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Currently parked up between Briançon and Less Orres.
Rode half a day last week at Serre Chevalier before a massive thunderstorm stopped play. Only one lift was working and I only managed three runs. From this Saturday all the lifts are open.
Rode Les Orres last Saturday and Sunday.
Anyone have experience of the other parks in the area?
Vars?
Risoul?
Reallon?
Montclar?
Puy Saint Vincent?
La Grave?
Or across the border in Italy....
Bardonecchia?
Sauze D'Oulx?
Got a couple of weeks to kill in the area before I have to go to Turin.
Cheers!
not exactly where you are but heard decent things about Les 2 alps https://www.les2alpes.com/summer/discover/the-high-altitude-area/bike-park/
not been myself but was considering it as part of a riding/rockclimbing holiday combo in the future.
Good friend has a lodge at Camping Les Alberts in the Clarée valley, he mentioned the web site for the area. Had a quick look and found this link from their web site. Might be of some use?
https://www.hautesvallees.com/la-claree/en/que-faire/en-ete/vtt-en-claree/
A further link from that site;
https://rando-brianconnais.fr/search?practices=2
La Grave was absolutely sublime when I was there a couple of years ago. It's not bike parks, it's more narrow enduro singletrack tech thats all hand built. Well worth a visit for at least a couple of days. There aren't any easy options however, all the trails there are at least as difficult as a Golfie black.
We were down that way last year and loved it, based ourselves in Puy St Vincent and rode there most days but did one day at Les Orres that the kids loved so much that we're going back again this year and basing ourselves there within riding distance of the bike park lifts.
Puy St V is a lovely quiet little village and the trails there were in really good condition when we went there, it's not on the same level as Le Orres but plenty to keep you busy for a full day, the view from the very top lift is also glorious! There's also an amazing bakery called Le fournil des écrins in the bottom of the valley just below PStV. Worth stocking up as there's no much in the old village itself.
The 'resort' bit higher up seems a bit busier but the MTB runs all finish down by the bottom lift in the old village so that is better place to base yourself IMHO
Meant to go to Reallon but had a mechanical so never actually rode it.
We won't stay in Les Orres every day so any recommendations for areas within 'day-trip' distance with lifts and a good mix of blue/red trails that the kids can handle would be great, we're up for exploring.
Oh.. and any non bike activities, pretty old towns etc in that area that are worth checking out if we fancy a break from battering ourselves on the bikes.
PSV is pretty good.
Whatever you do, don't got to Montgenervre* it's utterly shit. I mean really bad..... Some of the green is just plastic markers on a grass meadow.
As above, L2A is close by.
There's since excellent off piste. Search out the Briancon thread.
There's excellent via feratta, Search out the Briancon thread.
Obviously there's amazing kayaking and rafting.
* Unless you plan on doing l'Infernet. ( Search out the Briancon thread!)
There's since excellent off piste. Search out the Briancon thread.
There's excellent via feratta, Search out the Briancon thread.
Yup, rode up Col Granon the other day. Long, hot slog up, but sublime trails going down.
I've no intention of hanging off a metal wire.
La Grave was absolutely sublime when I was there a couple of years ago. It's not bike parks, it's more narrow enduro singletrack tech thats all hand built.
This sounds good. Little further up the valley, but I've got time.
Never ridden at Golfie so no idea what Black there involves.
Generalist and I were there a similar time a couple of years back and I can confirm Montgenevre bike park is shit. It does however have some cracking off piste riding although it needs a shuttle driver.
PSV is nice but limited in quantity of trails. There is a cracking black enduro trail off the back into Argentierre.and some good trails to the east of the park down into the valley.
Vars is pretty good and you can link it with Risoul, there is a navette up from Guillestre to Risoul that allows you to access a vertical mile descent off the top which is really good but it doesn't run that often through the day.
Abries has a funky little community run park, 3-4 DH runs and the same of enduro trails.
Les Orres was a bit blown out IMO but I prefer off piste type trails so the riding didn't do much for me anyway.
SC has some good footpaths under the cable car and an epic descent off the back of the area.
Les Orres was a bit blown out IMO but I prefer off piste type trails so the riding didn't do much for me anyway.
SC has some good footpaths under the cable car and an epic descent off the back of the area.
Les Orres was running quite well I thought despite the rain, although it is early in the season.
Re the trails below the lift at Serre Chevalier.... They accessible? I saw them and thought they looked interesting.
@ generalist.... 404
I can second montgeneve being a bit rubbish. Sauze is nice if your into more woodland single track than bike parks. Not the most demanding of trails but fun.
"Re the trails below the lift at Serre Chevalier.... They accessible? I saw them and thought they looked interesting."
Straight off the cable car head left and go past the chairlift and just before you get to the telesiege d'aguillette hang a left down the trail, runs back into chantmerle, we also did the one next to the torrent de peytovin from memory too.
L'infernet in Montgenevre is amazing but traversing round to the east off the top of the lifts to the lake and then dropping down the singletrack north back is also worth a go.
If you get the Galaxie pass which covers Alpe d’huez, Les deux Alpes, Serré Chevalier and Montgenerve. Then you get a day at each of the partner resorts on the week pass. If you get a season pass then you get 2 days each.
Actually you should buy a winter season pass for PSV €500 euros then you get the summer season pass for €35. You can park up your camper for the winter and have a great time skiing/riding powder.
Risoul is great, the ridgeline enduro trail down to the valley floor past the hot springs is world class.
There is loads around Briançon, and the off piste is amazing.
I did a day where I did the descent through Forest de combe chauvet from le grande pre back into Guillestre then the Risoul ridge line. An amazing days riding but is really one for an e-bike.
