The mountain itself is a geological sensation: at the bottom, the Grand Chavalard stands on granite rock that is so hard that even the Rhône has to flow around it at a 90-degree angle. Its summit, on the other hand, is made up of porous dolomite rock, which in turn leads to bizarre rock formations. And it is precisely into this spectacular landscape that this trail climbs, heading towards its namesake Portail de Fully (gate of Fully), balancing along vertical rock faces and finally winding its way back down into the valley in more than a hundred hairpin bends. All of this in front of an incredible Mont Blanc panorama. An adventurous high mountain experience for which you must have a head for heights.
The adventure begins in Dorénaz with the gondola ride. The cable car transports bikes, but they are suspended overhead from the tyres - under the gondola. So don't forget to take your water bottles off beforehand! You will need water urgently during the ascent, because after 700 metres in altitude, comfort comes to an end. From Champex d'Alesse, you still have 1200 metres of climbing to do yourself. At first it's quite pleasant on tarmac bends, then on a gravel track to the Cabane du Sex Carro, where it's best to top up your water bottles. Behind the hut, you push up a section of alpine meadow until the path becomes recognisable again and you now follow this wider, steep path uphill into the lonely high mountains.
The gradient soon becomes difficult, but the panorama to the side becomes more and more distracting - you will have to push for most of the last 300 metres in altitude. But at the highest point, you can see a geological sensation: the summit of the Grand Chavalard granite mountain is made of dolomite rock! This also explains the rock formation that the trail now descends to: an archway in white, porous rock. In French: Portail de Fully. A rock monument that could also be found in Moab.
Eventually you come to a gravel road, from which a steep trail branches off sharply to the right after a short stretch. After around 80 metres in altitude, the trail cuts across the slope in the finest flow country style, slightly downhill, towards Lousine. Shortly afterwards, a small yellow sign that is easy to overlook points you in the right direction to Chiboz. It winds its way down the still steep mountainside in a rough zigzag. Now, however, in an opaque forest.
In Chiboz itself, the Relais des Chasseurs is well worth a stop. The chef specialises in game and snails. It is said that he only prepares the sauce at night by the light of his headlamp so that no-one can find out his recipe. Well fortified, it's time to tackle the remaining 900 metres of the descent. The trail bends are wider here, but they also drop down much steeper. Without a locked rear wheel, these constant changes of direction are almost impossible to control. Someone claims to have counted a total of 100 hairpin bends here. But at some point, unfortunately, even this carousel ride comes to an end and we end up back in the Rhône valley, in the vineyards of Fully.
Info Supertrail Portail de Fully
- Length: 39.3 kilometres
- Uphill: 1484 metres in altitude
- Downhill: 2186 metres in depth
- Difficulty: medium to difficult
The tour: In terms of the surface, the Portail de Fully should actually be classed as an easy trail - if it weren't for the extreme exposure. On short sections, even careful pushing becomes a balancing act. So please don't take any risks and, if in doubt, always dismount, even if the trail is finely gravelled and free of stumbling blocks. The trail only becomes rougher later in the forest (up to S2). In some places, the hairpin bends follow each other at bike length and the trail descends steeply. However, the risk of falling is significantly lower. The ascent is long, despite the use of the cable car. There is even a pushing and carrying section at the end.
Starting point: At the Dorénaz cable car car park
Cable car: The cable car in Dorénaz-Champex d'Alesse helps the first 700 metres uphill, the remaining 1200 metres have to be cranked and sometimes pushed in the upper section. Daily from 5:45 am. Closed every first Thursday of the month for maintenance. Info: dorenaz.ch
Refreshment tip Relais des Chasseurs mountain inn in Chiboz. Here you can savour the finest game dishes and, above all, snails. relaisdechasseurs.ch
EMTB-Info Due to the long and sometimes steep ascent, the route is perfect for e-MTBs. However, you still won't be able to ride everything. Sometimes you have to heave the bike up a few steps and shoulder it. Battery management: The long descent back to the start should not be underestimated!
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Gitta Beimfohr
Editor
