Pas d'Archail - Terres Noires
Description
The tour starts in the center of Digne-les-Bains and initially rides along a quiet asphalt road up to Les Dourbes. There you switch to a gravel road and climb steadily uphill - the goal always in sight: the dominant rock band. Finally, the route turns into a trail that is easy to ride and leads directly to the start of the rock band. There you have two short, rocky sections: Shoulder your bike. However, these are quickly mastered, even an e-bike can be hoisted up for this short section. The passages are quickly mastered and you reach the traverse trail, which runs spectacularly through the middle of the rock band. Not too difficult in terms of riding technique, but very exposed, this section is not for the faint-hearted - you are rewarded with a breathtaking view of the entire Digne area. Shortly afterwards, you reach the Pas de la Faye.
The following trail crosses the mountain flank on the other side and is still a little rough at first, but becomes increasingly smooth. You then reach the gravel road that leads up to the Pas d'Archail, the transition back to the Digne region. Optional: If you still have reserves, take the summit of the Sommet de Couar with you. The ascent is only possible by pushing, but the descent is rideable throughout - and the view from the summit is more than worth the effort.
From the Pas d'Archail, a gravelly, slippery trail with numerous hairpin bends leads down through the forest. After a short transfer and a small counter-climb, you reach the start of the legendary XXL crêtes of the Terres Noires. Technically, it is not too difficult, but the scenery is breathtaking - the narrow ridge paths run over steeply sloping terrain to the left and right of the trail. A little courage is required, but the scenery is simply breathtaking. No one will be left out in the cold if you push here.
After the crêtes, you reach a gravel road and then climb uphill on an easy trail. The next Terres-Noires section follows: a flowing descent over large rock slabs, peppered with rollable sections. Technically challenging, but not exposed.
Continue in this style until you reach the Bergerie de Maurel, where you turn left onto a trail with lots of hairpin bends. This leads up to an inconspicuous summit, the starting point of the final descent. This begins with S3-S4 passages on loose, slippery Terres-Noires terrain. Further down, the trail becomes increasingly flowy until you finally glide down to the valley floor at speed. The end of the descent is not far from the EVO bike park - from there, you can roll back to the center of Digne-les-Bains on a quiet road.
Map & GPX-Track
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Details of the tour
42 km
1550 m
1550 m
595 above sea level
1677 above sea level
1 day
Digne-les-Bains
Digne-les-Bains
3486
limited
More information
More tours nearby
User comments (2)
About the author: Thomas Giger
Note: This content has been automatically translated from German. Please report any incorrect translations.
Well worth it. Both for the scenery and the technical challenge. For me, it’s the most rewarding ride in the area.
A magnificent tour that offers everything a touring biker could wish for! But it should also be said: The tour is really tough, and back in Digne we were really flat (with Bio Bike). I think the classification with riding technique 3 is rather too low. You have to be able to ride very concentrated for a long time.