6-day Mountain Biking in Briançon, France

Come with a certified guide from the Azimut Montagne team to Briançon, the highest city in France. He will guide you on this amazing 6-day mountain bike tour!

Group

Alps

6 Days

Jul - Sep

Intermediate

Highlights

Discover the best bike routes of Briançon and its surroundings.
Improve your mountain bike skills while having fun.
Ride through varied and breathtaking scenery.

Description

Briançon is a commune of the Hautes-Alpes department, in Southeast France. It is one of the best riding spots in the world and offers a lot of cycle tours all around the city and its surroundings. So, are you ready for an unforgettable 6-day mountain bike trip in this fabulous area? Then join me!

Standing at 1,326 meters (4,350 feet) on the confluence of the Durance and the Guisane rivers, Briançon is the highest city in France. This beautiful medieval walled town is surrounded by a perfect terrain for cycling. As it has regularly featured as a stage town in the Tour de France, it is a popular spot for this exhilarating activity.

On this 6-day mountain bike trip we will explore the region and find some stunning cycle descents. We will discover amazing bike routes not only in Briançon but also in La Grave, the Queyras valley, the Ecrins, and the Vallée de la Clarée. Additionally, every day we will have picnics in gorgeous spots where we will recharge our energies before continuing with the adventure. You can take a look at the complete itinerary below for a more detailed description of what we will do each day! Keep in mind that the itinerary may change slightly.

So, if you want to explore Briançon and its surroundings in Southeast France, please contact me. Let’s enjoy an unforgettable mountain bike trip together!

And if you prefer a shorter tour in this same area, check out my Mountain biking weekend in Queyras.

Price includes

Accommodation included
Guiding fee
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner

Itinerary

Day 1: Briançonnais

We will meet at Briançon SNCF station at 9 a.m. or Oulx-Cesana (TGV) at 8:15 a.m. all dressed to start riding. A minibus will drive us to the starting point.

We will start gently to warm up, and after a snack break, we will ride up a perfect trail that is a favorite among locals: The Torrent de Sachas.

Elevation +1200m/ -1200m

Distance: 25 km

Meals included: dinner

Accommodation: lodge

Day 2: Ecrins balcony route

After a hearty breakfast, we begin an uphill ride through the bucolic Guisane valley. After 20km, we reach the famous Col du Lautaret, at an altitude of 2042m, which we offer a progressive ascent of 800m of D+, with superb landscapes. After a short break facing La Meije, we will ride on an amazing balcony route facing the Ecrins glaciers!

The way back will be easy going and we will stop for a break at the Briançon Italian ice cream parlor.

Elevation: +1000m/-1000m

Distance: 40km

Meals included: breakfast - dinner

Accommodation: lodge

Day 3: Montgenevre

We will ride towards the Montgenèvre border pass (1850m).

From Collet Vert to Lac Gignoux to Chenaillet (2650m), we will reach Col de la Cochette and descend below Fort de l'Infernet towards Briançon. You will enjoy a monumental descent of more than 1300m!

Altitude difference: +1300m/-1300m approx

Distance: 30-40km

Meals included: breakfast - dinner

Accommodation: lodge

Day 4: Guillestrois

We will ride down to the Mont-Dauphin fort (a must in the area) to explore the Guillestrois and adapt the itinerary to the group with options that include a descent in the pine forest, singles on the ridges, and more.

Some local beer at the end of the day will help us recover.

Day elevation: +1100m/-1100m approx

Distance of the day: 35kms approx

Meals included today: breakfast - dinner

Accommodation included on this day: lodge

Day 5: Vallouise valley

On day 5 of our adventure, we will enjoy a tour around the magical Vallouise valley. Facing the glaciers, the singletracks will follow one another with grandiose landscapes and varied terrain. We will pass the Pousterle pass on the Oréac plateau to finish with a majestic descent via the awe-inspiring perched valley of Narreyroux.

Altitude gain: +1300m/-1300m approx

Distance: 30km

Meals included today: breakfast - dinner

Accommodation included on this day: lodge

Day 6: Cervières

On the last day of the tour, we will ride along the French-Italian border from our base in Cervières. Lakes, volcanic ridges, and other stunning landscapes will make the day unforgettable! We will stop for a coffee break at the Rifugio Mautino on the Italian side and then it's back to the valley and transfer to Briançon or Oulx.

Elevation: +900m to +1200m/-900m to -1200m

Distance: 30-40km

Meals included: Breakfast

About the guide

Azimut

4.2

(15)

Mountain Guide

We enjoy very much discovering and rediscovering the most beautiful spots in the world, in the Ecrins mountain range but also all around the planet.

Together with the guides in the team, we will share with you unique moments and an amazing journey. From les Ecrins to Chile, from Morocco to Greenland, from Les Gorges du Verdon to Japan, from Italy to Norway… tons of destinations offering all types of mountain activities, different every season. It makes us so happy when I can share them with my friends and clients.

Languages

French | English

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What people are saying about Azimut

Thierry

Awesome experience, knocked another item from my bucket list.

Yogesh

Well organised trip with excellent guides and admin support Highly recommend 😊

jozsef

The Guide did not even know I'am on splitboard. Everyone else was on skis, I was the only one on board. Guide has no experience on board, so the daily trips was designed for skiers, not borders. I would like to know which company is responsible putting me in a ski group, Azimut or Explore-Share? If you don't know the difference between what is doable with skis and splitboards, you would not sell trips for splitboarders! In the only day I could enjoy somehow, I did very hard time to stay on my feet on icy steeps, because I should have had a crampon, but I did not have it, because the list of necessary equipment does not mention it. All the skiers had one. The guide anyway did what he could to help me, all the respect for Rafael. But the whole trip was a fuckup for me that way. I really want to know who is responsible!?

Yelena

the trip did not correspond program description which forced me to leave on the second day, with huge financial losses. the guide checked and confirmed ny capabilities to ski - indeed after it was failed off road asked me to make a decission to give up. When I asked the agency to organize a transfer at least back to the meeting point (from the middle of nowhere) they pretended they can't do it (indeed, it was included to the program...) the worst every trip in my life. And explore and share instead of any invistigation simply did not care.

Raphael

Had a great trip. Unfortunately the guide was not fluent in English as written in the description. That is something that could lead to a very tricky situation if there would‘ve been a dangerous situation. The selection of the group by azimut was not the best as at least one person was physically not capable of doing this trip. However, the service by explore-share was great!