Mountain Bike Trails in Chamonix — 10 of Our Favourites

There are around 20 official marked trails of varying difficulty, marked on the downloadable Chamonix Valley trails map, giving you access to descents from -500m to -1,500m. In addition to these trails though is a huge network of trails from novice friendly 4x4 tracks to steep, technical goat tracks that can test even the best riders.

Popular trails along the valley floor include the Petit Balcons Nord and Petit Balcons Sud, and area around Les Bois (2km north of Chamonix) also offers a variety of trails for all abilities. The valley's trails vary in length from a couple of km to the Chamonix-Le Tour-Chamonix at about 30km.

Compagnie du Mont Blanc is encouraging mountain biking the in quieter areas of Les Houches and Le Tour at either end of the valley and have built a number of dedicated downhill trails from the lifts.

The Brévent, Flégère and Grand Montets lifts also all allow for bike uplift and, whilst there are no purpose built trails, lots of excellent riding awaits those ready for the challenge. One point to note is the restrictions on mountain biking in July and August.

Here you can find our guide of all the best routes in the Valley and Chamonix, along with maps of mountain biking trails.

If taking the train to Vallorcine seems too easy, then the ride up the road to the Col des Montets should let you work up a good sweat. After taking in the views of the Drus and Chamonix Aiguilles, turn off the main road and follow the tarmac of the old road down the hill. Just as you’re about to rejoin the main road, take the signposted track off to your right and just keep on going downhill until you reach Vallorcine.

Not far enough? You can keep riding past the Vallorcine station along the trails signposted ‘Barberine’ and then Chatelard until you reach the Swiss border. On the Swiss side (remember your passport) you can get on the train back up to Vallorcine, or just keep going along the road through Finhalt and Les Marecottes to Martigny for a very long day out.

If steep rocky corners and gnarly downhill trails are you thing, then head over to the black track that takes you through Le Foret Vert all the way to Vallorcine. Full face helmets and body armour is a must as the rocks, ruts and roots are definitely challenging on this trail.

Accessed directly from the Vallorcine gondola, this fun and challenging trail is designed solely for the use of MTBers and has various jumps, berms and drop offs along its route. Pedestrians are not allowed on this trail at all and the route is clearly sign-posted back down to the base of the lift.

If you're more of an enduro lover and prefer tight switchbacks mixed with flow, then the red track is ideal for you. This trail is also accessed from the top of the Vallorcine gondola, with the entrance right beside the start of the black trail.

Don't forget to time it right either as the lift in Vallorcine closes at lunch time and you'll be stuck at the bottom! (Don't panic though as there are a few nice biker friendly cafés you can call in on).

A favourite run with locals is the descent from the top of the Prarion gondola down to the village of St Gervais and Le Fayet. There are a number of different options, offering long and exhilarating runs down to the bottom.

A nice link up from St Gervais down to Le Fayet is the “Pipeline”, which follows (you guessed it) a large water pipeline, from the bottom of the Bettex cable car in St Gervais, down to the Thermal baths in Le Fayet, close to the train station. There are a couple of sections with long wooden steps in and some tight switchbacks, which will keep you on your toes - a great end to the ride down from Les Houches.

Once you're in Le Fayet you can either take the valley train back to Les Houches or Chamonix, or the tramway back up to the Col de Voza and top of the Bellevue cable car allowing you another downhill descent for the way home.

The original purpose made MTB trails which descended from the Bellevue lift have been abandoned in favour of the recently built track from the Prarion gondola. These old Bellevue trails still exist, along with a small handful off hidden trails in the woods on this side that will definitely challenge you (i.e. definitely not for beginners), but they are no longer being maintained and Compagnie du Mont Blanc is not encouraging their use.

Fortunately the new Prarion track is excellent, with a variety of blue and red options on the way down to keep you interested and allow for a wider range of riders and bikes to use it, though a full face helmet and body armour is recommended.

