Caramantran – Queyras

Monte Pelvo

Monte Pelvo is located right on the border between Italy and France. Starting from Valle Maira in the Queyras region, the descent toward Vile-Vieille offers a spectacular all-mountain tour.

Description

The tour begins in the small village of Pierre Grosse. From here, the route follows the D205 main road toward Col Agnel, climbing steadily at a moderate gradient, accompanied by sweeping, impressive views of the landscape. At Refuge Agnel, there’s a short stretch of paved road, after which the GR 58 long-distance trail continues to Col de Chamoussière—at first riding, but sometimes pushing the bike. The pass itself is very flat, and from here it’s only a few meters to the summit. However, you should orient yourself toward the northern area, as there is a short section where you’ll need to carry your bike at Il Pelvo Cima Sud, and Il Pelvo Nord towers three meters above the southern summit. At the highest point of the hike, the views open up to Monviso, the Varaita Valley, the Maira Valley, the Queyras region, and—to the north—countless striking peaks.

The descent then begins, first directly from the summit at S2, with occasional S3 sections, and then continues downhill at a similar pace. The terrain rides like a carpet in places, the lines are smooth, and outside of peak travel times, there’s hardly anyone out here. The route continues to the Refuge Agnel and from there even more smoothly along the hiking trail back to the starting point, with a mountain bike park vibe and, when dry, fine dust. All in all, a mountain bike tour at over 3,000 meters above sea level in the heart of the Cottian Alps, which stays largely off the beaten path. With a lightweight e-mountain bike, even the alternative ascent routes are relatively manageable.

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