Fort de Lenlon Nordseite
Description
The tour starts just north of Val-des-Prés, near Briançon. From here, you follow an old military ramp, which is now a gravel road, uphill at a steady incline. The route takes you past the chalets of Granon, where the vegetation slowly thins out. Further up, the military road runs openly and with great views towards Fort de Lenlon.
At an altitude of 2508 meters above sea level, you finally reach the fort - built between 1890 and 1893, but now closed. Even if you can't see inside, it's worth taking a long break here: the view stretches far across the Clarée Valley and as far as the peaks of the Écrins.
The descent then begins. First, an easy trail (difficulty S1) combined with a wider cart path leads downhill at a pleasant gradient to Fort de l'Olive. This equally imposing military facility is partly dilapidated, but still sits impressively on the ridge.
From here, the actual trail begins - technically demanding, steep in places and with key sections of difficulty S2 to S3 in places. The path winds its way through sparse larch forests, alternating between loose gravel, roots and tight bends. Those who master this section will be rewarded with a varied and scenic descent.
In the lower section, the trail joins a flowing path that rides directly into the village of Plampinet. From there, you follow a beautiful section along the river southwards. Fun fact in Plampinet: you are exactly 5000 kilometers from the North Pole and 5000 kilometers from the equator - geographically speaking, exactly in the middle. The last section is a leisurely ride back to the starting point north of Val-des-Prés - a successful conclusion to this historic, panoramic tour.
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Details of the tour
24 km
1045 m
1045 m
1406 above sea level
2470 above sea level
Val-des-Prés
Val-des-Prés
3537
well suited
More information
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User comments (1)
About the author: Martin Depauli
Note: This content has been automatically translated from German. Please report any incorrect translations.
Very beautiful route in the idyllic Val des Près. The gravel road ascent is somewhat monotonous and quite rough. A slightly more interesting version would be from Briançon over the Col de Granon (you could even take a shuttle up here) and from this side over to Fort de Lenlon. It's also a bit sunnier in the fall. After the descent, return to Briançon through the wild Val des Près.