MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
We will be in touch
I'm planning a summer Alps trip and looking for more info about the Ubaye valley and people's experiences of the area?
Seems to be lots of info for xc long distance fire road type routes and some bike parks like Pra Loup but struggling to find info much in the way of singletrack kind of riding?
I'm looking for mellower trails to ride with Mrs K and more enduro stuff kind of stuff.
I live in (and run a hotel, les flocons) in le sauze, about 3km above barcelonnette.
For lift riding there is pra loup (bike park good choice of runs), le sauze (2 so so runs, beginner based and cheap lift pass), as well as montclar (probably my favourite), les orres, vars and allos not too far away.
As for non lift riding there are some good marked trails. Some very technical, one long up for one run down! Trails are generally very quiet all the time.
The transubaye is ok as the scenery is excellent. It also finishes by going through some long train tunnels which is interesting but the general trails is predomenetaly fire road dotted with singletrack.
For some info
http://www.ubaye.com/vtt-ubaye-ffc-transubayenne-pistes-descentes-bike-park.html
And a local trails map
Routes 10 and 8 are very good.
Hope this helps.
Paul
Paul, Yeah that's a good start for us, had found the ubaye.com website with the maps etc and that's partly what got me interested in the area but it's hard to tell what the trails are actually like from a vague map.
We will be driving and going to multiple resorts ubaye will probably be the furthest point.
I'll put your hotel on the list for a possible luxury stop for a change from campsites.
Is it worth trying to get some guided technical "off piste" days?
yeah the maps are vague!
i dont know any mountain bike guides around here, so i can't recommend one unfortunately, if you were here for a few days/a week, i think there is enough to keep you going with the marked routes and the bikes parks without getting a guide.
if you have a road bike i'd be tempted to bring that as well as there are some really good cols to ride including col de bonette, the highest paved road in france.