For gravel bike enthusiasts, here are some suggestions for routes with gravel road sections.
Gravel Bike routes in Oisans
1 – Bourg d’Oisans / Alpe d’Huez via the Col de Cluy
Cycle up the road to Alpe d’Huez as far as La Garde and then take the Route de la Roche to Auris. Go up the track over the Col de Cluy as far as the Gorges de Sarenne. Join up with the track that leads up to the Col de Sarenne. Turn left for Huez village and then on to the road back to Bourg d’Oisans.
2 – Bourg d’Oisans / Villard Reymond via the Col du Solude
Ride up to Villard Notre Dame and carry on to the Col du Solude and then Villard Reymond. Come back down on the Col d’Ornon road.
3 – The Alpe d’Huez loop
Warm up your legs on the road up to Alpe d’Huez, as far as the top of the first gondola section. Take the track along the cliffs to Alpette (mid-way up the Vaujany cable car) and return via the path alongside rge Lac Carrelet and on to Lac Besson. Ride back to Bourg d’Oisans along the road, with another option being via Huez, towards Villard Reculas and Allemont.
4 – The Emparis plateau loop
Ride up to Besse en Oisans and carry on along the track to Col Nazié. Once on the plateau, ride to the Refuge du Fay hut. There are many options for rides on the plateau. Come back down the track to Mizoën and then back to Bourg d’Oisans.
5 – The La Grave long loop
A tour through the hamlets of La Grave, followed by a ride across the Emparis plateau to Mizoën or Besse en Oisans.
Take the Briançon road and turn right onto the D33 towards Le Chazelet just after the Golèfre tunnel. At the first junction, turn right to Les Hyères and Valfroide. Ride to the end of the road and track for fabulous views over the Meije. Come back on your tracks and into Ventelon. Turn right in the village onto the road to Les Clots and carry on along the track, turning left down to the D33 towards Le Chazelet. Ride down to the stream, the Gâ, and take the right-hand track signposted “Refuge du Pic du Mas de la Grave”. Ride to the end of the track and on up to the Emparis plateau (bikes will need to be carried for about 100 m of the height gain). Once on the plateau, there are two options, either ride down the track to Besse en Oisans via the Col Nazié or ride down the track to Mizoën via the Refuge des Mouterres. Then ride down the D25 to the Chambon dam and back to La Grave.
