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This Grenoble - Sisteron is a “must do”: fun trails and stunning scenery are the order of each day... Between Grenoble and Sisteron, the landscapes, climates and traditions switch from alpine to provençal... Under the watchful eye of the Mont Aiguille, we cross the open valley of the Trièves, with the mighty Vercors and Dévoluy on either side. We then cross the Col de la Croix Haute, where forests and alpine scenery progressively give way to mediterranean vegetation. We discover the stunning and wild Buëch area, and its renowned mountain biking trails: Savournon and Orpierre.
From Lake Geneva to the sea... This circuit is the third part of the Grand Mountain Bike Traversee of the Pre-Alps called Les Chemins du Soleil, which consists of 3 one week circuits.
This mountain bike classic can be ridden in several stages or in one go for the foolhardy! A long traversee that takes you from the Alpine scenery of the northern Pre-Alps to the provençal atmosphere of the southern Pre-Alps and finally to the Mediterranean Sea.
Bauges, Chartreuse, Trièves, Dévoluy, Buëch, Verdon, Esteron, Nice hinterland... One after the other the mountain ranges open up on this alpine mountain bike trip, concocted with very little hike-a-bike and road sections.
On track for the Grand Traverse of the Pre-Alps!
Itinerary start: Rendezvous on the first day is at 1pm in front of Vif SNCF railway station.
A few kilometres of flat terrain to warm up the legs before we tackle the trails that take us to the foot of the Trièves. We pass Essart Garin, Faverolles, La Merlière, Pâquier and its 12th century chapel, the Château d’Avignonet, the Collet de Sinard, before finishing on a superb singletrack through a beech and fir forest above Monestier. The eastern edge of the Vercors, with its impressive cliffs, looms close by. Night in a gite.
Distance covered: approx. 40 km / Ascent: approx. 1200 m
We traverse the entire Trièves, with its scenic farmland, interspersed with gorges carved by torrents, beech and fir forests, hamlets and villages with fish scale tiled roofs and cloisters. And superb singletrack to boot... At the Côte Rouge orientation table we discover a 360 degree panorama: the Vercors cliffs with the extraordinary Mont Aiguille, the Dévoluy, the Oisans mountains, and Lake Monteynard at our feet. The Brion suspension bridge takes us across the River Ebron (and the lake). On paths and tracks, through villages and hamlets, we discover the peaks of the Drac (the devil) the Bonnet de Calvin, and the Obiou (bullock), before joining our gite in the hamlet of Lalley - Avers.
Distance covered: approx. 60 km / Ascent: approx. 1400 m
Today we cross the natural border between the northern and southern Alps. A smooth forest track leads us to the "Maison des Pâtres" (the shepherd’s house). From here we've got a thirty minute hike a bike to the col (altitude 1607 m) which separates the two peaks that overlook the village. We're treated to a great section of trail once we've reached the col, all the way to the Col de la Chante and the hamlet of Sièzes. We're also treated to a great panoramic view of the peaks of the Dévoluy and the surrounding ranges (Vercors, Chartreuse, Oisans, Diois…). We then head down a long descent, before climbing back up to the Col de Lus (1497 m). We're now in the Diois (another secret mountain biker’s paradise…). We ride a superb descent down the Templers Way: singletrack, meadows, and forest trails. We finally arrive at the village of Lus la Croix Haute where a last forest track leads us to our gite in La Jarjatte, at the foot of the Dévoluy mountains and close to the source of the Buëch River, which we will cross several times all the way to Sisteron.
Distance covered: approx. 40 km / Ascent: approx. 1550 m
Through the Riou Froid gorges and the Vallon des Chabottes fir forests, we make our way up to the Col des Tours. The track turns into a narrow trail where a short hike-a-bike enables us to cross a few rocky outcrops. We also make a few stops along the way to observe chamois and deer, commonly found in these parts. At the Vallon de Laup (1708 m) we attack the southern slope through dense beech forests. Two mountain passes still separate us from our overnight accommodation: Souchière and Glaise, before we coast into the village of Veynes. We take the time to visit the picturesque and quiet streets of Veynes, with their colourful old stone buildings. Ten kilometres on a small mountain road allows us to reach the village of Saix, and our gite for the night above the village...
