I know about alpe duez, having raced the “mega”. Les deux alpes obviously has the bike park, but has anyone ridden any of the footpath/trail network out there?

will have the ign maps coming in the post soon, but thought i would ask the massive.

There is a good fast one from duez back to the camp site at the bottom of the 21 switchbacks. You leave duez as you enter on the road and a path cuts or did over the duez sign and comes down the right of the road (as you head up), it then crosses and heads down to the road to villard reculas. Ride to said village and there is a sign on the left where it takes you all the way down.

Have a butchers on google earth, once you zoom in to a certain degree they all pop out at you, then just find them on the IGN map

is that down to allemont?

no it drops down to a path that runs flat along the valley to the camp site at the foot of the road climb

Look on google earth, it comes alive with trails

I think I’ve done that one – the path from Villard Reculas is a little hard to find at first, then ends up with a long, long section of switchbacks through a huge forest. Great fun.

Use the Meije lift at La Grave and get out at the first stage, pretty tech ride down from there. Or go to the tourist office (there’s one at the Venosc lift station) and get the VTT guidebook, it’s got loads of non bike park stuff in it.

Oz down to Allemont via Vaujany is very nice, not bonkers, but good views and a few tight switchbacks.

There’s also a trail from Alp D’Huez, past the roman ruins dig site, turn right down a pretty steep footpath to where the via ferrata is, follow the river down stream for a bit and head over the col towards Freney D’Oisans. Not done it, but it sounds pretty good in the guide book.

I was pretty disappointed with the quality of singletrack there to be honest, not a scratch on Les Arc/La Plange or 3 Valleys.

The only good descent I found outside of the Mega stuff was from the top Sarenne towards the village below.

Thats the one Gavin, flat out sections through loam with loads of switchbacks! Not loads there though IME

Yup, that’s the only bit I can remember, although did get recommended stuff on the other side of the valley. Look on Google Earth to the south of Bourg, and there are loads of trails (switchback-tastic) down the town. Might help if you have a lift to the col though.

The only good descent I found outside of the Mega stuff was from the top Sarenne towards the village below.

Is that this one?
Can’t embed video ‘cos it’s on PB

Great descent anyway.

OP the geoportal.gouv.fr site allows you to blend IGN and satellite photos – you can slide the percentage of each from 0-100 so it’s very useful for looking for paths on map/satellite then cross referencing

Is that this one?
Can’t embed video ‘cos it’s on PB

Great descent anyway.

No, the one I mean you have to ride to the top of the Sarenne, descent 1km on the road, then a singletrack shoots off on the right hand side. It is very narrow and technical, but ends away from lifts so could be a ball ache to get back from.

It you want a mega techy Singletrack descent you need to try the one down from Oulles.

Are you there now or going soon?

No, the one I mean you have to ride to the top of the Sarenne, descent 1km on the road, then a singletrack shoots off on the right hand side.

Righto, you mean off the other side of the hill to the west then I think.

My video was Sardonne not Sarenne, ny mix-up.

Spent quite a few of our rest stops looking across the valley from above Allemond, wondering about the trails over there.

http://bike-oisans.com/fr/mountain-bike-oisans/itineraires-vtt-oisans

I could spend a whole summer in the area – 2 bike parks, techie trails, fun stuff below the tree line and loads of walking and climbing in the Ecrins.

Going on Friday..

Oulles sounds interesting.

We are staying in bourg. We have vehicles but would prefer not to use them. However we are going to use them due to the set up.

Two or three quality days would suffice!