{"id":66210,"date":"2024-06-25T19:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-06-25T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/baf1c032-6067-4aa6-a706-d044515a7866"},"modified":"2024-06-25T19:25:27","modified_gmt":"2024-06-25T17:25:27","slug":"why-an-emtb-adventure-in-the-french-alps-is-the-most-fun-ive-had-on-a-mountain-bike","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/rss_feed\/why-an-emtb-adventure-in-the-french-alps-is-the-most-fun-ive-had-on-a-mountain-bike\/","title":{"rendered":"Why an eMTB adventure in the French Alps is the most fun I’ve had on a mountain bike"},"content":{"rendered":"

A cycling holiday with a difference in the Queyras national park <\/p>

By <\/p>

Published: Tuesday, 25 June 2024 at 17:00 PM<\/p>

\n\n

\u201cYou should go, Chris \u2013 enjoy the trail!\u201d Cyril says. I push down on the pedals of my Cube Stereo 140 eMTB and rocket off along the hillside singletrack at what feels like terminal velocity and disappear below the treeline.<\/p>

As I wrestle back control from my over-enthusiastic steed and kill the electronic assistance, I race through the woods, my nostrils filling with the crisp scent of pine needles and wild mushrooms.<\/p>

The tyres make a soft whir as they spin over the autumn leaves blanketing the trail, and my heart skips as the rocky features hidden beneath them repeatedly jolt the bike off-line.<\/p>

