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The Cathedral of Flow

Ride the finest secret singletrack in the French Alps!

Come and discover this truly stunning hidden gem of the French Alps. We’ll spend 6 days riding in the Queyras regional park, an area of the Hautes Alpes region of France, roughly between Grenoble and Turin. If you’re seeking every type of trail the Alps has to offer in one week, then this is your holiday! Natural singletrack with an off-the-scale GrinFactor, 30+ minute descents, more variety than you can shake a stick at? Yes, THAT’s what we’re talking about!

Swoop through alpine meadows into lovely loamy forest trails, finishing up with an ice-cream or a locally brewed beer. That’s pretty much Living The Dream! Come and live it with us for a week this summer!

 

What to expect from the Cathedral of Flow

We love this area of the French alps, not just for the endless trails, but also because of the untouched nature of the whole area. It’s as if time stood still – and this goes for the trails too –  they’re almost pristine because no one knows about them.

Over the six days we’ll maximise the van uplift to take the sting out of the climbs where we can, and some days will be almost entirely uplifted in our comfortable modern air-conditioned van. There is no “rest-day” as such, but if you would like to take a day/a few hours off, you are more than welcome to do so.

There is such a vast number of high quality trails in the Queyras that we can tailor what we ride to match well with your technical ability. However, you DO need to be of at least High-Intermediate level and above (check ability descriptions here), and you must be happy to do some pedalling each day – even on the uplifted days, some trails will need a little pedal or push to reach the trailhead. We’ll do at least two big mountain days too, so expect to push or ride for up to two hours on those days, but rest assured – the climbs are always worth it. There will only be quality singletrack down the other side! If you’re unsure about your ability or fitness levels, don’t hesitate to get in touch for a chat.

We’ll be staying in comfortable accommodation in a central location. There’ll be secure bike storage, basic tools, and bike wash facilities should we need them. You will eat more than you can possibly imagine was possible, all locally sourced foods cooked to perfection by the team at Maison Gaudissard, our home for the week.

All of your meals and snacks are included in the price of your holiday, shuttles up to the trails, any lift tickets that you may need, as well as airport transfers from Geneva Airport (within our recommended times, see below). You’ll just need to cover any drinks you buy during the day, and/or have with dinner.

There will be two members of staff with you on your trip, one of whom will be Emily Horridge, one of only a few British guides to hold a French guiding qualification. After over 10 years in the guiding industry, she is extremely experienced and knowledgeable, and as an ex-world cup downhill racer, not too shabby on a bike either. Our second staff member may vary from week to week, but will also hold the appropriate qualifications required to work as a guide in France.

What’s included:

  • 7 nights half-board accommodation (twin occupancy)

  • Packed lunches

  • 6 days of guided riding and air-conditioned minibus uplift

  • Airport transfers to and from Geneva airport, within our recommended times.

What’s not included:

  • Flights to and from Geneva airport

  • Holiday insurance

  • Any food/drinks you choose to purchase whilst out each day

Price: €1749
Deposit: €499

Please note that there are a maximum of 7 spaces available each week for these trips, so we encourage you to book early to avoid disappointment.

AIRPORT TRANSFERS

In order to take advantage of our airport transfers, please choose a flight which will land in Geneva around 10:00 on your day of arrival, and a flight which will leave Geneva no earlier than 15:00 on your day of departure. The transfer times are around 4-4.5 hours. We will aim to drop you back at Geneva at 13:00 on your day of departure, hence the requirement to book a departing flight no earlier than 15:00. There are closer airports but some of them do not operate in summer, or operate reduced services. For this reason, we ask you to fly into Geneva as you will find it easier to find a flight from your closest home airport.