Enduro Mountain Bike Trail No. 28: Les Débaroudeurs

Full circuit including connecting routes: 10 km and 550 m elevation gain/loss / Enduro section: 2 km and 500 m descent
Type of ride: Enduro / E-MTB
Route type (50% tracks, 25% roads, 25% trails)
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Markings: Yes (but regularly unmarked at the intersection between the departmental road and the Pensier trail, between kilometres 2 and 3).
Start: Saint-Auban Ecotourism Park

Thrills guaranteed!

The route starts from the car park of the Saint-Auban Ecotourism Park located by the lakes. Follow the marked mountain bike route no. 28 on a rolling track for about 500 metres before joining the RD221 departmental road towards the hamlet of Les Lattes for about 4 km.
At the hamlet of Les Lattes, take the Chemin de Saint-Joseph on the right from the RD221 for 1 km.
(The junction between the RD2211 and this path, located on the right coming from Saint-Auban, is often unmarked: the use of GPS tracking is strongly recommended). Then continue along the Chemin des Gierry, which climbs steeply to the right via a concrete ramp, from hiking marker no. 221, towards the summit of Le Pensier.

The climb continues on a grey dirt track with three hairpin bends that will require pushing, then on a slightly rough section for about 500 metres. The track then continues for over 1 kilometre through the woods, with a very pleasant average gradient that is easy on an e-MTB and manageable on a standard mountain bike. You then need to leave the trail to take a junction on the right which leads back onto the Piste du Pensier. Ride for 1 km before reaching a water tank, where the start of the enduro special stages is located. It is also possible to make a return trip to the summit at 1,600 m to enjoy a 360° panorama, with an additional 100 m of elevation gain, if you still have the legs or enough battery power.
From there, follow descent no. 28, ‘Les débaroudeurs’, marked by an enduro sign. The route starts through lavender fields and plunges into a shady valley on the north-facing slope of Le Pensier. The descent twists and turns with a series of banked corners and hairpin bends where nose turns are sometimes necessary. But there are also banked corners and sections offering more fluidity, allowing you to release the brakes in the middle section. All this takes place on earthy passages, sometimes mixed with gravel, alternating between more or less steep sections. The last part is on the steepest slope of the special stage, offering a bird's eye view of the Canadian-style lakes of Saint-Auban.

The climb continues along a grey-earth track with three hairpin bends where you’ll need to push your bike, followed by a slightly rough section of around 500 metres. The track then continues for over 1 km through the woods, with a moderate gradient that’s very pleasant on an e-MTB and manageable on a standard mountain bike. You then need to leave the trail and take a connection on the right that leads to the Piste du Pensier. Continue for 1 km before arriving at a water cistern, where the enduro special stages start. It is also possible to make a return trip to the summit at 1,600 m to enjoy a 360° panorama, with an additional 100 m of elevation gain, if you still have the legs or enough battery power.

From there, follow descent no. 28, ‘Les débaroudeurs’, marked by an enduro sign. The route starts through lavender fields and plunges into a shady valley on the north-facing slope of Le Pensier. The descent twists and turns with a series of banked corners and hairpin bends where nose turns are sometimes necessary. But there are also banked corners and sections offering more fluidity, allowing you to release the brakes in the middle section. The whole route is on earthy sections, sometimes mixed with gravel, alternating between steeper and gentler sections. The final section is on the steepest slope of the special stage, offering a bird’s-eye view of the lakes of Saint-Auban, which have a distinctly Canadian feel.

The descent ends directly at the Saint-Auban Ecotourism Park, where you can rehydrate or grab a bite to eat by the lakes before setting off on another loop!