Trans Provence

The mother of all enduro trips and still a must-do today.

Mountain biking in the French Maritime Alps – The stage of the Trans Provence

The Trans Provence is symbolic of mountain biking in the French Maritime Alps: raw, original and characterized by a landscape in which alpine wilderness meets Mediterranean lightness. Between rugged limestone peaks, deep gorges and sun-drenched pine forests, a terrain unfolds that is perfect for demanding enduro and all-mountain riders. The trails follow the natural topography and offer an MTB experience that could hardly be more authentic. The Maritime Alps combine high mountain character with proximity to the sea, which ensures an extraordinary variety and a special atmosphere that is unparalleled worldwide.

The Trans Provence has made the region internationally known and given it a unique MTB identity. The multi-day stage format, which did not require route inspection and demanded pure “blind riding” from mountain bikers, brought the essence of the Maritime Alps to the point: adventure, spontaneity and complete immersion in nature. Even though the original race no longer takes place annually, its spirit is omnipresent. The legendary descents over blocked passages, open alpine slopes and endless singletracks reflect the character of the region and are now symbolic of alpine trail riding with a real wilderness feeling. The combination of high peaks, deep valleys and the final view towards the Mediterranean made the Trans Provence a milestone in MTB history.

What makes the Trans Provence special are the paths that look back on a long history. Many paths were created as mule tracks for trade, others arose from military requirements or the traditional pastoral culture of the region. This historical diversity gives the trails their characteristic structure: stony serpentines, old slab paths, narrow forest paths and high alpine connecting routes. While driving, you can feel the cultural depth of the Maritime Alps in every curve. The small mountain villages, the Provençal lifestyle and the pronounced connection to nature of the locals complete the experience. Mountain biking in the region is not only a sporting challenge, but also a journey through the history of the Alps and the cultural identity of southern France.

Our route

We start together at 8:00 a.m. in Innsbruck with a shuttle bus and trailer. The journey takes place via the Brenner Pass. A later entry is possible, but for logistical reasons for the return transfer at the latest in Milan.

Our first bike day begins with a shuttle that conveniently brings us closer to the start of the tour. From there we climb a relaxed 600 meters before reaching the first trail of the day. This starts technically demanding and later turns into a wonderfully flowing section. Arriving at the bottom, the shuttle bus is already waiting for us – including a well-deserved lunch.

The second ascent of the day is tough: around 900 meters of altitude are on the agenda, of which about half have to be pushed. However, the effort is worth it, because at the end a fantastic trail with an impressive view awaits. A short counter-climb then leads us to the Grande Finale of the day: a spectacular descent over gray earth and exposed ridges down to Barcelonnette.

In total, we cover almost 1,700 meters of altitude on the first day under our own power.

We start the day with a shuttle to the Col d’Allos. From there, a beautiful uphill trail leads us up to the entrance of our first descent. Then we enjoy pure trail fun downhill to Allos.

This is followed by a wonderful balcony cross-country trail that takes us to Colmars. There, numerous possibilities open up for the afternoon: Depending on the group, we design the further course either with a lot of pedaling or with shuttle support. No matter what we decide – in the end, French enduro trails downhill are guaranteed on the program.

The altitude meters under our own power vary on this day depending on the variant between 500 and 1,300 m.

Like every day, we start with a shuttle that takes us to the next Tour de France pass. Unlike usual, however, it goes straight downhill from there: A fantastic trail awaits us, which meanders along the border of the Mercantour National Park.

Then comes the longest continuous climb of the week – around 1,000 meters in one go. Despite the altitude, it is extremely entertaining and varied, and the subsequent descent is one of the best trails in the entire region.

In the afternoon we take it easier and only shuttle. Up to four runs await us: gray earth, fast enduro forest trails and countless highlines in the curves.

In total, we cover around 1,200 meters of altitude under our own power today.

This day could easily pass as its own trip. After around 400 meters of altitude on forest road and singletrack, a descent starts that could hardly be more varied. First, it goes over red earthy, almost tennis court-like soils with exciting technical passages and a small Rampage-like freeride section. This is followed by gravelly trails as well as abstractly shaped segments of gray earth.

We drive through impressive villages that are built directly into the rock faces, and after a short but demanding counter-climb, a playful section over white rocks awaits. In the afternoon, if required, there is the possibility of an additional, long bonus shuttle before we finally take the bus up to our next accommodation.

The daily performance uphill is about 800 meters of altitude.

Today, two absolute mega trails are on the program. However, the first one has to be earned with a partly crisp climb over 400 meters of altitude. However, the effort is immediately worth it, because then the longest descent of the entire week awaits – an epic trail down to Lantosque.

After lunch, we go straight back into the shuttle and on through the so-called “Disneyland” to l’Escarène. And if you still have energy reserves in the afternoon, you can look forward to a third shuttle, followed by a final descent to Sospel.

In total, we cover around 900 meters of altitude under our own power – and, as so often, many times that downhill.

Around Sospel we use shorter shuttles that take us to mostly technically more demanding trails. A detour to the Val Roya should of course not be missing. Until lunch we get out what is possible – until even holding the handlebars becomes a challenge.

Then we are ready for the big, final descent. Here we take it easy and enjoy the last trail down to the sea.

The altitude meters under our own power remain pleasantly manageable today at around 500 meters.

We start early in the morning in Menton to be back in Innsbruck in the late afternoon.

As with all trips, our route is not set in stone, but in this form, in our experience, offers the greatest experiential value. However, we also know many alternatives and can react flexibly to the group and the weather. For private groups, we are also happy to offer routes adapted to expectations. For example, more shuttle and less altitude, or a variant optimized for e-bike groups.

The accommodation

On the Trans Provence we are primarily accommodated in hotels in the valley. These range from classic southern French in the hinterland to simple ‘normal’ 3-star hotels on the Mediterranean coast. When choosing accommodation, we attach great importance to authenticity and prefer small family hotels. Where there is a choice, the hotels are close to each other in price. So we always opt for the more charming or better hotel. In the second part of the trip you usually have no choice anyway. Due to the fact that tourism here has long been past its best years, hotels also disappear every year, and especially in Sospel, for example, we also use cozy apartments and visit a nice cafe for breakfast to start the day.

Questions, inquiries and individual tour

Whether general information, travel inquiries or a privately guided Trans Provence: We are happy to help and plan tours according to conditions and objectives.

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