Take the famous Col de la Croix and cross the mountains overlooking Villars, Les Diablerets and Gryon. You'll discover a wide variety of landscapes and tourist attractions along the way on a gravel bike.
Leaving Villars, you first reach Les Ecovets, then Plambuit. This is where the ascent to Bretaye begins, first on a pretty tarmac mountain pasture road, then a gravel section offering a magnificent view of Villars and the Dents du Midi.
You then head towards Lac des Chavonnes (with the option of a gourmet break at the Restaurant du Lac des Chavonnesfor those in a hurry!) before rounding the mountain to reach the Col de la Croix road and its famous gypsum pyramids. Admire the view of the imposing Massif des Diablerets on your left!
After crossing the last kilometre of the pass by road, you pass the Col de la Croix farm before a more technical section that takes you towards the typical hamlet of Taveyanne.
You then climb back up to Les Chaux before the final section that takes you to Solalex and its refuge, facing the vertiginous Miroir d'Argentine, via a combination of mountain pasture roads, 4x4 trails and easy singles. The return to Villars via Barboleuse is by road.
- To avoid the first long climb, take the train to Bretaye.
- There are plenty of refreshment stands and restaurants on this loop.
The main restaurants: Restaurant du Lac des Chavonnes and Refuge de Solalex
- Shortly after the Col de la Croix, a short single awaits you at km 28. If you don't enjoy this kind of section, stay on the road and take the next left to rejoin the route a little further on.
- Signposting : this route is not signposted, but you can download the GPX file (under the map)
Parking
Various car parks at your disposal at the start of the Gravel route (Rochegrises, Roc d'Orsay or le Centenaire)
