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MTB and Cycling in Oisans |
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MTB Trails
in Oisans :
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Season's events
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MTB and Cycling in Oisans |
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Season's events
Park your car just past the Chambon dam, in the tourist office car park. This is a circular route that will bring you back to your car.
Amidst magnificent scenery, it’s a long, hard ride up a track to the ‘Refuge communal des Mouterres’, rewarded by a lovely descent to La Grave. The greatest pleasure of this route lies in the extraordinary view over the Meije on one side, and the Ferrand valley on the other.
The Emparis plateau is accessed via the village of Mizo_n. Starting from the Chambon dam, ride up to Mizo_n on the D25 road (1.5 km and already a height gain of 140 m), and then follow signs to the hamlet of Singuigneret along a wide shale path. You will be riding above lake Chambon - the reflection of the imposing Mont-de-Lans glacier can be seen in the dazzling blue water. After the ’Refuge des Chatons’ at 1 825 m (7,5 km), you will spot the remains of a cable which was used to carry down bales of hay. Lower down, the ’Cascade de la Pisse’ waterfall gushes out of the rock. No one really knows where this water comes from, but it would seem to be from a system of siphons and pipes from the glaciers opposite.
To the north, the deep and mysterious Ferrand valley can be seen, over which tower the Grandes Rousses mountains. You can just make out the Pr_s Nouveaux, the historical passage to Savoie for Protestants persecuted in the aftermath of the revocation of the Edict of Nantes. Between 1685 and 1688, thousands of fleeing Protestants went over this pass to get to Germany or Switzerland.
On the right, about 100 m from the track, you will see the Chalet des Mouterres (2 258 m). You can enjoy a meal or a cold drink here before carrying on along the vehicle track for 500 m. Turn onto the GR 54 - GR 50 (nationwide paths recognizable by their red and white waymarks) towards Le Chazelet - La Grave. This path goes steeply up through mountain pastures to the high point of the route: the Col du Souchet at 2 365 m. You are now on the Emparis plateau, whose crystalline earth, peat bogs and thick grass make a pleasant contrast to the harsh, rocky surroundings. It looks like a small piece of Patagonia; pampas that have strayed into our mountains...
At the Col du Souchet (17 km), the view over the Meije, the Rateau, the Doigt de Dieu and the Girose glacier is exceptional - probably one of the most breathtaking in Oisans. From this junction, you can make a detour (following the signs) up to Lake L_ri_ and Lake Noir, the two ’eyes’ of the Meije. If not, it’s time to tackle the descent to Le Chazelet on the stony switchbacks. The little village, clinging to the mountainside, stretches out its arms to welcome you. This is a great downhill stretch - quite technical, with switchbacks on terrain that can be brittle or unstable, due to loose stones. Cross the bridge over the river G_, and go through Le Chazelet on the particularly steep main street to join up again with the GR path (red and white waymarks), which takes you past a wooden orthodox cross on the side on the road.
Cycle down towards La Grave. It is possible to follow the left-hand bank of the Romanche river on the way back to the Chambon car park, although high river levels sometimes close this path to mountain bikers. Then take the N91 road that leads down to the dam in under 8 kms.
The view over the Meije from the Col du Souchet.
Emparis or ‘plateau de paris’, depending on the map. The name bears no relation to the capital city or the exploits of one of its inhabitants, but instead is of Celtic origin - ‘Par’ meaning ‘exposed to the sun’. The wetter parts of the plateau are rich in an aromatic plant, a wild barley, which is used in Central Europe for flavouring vodka!