My gaze is torn between the steep trail beneath me and just about everything else. – Andy Lloyd \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Tight switchbacks are followed by 12in-wide wooden planks acting as makeshift bridges over glacial streams.<\/p>
The voice in my head that normally screams at me to slow down is silent and I realise this is probably the most fun I\u2019ve ever had on a mountain bike.<\/p>
As the trail crosses a mountain road, I reluctantly pause in a layby and wait for the others. We ride together into the next village, where our driver Martin is waiting with the van. Cyril extracts several brown paper bags.<\/p>
\u201cTime for lunch!\u201d he exclaims, handing out homemade pasta, sandwiches, carrot cake and freshly picked green plums. A nearby dog licks its lips and stares enviously at the feast. \u2018I could get used to this,\u2019 I think.<\/p><\/div><\/div>
Travel sickness<\/h2>
$\"Mountain$
The Queyras area\u2019s renowned community spirit is proven as the locals help us to load the trailer. – Andy Lloyd \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Five years ago, our host Cyril and his friends started Guil E-Bike, a shop and guiding company at the heart of the snowballing Alpine eMTB scene.<\/p>
After a couple of hours\u2019 driving, we arrive at their HQ on the edge of the Queyras national park and get set up with our bikes.<\/p>
Having been up since 2am, we\u2019re not exactly desperate to go riding, but there\u2019s an hour before dusk and Cyril\u2019s keen to ensure everything\u2019s ready for tomorrow.<\/p>
Pedalling out to the neighbouring town of Mont-Dauphin, we head up through the portcullis of a spectacular hilltop fort dating from the 1690s.<\/p>
$\"Mountain$
Steep, cobbled streets in picturesque hamlets make a nice playground. – Andy Lloyd \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
We join a narrow mountain road, engage the motors and begin to ascend. Looking sulkily up at the peak towering above, I get the familiar dread that comes before a brutal climb.<\/p>
Next thing I know, we stop at a viewpoint and I\u2019m stunned to learn that we\u2019ve ascended 500m without breaking a sweat. In fact, with cobwebs dusted off and the wind in my hair, I feel great. No wonder electric mountain bike fever<\/a> is at its height here.<\/p>
Suitably revitalised, we head down to dinner. Our hotel, Le Glacier Bleu, is cosy and rustic.<\/p>
Over a beer, we\u2019re introduced to 18-year-old ripper Constantin, who\u2019ll be riding with us for the week.<\/p><\/div><\/div>
Snowpiercer<\/h2>
$\"Mountain$
Climbing up the Col d\u2019Izoard is easier with an eMTB, but definitely no warmer. – Andy Lloyd \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
The next morning, Chloe announces that the first snow of the season has fallen overnight and, our fires stoked by a breakfast of local goat\u2019s cheese and honey, we bundle into the van and head into Queyras. In a layby above the snowline, we kit up, and the cold takes my breath away.<\/p>
I throw on two Merino baselayers and a jersey beneath my jacket, and frantically try to blow some circulation back into my burning fingertips.<\/p>
We ride up onto the Col d\u2019Izoard, a craggy ridgetop with panoramic views over the chocolate-box town of Arvieux below.<\/p>
The blissful, otherworldly silence is broken only by the pop of gravel and crunch of snow beneath our wheels, and by young Constantin: \u201cLook, animal!\u201d he shouts excitedly, pointing down to a chevreuil (roe deer) wandering the treeline below.<\/p>
$\"Mountain$
Pausing for a breather overlooking the stunning Valle Maira. – Andy Lloyd \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
We press on, my tyres skittering and skating on the snow-blasted scree.<\/p>
The trail changes to a soft bed of pine needles as we descend into the forest. Sheltered by the evergreens, it\u2019s not long before we stop and hastily shed layers.<\/p>
The forest is humid and fragrant, and the autumnal sunlight pierces the canopy in dazzling sabres as white-capped mountaintops peek through the trees.<\/p>
My gaze is torn between the steep, rooty trail beneath me and just about everything else.<\/p>
As we race further down the valley\u2019s steep incline, every stop for a drink is a welcome opportunity to pull out my phone and snap away eagerly.<\/p>
$\"Mountain$
Fountains flowing with ice-cold glacial meltwater are a common sight here. – Andy Lloyd \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve seen anywhere like this before; profoundly beautiful, wild and completely unspoilt by humans.<\/p>
The trail ends at Lac de Roue, a millpond-still lake at the valley bottom, its surface a mirror image of the mountains above.<\/p>
Cranking our electric bike motors<\/a> into Turbo, we hit a gravel road and ride along at full whack to the village of Souliers and, thankfully, its drinking fountain, which dispenses a stream of glacial meltwater into our depleted bottles.<\/p><\/div><\/div>
Escape goats<\/h2>
$\"Mountain$
The goats are placid, which is perhaps why they are fiercely guarded by angry dogs. – Andy Lloyd \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
We climb over a hillside meadow, speckled with bright yellow flowers. The sun\u2019s blazing and the ground seems firm and dry, so I wonder why there are so many little flecks of mud flying off my front wheel.<\/p>
Then I realise it isn\u2019t mud at all, but hundreds of tiny grasshoppers, frantically leaping away from the spinning tyres. A sweltering ravine drops away below us.<\/p>
Tabletop rock slabs are stacked up at dramatic angles, and basking lizards scurry about as we ride them. <\/p>
Eventually, we reach the bottom and stop for lunch.<\/p>
\u201cI think I\u2019ve lost my phone,\u201d Constantin admits, bashfully. After using a locator service to pinpoint the exact bit of the trail where it fell out of his pocket, he rides back up, retrieves it and we\u2019re off in the van for a ride around Saint-V\u00e9ran \u2013 the highest village in Europe, at 2,040m.<\/p>
$\"Mountain$
Beneath the snowline, distant mountains blush red with wild blueberry plants. – Andy Lloyd \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Spinning along a farm track, we suddenly discover our route blocked by a herd of goats and sheep. With no farmers in sight, the animals are guarded by three enormous Pyrenean mountain dogs.<\/p>
