8 ways to pedal Leman Mountains Explore

• Difficulty: 1/5 to 4/5, depending on the route and type of bike.

This is what’s known as “gourmet cycling”, a popular option for epicurean cyclists. How does it work? Select one of the gourmet itineraries, from 5 to 32 kms, proposed on the Gavot plateau and set off, on two wheels, to meet the local producers, then treat yourself to a delicious stopover.

It’s an original (and environmentally-friendly) way to enjoy organic fruit and vegetables and craft beers (in moderation, of course, so you can get back in the saddle!).

You’ll also find our cheeses (Abondance PDO in particular, but not only!) and dairy products.

• Route “La traversée du Plateau de Gavot” (difficult without a bike) – 25km 560m+. Start from the Gavot college car park in St Paul en Chablais.
• Tour of the Gavot Plateau” (difficult without a bike) – 32km 750m+. Departure from Plage de la Beunaz in St Paul en Chablais.

• Difficulty: 2/5

Why not take the (large) Portes du Soleil from Abondance or La Chapelle d’Abondance? It’s a great way to try out electrically-assisted mountain biking! It’s also a brilliant way to access the 56 itineraries on offer in Europe’s largest mountain biking area, with a little help from technology.

Bonus: download the free“Portes du Soleil Summer” app to access the Portes du Soleil mountain bike trails in just a few clicks. It also gives you GPS tracking of the route, with details for each section. You’ll also find news, events, activities, games and the reassuring emergency alert function that lets you send your GPS position in the event of a problem.

• Difficulty: from 1/5 to 4/5 depending on the trails used.

For those unfamiliar with the term, the Bike Park is quite simply the equivalent of a ski slope… but designed to cater for mountain bikers, with marked and groomed trails for all levels and a main ascent by ski lift.

The Bernex bike park was designed to be very accessible,” says Sébastien Giraldi, who manages the facility. We improve it every year to make it as complete as possible, but we’re careful to maintain its size. With, therefore, this desire to preserve, also, a family and general public aspect. “As soon as you can stand on the pedals, you can try it out. We have some very accessible trails, such as the beautiful ‘Verte’ with its 2km of forest, which is very fun and risk-free, or the emblematic blue ‘Bern’land’, which is very playful.

• Access via the Pré Richard chairlift.