At Pass’Portes, there’s something for everyone. After the iconic mountain bike ride, the hiking ride, the electric mountain bike ride, it’s time for the gravel ride! To be completely exact, we launched it in 2023, and for 2024, the ride is back modified, and we tested it on the second day.
In 2023, the desire to offer a gravel ride to Portes du Soleil enthusiasts was born. While walking around the aisles of the Pass’Portes 2024 show, we came across a few blue plaques, the plaques for the 2024 edition!
The format changes compared to the first edition. Before, you left for two days, with a night in Morgins. From now on, the Pass’Portes gravel returns to the base every evening and offers two different routes on Friday and Saturday.
It was also possible to take part in just one day, which we did.
Romain was riding the Propain Terrel CF and Paul was riding the Origine Graxx.
We left for the “small” two-day loop, with 30 km ahead of us and 1000 meters of elevation gain.
The start is given, in groups, at 9am in the heart of the show. Nothing is imposed, but we find ourselves riding in small groups, or with people of the same pace as us.
There are about fifty people registered per day with different profiles, coming from various backgrounds. We find some locals, but especially people who came specifically to the event from Alsace, Brittany, Switzerland…
Some people know the mountain bike formula, others don’t.
The first day was more muscular than the one we participated in. Around sixty kilometers and 1600 meters of positive elevation awaited the group which set off towards Switzerland.
The border hike took everyone to the Torgon refreshment point. On the menu, cheese pasta and a view of the Dents du Midi and Lake Geneva. The route was tough but everyone, or almost everyone, came back with a smile.
The second day begins more peacefully on the banks of the Dranse where we meet the participants of the E-Pass’Portes. Two rooms, two atmospheres, but everyone is happy to start their day on the bike.
We push on to the foot of the Pré-la-Joux bike park and set off on the small road that will take us almost to the Bassachaux pass. This is the main difficulty of the day.
We exchange while pedaling with Antoine Montegani who designed the route: “We changed the format after the 2023 edition, even if it had found its fans. We proposed a route that was a little easier technically. »
“There is a little more road on the program in 2024, but these are roads where we would not venture on a road bike. »
Antoine keeps an eye on the whole group and the different participants with whom he exchanges regularly. All smiles, he shows us Châtel’s iconic mountain: Mont de Grange. This is the summit we will circle around today.
After a long, rather pleasant climb, we return to the big mountain trails and head off on a long descent towards Abondance. There, we come across different mountain pastures, cabins and landscapes that pass by quickly. The bikes are adapted and even if it shakes, we are well within the program of our gravel.
The Propain Terrel in Romain’s hands and its 50mm wide tires make it truly versatile and suitable for alpine terrain. On Paul’s side on the Origine Graxx, the comfort is firmer and you have to be careful when cornering on rolling stones, but the bike shows great versatility and is not limited to hilly trails.
We find the refreshment point two-thirds of the way. A gigantic sandwich, fruit and chocolate await us. There is no fire at the lake, the Pass’Portes gravel is a hike, so everyone takes their time before leaving.
We chat for a few minutes with Sami Sauri, a multi-discipline athlete invited by the organization and who is discovering the Pass’Portes gravel. She is not completely disoriented since she lived in Morzine for years, another nerve center of the Pass’Portes.
The last portion of the route takes place again along the banks of the Dranse. The river winds past the villages and a small shared route runs along the water. It’s perfect for finding the Chemin de Châtel, in a cool place, on a route far from cars.
We come across a few smiling walkers and after a last little bump, we find the test route for the show’s gravel bikes then we leave our last strength in the climb from the village to the heart of the show.
We really enjoyed discovering the circuit and we returned in the middle of the day to Châtel with the satisfaction of having had a great bike ride. We high five with the people who accompanied us and we return to the refreshment station!
Come back soon to discover our other articles on the Pass’Portes 2024!
Discover our article on the Pass’Portes exhibition.
