Anyone know where this would be? Buy rideable I mean predominantly an actual bike ride without too much carrying. The thought was prompted by reading about the Sphinx Observatory at Jungfraujoch in Switzerland. There's a railway up there and an easy walk, apparently, so theoretically it might be rideable, if legalities allow. But to be considered according to the rules of this thread, the trail must be rideable from the local ground level and the rest of the trail or road network i.e. not requiring a mountain train or cable car to the start.
Also, same question for North America.
And by highest I mean altitude above sea level rather than total meters climbed.
But to be considered according to the rules of this thread, the trail must be rideable from the local ground level
to be very nit picky - are there any lifts/funiculars that dont have at least some sort of fire road/snow cat access to the top?
As above, basically find the highest chairlift and it will most likely have some sort of vehicle access, wont it ?
Goldsee trail at the top of the Stelvio? Take the bus from Bormio or if you are a sadist, ride up....
and down.
As above, basically find the highest chairlift and it will most likely have some sort of vehicle access, wont it ?
You'd think, but there are surely trails that go beyond the cable car station aren't there?
Cervinia & Zermatt jump to mind. You could probably ride from the towns up to Plateau Rosa, so about 11,000ft high.
Almost all chair lifts will have access for Piston Bully's, they've got to get up there to piste the snow. You'll certainly be able to get to them with a snow mobile. The question is if winter access is the same as summer access?
There are quite a few high lifts that don't have road access though.
The summit of Veleta in the Sierra Nevada has to be in with a shout, just shy of 3400m.
Cervinia & Zermatt jump to mind.
That was my first thought. 3900m. Certainly the highest place I've been skiing in Europe. Should be ride-able from the Italian side and probably from the Swiss side
You can drive to 4300m in America. Mount Evans Pass in Colorado. The air was noticeably thin, not sure I fancy riding up from there
Also, same question for North America.
How high is that first climb of the Whole Enchilda? That's got to be up with a shout surely?
Ack, as you were 3200m
Does Tenerife count as Europe? I've ridden from near the top down to sea level, nearly all off-road. I think it's 3700m high
Does Tenerife count as Europe? I’ve ridden from near the top down to sea level, nearly all off-road. I think it’s 3700m high
that sounds fun, or at least a bucket list type thing to tick off. What level of off road was it, and did you do the climb yourself?
re Zermatt - Cervinai I'd have thought the Kleine Matterhorn station was doable - 3,883 m
V thin air up that high as I remember!
Pikes Peak is over 4300m and has a tarmac road to the top, there is even a bike race.
I rode from Veleta to Bubion with Switchbacks a few years back - epic ride
How high is the highest part of the tour Mt Blanc route?
Not the highest, but surely one of the highest but with the best bike trail ever coming off the top of it: Mt Jovet in Les Arcs, 2600m(ish). Entire descent to Bozel is some of the best trails I've ridden. The climb up requires a good 800m of solid ascending under your own power after a few lifts and descents.
I've ridden down from Mont Fort (3330m) above Verbier. I didn't ride up but have met people up at the top who have
Highest Rideable peak (no uplift)
The Grand Sassiere near Tignes/Valdisere at 3750m
re Zermatt – Cervinai I’d have thought the Kleine Matterhorn station was doable – 3,883 m V thin air up that high as I remember!
I was about to say the same. I've even been up there in a ski group by gondala when one of our party fainted - it's only about 60% the normal amount of oxygen up there. One other practical factor is it's a summer ski area, so your first few thousand feet down will be on snow.
If you are looking for serious altitude, then Leh in NW India is a good option. The town itself is about 12000ft, and there are plenty of roads and tracks way higher than that - but you'll need a good few days to acclimatise when you get there
I went up Plataeu Rosa a couple of years ago. 3480m. Plenty of snow. Shame about the clouds 🙁
I think we need to narrow it down a bit re. what constitutes a trail.
Service road or similar is out.
Actual singletrack - technical or otherwise in.
Access can be anything.
The highest trail I have done in the US is Tahoe Rim Trail at about 3100m.
In Europe it's Zermatt at about 3100m again.
That Grand Sassiere is mightily impressive..
When I was on the Breithorn a few years ago (on foot) there were a couple of people on bikes riding down the glacier. That would have been at about 4000m.
Duplicate post.
hat sounds fun, or at least a bucket list type thing to tick off. What level of off road was it, and did you do the climb yourself?
You can climb the road (as many roadies do) but buses go to near the top, just sling your bike is the luggage storage under them. I'd say it's 90% off-road going down, very rocky.
Start line of the Mega on Pic Blanc is 10,800ft IIRC. I didnt ride up because there were lifts but it's certainly rideable down and is definitely a trail.
Also mildly terrifying when you haven't been allowed there to practice because of weather and have literally never seen it before and there's 400 other people hurtling themselves down it with you
How high is the highest part of the tour Mt Blanc route?
Col de la Seine, I think - circa 2,600m
You can climb the road (as many roadies do) but buses go to near the top, just sling your bike is the luggage storage under them. I’d say it’s 90% off-road going down, very rocky.
The road only gets you up to the cable car, which is at 2365m. I'm not sure you're legally allowed to ride a bike on the tracks up to the top, foot access is controlled to stop erosion etc. so I can't see an MTB being that popular!
