Tête de la Cula

Tête de la Cula

In the Alps, there are several bike 3000ers that should definitely be completed at least once in a biker's life. One of the best and most harmonious is the tour to the summit of Tête de la Cula with the epic descent to Ceillac.

Description

The mountain bike tour in Ceillac, a small mountain sports resort, starts right in the lively center and initially rides north on asphalt along the picturesque Le Cristillan. This idyllic uphill leads deeper into the area, close to the national border between Italy and France, and offers a perfect mix of natural beauty and sporting challenge.

You pedal along a pleasant asphalt path until you reach the hiking parking lots below the southern slopes of the Tête de Jacquette. From the parking lot, the surface becomes gravel and a steeper climb begins to the Cabane de la Lavine mountain pasture. Here you cross a body of water and follow a hiking trail, which at higher altitudes around 2200 meters above sea level is still partly pedalable, but for the most part has to be pushed or carried.

The higher you get, the more breathtaking the landscape becomes. Below the summit, surrounded by impressive 3000-metre peaks, you finally reach the Col de la Cula saddle at 3070 meters. The thinner air and the moon-like landscape make reaching the summit of Tête de la Cula an unforgettable experience. From the summit, the panorama is spectacular, ranging from epic views of the Ubaye Valley to the Italian Valle Stura, Valle Varaita and Valle Maira to the French Alps.

The descent from the summit begins technically challenging, but quickly becomes a flowing downhill experience that you won't soon forget. You surf down the ascent route, cross the ridge below the Tête de Jacquette on mule tracks and finally combine side roads and mule tracks before returning to the asphalt road via a challenging hairpin bend trail and finally back to Ceillac.

The tour is mostly rideable for e-bikers, with around 80 to 90 % of the uphill section being manageable with good technique.

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.