Encore un fois.....
https://singletrackworld.com/forum/bike-forum/briancon-mtb-trail-recommendations/
Merci bowcoop.
Navette Runs 4 times a day from Guil Ebike and Intermarche at Guillestre to Risoul. 7€ gets you about 1000m of elevation
Perfect.... Parked up just down the river from the bike shop. Only twice a day right now, but fine for me.
@Alpin Ask at the bike shop.about guided/shuttled rides to Furfande. Also ride the trail from the top of Risoul to the hot spring. Check out Bois Durat too.
There are loads of fantastic rides right where you are. Ebike helps massively.
I'm parked up not far from the hot springs (unfortunately not that hot.... Went there for a beer the other night).
The temperatures are around 32°C this week. It'll have to be a very early start if I'm to ride up anywhere. Set off the other day for an easy gravel ride at 9:00 and even then it was too warm.
Yes. Hot. We are heading out next week. Ebike and/or shuttle and/or early start helps.
In common with everywhere it has been getting hotter in recent years. Great riding though, and never busy.
Alpin, Dedan Dehors in Guillestre is amazing for an evening meal, food & location.
And both sides of the pont du simoust have good trails running down without too much hard climbing.
I am a big fan of Montclar, it’s only 30km from where I live so that helps,
long tracks, technical , friendly.
Montgenervre has decent 'enduro' runs (what anyone in the UK would call a downhill run). Not sure why it's getting hate above... I've ridden all over the alps for the past 20 years, so I think I have a reasonable grasp of what's decent. Here is a day of decent riding from there (none of it needs a shuttle): https://www.strava.com/activities/3838723082
Alternatively the descent off col du grannon is good: https://www.strava.com/activities/9588977300 One of the bike shops in town will shuttle you up there.
The non bike park bit of this is pretty decent: https://www.strava.com/activities/3854268077
Ewan, that ride only has 1 ride in the bike park it does do the ride round the mountain and the bottom half of l'infernet (both of which have been mentioned as decent) and starts in Montgenevre and finishes in Briancon so does need a shuttle. But other than that ...
Hoppy +1
Ok I assumed the criteria was 'rides you can access from ski lifts in the area rather than specific trails in the bike park'! In any event all the enduro routes are on the piste map of the bike park. There is also a bus from Briancon to Montgenevre which you can take a bike on if you book in advance (or just ride it - it's only 500m / 13km - hour, maybe an hour and a half on an mtb).
Puy Saint Vincent is ok, but not worth a trip unless you're right there.
I had a few days in the Vallouise valley. I only did only did one ride which was from Vineuax up the tracks to descend down a trail called la Souche (Trailforks). Hard work riding up on a normal bike and the trail was fairly gnaar and not a good warmup as I've not ridden anything hard for almost a year. It was however brilliant.
The walking up from Allefroide is really special (Glacier Blanc hut).
I've ridden La Grave a couple of years back, really great hardcore rocky trails.
The stuff up the hill out west from Embrun: I just rode Ridge Fourane and thought the trail building top notch. On an ebike you could ride straight from the town. Liked the municipal campsite beyond Le Savines, slight holiday camp vibe but swimming in the lake makes up for it.
Ok..... Little update.
Didn't ride anything after my first post. Was nursing a niggly shoulder. Bearded, it was way too hot for me to be riding up under my own steam.
Sauze D'Oulx. Worth a bash. Trails are less bike parky than a normal bike park. More natural feeling. One day is probably enough, but it's a nice place with some nicely built features. From the last week of July till the end of August they open a second lift that takes you right to the top.
Rode it a day after a massive storm which meant the ground was nice and wet which is a bit of a novelty for me.
Bardonecchia. Again, worth the trip. Two lifts. One short one with six runs and some nice flow. Second lift is twice as long and has four trails. Incredibly dry at the moment. There's a third lift in the other side of the valley which opens from 25th July till end of August with ~800m drop. Might come back and give it a go. It's in the same ticket as the other two.
Going to drop back into France next week and with my way back down the Durance valley. If anyone is in the area and wants to meet up, lettuce no.
Alpin, Dedan Dehors in Guillestre is amazing for an evening meal, food & location.
I'll have a look, but will wait till the GF has returned. Gives us a reason to get dressed up.
The new lift to the top at Risoul is generating more traffic on some of the trails that needed effort to access previously. Unfortunately this shows on the trails. I won't be talking about them anymore.
The new lift to the top at Risoul is generating more traffic on some of the trails that needed effort to access previously. U
Is it that bad?
Heading back into France tomorrow and planning on riding at Risoul before the weekend (shit weather is due).
Unfortunately the shuttle services from the valley starts at 11:45..... Or last uplift at 17:30.....
Got to decide whether I park at the bottom by the river immersed in nature or park up top and have a hurried last run down hoping not to miss the last shuttle.
Unfortunately the weekend is looking wet.
I was at risoul/vars yesterday,
I guess troutwrestler you’re on about the snake, there was quite a few breaking bumps.
the hornet, the jump trail was in excellent condition.
Overall I thought the trails were good, but they are mainly blues and greens.
I live in le sauze, we have a small decent bike park here. I really like Montclar , It has some good technical trails as well as some fun jumps
Le Sauze in France or le Sauze D'Oulx in Italy?
I got confused googling "Sauze"..... Send there's a bikes park in north the Italian and French Sauze.....
Le sauze, France, 04400
Really spoilt for choice around this area......
But I've got to say I prefer the Italian side when it comes to food and coffee.... Both on price and quality.
Seeing as your kinda a local, can you recommend a decent bike shop somewhere between Briançon and Embrum? Ideally with Leatt gear?
And what's Sauze (Fr) bike park like?
I'll be heading that way in order to get back to Valle Stura.