I look down on your lowly European trails, pah!
And I reckon Vallee Blanche from Aguille du Midi would be fair game on my fatbike 😆
Grand Sassierre is the highest Alpine peak I think you can ride off on genuinely rideable trails (might be higher non-peaks, mebbe glaciers and access tracks too somewhere else).
It's a monster of a day, but bloody good...
I’ve ridden down from Mont Fort (3330m) above Verbier. I didn’t ride up but have met people up at the top who have
Are you sure???? You rode across the glacier? down the Kilometre Lance???
The highest rideable part is the Gentianes station at c2900m and that is from the Verbier side, you can actually drive up and have seen trucks making the trip with kit, you might be able to descend into Nendaz but climbing the moraine is probably beyond most people.
One of my best rides is with Ciclo Montana, get a lift to the Sierra Nevada bike park, a couple of hours messing about their then have something to eat then cycle up the mountain a bit, and then ride from the Veleta down into Fondales.
cycled from Brides Le Bain at 600m up to the Sommet De la Saulire at 3000m.
road up to Courcheval altiport at 1800m then jeep track up to the summit.
IIRC it took me 4ish hours.
@40mpg The VB got ridden back in the 80's, pre fat bike and no word on whether everyone survived the many holes on the way down.... And at 3842 for the top of the station it's not much over the Grande Sassiere. Riding out through the gates onto the arete would be, err, committing though! A group fatbiked down from the new Skyway lift a couple winters ago, a bit lower in height again but still a brave choice. I think Papy Millet rode Gran Paradiso 4061m a couple autumns back, but it's not a trail. Or a good idea for most!
Give it another few years of glacial retreat and rising snowline and I'm sure the Grande Sassiere will have some more competition, but it's the highest actual trail rather than line in the snow I can think of in the western alps, but the alps are a big place so I'm interested to see what others come up with, the Caucasus are part of europe aren't they?
Hi Grump! Saw the title, thought I'd find you in here!
I think Papy Millet rode Gran Paradiso 4061m
surely "rode" was "got his bike to the top of"?
Just une idee?
I’ve ridden down from Mont Fort (3330m) above Verbier. I didn’t ride up but have met people up at the top who have
Are you sure???? You rode across the glacier? down the Kilometre Lance???
With Bike Vernier I assume Tracey, I've done the same. Wikipedia had the cable car altitude at 3303m and the mountain summit at 3328m.
In summer there's a set of metal steps that go to a perilous drop which they ski from in winter!
Glaciers don't count.
The Barrhorn in Switzerland is up there, although not as high as the Grande Sassiere.
Not a trail but for those interested, road/gravel there is this one....(Northern America kind of...)
https://cyclingtips.com/2014/11/tackling-mauna-kea-the-worlds-biggest-climb/
Vegan cyclist doing the climb here.....
I rode over Pico del Veleta (3,400m) in the Sierra Nevadas. I thought I was dying at the summit.
Piz Umbrail above Selvio is 3033m:
https://www.mtb-mag.com/en/the-forgotten-peak/
Barrhorn at 3570m is pretty impressive:
https://www.ride.ch/de/touren/barrhorn
If you want ridable climbs (why?)... then this is a good list:
https://www.cycling-challenge.com/the-highest-unpaved-cycling-roads-in-the-alps/
@nedrapier Haha, that predictable!?! I don't think the lad in the video rode much of the down there... Papy has a penchant for riding hills that are rubbish to ride, until recently on a old GT DH bike, or the worst possible bike to carry up there in the first place. He's ticked off the Argy glacier and plenty gravelly peaks in Switzerland, and after a bit of searching, the Bishorn 4153m (13625 foot / 80 Nelsons columns for the imperialphiles)
It doesn't exactly meet the "trail" requirements though!
Not Europe, but I have ridden over this trail, just shy of 5020m, a on a rigid bike with panniers. I think I did have Flexstem though. It was crushingly hard work.
-16.302118046006516, -68.17367520590876
Bolivia!
There will be a number of places on the altiplano where a road goes to 5000 m +
the one I want to do is the route from the bolivian boarder down to Arica in chile 3000+ m of descent mainly in 60km, 60 km downhill!
Piz Umbrai is awesome, rode that 2 years ago
I would say the best High Alpine trail I have ridden is The Banzai trail in Cogne, Aosta
Officially called Passo Invergneux - 1500m of sublime singletrack from 3000m back to Cogne Village
Gornegrat in Zermat is pretty cool at 3000ish, ride up on the train and great trails down
And by highest I mean altitude above sea level
Sea level where?
@the00 It'd be really interesting to see that full list of bikable 3000'ers, especially as one persons bikable is another persons evening infront of the screen watching Danny MacAskill...
I can think of plenty of trails that are above 3000m but not that many that start from a peak.
Me too, but with a brief google I didn't find it. Seeing as they include the Matterhorn itself then I am sure that some of them are pretty hairy.
Not ridable up, but hike up and ride down the Oberrothorn near Zermatt. 3413m.
https://www.ride.ch/de/touren/oberrothorn
It will be something in the Caucasus or Urals i would think
Ive walked a very ridable tral at 3700m in 5hw andes and i know of a landrover track to 5000m again in the andes