Gravel : Sur un village perché
Sport, Cycling sports, Mountain biking itinerary, Gravel bike route, Electric mountain bike route
in Château-Ville-Vieille
14.8
km
-
From Château-Queyras and its formidable fortress, I'll make my way through the forest to Montbardon, a village perched high above the Guil gorges.
-
From the fortress, the forest road leads through one of the most beautiful forests in the Queyras, the Bois Peyron. At the edge, a landscape of gorges and gorges emerges, dominated by the hilltop village of Montardon.
1 - The Guil bridge
From the fortress of Château Queyras, I cross the "Pont du Guil" (1350 m). Downstream, the river foams with rage and foam as it cuts through impressive gorges.
2- The forest track
As the road rises, I lace up to reach the "forest track" (1405 m) on...From the fortress, the forest road leads through one of the most beautiful forests in the Queyras, the Bois Peyron. At the edge, a landscape of gorges and gorges emerges, dominated by the hilltop village of Montardon.
1 - The Guil bridge
From the fortress of Château Queyras, I cross the "Pont du Guil" (1350 m). Downstream, the river foams with rage and foam as it cuts through impressive gorges.
2- The forest track
As the road rises, I lace up to reach the "forest track" (1405 m) on the right towards Les Sagnes. The path runs through the emblematic forest of cembro pines and larches, which can reach a record altitude of 2,500 m.
Approaching Montbardon, I enter the area where a pair of wolves were spotted a few days ago. I begin to dream of hearing their howling in the Oule ravine.
I walk along the Grande Combe ravine, where sugar loaves emerge here and there. The scent of larches and hooked pines replaces the smell of goat's cheese from the local dairy. The village has managed to survive and grow despite the lack of water. The inhabitants have created a system of canals leading to the Somette spring at altitude, providing the village with a water supply.
3 - Montbardon
At "Montbardon" (1504 m), the inhabitants decided to stay put and live a simple existence. The few stone and wood houses blend into the scenery: the Queyras is full of hamlets of this type, far from the hustle and bustle of our world. The hamlets of Bramousse, Les Escoyères and Montbardon formed an island of life: the mountains were once much more densely populated than they are today... The descent is impressive, with its succession of hairpin bends.
4 - Combe du Queyras
This takes me to the bottom of the "Combe du Queyras" (1260 m), which I follow cautiously in the direction of Château Queyras.
5 - Notre Dame de l'Assomption chapel
The gorge road takes me to the "Chapelle Notre-Dame-de l'Assomption" (1353 m), where there's a small escape route on the right towards Fort-Queyras.
Smooth road to Montbardon and small asphalt road on the way down.
In summer, you can enjoy the shade of the forest road.
- Departure
- Château-Ville-Vieille
-
-
Difference in height
- 624 m
-
-
-
From Guillestre, follow the D947 to Château-Queyras.
Parking at Château-Queyras, below the village.
-
-
Plain text period
-
From 01/06 to 31/10/2025.
Subject to favorable snow and weather conditions.
-
-
-
Environment
-
-
-
Spoken languages
-
-
-
-
-
Documentation
- GPX / KML files allow you to export the trail of your hike to your GPS (or other navigation tool)
-
- 624 meters of difference in height
-
- Maximum altitude : 1571 m
- Minimum altitude : 1231 m
- Total positive elevation : 624 m
- Total negative elevation : -629 m
- Max positive elevation : 101 m
- Min positive elevation : -84 m
