5 of the best bike parks in the northern Alps
Downhill cycling, or DH (Downhill) or Gravity, has entered the alpine sports landscape as an important outdoor activity.
Mountain resorts in search of diversification and profitability of their infrastructure during the summer season have made great efforts to be able to accommodate mountain bikers seeking adrenaline in the best conditions.
The opening of lifts, marked slopes, mobile apps, wooden jump and turn modules, pumps, bike rental companies, downhill skiing schools with qualified leaders offering courses with mountain bikes and protection: the stations began to offer quality tourism products.
What is an ATV bike park?
This is a broad definition: these are all objects intended for cycling in the broadest sense of the word, since depending on the stations, these can be downhill tracks, pump tracks (a short loop with bumps and bumps). surface), enduro and treadmills. It can also be all of this at the same time, this is what we see in the major resorts that have focused their summer offer on cycling.
The slopes are marked, as in winter, with a color code identical to that of the ski slopes, every practitioner can find something for himself, from beginners to experts.
We list our favorite mountain bike parks tested and approved.
You can also find the observatory and ranking of all bike parks in France at KelBikePark.
Tignes - Val d'Isère: (almost) free bike park at the gates of Vanoise.
The Tignes and Val d'Isere areas are linked by the Borsat chairlift, and the result is an epic bike park where you need at least 4 full days to check it out.
The stations have opted for a quality bike park and, moreover, it is completely free if you stay on site with a renter accredited by the station through the issuance of my Tignes Open card.
It was the professionals of Bikesolutions who chose the trails from nearly 130 km of trails: downhill trails of all levels with state-of-the-art maintenance and excellent enduro trails. What I want to tell you is that tracing is done for maximum enjoyment by minimizing the risk of accidents due to overspeeding.
In the Palafour sector, we like the blue Tarte à Lognan and Palaf enduro.
If your heart tells you, try the epic and passionate enduro that descends the villages at the bottom of Tignes (Boiss) through a breathtaking panorama: Salon de la Vache 🐄. Before diving into the forest, technical tracks of the GR type await you.
In the Tovyer sector, you will not be left indifferent by the very playful slopes of the Kangoo Ride or the airy Fresse Tagada. If you have big hips, try Wild 10 Nez, a technical enduro for an unparalleled insane sensation.
In Val d'Isere, it’s impossible not to talk about Popeye, the “real” green, long (13 km) player, perfect for beginners: he is spinning and it’s not scary.
Val Bleue is an endurance descent that starts from the top of the Olympique and descends in a very smooth and fun way to Val d'Isère. The view is breathtaking.
The Blue Blue Lagoon slowly descends towards the Borsat chairlift, while the newly created Red Fast Wood is very playful and returns to the resort, flirting with the lines of black Bellev'hard, tracing straight down the technical steep slope.
For virtuosos in steering and on-track trails, the bikepark will not be complete without a few blacks. Black Metal 🤘, very gently sloping, offers a magnificent panorama of the lake, winding up the slope. Before riding, carefully check the condition of your tires and brakes.
A pure product made for people to love mountain biking. For those with a big heart and good brakes, Into the Wild Enduro, Rock'n ride (very wild and purposeful) and Very Bike Trip (the hardest in the area) will impress you with their typical mountain scenery. ... and the side lost in the desert.
For accommodation, we highly recommend the Pierre et Vacances Premium, a snowy landscape in Tignes-Val-Claret. The apartment is spacious and very comfortable with a mountain bike room. The prices are very reasonable during the summer, which makes it excellent value for money.
Two Alps: from the Moon to the Earth 🌍
Is it worth representing the territory of the two Alps?
As a pioneer in mountain biking, the resort has expanded its offerings on both sides of its grounds, taking advantage of its excellent location. He has distinguished himself by organizing spectacular mountain biking competitions from the very beginning of the summer mountain biking competition, in order to consolidate his prominence in the field (for example, on Hell's Mountain).
Lift passes are certainly not cheap, but the slopes are mostly (very) well maintained. The area also benefits from good quality infrastructure for recent lifts (Diable, Jandri), but is disappointing with the availability of lifts that work but are not well suited for mountain biking, which creates a wait downstairs, especially in the morning and afternoon. departure (Mont de Lans, Vallée Blanche). We are confident that this will change over time.
The Vallée Blanche side is geared towards beginners but offers beautiful trails, including a beautiful enduro: Super Venosc.
