komoot
  • Discover
  • Route planner
  • Features
Discover

Legendary MTB routes in the bike paradise of Vercors Isère

Vercors - Isère

Legendary MTB routes in the bike paradise of Vercors Isère

Mountain Biking Collection by Vercors - Isère

13

Tours

26:51 h

179 mi

21,600 ft

With tranquil valley cycle trails, testing mountainside singletrack, World Cup race tracks and Downhill spots, there really is something for every off-road cyclist in Vercors when the winter snow has melted. Furthermore, this incredible network of mountain biking routes is set in the most spectacular scenery, with towering rock cliffs, gently sloping grassy hillsides, wild woodlands and expansive mountain peak views. Forget pausing to catch your breath, you'll want to keep stopping to take it all in!

In this Collection you can choose from four graded mountain bike loops in the Vercors, rated from easy to extreme. This includes the green-rated Parcours de L’Arboretum, which takes in the Payonère plain and is accessible on wide paths for recumbent bikes and children's trailers as well as mountain bikes, all the way through to the black-rated Parcours La Légende 87, a seriously testing loop for experienced mountain bikers that takes in parts of the 1987 World Cup mountain biking race course. There's also the delightful blue-rated Parcours La Boucle du Clariant trail to the Clariant auberge, and the tougher red-rated Parcours La Royale, which takes you up to the Cross of Valchevrière viewpoint and memorial.

You'll also find the three stages of the ViaVercors here too, a mostly traffic-free cycling and hiking route that links the four main villages: Autrans-Méaudre en Vercors, Lans-en-Vercors, Villard-de-Lans and Corrençon-en-Vercors, which are situated on two major plateaus between thick forested mountains. Compared to the rated mountain biking trails, this longer route is more gentle in technicality, which makes it perfect for a bikepacking trip, with overnight stays either in local hotels, guesthouses or campsites. The ViaVercors is also popular among families with young children, especially between Lans-en-Vercors and Villard-de-Lans, where it is very straight and quite flat.

In addition to these there are six further MTB loops of varying lengths and difficulties, based from Lans-en-Vercors, Autrans and Saint-Nizier-du-Moucherotte.

Reaching Vercors Isère couldn't be easier, thanks to the Lyon St Exupery Airport, which is only a 90 minutes drive from Lans-en-Vercors.

On The Map

loading
loading

Tours

  1. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors

    Plateau Charvet - Saint-Nizier-du-Moucherotte

    00:57
    6.55 mi
    6.9 mph
    850 ft
    850 ft
    Intermediate
    Intermediate mountain bike ride. Great for any fitness level. Advanced riding skills necessary.

    From the Vercors town of Saint-Nizier-du-Moucherotte, this short Tour takes you up to the north over the stunning Plateau Charvet and loops back to the town.

    

    From the high town, you start by descending off the hillside to the north to La Chaussère, then take the singletrack to Rochetière.

    

    Shortly after

    by

    View
  2. 02:56
    16.9 mi
    5.8 mph
    2,650 ft
    2,650 ft
    Intermediate
    Intermediate mountain bike ride. Good fitness required. Advanced riding skills necessary.

    From the town of Autrans, this 27.1 kilometre (18.8 mile) mountain biking Tour leads you north to La Sure on the valley balcony track, before zig-zagging steadily up the hillside to the east to reach the high alpine pastures of Molière and Charande.

    

    The far-reaching alpine mountain views here are simply

    by

    View
  3. Sign Up To Discover Places Like This

    Get recommendations on the best single tracks, peaks, & plenty of other exciting outdoor places.

  4. 02:40
    16.2 mi
    6.1 mph
    2,225 ft
    2,225 ft
    Expert
    Expert mountain bike ride. Good fitness required. Advanced riding skills necessary. Some portions of the Tour may require you to push your bike.

    Named after the easily accessible cave of Grotte de la Ture, this loop from Autrans spans 26.1 kilometres (16.2 miles) of mountain doubletrack, spectacular singletrack and quiet tarmac, with some incredible sites to visit along the way.

    

    You'll get warmed up straight away with the climb out of Autrans

    by

    View
  5. 01:29
    9.94 mi
    6.7 mph
    1,300 ft
    1,300 ft
    Intermediate
    Intermediate mountain bike ride. Good fitness required. Advanced riding skills necessary.

    This short MTB Tour heads out of Lans-en-Vercors and up the hillsides to the west, reaching La Col de la Croix de Servagnet at 1,235 metres (4,052 ft) and circling back to the south.

    

    From the large car park on Route de l'Aigle, the Tour heads through the centre of town past the tourism office to climb

    by

    View
  6. 02:07
    14.1 mi
    6.7 mph
    1,675 ft
    1,700 ft
    Intermediate
    Intermediate mountain bike ride. Good fitness required. Advanced riding skills necessary.

