Description

Starting from St Jean en Royans, this loop is a delight for experienced cycle tourists who want to enjoy themselves in high places as much as to increase their list of passes covered with six passes on offer.

Step-by-step itinerary

Leaving Saint-Jean, we head towards Bouvante to warm up on a gentle slope to reach the first pass of the day, the Croix pass. The climb continues in a more mineral setting, at the Pionnier pass it is a forest atmosphere typical of the massif. We continue the effort on a gentle slope towards the Portette and Taillebourse passes which end the 18 km and more than 900 m of ascent. We then head towards the Lente plain, an open space in the forest cover and testimony to the ancient presence of the Carthusians. It is effortless that we enjoy the landscape to reach the Machine pass overlooking Combe-Laval. After the tunnel, it is the overhanging road that we take for a unique experience between sky and earth: the road is literally clinging to the cliffs and overhangs the Cholet torrent by several hundred meters. After these emotions, the Gaudissart pass is crossed on the descent leading back to Saint-Jean-en-Royans.

What comes next?