Izoard Supertour
Description
The starting point of this challenging but unforgettable mountain bike tour is the Col d'Izoard. Due to the length and altitude difference, we recommend using a local bike shuttle to shorten the tour to a reasonable length - although it is still demanding in terms of fitness. From the pass, you could take an attractive trail down to the village of Arvieux and thus shorten the tour. However, the start via the Crête de Glaisette is far more rewarding - a real super trail with breathtaking scenery. To do this, you first roll down the pass road for a while until a path branches off to the left.
The trail begins with a wide section that leads to the Col du Tronchet at a steady incline. The route is easy to ride, only the last few meters to the transition require a little more physical effort. Once at the top, you reach the Crête de Glaisette - the starting point of a long, varied descent.
The trail follows the ridge in a rhythmic alternation of flowing S2 passages and technically demanding S3 sections. This descent is one of the highlights of the Queyras, both in terms of scenery and riding technique. After a short counter-climb at a mountain station, the legendary "Supertrail" to Lac de Roue begins - fast, grippy and with perfect flow. The final section through the forest down to Château-Queyras shows a completely different side: rooty, rough, winding and challenging.
On reaching the main road, follow it briefly downhill to the turn-off towards Col d'Izoard. This is where the second part of the tour begins. Leave the pass road via the village of Arvieux and climb up a gravel road to the Col de Furfande. At the top, you can enjoy impressive views back to the Col d'Izoard and over the wide mountain ranges of the Queyras Regional Nature Park.
The following descent begins as a fast S1 trail, soon becomes more technical and leads into a steep counter-climb to the Col Garnier. E-mountain bikers usually stay in the saddle, everyone else descends for a few minutes. The second super trail of the tour starts at Col Garnier - a fast, agile and technically varied descent into the Gorges du Guil. The trail rides to a stream bed before a short, steep climb follows. You then roll along a gravel road to the hamlet of Gros.
From here, the spectacular final trail section begins: extremely steep, with tight bends and exposed in places. In some places, it is advisable to push your mountain bike for a short time for safety reasons. If you want to avoid this section, you can alternatively ride a section of the impressive asphalt road and later turn off onto a winding trail that leads back to the main route.
At the end, there is an impressive section through the lowest part of the Guil Gorge - a worthy finale to this exceptionally varied tour.
Note: From Mont-Dauphin, it is possible to ride back to Briançon by train. There are officially three bicycle spaces per connection (five bikes usually fit). Reservations are required in advance at weekends.
Map & GPX-Track
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Details of the tour
46 km
1555 m
3020 m
886 above sea level
2494 above sea level
1 day
Col d'Izoard
Mont-Dauphin
3511
well suited
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About the author: Thomas Giger
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