Méale
Description
The starting point of the tour is the northern end of Lac de Serre-Ponçon, at the mouth of Lac de Durance. From here, you start on asphalt and follow a narrow road uphill to Saint-Sauveur. The route then rides steadily north on gravel along a classic forest road to the summit, where the hiking trail branches off to Le Sommet du Méale. From here, the route continues by pushing. The mountain bike is carried or pushed for around 400 vertical meters until you reach the highest point of the tour. At the top, there is an impressive panoramic view over the Embrunnais and the Parpaillon massif, which are particularly striking in spring and autumn with their splendid colors.
The descent begins in a varied manner: partly challenging, partly flowing to ride, you move continuously on difficulty S2 back to the ascent route. From there, an exciting trail section begins with scenic passages. Sometimes a little more technically demanding, then again playful and flowing, the trail meanders downhill via Saint-Sauveur. Finally, you reach Le Plan on the valley floor, from where you can enjoy a relaxed ride back to the starting point on asphalt.
All in all, this is an inviting but not to be underestimated tour with around 1600 meters of elevation gain. Depending on your preference, you can also choose earlier trail entrances via various crossings without climbing to the summit. For e-mountain bikers: the tour is doable with a light e-mountain bike, as the bike has to be carried or pushed on some sections.
Map & GPX-Track
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Details of the tour
32 km
1580 m
1580 m
800 above sea level
2372 above sea level
Embrun
Embrun
3544
limited
More information
More tours nearby
User comments (1)
About the author: Martin Depauli
Note: This content has been automatically translated from German. Please report any incorrect translations.
To get this out of the way first: I didn't scramble up the Méale!
I really enjoyed the ride. The descent was really varied and, for the most part, fairly easy. For die-hard enduro riders, the downhills are too easy. In any case, I'd definitely ride this route again.