AlpPacker South
The ultimate alpine adventure – traverse the central and Maritime Alps from North to South on this van assisted mission from the mountains to the sea. Starting in the fortified mountain city of Briançon, reaching altitudes of over 3000m (10,000ft) before eventually finishing on the beach at exactly 0m, floating in the sea!
Trip Flavour
The ultimate mountain bike tour of the Alps.
The ultimate mountain biking adventure.
Why is it the ultimate?
- Because you’ll traverse the Alps entirely from North to South.
- Your highest point will be over 3000m (10 000ft) and you’ll be riding all the way to the warm waters of the Mediterranean Sea.
- You’ll be traversing and exploring the Alps on amazing technical singletrack
- With full vehicle support and 1000-2500m daily uplifts with the world’s most professional guides.
- Spend nights in locally owned hotels/auberges with great hosts and great local food every single day.
- You’ll have to prepare for this trip and invest in the journey, which is where the value lies.
- The climbs are hard and the hike a bike is harder, but the reward is beyond words.
That’s the AlpPacker and it’ll change your life.
At a glance
- Duration – 7 nights, 8 days
- Point-to-point uplifted traverse of the Alps
- Skill level – Advanced intermediate+ (Red and above on ITRS)
- Physical level – Advanced intermediate+ (Red and above on ITRS)
- E-bike friendly? No, see AlpPacker South Flow for E-bike friendly version
Our 2025 Trip Dates
Trip Date
7 spaces left
Sep 13-20th
Trip Date
7 spaces left
Sep 20-27th
Trip Details
- Cost – €2195
- Trip includes – Guiding, van uplifts, transport, breakfast, lunches, evening meals, drinks from the van drinks cooler
- Not included – drinks at bars/restaurants, airport transfers, final evening meal
- Start: Briancon (we help organise car sharing)
- End: Nice
- Airport: Sep 13-20 – into GVA, out of NCE. Sep 20-27 – in and out of NCE
Core memories:
- Traversing the beautiful Queyras, Haute Alpes and Maritime Alps
- Topping out over 3000m altitude
- Rides that hop from France into Italy and back
- Crossing the entire alpine mountain range by bike
- Meeting our accommodation partners – the locals who keep these valleys alive
- Finishing your adventure in the warm waters of the Mediterranean Sea
AlpPacker South
The Journey
The route is an ambitious North-South Transalp mountain bike tour of the entire French Alps.
On this southern leg we journey from the mountain citadel of Briançon down through the wild Queyras and Haute-Alpes into the Mercantour Alps, dodging marmots, National Parks and soap all the way until our front wheels literally hit the Mediterranean Sea.
To give us the time to really make the most of all the amazing trails along the way, we have split the trips into 2 one-week segments, imaginatively named North and South.
Many riders choose this AlpPacker South to ride before the North – the landscape and journey are so unique and the pull of the Mediterranean Sea is strong.
A two week North-South mega-trip is theoretically possible – will you dare to be the first to complete a mountain bike traverse of the Alps in one go?!
Day 1
Having arrived on the Saturday (day 0) and all eaten together in the evening in the fortress city of Briançon, we start Sunday with a journey into the Queyras mountains.
Day 1 features what some consider to be the hardest climb of the trip. Starting at 2000m and rising up to almost exactly 3000m, there isn’t much oxygen up here. What there is in abundance is high mountain solitude. We’re in the stunning Queyras range. It’s high alpine with the most beautiful larch forests leading up to the summit pastures and peaks that make this area one of France’s best kept secrets.
The descent is absolutely worth it and then some. Standing over 3 vertical kilometers above our end point at the sea is the kind of life feeling that only some sweat equity can get you. The descent takes all afternoon. It’s quite the adventure and the perfect way to kick off the greatest biking adventure of your life.
We finish in a friendly local bar before we uplift to our home for the night with Benji and Carole – just some of the good friends of ours you’ll meet during the trip.
Day 2
An uplift to the Italian border at 2700m kicks off one of the finest days of mountain biking out there. The finale is a 16km descent into the back garden of our accommodation for the night.
Two passes at over 3000m with the whole morning spent at over 2500m. Eagles, ibex and chamois will be our only company. Needless to say the trails are incredible. Once again we need to carry our bikes a few times – that’s the price we gladly pay to ride in this environment.
The main descent really is something from another world, from another scale of mountain. 16km of every type of trail. Hours and hours of riding. A journey from the rock strewn summits that have made the Stone King Rally so famous all the way back into the comforting embrace of the larch forests that shape the valley floor singletrack. The trail eventually leads us into the garden of Hubert and Klyte’s auberge at Maljasset, where home made ice tea and locally brewed beers await. Once the bikes are checked and stored it’s time for a sauna before dinner. Hubert’s parents grow all the veg we eat and Hubert himself loves to come riding with us the following day – these human exchanges are a lot of why we love doing these trips.
