From Briançon we are already in the Southern French Alps and as long as we keep heading South the smell of the pine trees and the salty taste in our mouths of the sea will guide our wheels to the final stop in sunny Nice!

From the fortified town of Briançon to the Mediterranean Sea , we will ride a wide variety of trails and the scenery will change daily. The route comprises a mix of jeep tracks through to technical singletracks. It crosses remote valleys and quaint old Provençal villages.  This week will ensure you have your dose of Mountain Biking with the final highlight:
a swim in the Mediterranean sea!

310km of awesome Mountain Biking adventure awaits you…

Please note:Due to the complexity of organising a multi stage tour, we can only propose two complete TransAlps Chamonix to the sea tours for summer 2011 ( two trips of 7 days). The tour can be made as two separate weeks or as a continuous two week tour.
With a minimum of 4 riders we can propose an additional shedule.

The Schedule: arrival Saturday

Warning: This itineray is given for your information and may be changed at the discretion of the guide depending on the weather conditions, physical ability of clients and the trail 'options' we decide together.

DAY of arrival (Saturday): 'Meet and great' by ourselves at Briancon or Embrun train station . Deposit baggage at evening accomodation with view of Lake of Serre Poncon. Unpacking and preparation of bikes. Last minute shopping requirements and possibilty to visit Embrun town.

DAY 1 (Sunday): Lake of Serre Ponçon to the Monges mountains
Departure from the Lake of Serre Ponçon, the largest dam in the Southern Alps, we begin with a gentle climb on a jeep track. The descent is a mix of an old jeep track and singletrack with smooth pine needles, spongy like carpet and excellent tight corners... Hummmmm!! An 800 metre ascent on an easy rolling jeep track to reach the summit which dominates the village of Gigors with the reward of a terrific singletrack slaloming between the trees on loose gravel terrain: skids and slides are a must… yeeaaahhaaa!!  A last ascent comprising half road and jeep track then descend to our cosy accommodation for the night.

Ride distance: 57km
Ascent: 1800m  Descent: 1800m

DAY 2 (Monday): Monges mountain to Digne
A short transfer by van avoids a long section of road and enables us to hit the trails in the direction of the Col de Clapouse, passing through the awesome remote valley of Esparon. Today and tomorrow we will ride in one of the least habited places in France... So we won’t meet many people on the trails! The singletrack from the Col of Clapouse is just magic... Nestled in a wild narrow valley, we will cross flower covered fields, on flowing and technical in places singletracks and finish next to a little stream. We will then climb the Col de Geruen, starting on a jeep track and ending on an amazing singletack offering splendid views of the wild and remote neighbouring valleys.
The descent towards the Col de Font Belle begins with a technical but ride able section and becomes the perfect trail… flowing, smooth, a few roots, a few steps we can jump, corners at full speed… You will definitely have a big smile on your face at the bottom of this singletrack!
Depending on time we can choose between riding the amazing ridge of the Col de Mounis or a network of singletracks and jeep tracks to arrive in Digne.

Ride distance: 52km
Uneven positive: 1800m  Uneven negative: 2000m

DAY 3 (Tuesday): Digne to Verdon gorges
A long day awaits us, however with lots of jeep tracks to ascend and nice descending trails, you won’t notice the distance! This stage is very varied, we will pass through remote typical Provençal villages. Passing from one valley to another by a ‘clues’ (a slice in the limestone made by the river over the last 10,000 years. We will pass through the lost village of Majastre nestled at the bottom of a small open valley, a splendid track in between the pine trees takes us from the valley and we finish the day in the quiet village of Bondils underneath the massive summit of the Chiran (1905m).

Ride distance: 60km
Uneven positive: 1600m  Uneven negative: 1500m

DAY 4 (Wednesday): From Verdon to Lac de Castillon
Today starts with short descent then a traversing trails to reach the ruined castle of Chateauneuf Les Verdon . From here a nice singletrack brings us to La Palud, a well known climbing spot in the Gorges du Verdon. Stopping here to take in the amazing views over the Verdon river and the narrow and deep canyon (also called the" french Grand Canyon") where it’s turquoise water flows. Then a short climb to the pretty village of Rugon followed by the climb to the Plateau de Suech, from where the panorama over the canyon of Verdon is breathtaking. In this area if we are lucky we may have the chance to see a rare bald head vulture. The descent from the Plateau de Suech is an ancient Roman road (almost 2000 years old) wher we arrive in the small remote village of Chasteuil. The day culminates in a hilly traversing trail to Castellane where we can swim in the lake and enjoy a beer.

Ride distance: 45km   
Uneven positive: 600m  Uneven negative: 800m

DAY 5 (Thursday): From Castellane to the Esteron valley
Today the program is simple:
Turn your brain into singletrack mode and go…
 After a short transfer by van avoiding 14km riding on the road, and then we will head to the mini ski resort of Vauplanne via a short gentle road climb. From here the view of the snowy alpine summits is breathtaking. From here the ride is 90% singletrack… Yipppeeee!
We will start this singletrack box of treats with a short descent then a traversing trail crossing pine tree forests, open flower covered meadows and dry rocks, altering between short ascents and descents, it seems to be endless! Arriving at the Col du Buis, 20 metres on tarmac and hop back onto the singletrack party again… The Esteron valley is definitly a jewel for mountain bikers! The day just rolls on happily to the final descent into the charming village of Roquesteron.

Ride distance: 40km (of pure Mountain Biking happiness J)
Uneven positive: 700m  Uneven negative: 900m

DAY 6 (Friday): From Roquesteron to the Mediterranean Sea
The final day of the second stage of this ‘Traverse of the Alps’ will be engraved in your Mountain Biking memory forever. Riding facing the Mediterranean Sea with the realisation that you have almost accomplished the complete ‘Traverse of the Alps’ is huge!!!
From Roquesteron we will climb the Cheiron mountain range via a gentle jeep track, followed by a short ‘hike-a-bike’ section to reach the top and then a technical descent to Bouyon. A short section on a quiet Provençal road will bring us to the foot of the last ascent of the Baou d’Anou, the last summit that separate us from the sea… The view over the famous Bay des Anges (Angles Bay) is amazing. The final descent of the tour is certainly by no means the least. The trail is awesome, passing through ancient cultivated terraces, slaloming between oak and olive trees... A short ride on the road from where we can almost hear the sound of the waves on the beach. The final night is spent in the beautiful medieval village of Saint Jeannet with its panoramic sea views.
Next stop… wriggle your toes in the sand, get your feet wet in the sea and toast a fabulous weeks Mountain Biking with a few beers!

Ride distance: 40km 
Uneven positive: 800m  Uneven negative: 1000m

Stage 2: Total ride distance: 310km!!
Total ‘Traverse of the Alps’ ride distance: 550km… and still alive!

Dismantle and pack bikes ready for departure the following day. Yes I think a well earned cold beer or two (or more...) is a definite!

Day 7 (Saturday): Departure day and transfer to Nice train station/airport, or Chamonix/Geneva airport. Or maybe you would like to stay longer by the sea?