370
km
11.000
+m+
7 Days - 6 Nights
Sunday to Saturday
Equipped Campsites
12 Participants
2 Route Leaders
Support Van
Les 7 Cols, Western Alps
The route connects seven legendary cols in the Western Alps between France and Italy. Still untouched by the crowds, these sacred giants have made cycling history and feature some of the highest paved roads in Europe. The seven cols are Izoard, Agnel, Sampeyre, Fauniera, Lombarde, Bonette and Vars. More information on les7majeurs.com
from
1.450 €
pp
30% - Deposit
will secure a place in the route
70% - Balance
due 2 months before departure
CampOut Supported Route
Supported route focused on discovery and community. At the end of the day, you’ll find the campsite ready with pitched tents and a dining canopy with freshly made, healthy food, and cold drinks. Expect a relaxed pace of about 15 km/h with plenty of stops – our routes are not focused on performance or training.
- Route -
Details
Campsites
Tent set-up with
comfortable air mattress, pillows,
towel, chairs, night light, power plugs.
Common dining canopies.
Shared showers and bathrooms.
Full Board
Breakfast and dinner at the campsite.
Picnic lunch from the van.
All the meals are freshly made
with seasonal fruits and vegetables.
Cold drinks are included.
Luggage Transfer
To the next campsite.
One bag, max 20kg.
Bike Box Storage
at the first and last
Campsite.
Support Van
Luggage transfer to the next hotel.
Picnic lunch with seasonal fruit, snacks and drinks.
Bike tools and spares to solve common mechanicals.
Support Crew
The route is hosted by 2 experienced cyclists,
providing practical tips about
equipment, mechanics and navigation.
Roadbook and live tracking
Support crew will assist in setting route on your GPS.
All the participants will be tracked in real time,
giving everyone the chance to ride safely at his own pace.
Please Note
A supported route is not a guided route. While a tour leader will be riding with participants to assist in case of mechanicals or emergencies, riders are fully responsible for respecting local laws and natural areas, they must be self-sufficient in following the route, bring all the mandatory equipment, and commit to the day-by-day itinerary. Please consider that the support van may not always be available and in most countries is not even allowed to carry participants as passengers. Participants must accept and sign our rider agreement before taking part in the route.
Intermediate
Demanding route for cyclists who ride regularly. The daily itinerary is based on 2000-meter climb and is planned to leave a few hours of rest during and after the ride. Cold weather, rain or strong winds may make the route more challenging. Check the day-by-day Itinerary for the daily amount of kilometres and elevation.
Ride at your pace
Expect a relaxed pace of about 15 km/h with plenty of stops for coffee, resupply and regroup participants. You can always choose to ride at your pace, being faster or slower. We will make sure you have the right route on your GPS and we will keep an eye on your real-time position.
Bike Setup
Bring your trusted road bike
with a low gear ratio (0.9).
We don’t recommend renting a bike,
but we can arrange it.
1.5 litres minimum water capacity,
30mm min tyre
40mm max rim profile.
For safety and comfort
we recommend gravel shoes and pedals.
Tools and Spares
multi-tool, inner tube,
tubeless repair kit,
hand pump, chain link.
Electronics
GPS device,
front light (min 600lm),
rear light.
Clothing
rain jacket, mid layer,
down jacket, waterproof gloves
and shoe covers.
Bags
saddle or frame bag
(about 4 litres)
for equipment and snacks.
Please Note
Every day after checking the weather forecast,
we will decide the amount of clothes to bring with us.
For safety reasons, always bring the established gear on the bike.
Get Here
Briançon, France
–
From Marseille airport:
5 hours train + 10 minutes taxi.
–
From Turin Airport:
1,5 hours drive, transfer available
–
From Grenoble train station:
2 hours train + 10 minutes taxi.
Meeting
From Sunday
We meet after at 2 pm at
Briançon, France
–
We go for an afternoon ride
and welcome participants all afternoon long.
–
To Saturday
We may go for a morning ride,
Pack our bikes and say goodbye at 2 pm.
Bike Rental
Contact Us
for availability
Flights
Plane and train
Tickets
Transfers
If you decide
not to cycle
Sleeping Bag
Bring your own
sleeping bag
Single Tent
Single tent occupancy
available for an extra fee
Insurance
that covers illness, rescue, injury and repatriation
while cycling in the destination country.
We will ask a copy of your policy.
Payments
30% – Deposit
Will secure a place in the route
70% – Balance
Due 60 days before departure
In case of a missing balance payment, the participation will be considered cancelled.
Cancellation Policy
More than 60 days before departure
No cancellation fee
100% of the deposit will be refunded as credit for a future tour.
Between 30 and 60 days before departure
70% cancellation fee
30% of the total price will be refunded.
Less than 30 days before departure
100% cancellation fee
no refund will be available.
If a tour does not meet a minimum group size of four participants within 60 days before departure, we will cancel the tour and fully refund all the participants.
–
The guest may assign the reservation of the Tour to another person. The transfer must be communicated by email at least 15 days before departure.
