Mont Tournairet

Le Caïres Gros (Mont Tournairet)

In the southern French Alps, more precisely in the Maritime Alps, numerous impressive and physically demanding tours await. The circular tour over the Tête de Clans and Mont Tournairet is one of the most varied tours for technically experienced mountain bikers with plenty of stamina.

Description

Start in the small village of Lantosque on the banks of La Vésubie. From here, you cycle steadily north on the main road towards Saint-Martin-Vésubie. The picturesque village with its narrow old town nestles against the sunny southern slopes and is crossed on asphalt. This is followed by the ascent to the Col Saint-Martin, which lies at over 1500 m above sea level - a considerable part of the ascent has already been completed here. The route continues on gravel through the ski area of La Colmiane up to the Pic de la Colmiane, where you switch to a singletrail in the direction of Tête de Clans. The crossing at the Col de deux Caïres is no longer passable due to a landslide - so the ascent takes you over the ridge to the top, which brings additional metres in altitude but also impressive views.

On reaching the top, a fascinating panorama opens up: the Mediterranean lies in the distance to the south, while the border mountains on the French-Italian line rise steeply to the north - Mediterranean air meets Alpine ruggedness here. The traverse runs gently up and down at S1-S2 level up to Mont Tournairet. Alternatively, you can follow the descent below the Tête de Cabanal - as indicated in the GPX track - which is technically similar to the previous sections. The long and varied singletrail Les Granges de la Brasque then begins. Typical for the region, the descent rides over loose gravel, through fragrant macchia vegetation and narrow paths in south-facing terrain. The lower third in particular offers a technically crisp finale that rides directly back to Lantosque - where the loop comes to a close.

Important: Parts of the route were badly damaged in the 2021 flood disaster. Many sections have already been repaired (as of 2025), but there may be occasional detours, landslide debris or construction sites.

To view the detailed tour description, the topo map, the altitude profile and to download the GPX track, you need a user account on Ride-mtb.com with a subscription. Log in now or become a subscriber.

Map & GPX-Track

The map is only available to Ride subscribers.
The Ride-Subscription is available at ride-mtb.com/abo

.

Details of the tour

48 km

1705 m

468 above sea level

2049 above sea level

1 day

Lantosque

3569

not suitable

Martin Depauli

Jan

Feb

Mar

April

Mai

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Okt

Nov

Dez

More information

Bikeschools

No bike schools are registered for this region. Registration as a partner takes place here.

Bikeshops

No bike shops are registered for this region. Registration as a partner takes place here.

Bikehotels

No bike hotels are registered for this region. You can register as a partner here.

User comments (2)

Log in or register to post comments

Log in or register to post comments

I should have skipped the high-alpine section. I found it pretty tough to ride with all the ups and downs. Starting at Les Granges (around kilometer 39), things really pick up—it gets a bit more technical there. I think you could also reach the trailhead at Les Granges directly by road.