In the Diable sector, bike patrols have gone to great lengths to establish aerial and recreational routes. Very soft on the green L'Ange, which feels calm on the ridges and then glides down the slopes of Venosca Cliff with a magnificent view of the Muselle and the Veneon Valley.
Then we take off for fun on the Lilith, Diable and 666, and then warm up the brakes on the Sapins.
The rage, the black color of the area is reserved for the elite, and for good reason: when we see modules and obligatory jumps, we tell ourselves that we are not all equal in the face of fear. "
You can also go for a ride on the moon 🌛 ... or at least within the lunar terrain, climbing a glacier to make an endless descent into the Veneon Valley along the Venosca trail. If you have experience, count over an hour of descent.
Speaking of the two Alps, we are, of course, talking about the legendary slope, the “signature” slope in this area: Vénosc. A long and beautiful technical trail descending into the Veneon valley. To paraphrase two great modern philosophers: “If you didn’t do Venosque in 2, you missed your life”, “No, but hello? which ! “.
Finally, the area is also open to mountain biking, and outside the designated trails there are many opportunities for (very very) technical enduro trails. But beware, pedestrians and flocks of sheep are a priority outside the bike park!
Les Portes du Soleil: almost Swiss quality
Portes du Soleil is the territory of the Pass'porte, a mountain hike in early summer. Almost 100 km long river with lifts, mountains, snowy fields, very green meadows, cows and DH trails. If you've never done this, see what a great modern philosopher has to say about it in Section 2 of The Alps and adapt the quote.
The 3 resorts in the area stand out for their mountain biking attractions: Le Jeuet, Morzine and Châtel.
The quality of the estate matches its reputation and geographical location in the Haute-Savoie. Beautiful infrastructure, beautiful trails well balanced for all practitioners, and elevated landscapes (very green pastures and snow-capped peaks). This is largely due to the location of the area, the trails often cut through the undergrowth and create a very pleasant rural atmosphere.
Les Gets builds on a reputation for hosting world-famous mountain bike events. As a result, the attendance is very international - English is spoken almost more than French - and inspires respect for a region that has been able to export its know-how and attract Whistler's weary descendants to Canada. However, the price of the services is in line with the British Pound Sterling…
Le Beaufortin: Big pedals explain life to you
Beauforten tried to strike, and he succeeded!
In the run-up to the stage, compared to all other resorts where the slopes were marked by bumps and oblique turns, the territory was able to take advantage of its geographical position while maintaining its possessions. This is success. Of course, there are lifts, of course, there are DH slopes in the Saisi resort and in Areche, but the soul of Beauforten is enduro! And thanks to the local association, big pedals, this niche is very dynamic.
The trails that traverse pastures and out onto lonely woodlands strewn with roots and steps are a real treat for the mountain biker in search of the thrill of piloting.
LA This is the famous Dev'Albertville, which is almost 20 km long. Departing from the Saisies resort, it crosses the trails until it plunges into the valley, and then the shuttle returns. A feat that deserves a visit to a dairy cooperative to prepare a well-deserved bite of Beaufort, close to the arrival of the lovely Adret Naline trek.
Prapoutel – Les 7 Laux: Our favorite ❤️
Heart beat for Praputel station. Thanks to a win-win partnership with the very dynamic mountain bikers association Les Pieds à Terre, the resort has trails built and maintained by enthusiasts who take a shovel and pick between two descents, always looking to improve. slopes.
The estate was a bad start in the 2000s, as routes were reserved for experts, local partnerships proved to be successful and made a difference. The slopes are now well balanced and you can feel the work of the Pieds à Terre craftsmen at every corner entrance, every module. It's cool, and it's nice to see this kind of initiative.
Thanks to this, as well as the proximity to the metropolitan areas of Lyon, Grenoble and Chambery, the domain remains one of the regions with the largest range of operations throughout the year, in clear weather, almost in good weather and fine weather. there is no more snow, the ascent turns into a biker ascent. The association is even organizing a mountain biking event called Indian Summer at the end of September to collect the most beautiful pictures and videos.
We recommend Chèvre Shore and Hard'oisière, two important traces of the estate to be consumed without moderation.
