. Then heading off further up the valley to Valloire, Montgenevre, and then over to Italy.

I’ll be in a motorhome and keen to get the most from each location, hence the question.
.
Thanks for the help and I’m sure it was well meaning but as much use as a chocolate teapot 😆

I spent 2 days at Valloire last summer, unfortunately some of the trails were in a bad way after heavy snow and storms. Hopefully it is better now. Nice little resort, simple lift access and a couple of nice Via Ferratas too, if you like that sort of thing.

And you get to drive over the Col de Galibier on the way there or out.

Valloire looks good on the web, hopefully weather will be kind!
–
Switchbacks in a MH are always fun!

From what I remember when I was last there, the red trail (en7) on the duez trail map that drops down from grand rousses cable car was mainly fireroad/piste and not great, some other good looking stuff behind vaujany that is used for the avalanche enduro however. I really liked the trail that dropped from villard reculas to the valley floor (en6 on the map), underused and deep in leaves, then its a flat ride to the bus at Allemont to get back to Oz and the lifts.

LOL I don’t mean riding up from Allemont – that would KILL you. Just riding up from the bottom of the valley immediately below Vaujany – down by the cable car memorial that NOBODY TALKS ABOUT…