    Featuring one mighty climb to the Croix des Suifs, this mid-length MTB Tour is a loop south of Lans-en-Vercours, with an easy ride back into the town along the flat and traffic-free ViaVercors route.

    

    Expect to take a couple of hours to complete the route, or longer if you pack a picnic!

    

    From the edge of

    by

    View
  7. 00:56
    6.32 mi
    6.7 mph
    800 ft
    800 ft
    Intermediate
    Intermediate mountain bike ride. Great for any fitness level. Advanced riding skills necessary.

    If you're looking for a short spin that packs in some mega views, this 10.2 kilometre (6.3 mile) loop to the Bec de l' Aigle is for you.

    

    From the car park, start with a short, steep climb to the east, before dropping straight back down onto roads and tracks heading north.

    

    For a while you follow and cross

    by

    View
  8. 04:38
    27.5 mi
    5.9 mph
    4,350 ft
    4,350 ft
    Expert
    Expert mountain bike ride. Very good fitness required. Advanced riding skills necessary. Some portions of the Tour may require you to push your bike.

    The black-rated extreme Parcours La Légende 87 has been based on the 1987 World Cup course, and will surely test both the skills and stamina of even the most experienced riders.

    

    As well as the most technical, it's also the longest of the trails at 45 kilometres (28 miles). Even though there are a few

    by

    View
  9. 02:52
    18.1 mi
    6.3 mph
    2,200 ft
    2,200 ft
    Intermediate
    Intermediate mountain bike ride. Good fitness required. Advanced riding skills necessary.

    Unlike the other mountain biking routes in this Collection, the red-rated Parcours La Royale starts further south, on the southern outskirts of Corrençon-en-Vercors from the golf course.

    

    At a longer 29 kilometres (18 miles), the loop heads to the west, taking in Belvédère de Valchevrière and Plaine d

    by

    View
  10. 01:49
    13.3 mi
    7.3 mph
    1,350 ft
    1,350 ft
    Expert
    Expert mountain bike ride. Good fitness required. Advanced riding skills necessary. Some portions of the Tour may require you to push your bike.

    The Clariant Loop is a blue-rated mountain biking trail measuring 21 kilometres (13 miles), featuring a few larger climbs, including the summit at the Auberge du Clariant.

    

    From the town of Villard-de-Lans, you head south on this mostly out-and-back route, with a few loops through Corrençon-en-Vercors

    by

    View
  11. 00:57
    7.61 mi
    8.0 mph
    425 ft
    425 ft
    Intermediate
    Intermediate mountain bike ride. Great for any fitness level. Advanced riding skills necessary.

    This circular route from Villard-de-Lans is suitable for cyclists of all abilities. Rated as an easy green trail, it has a wide path and gentle inclines. There's plenty of space for children's trailers or riders with adapted bicycles too.

    

    Head north from the village for a tour of the gorgeous Payonère

    by

    View
  12. 02:42
    21.7 mi
    8.0 mph
    1,375 ft
    1,375 ft
    Intermediate
    Intermediate mountain bike ride. Good fitness required. Suitable for all skill levels.

    The loop on the western plateau links the town of Villard-de-Lans to Autrans, a town known for hosting events including the biathlon, cross country skiing, Nordic combined, and the ski jumping at the 1968 Winter Olympics.

    

    After a short stretch on the main road to Charpichon, you take smaller roads and

    by

    View
  13. 01:29
    9.78 mi
    6.6 mph
    1,350 ft
    875 ft
    Intermediate
    Intermediate mountain bike ride. Good fitness required. Suitable for all skill levels.

    Although this is the hardest section of the ViaVercors due to the climbs, you'll be rewarded with the most incredible 360 degree panoramic views, with les 3 Pucelles, Plateau de la Molière, and the classified site of the Gorges du Bruyant…

    

    You'll ride through fields, character-packed hamlets and wooded

    by

    View
  14. 01:20
    10.9 mi
    8.1 mph
    1,025 ft
    550 ft
    Intermediate
    Intermediate mountain bike ride. Good fitness required. Suitable for all skill levels.

    From Lans-en-Vercors to the southern extremity of the ViaVercors in Corrençon-en-Vercors, this section of the ViaVerde takes you up into the mountains to the golf course where many of the more technical mountain biking trails start.

    

    Having said that, you're certainly eased into it gently, with the section

    by

    View

Like this Collection?

Questions and Comments

    loading

Collection Stats

  • Tours
    13
  • Distance
    179 mi
  • Duration
    26:51 h
  • Elevation
    21,600 ft

You Might Also Like

7,600 km across the continent — European Divide Trail

Mountain Biking Collection by European Divide Trail

Road to Lisbon – bikepacking the Alps, Pyrenees and Picos de Europa

Mountain Biking Collection by Peter Baumeister

Tarvisio to Cividale del Friuli – discovering the Julian Alps

Bike Touring Collection by ellierob

Spectacular Alpine gravel roads of the Tarentaise Valley

Bike Touring Collection by cycliste_tricolore