- Route -
Highlights
Briançon
- Historic City -
The fortified old town is part of the Fortifications of Vauban, UNESCO World Heritage.
Col d'Izoard
- 2.360 mt -
Known as the Casse Déserte, this dramatic landscape is in the history books of Tour and Giro.
Col Agnel
- 2.744 mt -
One of the highest paved road of the Alps, still somewhat unknown to the crowds.
Chianale
- Medieval Town -
Pictoresque small village made of maze-like narrow streets and stone houses.
Colle di Sampeyre
- 2.284 mt -
Steep climb on narrow roads far from the crowds in front of the majestic Mont Viso.
Colle Fauniera
- 2.480 mt -
Long and steep climb on a narrow and remote road across some majestic mountains.
Col de la Lombarde
- 2.350 mt -
Between Italy and France, it features high mountain fortresses and sanctuaries.
Col de la Bonette
- 2,860 mt -
Endless climb in a majestic landscape to reach the highest paved road in Europe.
Col de Vars
- 2,180 mt -
The shortest of the seven, it features endless switchbacks and it’s a Tour de France classic.
Day-by-Day
Itinerary
35
km
1400
+m+
welcome
dinner
at the campsite
We meet at the campsite at 2 PM and go for an afternoon ride to Col du Galibier (2,642m, 36km, 1.461m+, 4%avg, 12%max)
Our support staff stays at the campsite to welcome other participants arriving throughout the afternoon.
Col du Galiber is not part of the seven, but it’s a scenic climb and a Tour classic that is worth the extra ride.
We all have dinner together and discuss the route, with insights on navigation and GPS devices.
45
km
1.800
+m+
Breakfast at the campsite
Picnic lunch en-route
Dinner at the campsite
We leave Briançon to climb Col de Izoar (2,360 m, 19km, 1.176m+, 6%avg, 11%max). It’s a steady climb in a unique rocky desert landscape. We descend to Château-Queyras and start the next climb to Col Agnel, our campsite is at 1.900 meters altitude.
80
km
2.250
+m+
Breakfast at the campsite
Picnic lunch en-route
Dinner at the campsite
We are halfway on the climb to Col Agnel (2,744m, 21km, 1.380m+, 7%avg, 12%max), we ride on a quiet road under the rugged peaks of the Monviso Natural Park before reaching the top and the Italian border. We descend in a larch forest to the beautiful medieval village of Chianale and after lunch, we take the next climb to Colle di Sampeyre (2,283m, 16km, 1.331m+, 8%avg, 12%max). It’s a steady climb and a long descent on narrow and quiet roads. Our campsite is in the pine wood next to the river.
60
km
1.800
+m+
Breakfast at the campsite
Picnic lunch en-route
Dinner at the campsite
Colle della Fauniera (2,481m, 30km, 1.850m+, 6%avg, 14%max) is one of our favourites, it’s an endless climb on a quite road in a remote area. After Marmora small town we barely see any cars and the landscape opens up to high pastures and beautiful mountains, there’s a short gravel section before descending to the next valley. We camp next to Vinadio’s fortress.
60
km
1.800
+m+
Breakfast at the campsite
Picnic lunch en-route
Dinner at the campsite
We climb back to France through Col de la Lombarde (2,347m, 21km, 1.470m+, 7%avg, 12%max). Our campsite is next to Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée beautiful village.
95
km
2.600
+m+
Breakfast at the campsite
Picnic lunch en-route
Dinner at the campsite
Col de la Bonette (2,860m, 25km, 1.660m+, 6%avg, 15%max) is a giant and a real beauty. It’s a long day and we still have the last climb to Col de Vars (2,109m, 15km, 800m+, 5%avg, 12%max) before reaching our campsite back in Briançon.
Breakfast at the campsite
We could go for a morning ride to Col du Galibier (2,642m, 36km, 1.461m+, 4%avg, 12%max), stay at the pool or stroll around town. It’s time to pack our bikes and say goodbye around 2 pm.
Tricks &
Workshops
Navigation
Routes and Devices
How to use a GPS device,
setting maps and routes.
Mechanics
Fix common issues
plug tubeless, set a tube
replace chain links and pads
Photography
Cameras and Phones
Shooting while cycling,
composition and editing.
Route Planning
principle and tools
planning a loop or a trip
apps and tools comparison
Equipment
tools
bike parts, clothing, electronics,
safety, spares and tools
Support
Crew
Daniela
Kirchner
Daniela likes the most adventurous and challenging part of cycling, she won extreme ultra-cycling races and explored remote countries on her bike. She likes to ride far away from her comfort zone, camp out in pristine nature and get in touch with local communities, always with an easy-going attitude and open-minded approach.
Matteo
Minelli
Like everybody else, Matteo learned to ride a bike as a kid, and never quit. After many years and countless miles, he is still amazed by the gyroscopic balance given by the spinning wheels, the instant pleasure of moving forward pushing on the pedals, the endless freedom of climbing mountains and crossing landscapes.
