Pointe des Marcelettes

From Ceillac, there are countless opportunities to reach high peaks by bike. The eternally long descent from the Pointe des Marcelettes is a real highlight in terms of scenery and trails.

Description

The tour begins in the winter and summer sports resort of Ceillac. From here, you pedal steadily uphill on asphalt along the river Le Cristillan. After the first agricultural areas, you take a sharp left and change to a steep gravel road, which later gently crosses the hills. Soon after, you come to a hiking trail that initially requires a willingness to push, but is still passable in sections. With an e-bike and a solid uphill technique, you can tackle quite challenging passages here.

The route rides from an altitude of around 1850 to just under 2900 meters above sea level, with the 1100 metres in altitude being overcome by a mixture of pedalling, pushing and carrying. Along the way, you are immersed deeper and deeper into the alpine mountain world and enjoy magnificent views, especially in the area of the Tête de Jacquette. You can continue cycling along the ridge, with short up and down sections. However, the view from the rear of the Sommet de Jacquette is unique. In good visibility, the view extends as far as the Gran Paradiso.

The descent then begins with difficulty level S2, occasionally S3 in the upper ridge area. Some sections require pushing again on the uphill. From the Tête de Jacquette, the descent is constant, initially on loose gravel with hairpin bends, where a high S2 level can also be expected. From the saddle, you switch to the Col des Estronques (2651 m above sea level), where a relatively flowing trail heralds the descent. With a maximum grade of S2 and long slope crossings, this section is perfect for trail surfing. In the middle section, however, there is a significant slope crossing where the bike should definitely be pushed, as a fall here would have serious consequences.

Finally, you reach the hiking trail of the ascent route again, cross the agricultural areas and come across a challenging trail section. After a short forest road section with around 100 meters of ascent, the last downhill section follows to the starting point, which can be mastered with S1 to S2.

Overall, the tour offers a varied and interesting route that is a real treat, especially for e-bikers with solid uphill technique.

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