Gravel : La ronde de Mont-Dauphin
Sport, Cycling sports, Mountain biking itinerary, Gravel bike route, Electric mountain bike route
in Mont-Dauphin
17.9
km
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Mont-Dauphin, designed by Vauban, was part of a network of fortifications to protect the kingdom of France. The surrounding military routes are not technically difficult, making them ideal escapes for Gravel climbers.
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Quench your thirst for curiosity by reaching the historic heritage of Mont-Dauphin via the vertiginous road to the hamlet of Gros! A perfect walk in spring, early summer or autumn, as the road is hardly protected by the forest canopy.
1 - Mont Dauphin
From the large parking lot, I take the road towards Eygliers, a somewhat isolated and charming village.
2 - towards Rua d'Aval and Le Coin
In the village, the narrow road runs alongside typical houses. It climbs upwards, giving a fine...Quench your thirst for curiosity by reaching the historic heritage of Mont-Dauphin via the vertiginous road to the hamlet of Gros! A perfect walk in spring, early summer or autumn, as the road is hardly protected by the forest canopy.
1 - Mont Dauphin
From the large parking lot, I take the road towards Eygliers, a somewhat isolated and charming village.
2 - towards Rua d'Aval and Le Coin
In the village, the narrow road runs alongside typical houses. It climbs upwards, giving a fine view of Eygliers. It criss-crosses fields of poppies and the first mountain shrubs. I continue to climb, skirting the cliff for a while via the D37. The road gets narrower and narrower, and it's hard for vehicles to pass each other. I take advantage of my height to observe the breathtaking view to my right.
3 - Gros (point of return)
The Scots pines take advantage of the mild Alpine climate to climb to higher altitudes. They are the milestones on the way to "le hameau de Gros (1,385 m)", where you discover a different world, with the brighter light typical of the Briançonnais region, which heralds the Alpes de Haute Provence. The vertiginous balcony road joins the hamlet, offering a bird's-eye view of the Guillestrois. While its south-facing position offers its inhabitants plenty of light in winter, the sweltering heat of summer undoubtedly forces them to close their perciennes and shutters.
4 - Font d'Eygliers
On the way back, I follow the same road until I approach Eygliers. In a hairpin bend, I take a road to the left (route des Blancs) and continue downhill towards the Guil, the gateway to a world apart. The roads drawn in white on the Michelin map swirl around and give the impression of getting lost. I pass through fields and villages that were emptied of their population in the 19th century and are now being reborn as beautiful, remarkably restored homes, like the one at Font d'Eygliers (1,015 m).
5 - Mont Dauphin
The route continues down to Guillestre via a little-used road. The upper town can be reached by crossing the "Pont du Simoust (900 m)", an impressive structure dominated by the Guil gorges. As for me, I follow the river to the foot of the fortress of Mont-Dauphin, which I reach via one of the toughest climbs. Curtain walls, ramparts and moats encircle the small houses: Vauban had imagined a real town. Built to oppose the enemy, the stronghold has remained intact and defied the test of time.
You can fill your water bottle at the Gros fountain below the church.
Avoid the hot hours of July and August, as the walk offers few shady areas.
- Departure
- Mont-Dauphin
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Difference in height
- 868.333 m
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- From Guillestre, follow the D947 to the entrance to Eygliers, where there is a large parking lot for visitors to Mont-Dauphin.
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Plain text period
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From 01/06 to 31/10/2025.
Subject to favorable snow and weather conditions.
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Environment
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Spoken languages
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Documentation
- GPX / KML files allow you to export the trail of your hike to your GPS (or other navigation tool)
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- 868 meters of difference in height
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- Maximum altitude : 1383 m
- Minimum altitude : 899 m
- Total positive elevation : 868 m
- Total negative elevation : -874 m
- Max positive elevation : 193 m
- Min positive elevation : -192 m