Another local favourite ride is a long trail that comes off the fire road after the tunnel close to the Prarion gondola. The track hairpins back to your left, down through the woods and into meadows on some really fast and flowy single track. If you're really going fast it might take you between 12-15 minutes to get all the way back to the road near the lifts at the bottom, though remember it is a shared use trail so don’t scare other users and risk losing the right to ride there!

Check out the trails near the Prarion gondola on this map. (Passerelle = north shore, Balise = trail marked - blue/red).

Verbier

When you mention “Verbier” to most riders, they think of the excellent bike park and DH trails, but there’s much more to Verbier than just 200mm travel freeride bikes. 

The area has some incredible singletrack trails for all abilities accessed from the Le Chable-Verbier-Ruinettes cable car. What’s more, the cable car runs for a longer period than most resorts, so you can ride lift-accessed trails from the start of June to the end of October if the weather allows, and all just one hour from Chamonix.

Pila

Pila used to host the UCI DH World Cup, currently hosts the IXS downhill cup and is one of the best bike parks around. Perfect berms (think Sam Hill corner-worthy), Italian coffee and the 21B trail. Pila is a must for any holiday to the Alps.

Portes du Soleil

Possibly the most famous bike area in the Alps, the Portes du Soleil and in particular Les Gets, Morzine and Chatel, have a reputation for the biggest linked riding areas and most extensive man made trails. 

At a little over one hour's drive from Chamonix, the area gives you the opportunity to ride somewhere set up for bikers, by bikers, on as many prepared jumps, berms and drops as you can manage. A very different feel from Chamonix, but a change can be as good as a rest.

Grand Massif

Situated between Chamonix and the Portes du Soleil, the Grand Massif stations of Flaine, Samoens and Les Carroz also have an ambience that sits between their two better known neighbours. 

Like the Portes du Soleil, there are some excellent bike parks and the network of lifts links you quickly and efficiently around a huge area with little need for pedalling, but like Chamonix you’ll miss out on the best riding if you don’t head off with a map and a bike you can take up as well as downhill. 

Mountain bikers are actively welcomed to the area, but you’ll still have the trails mostly to yourself if you leave the bike parks. For more details take a look at their website.

Saleve

If you’ve headed to the Haute Savoie ski areas from Geneva airport, then you’ve likely gone past the massive limestone cliffs of La Saleve and seen its cable car rising up above the motorway on the outskirts of Geneva. 

You may not realise though that the cable car takes bikes and a number of excellent DH trails wind their unlikely way down from the top. The trails are official and marked by small bike symbols, however it's not as easy to navigate as most ski station areas and you’ll need to be prepared to get a little lost and follow clues such as lots of tyre marks on the ground to find the best trails. What’s more, there are no green or blue options here, so novice riders will probably feel a little out of their depth. More advanced riders can bike here through the winter should another day of skiing not interest them.

Dorenaz

Hidden away just past Martigny, about one hour from Chamonix, is the small Swiss village of Dorenaz, and about 670m above it is the even smaller village of Champex. 

As it’s a long way up by road, a little cable car was installed to ferry passengers and goods between the two villages. Fortunately for us, it also carries mountain bikes - underneath! Local riders have built a DH track starting about 200m up the road from the cable car station which has a fearsome reputation and is used by several DH teams for their winter testing and training due to the lifts running all year. 

If you like the Vallorcine DH track, then you’ll like Dorenaz, but be warned, this is a track that takes no prisoners. 

La Thuile

In the winter, many Chamonix skiers head through the Mont Blanc tunnel to ski Courmayeur and enjoy fine Italian food and drink. 

Less common though is to make the one hour journey from Chamonix to La Thuile, just beyond Courmayeur, in the summer. This is a shame as La Thuile has built possibly the best network of natural feeling bike trails in the Alps from its two main chairlifts. 

If you're looking for well groomed jumps and berms then this may not be the place for you but if you like Chamonix’s natural trails and want something with a bit more flow, then you should definitely visit. What’s more, you can stop for an Italian coffee on every lap! 

