P'tites Routes du Soleil Gravel

Description All stages Reviews and personal stories

845 Km

Difficult

Thonon-les-Bains

Nice

Like P'tites Routes du Soleil® in road bike mode, P'tites Routes du Soleil® Gravel links Thonon-les-Bains (Haute-Savoie) to Nice (Alpes Maritimes), crossing the Alps. With just over 17,500 meters of positive vertical drop on almost 845 kilometers of variously surfaced trails, it's a little more challenging than its road counterpart. Through the Chablais, Monts de Genève, Avant-Pays Savoyard, Chartreuse, Vercors, Diois, Buëch, Monges, Préalpes de Digne, Verdon, Haut-Var, Haut-Pays Niçois, P'tites Routes du Soleil® Gravel takes you along quiet roads to wild landscapes, authentic villages and lost passes. The electrically-assisted bike makes this unique outdoor experience affordable for everyone.

Elevation of the route

18795 m 18366 m

Which way to ride P'tites Routes du Soleil® Gravel?

In Gravel, not all climbs and descents are interchangeable. This route has been designed to run north-south. We recommend that you ride it on the Thonon-les-Bains - Nice axis.
How many days?

We've divided the route into 15 sections, ranging from 43 to 67 kilometers (56 km on average). Minimum/maximum positive altitude differences range from 496 to 1,743 meters. Ideally, you should have 10 to 15 days to complete the route in the best possible conditions and discover all its secrets.

When to set off?

The highest sections of P'tites Routes du Soleil® Gravel are at over 1500m altitude at Herbouilly or on the Cheiron. There's also the Mont-Salève (1335 m), the Col Saint-Barnabé (1365 m), and the Gréolières resort at 1400 m altitude. The route can therefore be taken from spring to late autumn. As long as you check beforehand that the snow won't make it impassable in certain places, and that there's enough accommodation open.

Difficulty

P'tites Routes du Soleil® Gravel is an itinerary that we class as "Difficult".

This "Difficult" classification, necessarily subjective, is justified:

By the length and altitude difference of the route.
By the presence of some technical passages close to mountain biking.

It is of course possible to reduce the difficulty by using an electric Gravel bike or an electric VTC and avoiding certain portions like the Cheiron passage in the Alpes Maritimes.
Don't hesitate to try out a small part of the route, rather than taking on the whole thing!

Easier, thanks to the VAE!

Gravel bikes are available in electric versions, which will make life easier, or allow you to bring friends of different levels on board for the adventure. The P'tites Routes du Soleil ® Gravel itinerary we propose has been designed so that you'll always find charging stations (see maps for each stage).

Together, let's map out the best itinerary possible

P'tites Routes du Soleil® Gravel is an itinerary that can be perfected. By reporting your experience, you'll help us improve it and map out variants. Tell us about your trip

About Gravel and road safety

Between road and mountain biking, Gravel is a specific activity in terms of the routes taken, equipment and gear, preparation and organization. The uniqueness of the experience lies in the wilder areas covered. Away from the roads too busy with cars and motorcycles, Gravel offers a different approach to the natural and cultural heritage of the Alps. To find out more about the practical aspects and new Alpine horizons of the Gravel: https://www.routedesgrandesalpes.com/le-gravel-c-est-quoi