A selection of easy rides near Chamonix for electric mountain bikes. Most of the rides follow “official” trails and are signposted with the VTT logo. The other trails tend to be rarely used by hikers.
Transcommunautaire, (Transcom) 78km
Leg 1: Les Houches to Chamonix. Easy cycling mainly following the “chemin des Villages
on the right side of the valley looking up, (rive gauche). Currently starts at the Solerey and up
the ski piste as the 4×4 track is buried with the Griaz torrent works.
Leg 2: Chamonix to Le Tour, via Lavancher. Follows the easy ski du fond tracks to
Lavancher. Here the trail descends the road for a bit before a right turn leads into some fields
and then a rooty ascent. This is followed by a traverse path with lots of blind corners!
Ignoring the paths on the right down to Argentiere continue via Le Planet to Le Tour. (An
easier alternative if wet is to continue down the road from Lavancher and cross over the
main road, over a little bridge to join the main trail on the other side of the river to
Argentiere.)
Leg 3: Col des Posettes loop. Le Tour to Montroc, up the 4×4 track/ ski piste past
Charamillon to the col and then down the 4×4/piste to Vallorcine. Keep to the left of the
railway, looking up, to the col des Montets and then a short bit of road until the signed track
at Tre le Champ leads to Montroc. (To get back to Le Tour, descend the road until it crosses
the river then go up the Argentiere/Le Tour VTT loop track.)
Leg 4: Montroc to Les Houches. Down the road, through Argentiere, then follow the right
bank, (looking down) of the river. Shortly after a steepish descent to Tines there is a turn off
on the right up the Petit Balcon Sud path. This brings you into Chamonix by the Brevent lift.
( An easier alternative is to continue along the valley floor path, by the golf course to Le Praz
and then Chamonix.) From Chamonix, take the road to the Gaillands rock climbing area and
then the easy trail, (3 climbs) to Les Houches station.
Leg 5: Les Houches to Servoz. Cross the railway on the Coupeau road and then take the
steep climbing trail on the left, to re-join the road. Leave the road on the left at the sign and
climb up with a few “pushing” sections until it descends to Montvauthier. Follow the road
with signposted shortcuts and a road on the right to the foot of the gorges de Diosaz in
Servoz.
Leg 6: Le Mont loop, Servoz to Servoz Go up to le Mont. There is a trail on the right,
which is steep and rooty, most people prefer to follow the road. From Le Mont follow the
signposted track, traverses at first with some electric wire gates, before dropping a rock track
to Vieux Servoz. Here it is possible to go straight across and down to the river.
Leg 7: Servoz to Les Houches. This follows the old “Route des Diligences”, recently
renovated. Starts just to the right, looking upstream, of the river Arve , (café opposite). Go
past some houses then turn sharp left back to the river, until a climb on the right brings you
past a large boulder and into the “Racines” industrial park. Cross the road , go up and then
under the dual carriageway until leaving the tarmac at a sharp turn on the left. Climb back up
the broad track, (Route de Diligence) to Les Houches at Les Chavants.
Les Houches Bike Park
The blue run (“Alpine Respect”) starts at Prarion and descends to the finish of the Kandahar piste. Only signposted “in season” and crosses the red trail in numerous places. Expect some roots and mud. The cycle up follows the road to Maison Neuve then a 4×4 track towards Col
de Voza, turning right before the col an up toward Prarion.
Contamines Ride
From the Col de Voza descend the 4×4 to above Bionnassay, turn left and follow the trail on the other side of the valley to Champel. Pass through the hamlet and on the left, leave the tarmac to descend to La Villette. Follow the main road up to Contamine. At the far end, just before the river, follow the mainly single track all the way down to St Gervais, signposted.
Le Fayet Link from St Gervais
Two choices (3 if you include the technically difficult “Pipeline”.)
a: From the Bettex lift follow the VAE1 trail down to Le Fayet. It is possible to go up the Megeve road for a bit and join this trail higher up (VAE2).
b: Follow the main road towards Le Fayet until just before the railway bridge turn off left onto a trail, (left of the railway looking downwards,) to the thermal park.