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Chamrousse: Rolling Stone ... gathers roots
In Chamrousse, the mountain expresses itself in the heart. And his heart is stone. Located 1:30 from Lyon and 30 minutes from Grenoble, it is a rather technical resort due to the type of terrain: rocks and roots. Thus, the bike park is more intended for experienced descendants with significant riding experience who enjoy enduro tracks. However, the resort offers 2 green runs to guarantee a product for the general public.
The trails are playful and follow the terrain imposed by nature and blend in perfectly with the landscape. We never get tired of the view of Lake Arshar to get to the slope of the blue Panorama or green Blanchon.
Modules and small jumps are installed to make the experience fun.
However, be careful, due to the predominance of roots, putting the wheels on them after rain will make your driving "thinner" and your commitment should be at this level.
La Clusaz
Located in the heart of the Aravis Massif, La Clusaz has made clear its intention to make mountain biking the centerpiece of its summer tourism strategy. I must say that the environment is the best suited for this. On the land of farmer Reblochon, green meadows with cows are rare in the middle of the forest. Therefore, there is nothing strange in the fact that you can find quite technical tracks, where nature clearly reminds us that she is the boss.
Based on this observation, the resort teams drew well-calibrated slopes based on difficulty, all decorated with north bank modules on one side and a huge wall above the Crest du Merle. There are not many clean DH pistes (eg inclines, jumps ...), but they are varied and the 3 lifts, which operate throughout the summer, allow you to have a good time at the hill station.
Like its neighbor in Beaufortin, the resort has an undeniable advantage in creating enduro tracks, and in this it stands out. Unexpectedly, DH's offer is complemented very favorably by beautiful enduro tracks that smell of fresh nature. We use the terrain, follow the lines and do not impose our eyes on the bulldozer.
We expected nothing less from the land of Kilian Bron, and we needed no more than a track (La trace) bearing his name. This is also the WAY. “Dré dans l'pentu”, as the mountain people say, is well planned, fun and technical, but not too difficult, it takes a single in the middle of the forest to return to the resort. Not to be missed!
We also recommend the combe des mares, a good old tech single with gravel, hairpin and steps that reminds us that mountain biking started on the GR trails (no backpackers here).
Obviously, if you additionally took a short-length or electric bike with you, the offer for cross-country skiing will not leave you indifferent. A very stocked station that you won't have to leave without tasting a great local product: farm reblochon!
Villard de Lans
The Vélo Vert Festival Dock has been dedicated to mountain biking for several years now. In addition to the exclusive All Mountain area, with singles traversing the northern part of the Vercors massif, the resort operates the Côte 2000 gondola lift throughout the summer and weekend in September.
In the menu, 1 green, 3 blue and 2 red. All slopes have the same start for at least a third of their course, then they separate before approaching the forest part, this is the negative side, since after several descents we always resume the same departure (which goes near with a runway). paragliders and deserves a little break to watch).
The view to the peaks is really beautiful, with a pleasant contrast between the forest and the very mineral top.
The relief is very rocky and technical, but just right. The paths wind through the forest, there is a good stream, and it's a lot of fun. At several locations, the maintenance team installed wooden modules to facilitate passage.
Nothing can be said about the content of the slopes, which is really thought out in such a way that the descent is as enjoyable as possible.
Watch out for the green Carambar, which in our opinion is too technical for real beginners, and especially worth mentioning is the red Kévina, which is just ge-ni-ale!
Overall the quality of the pistes in Willard is very good for the end of the season.
L'Alpe d'Huez
The area was a forerunner in the late 1990s and has established itself as one of the staples in downhill mountain biking with mega avalanches, a race that starts from the Peak Blanc glacier at the top of the resort and ends in the valley at Allemont. The resort then gave way to other bike parks that knew how to invest and communicate more effectively.
The fact remains: the bike park offer is balanced by DH trails sponsored by DMC, followed by very beautiful enduro trails, quite technical and well-developed, descending into Oz.
The landscapes and views at the resort are stunning. We are very sorry that the tracks are just numbers that don't make you dream.
L'Alpe d'Huez is a big resort and lacks little to (re-)find its excellent mountain bike offering.
Complete at least once in your life the Megavalansha track, starting from the white peak.
Where to ride in the off-season?
Most bike parks are only open in summer, but some continue the season by opening weekends in September or October.
In general, they are always the same, which lend themselves to play: Clusaz, The 7 Laux, Villard de lans, Col de l'Arzelier, Montclar, Verbier (Switzerland).
We recommend that you check the information at the stations in advance and take a look at the KelBikePark.
