Mountain Biking in Valberg-Guillaumes

The mountain biking

Dry dusty trails, sunshine, Alpine terrain and just an hour and twenty minutes from Nice airport, Valberg is a gem of a resort for mountain biking.

Beginner, intermediate and advanced trails wind their way through high mountain terrain, larch forests and the red rocks typical of the region. Strike out into the backcountry and enjoy stunning views over the Gorges du Cians. Find on-street parking around Place du Quartier and along Avenue de Valberg and pick up the waymarked cross-country trails from the centre of the resort. Maps are available at the tourist office and the lift stations. You can’t pay by card at the Garibeuil chair, so if you don’t have cash, you’ll need to buy your lift pass at the Eguilles chair or from Espace Valberg Aventure.

Valberg has made a special effort to make the resort accessible to everyone and all the trails are open to electric bikes as well.

Valberg-Guillaumes has been chosen to host the Enduro World Series in September. Whilst the venue may be classically French, the racing style won’t be. In a break from French tradition, the race will feature more pedal liaisons and only minimal lift access to challenge the riders and mix things up.

Downhill and Enduro

Take the 6-man Eguilles chairlift from Valberg 1700 up to 2060 m and access 3 downhill tracks, 2 reds and 1 black. The Eguilles chairlift is open every day except Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 10 am to 5 pm from the end of June to the beginning of September. The Croix du Sapet chairlift is open all week and takes you to within 5 minutes ride of the Lac du Sénateur where you can join the green XC loop and pedal to the Lac des Eguilles and the start of the downhill tracks.

Cross-Country

There are 3 cross-country loops – a green, a blue and a red.

Les 3 Lacs – This 12.2 km loop is rated green and covers 357 m of vertical drop. You’ll ride through a mixture of larch forest and Alpine meadows. During the ride, you’ll discover Valberg’s 3 mountain lakes and you’ll have stunning views over Valberg village and the Mercantour National Park.

Le Tour du Raton – This 23 km blue loop covers 880 m of vertical drop and takes you into the heart of the red rocks and a breathtaking view over the Gorges du Cians. You can extend the ride by a few kilometres by bolting on a number of alternative routes.

Les Hameaux – This 23 km itinerary is graded red and covers 780 m of vertical drop. The loop takes in some of the mountain villages around Valberg and there’s the option to extend the ride to include an extra village.

Where to stay

There are loads of accommodation options in Valberg including hotels, B&Bs and campsites. If you want to go self catering try Le Valliope apartments located 800 metres from the town centre. A free shuttle bus connects the apartments to the centre of Valberg every 30 minutes.

Where to eat

For homemade pasta dishes it’s hard to beat L’italiano on Route de Beuil. Don’t miss the Rigatoni Italiano a house speciality. +33 (0)9 67 28 36 93