Tête de Girardin
Description
The tour starts in Ceillac, a French winter sports resort near Guillestre. Right at the beginning, the uphill ride on gravel is quite unspectacular but steep. If you are traveling without motor assistance, you will be pushing for a large part of the route. The steepness is also borderline for e-mountain bikers at times. The picture changes dramatically from Lac Sainte-Anne onwards. Here you enter a completely unspoiled natural environment, leaving behind the artificial facilities of the ski resort. From this point on, the bike is alternately pushed or pedaled and carried until you reach the Col Girardin at 2699 meters above sea level. E-mountain bikers can manage the ascent by riding almost all the way.
The Ubaye Valley, known for its magnificent alpine bike tours, opens up to the south. The route continues along the ridge to the highest point of the tour, the Tête de Girardin at an altitude of almost 2900 meters. Here, too, organic bikers will push, while technically experienced e-mountain bikers will manage to ride almost all the way to the summit. The view from the summit is breathtaking and extends from the Cottian Alps to the north and south, with the upcoming trail descent to the east.
The descent is at a difficulty level between S1 and S2 along the entire ascent route. The upper section of the ridge is particularly scenic and offers unique formations. The route rides down gently, surrounded by striking and rugged rock formations. There are also numerous hairpin bends, but the level remains at S2. Past Lac Sainte-Anne and to the left of the lifts, the trail rides to Lac Miroir, which is already below the tree line. Especially in autumn, the lake with its colorful larch trees offers a spectacular panorama. Finally, a few hairpin bends with an S1 trail (and some S2 sections) lead idyllically through the forest back to the starting point.
Map & GPX-Track
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Details of the tour
19 km
1130 m
1130 m
1704 above sea level
2825 above sea level
1 day
Ceillac
Ceillac
3243
well suited
More information
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User comments (1)
About the author: Martin Depauli
Note: This content has been automatically translated from German. Please report any incorrect translations.
I did the tour on October 16, 2025. rating: sensational! I was on the e-bike and rode the whole ascent (with the exception of a few bends). The ascent would be quite steep on an e-bike. The descent to the summit is super cool, the second section after Lac Miroir is beautiful but comparatively unspectacular. For me, this tour is one of the best in the Queyras region.