Ponsonnière Pass – Refuge Buffère loop from Plan Lachat

Mountain biking trails

France

Auvergne Rhône Alpes

Saint-Jean-De-Maurienne

Valloire

Ponsonnière Pass – Refuge Buffère loop from Plan Lachat

Hard

5.0

(2)

riders

Ponsonnière Pass – Refuge Buffère loop from Plan Lachat

07:43

52.4km

2,140m

Mountain biking

Hard mountain bike ride. Very good fitness required. Advanced riding skills necessary. Some portions of the route may require you to push your bike. The starting point of the route is right next to a parking lot.

Last updated: September 10, 2026

Tips

Temporary access restrictions

Includes segments with temporary access restrictions.

After 34.9 km for 373 m

Closed: • December-April (otherwise open)

After 35.3 km for 463 m

Open as destination only: • December 1-April 30 • July 15-August 15 (otherwise open)

After 38.3 km for 400 m

Closed: • December-April (otherwise open)

Waypoints

Start point

Parking

Get Directions

8.92 km

Ponsonnière Pass

Highlight • Trail

Located at 2,613 meters above sea level, the Col de la Ponsonnière marks the passage from the Northern Alps to the Southern Alps.

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9.74 km

Lac de la Ponsonnière

Lake

10.5 km

View of Grand Lac

Highlight • Viewpoint

Breathtaking views along the way

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11.4 km

Mountain Pass

26.3 km

Ancien camp du col de Buffère

Ruins

27.0 km

Petit ouvrage du Col de Buffère

Fort

30.1 km

Refuge Buffère

Highlight • Mountain Hut

It is an alpine chalet with a very warm atmosphere. You can eat there and spend the night on half board, winter and summer!

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31.4 km

Climb to Refuge Buffère

Highlight • Climb

Do not make a mistake and do the route in this direction otherwise the climbs are impossible.
be careful, several landslides forced us to find a different route from the one planned.

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34.4 km

Viewpoint

41.6 km

Refuge des Drayères

Highlight • Mountain Hut

It is a nice refuge, located at the bottom of the Clarée valley at 2,180 meters above sea level. Warm atmosphere, home cooking, board games and books available: everything is …

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44.3 km

Seuil des Rochilles and Its Lakes

Highlight • Lake

Le Seuil des Rochilles marks the border between Savoy and the Hautes Alpes. A Sardinian stone terminal with its lily and its Savoy cross is installed there, and recalls the …

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45.8 km

Lac du Grand Ban

Highlight • Lake

The route to Lac du Grand Ban is also accessible by mountain bike, but requires good technical preparation. The first part of the trail, which follows the track from the …

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