Chedde Link
From Le Fayet follow the main road into Chedde until just past the Fil Magique shop, turn left up a straight road, signposted VTT2, to the start of a 4×4 track. Near the top there is a tricky, rooty section before the track trends to the right to join the main road leading to Servoz
Red 4 (x4)
This is a signposted route from the top of the Prarion lift to St Gervais, via La Charme and the Plancert piste, mostly on stony 4×4 track.
Full English/Vaudagne
This is a good but more technical variant to the upper part of the Red 4 route. From Prarion go down the beginners piste until it is possible to take a trail on the right into the woods. It comes out at a bend in the Red 4 track. From here take the higher traversing trail up to the Col de Forclaz. At the col, take the Mont Borel 4×4 track. It becomes steeper and then there is a single track on the right which leads to Manchoir chalet. The trail continues to Les Ravanets, Vaudagne. (There are several variations after the Col de Forclaz, however deforestation work is due to start here soon. )
Black 6
A signposted trail from Prarion to St Gervais. Goes first to La Charme, single track for the second part, then turns left onto a 4×4 until a track on the right leads down towards the railway. At the first chalet just before the railway turn right, easy to miss the signs. Follow the complex route trending mainly from left to right, mostly well signposted, until tarmac
leads into St Gervais.
Hot and Cold
This covers similar ground to Red 4 but by starting with “Full English” and going down via Montfort gives a much more challenging ride.
Hugh’s Way
This route trends from right to left and forms the other half of an X with Black 6.. From the top of the Prarion lift go up with the Prarion hotel on your left and follow the Black 6 signs through the meadow, then a rooty single track to drop down another meadow to the 4×4 track. Here turn right and follow the 4×4 track for about 1km until you see a footpath coming down from the right and a signpost “Abbaye”. Directly opposite and less obvious, is a path on the left, initially grassy with some ruins below on the right. Follow this as it goes down a rooty section and then traverses to the left to the Chauset hamlet. Here go down a 4×4 track until it turns sharply to the right. At this point there is a grassy 4×4 track which goes below a chalet then climbs up behind another chalet. A path on the left continues the traverse through the woods, under some lift cables. At the piste, go up slightly to join the continuation of the traverse path until it opens out, with another chalet and the railway and Sellieres station visible below. Cross the railway at the station and go down the 4×4, quickly turning right and then turn off sharp left down a less obvious 4×4 track. This turns right, passes in front of another chalet before entering into the woods, (back on the Black 6 track.) At Montivon,
leave the Black 6 track by taking a sharp turn left, shortly a few metres past the fountain and passing a signpost “Chemin des Rochers” after about 20m below the village. Follow this “chemin” down to the tarmac and so onto St Gervais.
Fat Pete (Grosse Pierre!)
From Les Houches go up the Coupeau road to La Flatiere and then follow the 4×4 to Samoteux. From here follow the single track and take the first turn on the right*. Follow this and at the next junction go more steeply down, (hairpins), until it joins a wider trail, which crosses a stream and leads down to the tarmac at Montvautier. Some VVT signposted
shortcuts then a minor road on the right lead to Servoz at the Diosaz gorge carpark.
La Flatiere Descents
Downhill trails to Les Houches station from Bettey car park, (Kenny Loggins, Epic Wood, Glory Wood).
Lac Noir run: Go up to Flatiere and follow the 4×4 track, initially keeping right at theSamoteux turn off then left until a signpost for Lac Noir An initial climb leads to a long traverse, past Lac Noir until a zig Zag brings you to another long traverse path in the opposite direction. Ignore the first signpost to Christ Roi but at the second one cut back left and down to the Merlet park road. This quickly leads to the Christ Roi ride described below.
It is also possible to ride up to the Chailloux chalets, (out of season)
Christ Roi descent: shortly after leaving the main road to Coupeau for Merlet take the path on the left . Take the track on the right at the first junction. At the Christ Roi turn left, then lower down, right where the track joins Deux Rochers. Near the bottom, turn left again, as straight on lead into a private chalet, to join the main Arve valley track.