Day 3
It’s a cool start as the sun hits the valley floor in patches as we ride from the door. We’ll be linking up some fun sections of trail next to the famous Ubaye river this morning before uplifting to the main challenge of the day – a trip defining adventure over a high mountain pass to Barcelonnette.
As ever the main climb involves some investment. But the views and the incredible peace as we winch up a track first built by Spanish soldiers before World War II is worth it. With a final carry up and over the valley head wall, a panorama of the whole Maritime Alps opens up before us.
The descent to Barcelonnette really does have everything. Blocky and technical up top, rideable but you’ll be doing well to clean it! The further we go, the more the flow builds. Time stops and all there is is the trail. By the time we reach Barcelonnette, some 3 hours after leaving the summit you’ll be on a high that will last for weeks.
We finish in the courtyard bar of our hotel for the night, right in the bustling town centre. It’s a fun change of ambiance that also lets us take you to one of our favourite little restaurants in the world for dinner, serving locally grown organic food. Happy days!
Day 4
Today is about type-1 fun – we’ve earned it! Three monster uplifts and 3 absolute classic stages from various editions of the Trans Provence stage race. That being said, we can take our time and savoir the experience slightly more.
Day 5
Today we skirt the edge of the Mercantour national park on a day that starts high above the legendary enduro spot of Valberg. We will almost certainly meet some of the huge patou sheep dogs that protect the flocks from wolves.
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Day 6
To the sea! On this final victory lap of a day we use the van as much as possible so you can really soak in the enormity of your achievement. The trails are, once again, on another level as we snake our way south towards the warm waters of the Mediterranean Sea.
Floating on your back in the Mediterranean Sea, looking over your toes at the mountains through which you have journeyed for 7 magical days in order to get here.
A journey like no other. Until next year…
How do the AlpPacker South and North compare?
First things first: once you’ve done one, you’ll want to do the other.
Second things second: both these trips involve technical mountain trails, climbing and long hike-a-bike sections.
Third? Well, both are point to point trips where we move on each day, staying in a charming mix of locally run hotels and auberges. The North also involves a night in a modern mountain refuge.
If you would prefer something a bit less physically ‘out there’ with some more creature comforts, please have a look at our AlpPacker Flow trips.
These are designed to be more accessible and are built around more type 1 fun – less climbing and carrying, e-bike friendly, higher spec accommodation and some 2 night stopovers, whilst still optimising the mythical journey narrative that have made our AlpPackers world famous.
The AlpPacker North traverses what most people would consider classic ‘chocolate box’ Alpine scenery. Think snow capped peaks, blue mountain lakes and ribbons of technical trails disappearing over the horizon. This is big mountain alpine riding at its finest.
It also features A LOT of mountain summits. We start on top of one above lake Annecy and over the trip we head steadily south, hitting as many of the rideable peaks the northern alps have to offer as we can. Standing on top of an Alp, with your back wheel on the summit and your front wheel pointing towards the distant valley floor, is a magical feeling and one that will stay with you for life.
We wrap up with an epic ride into the fortified mountain city of Briançon, overlooked on all sides by historical military forts and armaments. By this point we have tipped over into the more southern Haute Alpes and there is a very different feel to the peaks and also the trails.
The AlpPacker South picks up here. Many clients who have ridden classic BikeVillage trips choose to start with the AlpPacker South, mainly because it is so different.
The first days are spent crossing the Queyras, a gorgeous larch forested range threaded with flowing trails that sit between 1500 and 3000m altitude – you’ll be breathing hard from the start but we’re in no rush, the scenery is too beautiful.
This is Stone King Rally territory, overlooked by the looming summit of Monte Viso, the Stone King. As we journey south we continue our pilgrimage of multi-day enduro races as we enter Trans Provence country.
The trails get rockier and ever more varied – from the famous grey and red earth segments to high alpine tracks dropping into scrub oak slab bedrock dream sequence adventures.
The Maritime and Provençale Alps have it all. The grand finale sees us drop all the way to the sea, riding onto the beach and into the warm waters of the Mediterranean. Floating in the sea, looking over your toes at the mountain where you began your journey, 3000 vertical metres and some 350km away, the feeling of something truly magical and meaningful accomplished will stay with you for life.
So, toss a coin. Start with the North and keep things in order or go for the South for something totally different. Either way you’ll do them both!
