Whether you are a downhill, enduro or cross-country biker, the Verbier area and its bike park are the perfect playground for your mountain bike excursions this summer.
Consisting of 9 runs with various levels of difficulty and in a lavish scenery, the Verbier-La Tzoumaz bike park offers 19k downhill trails between Fontanet (2475m), Verbier (1500m) and La Tzoumaz (1550m).
On the “Tsenelle” run for example, beginners and families get a magnificent view of the Mont Fort and the Mont Blanc – for little effort: The 1,7k run starts on top of the combined chair and gondola lift La Chaux-Express and follows a gentle slope down to La Chaux. On your way down, you’ll come across resting places and info panels.
If you are looking for more technical stuff, try “Bortabitche” or “Wouaïy”. The former starts at Fontanet and ends at Ruinettes. On the 1,3k inbetween, you’ll find banked bends, jumps and bridges over a scree. With its winding 2,2k through the forest, the second trail is a favourite among the local downhillers.
The most famous run in Verbier though is the “Rôdze”, which starts at Fontanet to finish at Ruinettes. It offers breathtaking scenery with a spectacular view of the Combins massif (with its highest summit at 4300m!) as well as 65 successive jumps and rocky crossings.
And finally, you can check out the “Tire’s fire” trail for the real downhill competition feeling. This trail was first used in a Swiss and European Downhill Cup in 2007. It’ll give you everything experienced riders are looking for: jumps, banked bends, roots, forests, steep slopes … over 2,3k. Don’t break a leg, though! This trail is physically and technically demanding, so please be careful. As it ends at the Medran cabin station, you can then come and say hello to us at No. 1 to tell us all about your exploits.
If you belong to those who prefer to accumulate more miles, Verbier and its surroundings offer you beautiful and long enduro and cross-country rides.
The Grand Tour for example is a 36k loop starting in Verbier and taking you through the scenic village of Sarreyer (1230m) in the Bagnes valley. The culmination point of the ride is at La Chaux (2266m), which you reach after a long 10k climb. But the gain is worth the pain: From La Chaux you can take the lifts up to Col de Gentianes (2894m) or the summit of Mont Fort (3330m) to enjoy an incredible view on the surrounding Alps. And don’t worry, you’ll find plenty of places to eat and recharge your e-bike along the route.
For families, we recommend the La Planie tour starting at La Chaux and ending at La Croix de Coeur above Verbier. This 10.5k route runs on a flat road offering a breathtaking view and is ideal for beginners and kids.
For the more skilled, the legendary adventure trail you can’t miss is the one to Col de Mille: With its alpine trails, an exceptional view and 2k of downhill, it is a dream come true for all mountain bike lovers. Starting at the Moay (Bagnes) bus stop, you ride up to Col de Mille on the Chemin du Tseppi and then on a mountain road (the Route de la Pasay is closed this year) before you race back down to Le Châble. A hard climb, that’s for sure, but the alpine single trail and a very technical part on the descent will make it worthwhile.
Besides these few examples, Verbier and its surroundings offer more than 40 enduro and cross-country trails.
