Mountain bikingHardBoucle

30 - The Dunière gorges

Start: Place Jean Salque à Sainte-Sigolène

This route unfolds in three stages. The first 13 kilometres are fairly hard, with two fine descents down to the Dunière and two quite physical climbs back up, with very steep sections and a few short stretches where you carry your bike. The second part is smoother and less hilly, then the third, from km 24, is demanding again but with lovely, playful paths. One last short climb after the Villard pond and you can let yourself roll to the finish!

Distance: 38.2 km
Elevation gain: +1130 m
Elevation loss: -1131 m
Duration: 5 h

Route on the map

Base map © OpenTopoMap (CC-BY-SA): route licensed under ETALAB-2.0 via Données : Comité Départemental Randonnée Pédestre Haute-Loire · FFRandonnée · sportsnature.hauteloire.fr — sous licence ETALAB 2.0.

The feel of the route

The wild Dunière gorges, a natural and built heritage kept secret! The Dunière, a right-bank tributary of the Lignon du Velay and therefore a sub-tributary of the River Loire, is a river well stocked with fish that winds through unspoilt nature where mixed deciduous and coniferous forest is everywhere. A few steps from the circuit, at Laval, do not miss the chapel dedicated to St Julien La Tourette. This Romanesque chapel, built on a rocky spur overlooking a meander of the Dunière, is made up of a single nave and a choir and probably dates from the 11th century. This protected site, accessible only to mountain bikers and walkers, is a real haven of peace!