Can anyone suggest and decent spots to ride after the lifts shut. Ideally in the South, nice techy trails and somewhere less busy.
Any ideas??
I've been to Luchon with AQR holidays. I would highly recommend the area and the company.
We explored the Dromme Valley last year, around Die. Lots of sketchy, exposed singletrack - not hugely tech but the potential for falling off the mountain is fair. No lifts; lots of fire road climbs. Really nice area.
The Dromme Valley:
[img] 
[/img]
[img] 
[/img]
We rode from Geneva to Nice last summer, taking diversions as we went looking for the best trails. The area I want to return to is around Briancon, Queyras park and towards the edge of the Mercantour border. So much potential for multi-day and shorter loops. If you email Alpsun, they have good bases there on the edge of the Ecrin (stayed there a few times now during other trips) and the owner may have some GPX files you can use. A great place to stay, fairly quiet and a huge amount of great riding potential for those prepared to pedal uphill or up the cols to access the trails.
South of there, the area between the Col Turini and Sospel was great too. Hot, a lot of overgrowth / hemmed-in trails and loose though, I think I preferred the area north of there but that may have been more to do with build up of fatigue..
Dromme looks good too .. mentally noted )
I always forget about the Drome, looks good.
Anyone ridden in the Beuch valley (sp?) just north of Sisteron or around Dignes les Bains and the terre noire?
Vosges was awesome last year, plenty of mapped / signed routes to explore - rocky, steep, quiet
Lots of nice riding around Luchon in the Pyrenees but the best stuff mostly is offpiste and would need a guide. The VTT routes were good but generally fast and flowy rather than techy or particularily steep. Ace though.
Yes I have spent a couple of weeks riding in the area north of Sisteron and I can confirm that there are some excellent trails and the relative tourist offices are very helpfull and are having quite a push on the VTT side of things. If you are after techy trails pick up one of the waymarked bike maps from any OT(office de tourisme) and head for the black routes, you will not be disappointed. As well as the maps being very good the trails are also marked very well and you dont have to spend too long scratching your head and looking at maps(the relative IGN map may help at times). The terre noire area around Digne les bains is also excellent and most of the positives from the Sisteron area apply to this area as well.
@ the biglad, cheers for that, just what I wanted to hear. 🙂 Will definately check out these two areas.
Anyone ridden in the Coreze area of the Massif Central?
I haven't ridden in the Correze but I love the riding in the Creuse and Haut-Vienne areas of the Limousin.
Seriously quiet trails that range from fireroads to French national DH tracks with literally thousands of km of natural but marked singletrack in between.
Have a look at here for starters:
http://www.creuse-oxygene.com/france/cartographie.php?circuit=rouge&valeur=27#carte
I'm going riding in the area with a few mates at the end of May and I can't wait! we should be meeting up with Stratobiker from this parish for a tour of the Monts de Blond too.
Monts De Blond is really nice - not mega techy but very interesting and pleasant scenery - Stratobiker showed us some good stuff round there.
Where have you based yourself in the Creuse and Haut-Vienne? Where's the French national DH track?
Where's the French national DH track?
Nearest one I can think of is at superbesse in the Auvergne, miles away.
Surely their all non lift assisted once the lifts close 😐
Leggyblonde
Where about's did you ride in the Haute Vienne cos I have a pad on the Dordogne border and I will be there this time next week.
Meeting up with stratobiker for a tour of the Monts de Blonde is recomended
Sospel
(although there *are* uplifts if you want them ;))
[img] 
[/img]
[img] 
[/img]
[img] 
[/img]
[img] 
[/img]
[img] 
[/img]
[img] 
[/img]
[img] 
[/img]
Way more [url= http://www.facebook.com/transprovence ][b]here[/b][/url] and [url= http://instagram.com/transprovence ][b]here[/b][/url]
Lots of riders don't use the lifts in Chamonix. I've always needed them but many poo poo them and ride up. Lots to do and some great trails around the valley.
lucheon...been great AQR very good
Prades in the pryennes lots of VTT in the area and a good club more riding up the valley with adrenaline adventures featured in STW in guides holidays...we rode in prades area met the vtt club by accident and got loads of info, recommended area
but with those pics od Sospel think i will be having a look there
I have ridden in Sospel and thought it was ace, really looking for somewhere a bit more off the beaten track and that I havent been before.
Tende in the Maritime Alps is pretty good, and if you do need an uplift, the train and local buses can help you out.
vosages rode ther 10 years ago with family brilliant
cervannes....looks intresting
montage noir above carcassone
Thanks folks
Drome, Sisteron and Digne les Bains are the leaders so far I reckon. Loads of waymarked trails and probably decent weather as not too high.
Vosges, great but too far North for September sun possibly.
Prades, great but I know the area pretty well so would like somewhere different.
Luchon, wasn't impressed. Same with the Montagne Noire.
Chamonix, not really the right time of year for guaranteed sun.
Tende is probably too high as well.
@ ash, are there any other good places closeish to Sospel and Peille worth looking at? Ideally on the French side.
Any other ideas greatly appreciated 🙂
Grum and Ianv, there are 2 permanent DH tracks from the top of Maupuy above Gueret one of which is often used in the French national series.
Saladdodger, my parents have a place NW of Bourganeuf so a lot of my riding is based on the trails around Benevent, Monts d'Ambazac or Gueret but often includes sections of GR4. Other end of the H-V from you by the looks of it!
Anyone got any experience of the Jura/Haute Jura west of Geneva..? Looking to stop in this area on a trip south in June and we're after advice on how to identify worthwhile trail riding once there, as a wee warm-up ride or two before heading into the Alps.