Are you going on holiday to the mountains this summer? We’ve selected the 5 best bike rides departing from Morzine!
The Col de l’Encrenaz route
The Col de l’Encrenaz route is a short one, making it ideal if you’re looking for a first road cycling experience or a warm up. Cyclists dreaming of quiet roads and nature will enjoy the ride up the Col de l’Encrenaz and the Le Foron section. Be careful on the first very steep sections, as soon as you pass Pont des Gets.
If you’re really feeling brave, you can ride up the entire Col de l’Encrenaz from Taninges. At Pont des Gets, just continue along the main road towards Taninges, and then go up via the hamlet of Rond. This adds an extra 14 km onto the route (7 of which are uphill) and another 320 m difference in altitude!
Tour of the Roc d’Enfer
The ‘Tour du Roc d’Enfer’ is a fairly easy route that covers the majority of the famous ‘Morzine – Aulps Valley’ sporty cycling route. If you’d like to push yourselves that bit further, you can go back via the Col de l’Encrenaz from Taninges, making your ride more difficult. We only recommend this alternative for cyclists who still have plenty of energy left!
Avoriaz Climb
The ‘Grimpée d’Avoriaz’ (Avoriaz Climb) is a legendary route that was used for the first time by cyclists for the 1975 Tour de France. The record time of 33 minutes for this climb was established back then and is still held today by Bernard Hinault. So, are you ready to take on the challenge?
The route departs from Morzine church. The wide and clearly marked-out route towards the resort of Avoriaz provides a chance to admire the views across Morzine valley.
Exploring the mountain passes of the Vallée Verte
The mountain passes included in this route are easy to cycle on and do not involve any major difficulties. Cyclists who choose this route can enjoy a long ride along the superb roads through the Vallée Verte (green valley).
Those looking to add a difficult section onto the end of the ride can take on the Col du Corbier or the Col de la Joux Verte.
The Col de Joux Plane route
The Col de Joux Plane has featured in the Tour de France many a time and remains one of the most difficult mountain passes in the Alps, despite it’s reasonable length.
There is a very steep climb directly from the bottom of the mountain pass, then the slope is fairly irregular with a maximum gradient of 13% at ‘La Combe Emeru’. The scenery and staggering views of Mont-Blanc will definitely make all the effort worthwhile!
Warm up those calf muscles on the nearby roads before taking on the steep climb up this legendary mountain pass!
There’s a great route around Les Gets and Taninges that makes for the perfect warm-up. Whether you choose to leave from Samoens or Morzine, the ride up the Col de Joux Plane is sure to leave all cyclists with memories that will last a lifetime.
If you’d like to find out more about the mountain passes and routes departing from Morzine, head to cycling.morzine-avoriaz.com
Practical information
The Morzine Mountain Cycling website has become Morzine-Avoriaz Cycling
Your favourite cycling website has had a makeover since it merged with Avoriaz, now providing you with an even better cycling experience. On the website, you’ll find details of 16 mapped-out routes departing from Morzine, covering more than 1,200 km around the resort and the Portes du Soleil. You’ll be able to find out more about routes that can be adapted to all levels of ability, with varied distances and levels of difficulty.
Before leaving on a ride, check out cycling.morzine-avoriaz.com to study your route and take a look at the available advice and tips to make sure your ride goes smoothly!
Thematics
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