The dogs form a protective wall in front of me, bare their teeth and begin to snarl and snort. I get as close as I dare before widening the gap as quickly as I can.<\/p>
Leaving the tyre-biters behind, we head for our second hotel \u2013 a classic Alpine affair, complete with roaring fire and gigantic bowl of fondue.<\/p>
$\"Mountain$
Motor assistance or not, we\u2019d had a long day in the Alps. – Andy Lloyd \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Riding electric bikes<\/a> hasn\u2019t burned nearly enough calories for us to deserve this sort of diet, but I\u2019m certainly not complaining as I fall into a deep, satisfying sleep.<\/p>
In the morning, we cross the border into the Italian region of Piedmont at the 2,744m-high Col Agnel pass.<\/p>
Today\u2019s ride begins atop the Colle di Sampeyre (2,284m). We begin on an old military road known as the Strada dei Cannoni (cannon road) and plunge onto a sloping ridgetop.<\/p>
$\"Mountain$
Alpine ibex are skilled climbers, which is why we had to ascend to over 2,700m to see them. – Andy Lloyd \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Hurtling along, I\u2019m so distracted by the elderly farmer tending his fields of g\u00e9n\u00e9pi \u2013 an Alpine herb used to make the local spirit of the same name \u2013 that I have to yank hard on the brakes as we reach a stunning cliff-edge viewpoint.<\/p>
Sticky end averted, we drop into a steep forest trail. Just as I\u2019m getting into the groove of twisting through the woods, we pop out onto a cobbled street, which winds through low archways beneath the clifftop houses of the picturesque village of Elva.<\/p>
With a hasty espresso from the local cafe inside us, it\u2019s back to the task at hand.<\/p>
The next section is high-mountain singletrack, with sharp rocks and huge mushrooms dotted about the grassy trailside.<\/p>
$\"Mountain$
While the others deal with a mechanical, Constantin shows Chris some local flora. – Andy Lloyd \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
This section is narrow and technical, and manoeuvring a heavy eMTB through these thin stone gullies proves exhausting.<\/p>
Once again, we stick the motor into Turbo for a short climb along the hillside. Stopping to catch our breath, we find our jerseys and gloves covered in dozens of spiky seed pods.<\/p><\/div><\/div>
Earn the apr\u00e8s<\/h2>
$\"Mountain$
The trailer\u2019s loaded and ready for action as the mist descends on the morning of our final day. – Andy Lloyd \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
After lunch, the van stops somewhere new and I ask Cyril where he\u2019s taking us next.<\/p>
\u201cThere!\u201d he says, pointing skyward. A harsh, jagged crag towers above us.<\/p>
I\u2019m still not used to this whole \u2018enjoying the climbs\u2019 thing, but 15 minutes later we\u2019ve climbed up to the Plateau of Gardetta, a remote high pass littered with ruined bunkers from a huge battle between France and Italy in the Second World War.<\/p>
The melancholic atmosphere is a striking change from the warm, autumnal valleys we\u2019ve ridden so far.<\/p>
If it wasn\u2019t for the occasional marmot, we\u2019d be completely alone up here. With the sun fading fast and the abandoned gun nests falling into shadow, it\u2019s time to call it a day.<\/p>
$\"Mountain$
The melancholic atmosphere is a striking change from the warm, autumnal valleys we\u2019ve ridden so far. – Andy Lloyd \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Our next hotel is at the bottom of a long, boulder-strewn trail of slippery tech and I\u2019m holding on so tightly, I can feel my wrists going numb.<\/p>
Cyril can tell I\u2019m on edge here. \u201cGo loose!\u201d he shouts. \u201cLet the bike do the work.\u201d His advice is solid, but easier said than done.<\/p>
Eventually, the rocks abate and I can ease up for the final, super-fast roll to the end.<\/p>
This time, I feel like I\u2019ve fought for my food, and Alessandro, the manager of Le Marmotte, is happy to deliver an eight-course meal in the traditional Occitan style \u2013 including slow-roasted local venison washed down with a glass or two of the local Barbera.<\/p>
The next day, we find the landscape blanketed in a pale mist, which swirls between the boughs of the pine trees on the mountainside.<\/p>
As we climb into the van for one last ride, an odd, low-pitched groan echoes around the valley. \u201cDeer,\u201d Cyril explains. \u201cHe’s looking for a mate.\u201d<\/p>
When we reach our riding location, Rocca La Meja, the rain has started and an icy wind whips up the biting spray into our eyes.<\/p>
\u201cIt\u2019s like Wales on steroids!\u201d Andy enthuses. He has a point, as we don waterproofs and roll into the slate-grey landscape.<\/p>
$\"Mountain$
Definite Snowdonia vibes are felt as Martin and Chris ride across the Rocca La Meja. – Andy Lloyd \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
This descent is completely different from everything we\u2019ve ridden this week \u2013 an off-piste pump over mounds and moguls. It\u2019s free and easy stuff, aside from the odd panicked swerve to avoid a marmot hole.<\/p>
Arriving at our final hotel, Albergo Della Pace in the village of Sambuco, I\u2019m eager to hit the sauna.<\/p>
This has been some of the most varied, challenging and satisfying riding of my life, and an an electric mountain bike<\/a> made it possible.<\/p><\/div><\/div>
The lowdown: Queyras and Piedmont<\/h2>
**Where are they?<\/strong> Queyras is a national park in the southern French Alps, between Grenoble and Turin. The Italian region of Piedmont lies just over the border to the east.<\/p>**
Getting there:<\/strong> Turin Airport is a couple of hours\u2019 drive away, with many UK airports offering direct flights. The guys at Guil E-Bike provided all transport to\/from the airport, hotels and riding locations.<\/p><\/div><\/div>
**Who are Guil e-Bike?<\/h2>** $\"Cyril$
Cyril and Martin of Guil e-Bike. – Andy Lloyd \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
An eMTB guiding and touring company based next to the Queyras national park in France. Cyril and Martin were friendly, knowledgeable and generous hosts. <\/p>
They happily offered bike and kit hire, an inside-out knowledge of some of the most incredible, little-known MTB trails we\u2019ve ever ridden, transport around Queyras and Piedmont, and lifts to and from Turin airport. <\/p>
For more info, check out Guil e-bike<\/a>.<\/p><\/div><\/div> <\/body><\/html>\n
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