Balcon de Marta

The Cime de Marta and the Balcon de Marta is a heavily fortified mountain ridge from the First World War and offers everything that enduro and touring mountain bikers could wish for on the Italian/French border - fantastic ascents with endless trails.

Description

The tour starts in La Brigue and rides towards the Italian-French border along an old military road to Téte de la Nava. The ascent runs via Cime du Pinet and, typical of the area, winds along the Ligurian border ridge road, mostly on gravel and asphalt, up to 1931 meters above sea level. Here you can already enjoy an impressive mountain panorama, although it is hard to imagine the effort that went into building the entire infrastructure back then. Shortly after Téte de la Nava, past the old war buildings, you pass below the Cime de Marta (2137 meters above sea level). From here, the panorama is breathtaking, but a few more meters in altitude have to be conquered before reaching the Balcon de Marta at 2122 meters above sea level. At the Balcon de Marta, you are entirely on French territory. However, in good weather you can see as far as the sea to the south and the Maritime Alps to the west and north. The valley floor with La Brigue and Saint Dalmas-de-Tende is also visible. The special feature of the Balcon de Marta is that it is completely perforated with a military installation from the Second World War. If you have a headlamp with you, you can go exploring, while everyone else can enjoy the sun on the summit plateau.

The descent initially heads north up to the saddle on a difficulty of S0 to S1 and continues with a difficulty of S1 to S3 in places back down to La Brigue. A seemingly endless, varied trail runs along the ridge. From berms to hairpin bends and endless flow sections, everything is on offer. In between, you will be surprised again and again by former military installations. At Cime de Durasca, there is another 150-metre climb before you feel the downhill flow again. Once you arrive in La Brigue, you absolutely have to try the local gastronomic delicacies, as they are the best in France. All in all, a super varied tour that is particularly suitable for e-mountain bikers and offers magnificent views, especially in autumn.

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