Val Durance

Location: The river Durance, which rises near Mont Genevrè in the Hautes-Alpes department, close to the Italian border, separates the Dauphiné from the Cottian Alps with its picturesque valley, the Val Durance. On its way to the Rhône, it crosses the towns of Briançon, Embrun and Sisteron before flowing into the Rhône in the Vaucluse department south of Avignon.

The Val Durance lies in the far south-east of France, between the Dauphiné and the Cottian Alps. Some of the passes are well-known from various Tour de France broadcasts. But hardly anyone knows about the magnificent trails and rugged descents over miles of scree slopes in this remote area... That's why we set out to explore the Val Durance by mountain bike.

The late summer light makes for unique colors at this time of year. Under a steel-blue sky, lush green patches of mountain forests alternate with meadows and brambles in all shades of brown on the colossal mountain flanks. The walls and rock towers in between shine brightly in the sunlight and the air is almost as clear as in winter. On small hills and along the small rivers, crooked and crooked stone houses huddle together to form hamlets or small villages.