Vast Resort

Why you should go there: The “Tarentaise” region has some of the largest and most famous skiing resorts in the Alps. The numerous lifts connecting mountains and valleys offer superb infrastructure for long and epic riding days inside and outside the bikeparks. There is a seemingly infinite amount of bikepark trails, enduro tracks or shared trails at your disposal which can be connected to your personal perfect-day-on-the-bike. The destination is located just west ot the “Petit St. Bernhard” pass and can be visited on its own or be included in a long western alps roadtrip including Aosta and Arêches-Beaufort.

Who is it for: Almost all riders will find lots of trails they like. The bikeparks have many trails from kids- to expert level. The official (and secret) enduro trails around the parks are fantastic and the shared paths offer endless trails with a view.

Who should avoid it: Beginners on the bike will likely find the natural trails too challenging and should stay on the green/blue bikepark trails. Unfortunately these resorts are huge complexes – some might say an eyesore in the mountains.

Trails

The higher regions in the Tarentaise are often covered with alpine meadows, thus the trails are not super rocky, but rather a good mix of soil and few rocks. In the forests below some roots are added to the mix, but only rarely you find larger “root carpets”. Lower down towards the valley bottom the trails become rockier on the south faces. The lower nothern faces of the mountain are greener, a lot of moss and little creeks create a fairytale mood.

Families and beginners in mountainbiking should test the many easy trail options in the bikepark, like Easy Rider and Legend in Les Arcs, these are good fun (also for advanced riders).

Tour and All-Mountain bikers with advanced technical abilities will enjoy Lac Esola, Mont Jovet and Geffriand plus many more options in the area.

Dre dans l´Pentu, Axe Wound, La Loyale and Les Cretes are fantastic Enduro-style trails.

To explore the region we recommend to stay in the valley over hotels on top of the mountain, we find a town like Bourg-Saint-Maurice much nicer than the very artificial ski resorts and getting around is also easier starting in the valley bottom. If you plan to sleep in a camper van or ride bikepark the whole day, staying in one of the resorts might suit you better though.