La douce France, with its many cols known from the Tour de France and Gran Fondos such as the Marmotte a much-visited cycling destination from the Netherlands. Many of these famous climbs are in the French Alps. That it is paradise on road bikes is well known. But is Courchevel also good for mountain biking? In any case, with the many ski areas in this region, there is no shortage of lifts. To find out, we spent a few days with the MTB in Courchevel.
Photos and text: Ella van der Veer
At the heart of les 3 Vallees
Courchevel is located in Les 3 Vallees, along with Meribel and Val Thorens one of the largest ski areas in the world. But make no mistake, this region is also worth a visit in summer. Especially also for cycling, or as a combination with an outdoor-oriented family holiday. It lies on the edge of the Parc National de Vanoise, and in addition to beautiful cols and a downhill/enduro mountain bike park, there are also plenty of options for nice walks or relaxing by a mountain lake.
But we are here to cycle. You might remember the decisive moment in the 2023 Tour de France, where Jonas Vingegaard rode away from Tadej Pogačar on the Col de la Loze and actually won the Tour here. This col is the connection between Courchevel and Meribel, and is thus at your feet if you are staying in Courchevel. Of course, we couldn't skip it and climbed the col from Courchevel 1850, so you're soon on the car-free upper section. This is an asphalted stretch of shotter trail, so it's a bit uneven and very steep in places, on both sides of the col. You cycle between snow cannons and lifts here, logical for such an area.
The mighty Mont Blanc
If you look a little further than this, however, you can slowly see Mont Blanc's summit rising above the ridge before it. An impressive view, therefore, which you can enjoy for a while at the top and which makes the difficult climb more than worth it. Of course, another good alternative is to descend to the valley first and then cycle up via the Meribel side. That way you have a nice descent at the end instead of a long climb. The upper section is part of a larger project to connect Les 3 Vallees for cyclists as well. A cycle path to Val Thorens has long been on the planning but unfortunately no agreement has been reached with the landowners about this yet. Hopefully this will happen soon, as this would make this destination even more beautiful for cyclists!
Of course, Col de La Loze is not the only mythical col in the area: the Madeleine and the Petit Saint Bernard can also be reached from Courchevel.
Courchevel on the MTB - before the lift opens
We are here on mountain bike, even before the lifts open. These open at the same time as the start of the French summer holidays, this year on 6 July. If you take the lifts, plan your route well by day, especially if you go a bit further into the area. Many lifts are open, but not every day. This is well indicated on the VTT map of the area which you can get in many places. Mounbikeroutes are well signposted, outside these marked routes cycling is not allowed. For downhill enthusiasts, there are 25 trails, there are also 24 signposted enduro routes and 22 routes for E-bikes. There is also a special E-bike park, as part of the bike park, where you can properly test your skills. Are you a novice mountain biker? Pas de problemes! The area has several easy-to-ride blue lines with smooth bowl corners, and there are several pumptracks in the area to practise cornering. Also great fun with children to introduce them to the sport. All info on mountain biking and the routes in Les 3 Vallees can be found here: https://www.les3vallees.com/en/activities/mtb-and-emtb .
Beautiful routes in the region - signposted and all
We would like to highlight two very different arrowed routes! First of all, route E4, a red enduro route officially located in the valley of Meribel. From Courchevel, you take the Verdons and Vizelle lift all the way to the top of the area. This is where the route starts, where you have to conquer almost 2,500 altimeters. Downhill, of course. At the top it's rocky and quite technical but soon you continue your way over all sorts of well-shaped blue and red downhill lines with fun features and jumps, which you can also go around everywhere. The panorama is impressive, with views over the high Alpine peaks. Once you get past the tree line, the trails become more natural with roots and rocks. Eventually you arrive in Brides-Les-Bains, here you can catch some black downhill lines under the Olympe 1 lift. To get back to Courchevel, you can catch a free bus shuttle (incl MTB).
Beautiful route over the Col de la Platte
If you are a little more XC/E-bike oriented, VAE1 is a great route. From Courchevel, a long climb to Col de la Platte starts immediately. This is mainly over steep ski slopes, between lifts, but this is more than worth it. At the top you again have breathtaking views of, among others, Petit Mont Blanc and the surrounding massif. Behind the col is a fairly simple descent on singletrack, after which you soon change to double track. You cycle along the edges of the National Park here, and you clearly notice this. I don't think we have ever seen so many marmots along the way, and we also saw a fox. So plenty of wildlife!
Charging for a moment
After a short descent, you will arrive at Refuge de Grand Plan, where you can recharge your E-bike or of course just stop for a bite to eat/drink. This is followed by the spectacle piece if you love beautiful, wild valleys. That's because here you enter Vallee des Avals, a welcome change where you won't see any snow cannons or slopes, but feel as far away from civilisation as possible. Via a double track full of hairpins you continue your way down. Highly recommended is a stop at Lac de la Rosiere, which requires a detour but is a beautiful mountain lake with a wooden boardwalk across it.
Logistics and other activities
Courchevel itself consists of several villages, Le Praz, 1650 and 1850, with the last two indicating altitude. Almost already to be called an altitude village therefore if you ve stayed here! In summer, most activities and shops are in the first two so one of these is the best option to stay in this period. There is no shortage of accommodation, with beds for 38,000 people spread across the three villages.
Practical
A 3-day lift pass with MTB you already have for 58EUR per person, very reasonable for the large area you can explore with it. Other prices for other lengths/options can be found here: https://www.les3vallees.com/en/skipass. During the summer season, you'll find several small-scale bike rentals and shops in Courchevel, in case you unexpectedly need a repair or don't have your own bike with you. Last but not least, there are 8 bike washes in the area.Still, nice if your bike is covered in dust or mud.
Courchevel is also organising 'The Cyling event' from 16-18 August 2024. An event that brings all types of cyclists together with live music, a barbeque, multiple test events and, of course, to see lots of fellow cyclists enter the bike park or conquer cols. More info on this event can be found here.
More than just cycling
Cycling is not the only thing you can do in the area. Driving down to the valley, you will find the beautiful Gorges de Ballandaz in Planay. You reach this gorge with waterfall after a walk of about half an hour. If you stay on the mountain, AquaMotion is a must. This pool is fun with children, but wellness enthusiasts also get their money's worth here with several saunas and hot baths. We made good use of this on a rainy recovery day to unwind. The complex also offers indoor climbing and surfing. Of course, you can also undertake other outdoor activities in this area, of course many walks, there are two via ferratas, canyoning, and there are ski jumps that are also used in summer, including for a summer world cup. A full list of all activities can be found here: https://courchevel.com/en/activites/activites-ete
Courchevel MTB hotspot in summer
Our conclusion is that Courchevel is also well worth a visit in summer! It offers many opportunities for road and mountain biking and is also an excellent base for an outdoor family holiday.
