I am off to the Pyrenees in a couple of weeks (God bless cheap flights), staying near Perpignan. I have not ridden in that area before and would appreciate picking the brains of anyone who has. Specifically I would like to know.
1.Contact details for any moutain bike guides in the area
2.Details of any well marked routes I can ride unguided with getting hopelessly lost.
3. website addresses with info on the area (need to be English as my French is not good).
Thanks - Leeksie
I ride in an area around Quillan in Aude every year.
Its a lovely region and the riding can be fantastic. Be aware that in some areas the clay that brakes through the limestone can be every bit as bad as the Chilterns in a claggy winter.
pdf map of the Aude vtt routes available here:
http://www.aude-en-pyrenees.fr/vtt/index.html
some photos here
http://picasaweb.google.com/northmalvern/BikingInAudeWinter#
the bad 🙂 (I had got lost and gone the wrong way though)
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the amazing
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Stoner,
Thanks for the info, looks like a great spot, but may be too far from where I am going to be based (about two hours drive). Have you ridden further East at all?
not off road, no.
ive come over the col d'ares on the pompino though.
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I've ridden the Med end on the Spanish side, based in Empuriabrava. Not much marked stuff at the very end, though you can certainly put together some nice routes. Inland a bit are a number of BTT centres with marked routes (xc). If you're interested in the Spanish side I could try and find the route maps.
Loads around Isle sur tet, Rodez, Balestra and Prades 20-30 mins from Perpignan. Excellent rocky stuff
Quillan good abt 1.20 from Perpignan Centre FFC VTT
Vaurnet Les Bains abt 1hr from Perpignan Centre FFC VTT
Up the road towards Narbonne there are waymarked routes at Fitou (mainly rocky double track but some good stuff)
Further up the road at La Palme there is generally stuff waymarked with spray paint)
There is also stuff near the coast around banuls but never been.
Some sites:
http://biking66.com/les.circuits.vtt-140.php Loads on here
http://vtt.po.free.fr/
http://www.utagawavtt.com/randonnee-vtt-gps
http://www.trabucayresvtt66.com/
There is a company called Altittude Adventure based near Font Romeau. Know nothing about them but the riding in this area is very good.
Lifts are shut now but the descent of the Tet valley to Olette following the route of the yellow train is meant to be fun. Park at Olette or Villefranche and take the train to Mont Louis. Topo on the utagawavtt site.
Weather should be nice now!
Yes Prades, look for prades vtt on google and try the search on here.
Sadly I had better do some work now. But thanks for all the leads. I will take a look at them all this evening.
Cheers
Leeksie