Touring trail

Saint-Christophe-en-Oisans et La Bérarde N°24

Bourg-d’Oisans > Bourg-d’Arud > Saint-Christophe-en-Oisans

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

This route will take you to the village of La Bérarde, an old shepherds’ village, which is at the end of the road and literally at the end of the world! You will be cycling along an extraordinary road in the midst of a high mountain landscape! The silhouette of the peaks which stands out against the sky and the pure fresh air will invite you to put your feet up and just revel in this indisputably great natural wonder!

ITINERARY

From Bourg-d’Oisans, follow the road towards Briançon as far as Clapier d’Auris and from there, follow the road to Venosc, Saint-Christophe and La Bérarde. After Bourg-d’Arud, a slope of 11% incline over 3 km will lead you to the ’Plan du Lac’ and the camping-site at Fétoules. This is also one of the starting points for rafting on the wild river Vénéon. From the water sports base you will climb up to Saint-Christope-en-Oisans. The road then leads without effort to La Bérarde and opens up on to one of the most spectacular landscapes of the Alps, including the majestic South-Western slope of the Ecrins mountains (4,102 m) which reveals all its splendour! (or maybe not...?).

CULTURE

La Bérarde: a mountaineer’s paradise!
In Saint-Christope-en-Oisans, the cemetery and the museum of "Memories of Mountaineering" show the history of mountaineering and mountain guide families (Gaspard, Rodier, Ture) who forged the reputation of mountaineering in Oisans.

A QUOTATION

"Cycling has become an art of living for me."
Velocio (Paul de Vivie)