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Grenoble / Herbouilly P'tites Routes du Soleil Gravel
58,50 Km
4 h 30 min
Very difficult
58,50 km cycling route from Grenoble to Herbouilly
To start the first leg of your Vercors crossing, head for Seyssinet-Pariset, where the GVL (Grenoble / Villard-de-Lans) tramway used to run. Inaugurated in 1920 and in service until 1951, its final route linked the center of Grenoble to Villard-de-Lans, via Saint-Nizier-du-Moucherotte and Lans-en-Vercors. The route we recommend therefore follows the Via du Tram, mainly on tracks and crossing numerous engineering structures.
Alternatively, you can make the ascent by road from Seyssinet-Pariset. This tough climb is renowned for its superb panoramic views over the Grenoble area and the Belledonne mountain range. And if you want to skip the long climb up to the Vercors plateau, you can take the T64 and T65 buses, equipped with bike racks, from Grenoble bus station.
After Saint-Nizier-du-Moucherotte (1168 m), site of the former springboard for the Grenoble Olympics and the highest point of the climb from Grenoble, take the ViaVercors for around 25 kilometers to Corrençon-en-Vercors, via Lans-en-Vercors and Villard-de-Lans. What a surprise! The route is fun, especially in the first part, with curves, slope breaks and mostly gravel surfaces.
After Corrençon-en-Vercors, descend along forest roads to the D221, which comes from the Col d'Herbouilly. Then reach the Auberge-Refuge de Roybon, 500 m from the Herbouilly Nordic area, where you can spend the night in the forest.
Alternatively, you can make the ascent by road from Seyssinet-Pariset. This tough climb is renowned for its superb panoramic views over the Grenoble area and the Belledonne mountain range. And if you want to skip the long climb up to the Vercors plateau, you can take the T64 and T65 buses, equipped with bike racks, from Grenoble bus station.
After Saint-Nizier-du-Moucherotte (1168 m), site of the former springboard for the Grenoble Olympics and the highest point of the climb from Grenoble, take the ViaVercors for around 25 kilometers to Corrençon-en-Vercors, via Lans-en-Vercors and Villard-de-Lans. What a surprise! The route is fun, especially in the first part, with curves, slope breaks and mostly gravel surfaces.
After Corrençon-en-Vercors, descend along forest roads to the D221, which comes from the Col d'Herbouilly. Then reach the Auberge-Refuge de Roybon, 500 m from the Herbouilly Nordic area, where you can spend the night in the forest.
Elevation of the stage
723 m 1813 m
1725 m / ↘ 647 m
Don't miss
- Grenoble : a metropolis that deserves a "city-break". Take the "bubbles" of the Bastille cable car to contemplate the agglo and its mountainous setting from the very top, and stroll through the old town.
- Villard-de-Lans: beautiful village-station and "capital" of the Vercors regional nature park. Villard-de-Lans is also a site of memorial tourism, with its proximity to Resistance memorials scattered across the plateau.
- La ViaVercors: a gentle path offering a 55 km discovery itinerary for tourism and leisure. Located in the Vercors Regional Nature Park, La ViaVercors links all the communes in the northern part of the massif.
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