There's a man made MTB descent for advanced riders that runs from La Flégère to Les Praz. Take the La Flégère cable car to the top station at 1,800m. Upon exiting the lift station, turn left taking the steep 4x4 track that runs through the trees back down to the valley floor.

The terrain around these lifts includes the Aiguille Rouge Nature Reserve which has restrictions on use by various groups, including mountain bikes and dogs, so make sure to check you aren’t straying into the reserve if you’re planning a long ride.

River path Petit Balcon Sud or Nord

Following the river path upstream you can enjoy the low level trails of the Petit Balcon Sud or Petit Balcon Nord. Both trails are well signposted and accessible without having to take any lifts or deal with bad weather higher in the hills. 

These trails can still be fairly technical with rocks and rooty sections, but it’s never too sustained so you can hop off and walk those bits if you'd prefer. 

A circuit of both Balcons is well worth it, at 16km in length it takes around three to four hours to complete the loop. 

Check out the routes on the Chamonix Mountain Bike Trails maps in the link above.

Planards 4x4

If you're staying in the centre of Chamonix and fancy a lung and leg-busting climb, then you can head up the 4x4 track close to Les Planards and the summer luge. 

You follow the trail into the woods and up and up in the direction of the Mer de Glace where you'll get a great view. The last 200m are not too easy on a bike, so push along until you get to the view and the buvette where you can buy some hard earned refreshments before turning round to enjoy the descent. 

Alternatively take the earlier hair pin off the 4x4 trail up to your right and on to the Caillet chalet. From here it's technical downhill all the way, just don't forget to look out for hikers and runners who also like this route.

There are a couple of short, sharp hills on the way to test your legs and lungs. Once you've come to the end of the river track near Les Houches station you'll start the climb up the tarmac road to the Parc de Merlet. It's a long slog, but worth it for the descent.

You'll know you're in the right spot when you see the picnic tables just down a little way from the entrance to the animal park. Stop for a breather here (you've earnt it!) and then head across and down the steps that mark the start of the down hill section.

Be careful as a few of the couloirs are not good places to stop for fear of falling rocks, and there are a few very technical rocky sections at the top that will either seriously test your skills, or have you walking over them. After this top techy bit there's some great single track back down through the trees to Gaillands. It gets easier to ride and faster the closer you get towards the bottom.

You can always treat yourself to a cold beer at Le Vert Hotel on the way back into town.

• Distance : 19km
• Time : 2-3 hrs
• Vertical Gain : 700m

If you want to stay on the tarmac, follow the road through Les Houches and past the Prarion gondola. Keep following the signs for Vaudagne and then Servoz until you reach the village.

If you’d prefer to head off-road, at the Prarion gondola in Les Houches take the first exit from the roundabout and ride downhill past the ski area car parks. Keep going down the road, past the tennis courts until it becomes a 4x4 track. Now just keep riding along this track near to the railway line until you reach the Vaudagne train station, which you’ll notice is not particularly near Vaudagne. Fortunately the rest of the route along a nice piece of singletrack is signposted all the way to the road, where you turn right and ride down the tarmac, and under the motorway. For the last link into Servoz, head for the hotel La Fontaine then take the trail signposted Servoz just before it’s car park.

Once in Servoz there are a huge number of trails to try. If you're looking for something simple then keep going through the village on the D13 road. The road falls and rises for several km and you might want to just keep going on the road and explore the small villages along the hillside between the Fiz cliffs and Le Fayet below. If the call of dirt is too strong then about 1.5km outside Servoz you’ll cross a small bridge (the Pont du Nant Noir) with a gravel car park immediately after it and, if you have very good eyesight, a small trail signpost. From here follow the 4x4 track at the back of the car park down the hill to Chedde, the town at the base of the hill. You get some amazing views of the valley from here, from a direction that you don’t normally get either.

Once back on the tarmac through Chedde you can get the train back up from the station or continue along to the main station at Le Fayet. Alternatively you can take the Tramway du Mont Blanc and ride some trails above Les Houches.

