The Trail

An excellent little loop in the stunningly beautiful vallée de la Clarée, just beyond Névache, and about 25km from Briançon. A straightforward climb, a quick swim in Lac Laramon, followed 6km of fast, flowing balcony trail back down to the valley floor.

The Ascent

Starting from the car park, scoot past La Fruitiere de Névache (make a note for beers later), over the bridge, and take the 4×4 track on the left towards Refuge Ricou. From the off it’s pretty steep (‘efficient’ as they say…), and it doesn’t really relent until you get to the refuge, but you can pedal it all. Sweaty and swearing, definitely stop at the refuge for a coffee. What a spot! After the refuge, it’s mostly all pedalling to the lake, with maybe a couple of short pushes over rocky sections. If you’re not interested in visiting the lake, you can pick up a trail on the right which traverses under the lake. Don’t do that though, go to the lake. You can thank me later. Once you’ve finished bronzing yourself around Lac Laramon, cross over the outlet stream and pick up a singletrack where the fun really begins!

The Descent

6km of quality descending for only 600m of climbing is a stat we like to see as mountain bikers! From Lac Larmaon, the first section back down to the main balcony trail is slightly more technical than the rest, 2-3 rock steps, but nothing to worry about. After that there is a short climb, and then it’s all down, all fun! Fast, flowing, huge views, whooping, and hundreds of photos. Perfectly placed rocks for jumping, perfecting loose gravel. Just above the Chalets de Biaume, the trail decides that’s it for traversing, plunging straight down towards the valley floor in a series of easy switchbacks. Huge fun and little technicality. However be careful which bushes you lean a shoulder into, there are some savage thorns lurking. Once you hit the tarmac, head back up the valley back to the parking and the La Fruitiere de Névache for beer and excellent food.

Variations

It’s possible to add on an extra section by starting a little further up the valley, just after Laval, and climbing via La Poua. The trail then traverses around via Les Chaumes and La Forestiere before joining the route as described above. This adds on a good amount of distance on the balcony trail, while adding very little climbing. I haven’t tested this variation, but I’m 100% certain it works.