FAQs
This handy collection of boxes should answer most of your questions – if not please get in touch to chat to us or even book a call back from our head guide Sam
What bike to bring?
Any modern trail/enduro bike will be great. The main thing is to make sure the bike is well serviced before you come and to fit suitable tyres. There will be specific tyre advice when you book – the Alps deserve a reinforced sidewall, so do you!
Can I rent a bike?
Absolutely. Just contact us during your booking and we’ll set a bike aside for you. When you arrive we’ll help set it up, adjust shock pressures and make double sure the brakes are the right way around depending on where you’ve come from!
What should I pack for my trip?
We made this handy video for how to pack light. You don’t need to go as far as us but it should help keep your bag size manageable for you.
Is this trip e-bike friendly?
The ‘regular’ AlpPacker North features hike-a-bike and 2 nights in mountain lodges without mains electricity so isn’t very suited to e-bikes. However, the AlpPacker North Flow IS e-bike friendly so if you’d like some power on your trip, we’ve got you covered.
Do I need insurance?
Yes, 100%. You need insurance to cover you for medical emergencies, trip cancellation and we also advise some bike cover in case of damage/loss. You can book great, cycling specific cover through Yellow Jersey and get a 10% discount using the code BVillage10
How hard is the trip?
This is certainly one to prepare for. On the International Trail Rating System (ITRS) you would need a physical level of Red or above and technically you should also be at red level or above (except jumping – these are natural alpine trails so the aren’t really any shaped jumps). If you have any doubts then why not book in a chat with us to talk it over. A good option can be to try one of our ‘easier’ trips, like the Classic Bikevillage Tarentaise Tour, and take it from there.
What if the weather is bad?
We’ll have a ball anyway! Usual weather is sunny and warm but not too hot, mid 20°s/70°s.
This is the mountains though so we need to be prepared for the weather. Our guides monitor the weather endlessly and we’re always adapting our plans to make the most of the conditions. We’ve never missed and awesome day of riding yet.
Our packing video details the clothes that you should bring to maximise your fun on the trails.
How do I prepare for the trip?
Don’t stress! You have a job, a life and a million other commitments. Just ride your bike.
That said, a trip can be a great motivator to get out and do more. We have a video in the pipeline but, until then, here are a few tips:
- Regular and often: ride to the shops, ride to work, ride for 20 minutes. The more days in the week your bum hits a saddle, the better.
- Core strength: Zwift wont help you hike-a-bike! You can build core strength in lots of ways but our favourite is probably indoor climbing – it’s fun, sociable, winter-proof and works every muscle group we need for biking including grip strength. Get climbing!
- Enter an event: pick a fun but challenging event about a month before your trip. It’ll help motivate you and also leave you relaxed before your trip.
It could be biking but running is also fine. - Don’t stress!! We’ll say it again – you could always be fitter and stronger. That’s why you need a holiday. You’ll be fine.
How many people will be on my trip?
There’ll be a maximum of 7 riders plus your guide and driver. Sometimes we double the fun with a second set of riders + guide. This makes for a great atmosphere either way – a shared journey is best shared with good company.
Can I make this tour private?
Absolutely, just contact us to book a whole tour for your group.
What is the accommodation like?
Awesome and varied. Part of the fun is the perspective you get on life in the remote mountains. As such, we mix carefully selected hotels and guest houses (so mostly twin rooms) with mountain refuges and auberges where there are bigger rooms with more beds in.
There are some great tips in our packing video on how to get a good night’s sleep on the road.
If you’d like some more luxury our AlpPacker North Flow trip might be a better choice, along with a single room option.
How should I get to/from the trip?
When you book we’ll send arrival and departure information. You can come by plane, car or train.
By plane you’ll fly into and out of Geneva airport, where we can collect/drop you.
By car we’ll send you details of where to park and also help you to arrange car sharing with any other riders.
By train we’ll pick you up from Annecy station and drop you back there after the trip. Train pickups are free – it’s a small gesture to encourage sustainable transport methods.
We’ll send more specific details when you book.
AlpPacker North FLOW
Does it look too hard or too rustic?
Check out the AlpPacker North and South Flow for a bit less climbing and more luxury (also e-bike friendly)
View from the trail
How do I describe the perfect holiday? I’ve been lucky enough to do both the north and south twice. The scenery is just mind blowing, with the most spectacular scenery in the alps and it is all yours. The guiding with Sam and crew are just amazing at running a relaxed and friendly trip. The sense of adventure and the journey are just fantastic. For me, the absolute best holidays I’ve ever had.
Paul Banyagi-Mugenyi
AlpPacker North & South