The new nature reserve of Val Réchy primarily comprises the plateau north of the Becs de Bosson. Although the usual route to the Brazilian Trail rides right through this area, the bike has to be pushed here anyway because the singletrail ascent to the Col de Cou is too steep. In the nature conservation area, it is only forbidden to "ride" the trail on a mountain bike, but not to "push" it. At the Col de Cou, the start of the Brazilian Trail, the new nature reserve ends and with it the ban on biking. From a purely legal point of view, nothing changes because you can't ride in the prohibited zone anyway.

Decision concerning the protection of the "Val de Réchy" moorland and the "Ar du Tsan" fen, municipality of Mont-Noble, dated September 2, 2015:

• Art. 4.b: It is forbidden to enter the area with vehicles of any kind (cars, quads, motorcycles, mountain bikes, bicycles, ...).
• Art. 5.5: The hiking trails that are part of the approved trail network are maintained. However, under no circumstances may they be used by mountain bikes or other vehicles.

The excitement that the Brazilian would be banned is therefore exaggerated. The standard route of the Brazilian Tour - from the Crête de Midi to the Col de Cou and down to Nax - can still be tackled as long as you are on foot on the ascent to the Col de Cou. With this new regulation, however, the ride from the Col de Louché to the Col de Cou is prohibited. This connection is necessary if you want to start the Brazilian Tour in Grimentz.

The regulation that extensive farming is permitted in the designated area seems somewhat bizarre, meaning that the plateau may continue to be grazed "with an appropriate number of livestock (only sheep, cattle without dairy cows, goats)". Cattle on the meadow are therefore permitted, mountain bikers on a designated path are not. Fishing and hunting are also still permitted, as is hiking. This repeatedly raises the question of whether mountain bikers on a trail actually cause more damage to nature than hikers on the same trail and should therefore be excluded. It is hard to shake off the feeling that the image of the mountain biker as a damaging nature rowdie is still being bandied about by the people responsible for legislation.

Official regulation

Map of the newly designated nature reserve in the Val de Réchy: