Best Of: Chamonix Singletrack (Part 2)
Mini-guide to some of the best Mountain Bike rides in the Chamonix area without lifts
Chamonix is a well known destination for alpinists, skiers and walkers – it is not so well known for mountain biking. Surrounded by other ski areas and alpine towns like the Portes du Soleil, Verbier and Pila, where great emphasis is put on biking as a primary summer time sport, Chamonix town council and the lift operating company, on the other hand have no real need to diversify, due to the large influx of people coming to the area anyway in the summer months to enjoy the trails. Consequently, the sport can often feel like a bit of a second class citizen in the valley’s sporting world, lacking the infrastructure of the aforementioned other resorts and the manmade flow trails and other commodities alpine resorts can offer – not to mention the Bike Ban that is in effect on a lot of the valley’s trails in July and August when the trails are busiest. Despite this, in recent years there has been a lot of new development at both Les Houches (thanks to Les Houches Bike Club) and Le Tour/Vallorcine with both lift areas making moves to be more bike friendly and provide quality man-made (but still quite rugged) trails. Much of the charm and character of Chamonix biking comes from it’s high levels of tech, rocks, exposure and switchbacks that come from trails and terrain that wasn’t designed to be biked down (but actually is pretty good!) all set against the stunning backdrops of the Mont Blanc Massif, Aiguilles Rouges and Fiz.
As a caveat for these two articles, as a biker, I’m mediocre at best and generally get out on days between climbing and work, often by myself or with a small group of friends. Over the past 6 years of living here I’ve spent a lot of time exploring the trails from Passy to Martigny, trying to scrape information from where I can (Strava Heatmaps, Chamonix Bike Blog, Singletrack.fr, VTTTour.fr, Trailforks, looking at Maps etc.). Unlike climbing and skiing, the sport and trails are a lot less documented and finding good info can be a struggle. This is the second of two articles focusing on ten rides that do not require the use of the lifts. Hopefully it will prove useful for people exploring the area and not upset anyone…
Non-Lift served trails
Whilst Part 1 focused on the trails that make most sense to be ridden off the lifts, unfortunately they are only open for three months of the summer and even then, you have to understand the ever changing rules of the Compagnie du Mont Blanc. This leaves a good chunk of the biking season, which in the Chamonix area often runs from March to November, without mechanical assistance. Fortunately, this leaves plenty of good options that are rideable with some pedaling (mostly on roads or 4×4 tracks) and some pushing. Unlike the lift rides, the majority of these trails are not man-made and all follow existing footpaths. Some of these lower elevation trails come into condition quickly after the winter (or in some winters are rideable almost all year) whereas others are summer/autumn affairs needing dry conditions in the mid mountain. Overall, there is a good variety of trails in both effort required and style, showing that a lift pass is not an essential ingredient of good riding in the Chamonix area.
Servoz Classic
- Effort: 1/5
- Difficulty: 2/5
- Rideable during Bike Ban: Yes.
Servoz is a bit of a centre for rides without lifts, being the start point for many of the trails on this list and having a lower elevation and generally more sun. This means that a lot of the riding opens up quickly and stays snow free for longer. The classic easy loop in Servoz is to cycle up to the end of the road past Le Mont to a car park where a trail on the left drops back down to Vieux Servoz through the woodlands via some fast, flowy singletrack. There are several variations to the trail and there are some optional higher start points if you cycle up the 4×4 trail above the car park towards Lac Vert. With the whole ascent being on easy angled roads and with not a great deal of height gain, the whole loop should take under an hour – good for a short hit.
Souay Trail
- Effort: 3/5
- Difficulty: 3/5
- Rideable during Bike Ban: Yes.
The Souay trail starts by the Chalets of the same name and generally follows the line of the Souay river. It provides a good blast down some flowy singletrack with some at times, sections of technical ground. It spits you out in a car park, where a short blast up some 4×4 sees you down a final, exceptionally fast bit of trail back to the road. There is the parallel trail that starts near the Chalets Ayeres that provides a shorter, but possibly more flowy experience (with the exception of a rather large drop off near the start). These trails are accessed by following the road to it’s end past Le Mont, then cycling up 4×4 trails past Lac Vert and up to the Chalets Ayeres. From here you can traverse along to the Chalets Souay.
Pormenaz
- Effort: 4/5
- Difficulty: 3.5/5
- Rideable during Bike Ban: Yes.
The Pormenaz is the large rotund bit of hillside between the Gorges Diosaz and the Souay river. It is a picturesque point above Servoz with a lake on top that is a popular hiking point. The trail up here also serves as a great ride with the descent providing great technical singletrack where nothing is unrideable but has sustained technical interest. It is also one of the longer trails in the area and is arguably one of the more picturesque. There are two possible ways to ride it. One is to cycle and push up from Servoz in an allee-retour fashion, this has the advantage of being quicker and not having to make the traverse round, however, it is less aesthetic and not as beautiful scenery wise. The other is to cycle to the Refuge Moede Anterne and then make the traverse across past the lake before dropping in – beautiful cycling under the Fiz but a much larger undertaking.
Grosses Pierre trail (fat Pete)
- Effort: 2/5
- Difficulty: 2/5
- Rideable during Bike Ban: Yes.
Another classic, this trail runs from the houses on the hillside at Flaitiere down to Servoz and is one of Chamonix’s more flowy offerings. It generally follows fast, smooth forest singletrack where a turn left near the end can see you onto slightly steeper ground or can be continued on 4×4 down to the bottom of the Diosaz car park. The ride up the hill is pretty much all on road with the exception of the last fifth that is on 4×4 passing the Spiritual Enlightment centre… It is a great ride for people wanting a break from the technical riding found everywhere else or as a way to get to Servoz and do some of the trails there, not to mention some great views near the start of the trail.
Flaitiere Trails
- Effort: 1.5/5.
- Difficulty: 2.5/5
- Rideable during Bike Ban: Yes, but the landowners aren’t always happy about the trail development
Like Servoz, the Flaitiere hillside is another starting point hub for trails with it’s road providing a high access point with minimal effort. From the end of the road (which you pass to access the previous trail), a footpath drops into the woods on the left, following this numerous trails drop off left of the trail into the woods. Unlike most of the trails on this list, these are man made trails and a lot of development has happened here in the past 5 years producing some fantastic singletrack that crosses the 4×4 at various points before reaching the road just above Les Houches train station. For those who like the steep, dirt trails of Les Houches, this is very similar nd provides a fantastic alternative when the lifts there are shut.
Merlet
- Effort: 2/5
- Difficulty: 3/5
- Rideable during Bike Ban: No.
One of, if not The, most popular ride that doesn’t need lifts, the trail that leads from the animal park at Merlet to Gaillands is a quintessential Chamonix shoulder season ride. The trail starts with some technical riding down steps, a bridge across a gully and some rocky slabs (with metal rungs in), all in a no fall zone – a good Chamonix welcome. Following this, is fast but rocky trails interspersed with switchbacks that require a careful line that lead down the hillside (interspersed with a technical rocky step). There are several possible finishes that end in either Montquarts, Bossons or most commonly Gaillands (with a short push across a gully). Here there are several brilliant manmade flowy trails that give a final blast down the woodland gullies and provide a good contrast to the rocky-ness that characterizes the rest of the trail. Probably the best ride to do if you can only do one when the lifts aren’t open and don’t want to stray too far from Chamonix.
Plan d'Aiguille
- Effort: 4/5
- Difficulty: 3.5/5
- Rideable during Bike Ban: No.
Sadly the Midi lift and the Montenvers don’t allow bikes on. Unsurprisingly, given how busy they are but a shame as the hillside below the Plan has some great trails on it. This means that bikers have to push their bikes up the 1500m or so to near the Refuge Plan d’Aiguille where the trail starts – this takes a while. What you are rewarded with some fantastic riding that starts off technical and gets progressively more flowy until you get to the straights of the Grand Bois path leading down to the 4×4. This is then crossed and some further tight switchbacks lead down to the Grepon car park. The start of the trail, whilst pretty rocky and technical also has the advantage of being above the treelike, meaning you get the fantastic backdrop of the Bossons glacier and Aiguille du Midi. For those looking for another adventure like this, pushing up to the Alpages du Blaitiere provides a good variation to this trail. Not for everyone but a good adventure for those not minding a push.
Caillet trail
- Effort: 2.5/5
- Difficulty: 3/5
- Rideable during Bike Ban: No.
The Caillet trail is the best singletrack riding on the Montenvers hillside and provides a nice loop from town with a picturesque buvette at the top of the uphill – a great refreshment stop. The trail follows the James Bond 4×4 up towards the Mottets (steep at first but gets progressively easier), before following a footpath signed to Caillet that requires 10 mins of pushing. From the buvette, the trail starts fast and rocky passing a number of clearings before making a plunge downhill towards the train tracks through some very technical switchbacks that are hard to ride. From here, more flowy terrain leads back to the Planards slopes and the start point. Whilst possibly not the highest quality downhill riding, the overall loop makes it a good adventure right from the town centre and it has enough good sections to make the list.
loriaz
- Effort: 3/5
- Difficulty: 3/5
- Rideable during Bike Ban: Yes.
Possibly the most complete ride on this list, the Loriaz loop is a classic! It ascends the 700m of hillside on 4×4 trails that cumulates in a beautiful open bowl complete with Refuge for refreshments before great, rocky (but fully rideable) singletrack brings you down to the hamlet of Vallorcine. The ride is easily reachable from Chamonix on the train getting off at the Buet stop and getting back on in Vallorcine. Not being in the Chamonix valley means that is rideable during the bike ban and so is one of the better pedal rides to do in the summer months – it is great for people liking the style of big scenery riding found at Le Tour but want a bit of a cardio work out!
Emosson to Martigny
- Effort: 3/5
- Difficulty: 3.5/5
- Rideable during Bike Ban: Yes.
This one might be stretching the Chamonix area remit but is doable with public transport so I’m going to include it. Commonly used on TMB best ofs, the ride that starts from the dam at Emosson and finishes in the Roman town of Martigny is definitely the longest on this list. The trail starts on technical, rocky traversing terrain, passing the Fenestral alpages before diving into faster, forest trails that lead to Marecottes. From here some steep switchbacks lead down into the gorge that is crossed and 4×4 is followed towards Salvan. It’s finale, and best part, is the trail cut into the rock that is both very technical but rideable, all set against the backdrop of the Rhone valley – very picturesque. To get to the start of the trail, trains can be taken to Finhaut and then a postbus can be caught (with bike carriers) to the dam (we didn’t know this and cycled up…). In Martigny, a train can be caught back to Chamonix. This is a great trail for those looking for a journey and is a full day out (whereas most trails on this list are a half day at most).
Bonus
Balcon Nord
- Effort: 1/5
- Difficulty: 1/5
- Rideable during Bike Ban: Yes.
The Balcon Nord is the valley level trail that runs from Le Tour down to Le Bois. It has some nice sections of flowy singletrack (particularly between Les Chosalets and Lavancher) and is probably one of the easier trails to do in the valley whilst still having interest but minimal height gain. Although it doesn’t make the 10 above it is a great link ride if biking at Le Tour at wanting to get back to town or for an easy blast. Being a marked bike trail means its rideable all year too.
Author Note: some trails that could possibly go on this list but use uphill/lift hybrid or stretch the ‘Chamonix area’ would be the Col du Tricot or the ride to Sixt via Moede Anterne. I have also not yet ridden the Plan des Glacier trail or the Nid d’Aigle trail (both probably very scenic) so have not included.
More information on these trails can be found on Fatmap, Trailforks, Strava.