Les Trois Gouilles above Servoz
A great area with some serious downhill tracks but also some more relaxed riding. The area is accessed by going up to Lac Vert by the road from Servoz via le Mont to the parking at la Cote and then the 4×4 to Lac Vert. There are some variations , (follow the black 2 VTT signs,) which avoid some of the road.
Black VTT2 Trail
To continue in a loop back to Servoz there are lots of variations to the “black VVT2 trail. (Be warned, the signs for the Black VTT2 can be misleading, sometimes going clockwise or anticlockwise!) From Lac Vert, follow the road a short distance before a track on the left leads up to Plaine Joux. A track on the far side of the road/parking loops back to the road where it is soon possible to pick up a track on the right which initially climbs before coming back to the road. Cross straight over. At the next road crossing go down slightly to a Black VVT2 sign on the left, initially climbs slightly). You join the road again above Plateau d’Assy. Follow the road briefly until a 4×4 track on the left leads sharply back and quickly to a 3-way junction. Take the middle option, still 4×4, until it becomes singletrack and descends pleasantly to a little road leading to the Servoz road, (Alt Left on Trailforks) Follow the road for a short distance until a road on the right, signposted black 2a, leads through Joux and joins the track coming up from Chedde, (See Chedde Servoz link below.) Alternatively continue further into Plateau d’Assy and take a path on the left just before a river, (Alt Right/Lake Vert Flowdown Part 3 on Trailforks) takes Follow the tracks down to the main Servoz road at the Motte bridge. The official Black VTT2 trail carries on through Plateau d’Assy on the lower road until, just before a Tabac/café, there is a track on the left signposted Motte. Follow this, steepish and stony at first, until it re-joins a minor road. Follow this to a hairpin where it joins the main road. Sharp left on the minor road, which becomes a 4×4 track leading down to the main Passy to Servoz road, next to the Motte bridge. (Some black 2a signs.)
Downhill runs from La Cote Carpark
From the Cote carpark the furthest left trail, (looking down,) is the blue run “Bienvenue à Servoz” trail leading past the two westerly “gouilles, (ponds) to Vieux Servoz. The runs further right are a lot more serious.
From Lac Vert, (or the Plaine Joux carpark) there is a 4×4 loop through the Ayeres chalets and the Souay chalets.
Chedde to Servoz link
This is useful if returning from St Gervais/Le Fayet. From Le Fayet follow the main road into Chedde until just past the Fil Magique shop turn left up a straight road, signposted VTT2, to the start of a 4×4 track. Near the top there is a tricky, rooty section before the track trends to the right to join the main road leading to Servoz.
Le Tour Bike Park
Blue / green run either from the top of the chairlift or by cycling up the 4×4 then the traverse track, (out of season.)
Le Tour/Vallorcine
A circuit good in either direction. From Le Tour go up the 4×4 track to the col des Rosettes and then down the other side , (a ski piste) to Vallorcine, A track on the left of the railway leads all the way to the Col des Montets. From here there is a short section of road before a signposted trail leads through Tre le Champ and down to Montroc. Follow the road down a
short distance, across the river, then sharp left at the junction to gain a track leading back up to Le Tour. (Leg 3 of the Transcom)
Mottets To be completed. Up and down the 4×4 track to the Mottets Snack bar, starting at Le Biollay in Chamonix.
Loriaz Up and down the 4×4 track to the Loriaz hut from Le Buet, (parking at Le Couteray). An alternative, more technical descent, is to turn off to the left shortly after leaving the hut and follow the path down to the Vallorcine church.
Lognan to Lavancher descent To be completed. From Lognan, (need to cycle up the Pierre Ric piste out of season,) Follow the trail down to Lavancher.
Finhaut to Martigny
Follows the signposted Route de Diligence via Marecottes. Either take the train back or return is possible on a signposted trail through the vineyards, (to be checked.)
