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Moun t a i n Wa l k s
Ax - l e s -Th e rme s A r e a
S i n s a t A r e a
Au z a t A r e a
N i a u x A r e a
Ca l amè s A r e a
Th e P l a n t a u r e l
Mountain Biking (VTT)
There are plenty of Mountain Biking
options in the area, some of which
take advantage of the ski lifts in the
summer. Local tourist information offices
usually offer VTT topos for sale, as do
many supermarkets and book shops.
In addition to the places listed below,
Beille, Lordat and Larnat also have
some tracks.
Ax-les-Thermes/Plateau de Bonsacre
The lifts at Bonsacre give access to 8
challenging runs of varying degrees of
difficulty. The site includes a bike park.
There are also 7 circular tours at Ax.
More information here:
www.ax-ski.com/ete/
Refuge du Chioula
The Refuge du Chioula lies above
Ax-les-Thermes, on the D613, which
leads towards Quillan. There is a restau-
rant at the col and the refuge itself can
be reached by mountain bike or on foot.
The 'VTT domaine' has routes graded
green, blue, red and black (as in ski
runs). There are also children’s activities
at the restaurant during the summer. A
stage of La Grande Traverse d'Ariège
Pyrenees is between Ax and Refuge du
Chioula with 18km of riding, featuring
650m of downhill and 1600m of uphill. It
is graded black.
Sentier Cathar
The Sentier Cathar castle explora-
tion route passes the chateaux of
Roquefixade and Montsegur and
through the Péreille Gorge. The full trip
is usually a three day circuit but you can
join it at several places to do shorter
sections.
Varilhes
Just to the north of Foix is an extensive
mountain biking area at Varilhes. Les
Bosses du Plantaurel has 10 tracks
totalling over 142km.
www.Ariège-vtt.fr
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Ariège Other Activities
Biking
Sherri Davy tackles the byways from Chez
Arran to Tarascon. Photo: Chris Craggs