Distance covered: approx. 55 km / Ascent: approx. 1700 m
A tonic start to the day in order to reach the small mountain pass above our gite. We ride a superb forest singletrack descent, before regaining altitude on a forest track through pine forests, leading us to the ridge of the Aujour Mountain and its views of the plains of the Buëch and the Savournon Valley. Another great singletrack trail takes us to a swimming spot at the Lac du Pêcher ... We then cross a high plateau before starting our long descent to Savournon through a magnificent pine forest. Superb last climb of the day on a narrow trail that winds its way up through a forest of pines and hardwoods. We descend on a "secret" locals trail... From Savournon we head off on a last loop, with a great descent on a "draille" (old sheepherding trail) that leads us back to the village. Overnight stay in a gite around Savournon.
Distance covered: approx. 55 km / Ascent: approx. 1600 m
A small tarmac forest road leads us to the Jubéo forestry lodge. We ride forest tracks along the length of a magnificent perched syncline (ridge created by folded rock strata). We then tackle a technical trail along the Gorges du Riou (a cliffside trail and a fast-flowing stream with waterholes for a dip!) to the village of Saint Genis: an exceptional trail! We then make our way back to the Buëch Plain, and past the Riou Lake and the old ruined village of Eyguians. We cross the plain of the Buëch on easy tracks, before climbing up into the Orpierre mountains… We start with a 20 minute hike a bike up through the forest in order to access a forest track that leads us to the top of the Montagne d’Orpierre. Our reward is a superb singletrack all the way to the St Cyrice Chapel. We then climb up to the small village of Etoile Sainte Cyrice. The climb leads to another great descent, with great views of Orpierre and its famous cliff that draws rock climbers from the 4 corners of the planet. We arrive in a labyrinth of narrow streets dating from medieval times... Overnight stay in a gite in the old part of the village.
Distance covered: approx. 55 km / Ascent: 1600 m
The last major obstacle stands between us and our final destination of Sisteron: the Montagne de Chabre. After a switchback climb through a pine forest, we access the mountain ridge after a fifteen minute push. Another beautiful panorama awaits us. The village of Orpierre looks much smaller from the cliff top viewpoint... We head down into the Méouge valley on a magnificent small singletrack trail. Once in the Méouge, we descend the first section of the gorges on singletrack, before joining a quiet road that overlooks the river. We find ourselves on the Buëch River once again. We follow the Buëch on small roads and wide tracks to Sisteron, where the river meets the waters of the Durance. Through fields and orchards, we ride the last kilometres of our "Chemins du Soleil", with a beautiful view of the Sisteron cliffs as a backdrop.
Distance covered: approx. 45 km / Ascent: approx. 900 m
Distances and altitude gain are an indication only and may vary.
Itinerary end: Separation on the last day at around 3pm at Sisteron SNCF railway station.
Return to the start point of the journey.
It is possible to return to Vif on the picturesque Veynes-Grenoble railway line. From the top of its viaducts you'll get great views of the mountains we rode through during the week.
If required Vélorizons can organise a vehicle transfer for your group back to the start point of the journey. This service is only available if there is a sufficient number of participants.
Please specify on your booking form if you would like to benefit from this service. We will then contact you in order to confirm whether the service will be available.
If you would like to ride this circuit straight after the Lake Geneva (or Lake Annecy) - Grenoble circuit, and intend to come by car to the start point, we recommend you leave your car in Grenoble on day 1 of the Lake Geneva (or Lake Annecy) - Grenoble circuit, then take a Grenoble-Annecy-Annemasse train.
This will allow you to retrieve your car on day 7 of the Lake Geneva (or Lake Annecy) - Grenoble circuit, and join the beginning of the Grenoble - Sisteron circuit.
