Riding the Alps since 2008
Riding the Alps since 2008
e-MTB · Four riding days
Espresso in Italy. Tartiflette in France. Fondue in Switzerland. One mountain.
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Start and finish in Aosta, having ridden around Mont Blanc through France and Switzerland. Old shepherd paths, military roads, high cols. The van moves the luggage ahead all week, so you don't carry it.
ItalyEspresso, and the plan for the day
FranceTartiflette, and the toolbox on the col
SwitzerlandFondue, and the climb that earns it
Your journey begins in Aosta, the old Roman town at the heart of the valley, below Mont Blanc. Settle in, meet the crew and get into the rhythm of the days ahead. Depending on your guide, the briefing and bike set-up happen this evening or tomorrow morning at the hotel. No riding today. Just the mountains, the crew, and the anticipation of what’s coming.
A short morning transfer takes us from Aosta to Courmayeur, and from there we leave straight by bike into the high alpine, tracing old shepherd trails and military routes toward the French border. The views open up quickly. Mont Blanc stays behind us, majestic and close, as we cross the Col de la Seigne into France’s Savoie. The terrain mixes long climbs, natural singletrack and sweeping descents through the Vallée des Glaciers, down to the hamlet of Les Chapieux. There the van picks us up for the transfer to Beaufort, our home for the night.
In the morning the van takes us back up to Cormet de Roselend and its turquoise lake, where the riding starts. We ride deeper into the wild heart of the French Alps. The trails unfold between alpine passes, glacier views, and long traverses etched into the mountainside. It’s a day of pure immersion: technical in places, but always rewarding. Depending on the season and availability, we’ll stop in Chamonix, choosing one of our partner hotels based on when the booking was made. Whether the day ends in silence or in the buzz of a mountain town, one thing is certain: this journey carves its own line, deeper with every kilometer.
Today we cross into Switzerland, climbing first to the scenic Col de Balme, then rolling over the Col de la Forclaz, where the landscape shifts: sharp alpine edges give way to deep forests, wooden barns, and green valleys scattered with quiet villages. This is the biggest day on the legs: two cols back to back and 1,500 m of climbing, paid back by a long, flowing descent into the Valais. Tonight we sleep in Martigny, in the Rhône valley, where the Swiss Valais opens up below the peaks.
The van takes us from Martigny up to the Great St Bernard Pass, 2,469 m, on the border between Switzerland and Italy. Monks have kept a hospice up here since 1049, and their rescue dogs gave the St Bernard its name. From the pass it’s bikes all the way home. A trail drops into Italy through Saint-Rhémy-en-Bosses and Étroubles, one of the most beautiful villages in Italy, then follows one of the valley’s centuries-old rus, the irrigation channels carved along the mountainside. Depending on the group, one last climb before the long final descent into Aosta. No van at the end: you roll into town on your own wheels. It’s a quieter side of the mountain, with far fewer hikers than the classic Mont Blanc trails. Your final night is spent in Aosta, the perfect place to raise a glass, relive the ride and say goodbye to the crew.
After a restful night, you’ll enjoy a relaxed morning before saying goodbye to Aosta. Whether you head home on your own or take advantage of an arranged transfer, it’s a smooth end to your incredible e-MTB adventure.
150 km ridden · 4,800 m climbed · 8,150 m descended
The film
The honest bit
Better to know now than on Day 4.
Narrow singletrack with rocks and roots, ridden without stopping to think about it.
Climbs of up to 1,500 m in a day, four to six hours in the saddle, four days back to back.
Never ridden the Alps before? That is not the problem. Altitude and back-to-back days are. Tell us how you ride at home and we will tell you straight.
FAQ
The point of the week is riding right around Mont Blanc, not collecting the longest singletrack descents. Every day has to reach the next stage, so the route mixes alpine singletrack and old shepherd trails with fireroad where fireroad is the way through. What you take home is the whole way around Mont Blanc, ridden.
It depends what you mean by hard. The biggest day on the legs is Day 4, Chamonix to Martigny: Col de Balme and Col de la Forclaz back to back, 1,500 m of climbing with two days already behind you. The hardest riding of the week is on Day 3, Beaufort to Chamonix, through the high Beaufortain: that is where the trail gets properly technical. The longest descending is on Day 5: 2,630 m down from the Great St Bernard Pass to Aosta.
In the valleys, in 3 to 4-star hotels chosen for comfort and character. No mountain huts. After a full day in the saddle you deserve a real bed, a hot shower, and a proper dinner. Evenings are part of the experience: good food, a glass of local wine, and the kind of conversation that only happens after a day like that.
Yes. The support vehicle follows the group and is always reachable. If a day becomes too much, mechanicals, fatigue, an off, you ride to the next stop without drama. It's not common, but the option is always there. That's what full service means.
Riding as your own group? The tour can run privately, on the dates you choose. Price depends on group size, so just ask.
“6 of us had a fantastic 5 day ebike tour and it was awesome… local guides are key!”
Steve Bennett · Google
“Mixed terrain, fabulous views, challenging climbing and thrilling descents… This trip was absolutely perfect.”
Meredith Dally · Google
“We had two amazing days and are flashed from the incredable trails!! Top organisation from Anna and Tom Durham… we will come back!”
Reto Krähenbühl · Google
Who picks this up
Operations Manager
Anna builds these weeks, books them and answers the emails. That is why her name keeps turning up in the reviews above: people meet her long before they meet a mountain.
Tom's packing list for this tour. What rides in your pack, what goes in the van, and the small calls that decide whether four days in the Alps are comfortable or not. In your inbox in a couple of minutes.
