Testa dell'Autaret

The endless descent from Testa dell'Autaret to Le Bourguet with over 1600 Elevation loss also has to be worked for, but this variant on the French side of Testa dell'Autaret offers a trail highlight of superlatives.

Description

The starting point is the small French village of Le Bourguet. From here, the route continues on asphalt via Douans until the ascent road finally ends at the hamlets. After just under 400 meters in altitude, pedalling comes to an end. The remaining 1200 meters in altitude have to be covered by carrying or pushing. On a historic path, the route climbs steadily up the ridge below Roche Négre and past Téte Gerpa before finally reaching the Pas de Colle Longue. You fight your way up, metre by metre, and are presented with a view that is unique in the Maritime Alps. The absolute highlight is reached at Testa dell'Autaret.

A former military installation of the Vallo Alpino has now been completely converted into a magnificent trail descent. The descent itself is somewhat overgrown in the upper section, with difficulty levels ranging from S2 to S3. After a somewhat exposed traverse, a classic hairpin bend trail begins at difficulty level S2 and stays that way. Below the Pas de Colle Longue, the path has broken off twice during the crossing, so the bike has to be pushed here. The route then continues above the Téte Gerpa in a true flow orgy and is not really any more difficult down to Douans. After a short asphalt ride, the final trail section begins and ends in Le Bourguet.

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