Le Grand Serre Che
Description
The route starts in downtown Briançon with a ride on the gondola up to the Prorel mountain station. After a short warm-up on a trail, a steep gravel road leads up to the ridge—an ideal warm-up for the upcoming traverse. This traverse trail requires attention, but is easily rideable except for a few spots and provides a perfect connection to the main area of Serre Chevalier. Instead of the official route, which leads down a steep gravel ramp to the chairlift, take the traverse to Col de la Ricelle and leave the marked trail there again. The route then continues along the official route, which at this stage consists of wide, sometimes very steep gravel roads, interrupted by a trail climb, and is not particularly appealing. It is the only option for reaching the Col du Cucumelle. The path along the eastern flank of the ridge is not a viable alternative.
After the Col du Cucumelle, the route continues along a flowing ridge trail to the Col du Grand Pré and from there to the start of the steep, technical descent to Le Monêtier-les-Bains. In the upper section of the Grand Pré descent, you’ll find yourself on an alpine trail rated S3. Further down, the trail becomes more fluid, especially on the official mountain bike park lines, which offer plenty of riding fun. A consistently flowing descent begins right at the Col de l’Eychauda down to Bachas, where you’ll join the trails of the mountain bike park.
Once you reach the valley floor, a mix of small roads and easy trails (S0) takes you out of the valley—all the way back to Briançon if you wish. However, this route incorporates the Ratier gondola at Chantemerle. After another climb on gravel, you’ll reach a scenic singletrack high above the valley floor, which eventually leads down to the first houses of Briançon. The final section follows a bike path back to the valley station of the Prorel gondola.
Map & GPX-Track
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Details of the tour
35 km
595 m
2250 m
1208 above sea level
2573 above sea level
Briançon
Briançon
3520
well suited
More information
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User comments (2)
About the author: Thomas Giger
Note: This content has been automatically translated from German. Please report any incorrect translations.
Before crossing the stream, a black trail rides directly into the valley. Simply extend the descent if you don't like bike park trails. (See Trailforks) but technically great
An eventful tour! We started in le Monetier le Bains and were able to buy the morning ticket for both ascents for 23.50 euros.
After the Col de la Pisse, the name says it all, the trail was not much fun for the next 3 km, it was too narrow for us to pedal. The descent can be made easier by taking the red variant in the upper section.