For something more challenging, both up and downhill, cycle through Servoz to the Gorges de Diosaz then up the hill to Le Mont. The road is well surfaced, but it’s still a fair climb. Fortunately once you reach Le Mont there’s a water fountain in the middle of the road to help you cool off and prepare you for the final ascent along the road towards Lac Vert. Fortunately you don’t need to cycle all the way up to Lac Vert (though you can if you wish) but instead as the tarmac road turns to dirt trail and you reach a car park, take the trail on the left signposted "Vieux Servoz par Sentier 0h35" and, at the very first corner, turn hard left onto singletrack.

From here it’s fast flowing singletrack all the way down to the D13 road where you can either turn left to ride back to Servoz, or right to follow the above track to Chedde and Le Fayet. There’s a couple of junctions on the track, turning right at every one might be the best, but the only way to be sure would be to cycle back up again and try the others, just to make sure.

In 2012, a green trail was built offering an easier level of riding in this area. You can access it by the main Charamillon gondola and then the Autannes chair lift, which takes you up to 2,180m. The trail is fast and flowy with a few sharper corners and rocky section to get to grips with, but as a beginner if you take it slow and steady you'll soon find your skills improving. In 2013, a harder variant was added with assorted hips, tabletops, drop offs and berms for more advanced riders.

After riding these trails you can head down to the base of the Charamillon cable car on the blue track. This starts from the end of the green trail next to the gondola station and winds its way down under the cables on a fast and flowing track which gets harder the faster you go, making it a great choice for mixed ability groups.

There are a number of intermediate natural trails that run from Col du Balme down to Le Tour and to Vallorcine villages, or for those searching more technical and challenging routes, there are some fantastic runs such as Col de Possette and various tree lined runs from Col de Balme down to Vallorcine. (Follow the blue trails on the Vallorcine/Le Tour trail Map).

For the more adventurous and advanced rider, why not dip into the village of Trient in Switzerland? (Don’t forget your passport and make sure the trains are running before you set off over the top). This is quite a tricky trail to find though so make sure you have a map or go with somebody who knows the way. It takes about 3-4 hours to reach Trient, however if you still have the energy left once you reach Trient, carry on riding up to the village of Finhaut before descending through the quaint Swiss villages arriving at Martigny. At Martigny you can catch the train back to Chamonix.

For a longer ride that never gets too technical, jump on the lift from the bottom of Le Tour and follow the signs that lead to the Col des Posettes. Take the 4x4 track heading in the direction of Vallorcine where you want to cut a hard right and take the trail that leads to the second chairlift station and a further 4x4 track. This track has a long descent that leads down into La Jeux, Switzerland, or you can follow the winter home run back to Vallorcine and its gondola back up where you can reverse the route back to Le Tour.

Riders staying in Le Tour can follow the fun Petit Balcon Nord all the way into town, where you can soak up the village atmosphere at any of the numerous little coffee houses or eateries along the way. Finish the day with a long and steady climb back up the hill on same trail or on the road. (If you’re too tired, cheat and get the train!!!).

This trail is most suited for intermediate to advanced riders and gives panoramic views across the valley. Just exit right from the cable car and follow the 4x4 track past Plan Joran Restaurant which eventually turns into a small walking track. This is a technical descent with many tight switchbacks and criss-crosses, again watch out for hikers.

Another option at Grands Montets is to turn immediately left out of the Lognan cable car and head back down to the gondola car park. This is the wide intermediate graded 'home run' piste during the winter yet in the summer the terrain changes completely becoming extremely rough and rocky - a real bone shaker. Although it's wide, it’s certainly a challenging route that has a 700m to 800m vertical drop, so it's really best completed by expert downhill riders with full suspension bikes.

For an alternative entry to the ‘home run’ head up the slight gradient towards the Logon refuge (perhaps stopping in for some food if the climb has tired you out) then heading back down on a very technical and rocky track to join the piste about half way down.