Sport Itineraries: Verrayes

Technical difficulty: medium
Physical difficulty: medium
Cyclability: 100%
Type of route: mixed asphalt, dirt road, path

The Becca d’Aver monutain bike trail crosses the high-altitude landscapes of three municipalities, from Saint-Barthélemy (Nus), to Verrayes to end up in front of the Matterhorn overlooking the Chavacourt valley in the territory of Torgnon.

The route takes you through coniferous forests, grazing meadows and large open spaces. Each pedal stroke lets you discover villages, mountain pastures, uncontaminated nature and traces of an ancient world that still lives.

Along the route, you can stop for a regenerating break at the refreshment points and in the local restaurants, and if you are in Lignan, you will find a convenient vending machine for food products, perfect for cyclists leaving or arriving.

The start is from the church of Saint-Barthélemy in Lignan, then you pedal to the village of Vencorère, in the municipality of Verrayes. From there, on an asphalt road, you cross the hamlet of Grand Villa to the picnic area of ​​Champlong. The road then continues towards the Col de Bornel, from which a dirt road takes you to the picnic area of ​​Chantorné and to Plan Prorion, in the municipality of Torgnon.

Beyond, the route embraces the wetland area of ​​the Lo Ditor pond, then passes through Tellinod and arrives to Gilliarey. It is possible to continue to the Lake Cignana and the Barmasse refuge. A mountain bike or e-bike experience that lets you breathe the true essence of the mountains!

From Pont-Saint-Martin, after admiring its ancient Roman bridge, travel along the valley floor to Châtillon from where you will then climb along the Matterhorn Valley. At Antey-Saint-André you will find the crossroads for Torgnon. From Torgnon you will then pass the panoramic pass of San Pantaleone (Saint-Pantaléon) from which you can reach Verrayes by choosing between two different routes: passing through Lozon (nature reserve) or through Semon (municipality of Saint-Denis). From Verrayes you reach the valley floor again and arrive at Nus from which you climb towards Saint-Barthélemy where another exceptional panorama opens up. The route ends with the descent towards Nus.

TORGNON: RURAL ARCHITECTURE AND PANORAMA
Torgnon lies in the heart of those who visit it not only because of its privileged location, in the middle of the valley of the Matterhorn, at an altitude of 1489 m, but also for its numerous hamlets which retain their characteristic Alpine architecture. Among these the hamlets of Etirol and Triatel, whose buildings host the ethnographic museum Petit-Monde about the history of the area, its production cycle and its social organisation, stand out.
The view from the Saint-Pantaléon pass is definitely stunning and the gaze takes in the whole Valtournenche valley, encircled by the Grandes Murailles and the Matterhorn, and the Central Valley.

SAINT-BARTHELEMY, TO THE STARS
The Saint-Barthélemy Valley, initially tortuous and very steep, in the Lignan area at 1,633 meters above sea level, opens up into a vast plateau from which you can admire a splendid panorama. The astronomical observatory of Saint-Barthélemy, very important for scientific research, is one of the most suitable places for astronomical observations, thanks to favourable conditions, mainly due to low light pollution.
Excellent local wines are produced in the municipality of Nus: Nus Rouge and the aromatic Malvoisie, an enological preciousness produced from dried grapes.

Park your car next to the parish church of the village and continue south on the regional road towards Champagne, with your back facing the church.
After about 150 m take, on the right, the road that leads to the village Plan d’Arey, and follow it to the end. Three shelters equipped with the cartography of the arboretum indicate to the tourists the vegetation, the various paths to cover (each duly marked) and the most panoramic areas.
The visitor can admire a forest complex of great naturalistic, botanical and scientific interest, given the uniqueness and the particularity of the site. To mention the massive presence of aromatic thyme. The most suitable season for visiting the Arboretum is spring, characterized by an exaltation of colors and scents.

From Verrayes, you follow the road which climbs up to the Col de Saint-Pantaléon. Once you have gone through Del and Semon, you continue on towards Cheresoulaz. At a junction you follow the road on the left which flanks the reserve of Loson and rises up to a small hill. At the crossroads, you take the right-hand fork that leads to the grassland of Champlong, where you can park your car.
You take the un-made road which bends to the right and goes past the Ronc mountain pasture and climbs gradually to the Col des Bornes. From here you take path no. 1 on the left, which goes uphill through the wood, until you reach the flat clearing where you meet route no. 2 from the Grand Villa. Staying on the same route, you continue going uphill through the woods, which begin to thin out making way for wide Alpine pastureland. You then come to Col d’Aver where you meet path no. 11 from Torgnon. Go left and when you reach the Alpe Aver, you go uphill to a small Chapel and soon reach the grassy ridge that divides Verrayes and Nus. Continuing on the right on path no. 16, after a short while you reach the summit, indicated by a small iron cross. The view is over Valtournenche and the Val Saint-Barthélemy.
Now going back along the ridge on trail no. 16 you reach a junction, where you ignore the branch going down along the Val Saint-Barthélemy, and take the left-hand branch (no. 16A) which climbs to Cima Longhède where there is a large cross planted by the Alpine Troops Association from Verrayes. From here you have panoramic views over the whole central valley.

You take then the dirt road (it is the continuation of that one beginning from the village just below, which is called Clavon), which bends to the right and goes past the Ronc mountain pasture and climbs gradually to the Col de Bornes, on the border with the municipality of Torgnon.

Driving up from the municipality of Chambave, along the regional road towards Verrayes, reaching the village of Marseiller. Arriving here on the left there are the parking where you can leave the car, an illustrative panel showing the various areas of interest and the entrance of Ru de Marseiller. From the square, walking for 50 metres on the regional road towards Verrayes and take, on your right, the path n. 4 Marseiller-Col de Bornes, which initially follows a dirt road leading out of the hamlet. After crossing the regional road keep on until the irrigation tank: here walk just above it, continuing parallel, until the path crosses the regional road; follow it down for a few tens of metres and take, on your left, the path of rû, leading into the wood, in the hamlet Gubioche; then the track goes into a nucleus of houses, after it crosses the asphalt road for then continuing up on the left, on the path (n. 113), following the itinerary that, in addition to the beautiful view over the valley and the castle of Cly, gives at disposal a healthy path: after the first 300 metres you will see the first fitness equipment and a bench, for a small break. Keeping on walking, after 250 metres you arrive to the asphalt road: on the left a parking for disabled people and, in front, the continuation of the track along the small artificial canal. After other 400 metres you reach other fitness equipment, in Plantery hamlet, as the crow flies over the ruins of castle of Cly, the end of this easy walk.