El Ripollès is a region of great diversity offering exciting experiences from dawn until the sun sets behind the Pyrenees. Getting to know it on a bike is guaranteed fun, thrills and a desire to come back. We’re talking about cycling in all its forms and for all levels of fitness. From relaxing family rides to ascents to some of the most legendary mountain passes for those wanting to test their limits.
El Ripollès’s unique terrain has something for everyone; cycle it your way.
The Vies Verdes, “Greenways” or rail trails, are safe to ride in your own time.
Former railway tracks, they were converted into real treasures of bicycle touring by the Girona Greenways Consortium. These are safe, well-signposted paths, with well-compacted surfaces and no cars. There are almost 30 km of Greenways in El Ripollès, divided into stretches.
The Campdevànol Historic Highway and Cattle Track is 4 km long and follows an old cattle track past the Sant Eudald and Querol springs. With an elevation gain of 2.5%, it is suitable for cyclists of all levels. It leads to Ripoll, where we find the longest stretch of Greenway, the Iron and Coal Route, which covers 12 km of the track that brought these minerals from the Ogassa mine. It’s like a journey back in time, to the industrial days of the Girona Pyrenees, from Ripoll to Ogassa via Sant Joan de les Abadesses.
From Sant Joan de les Abadesses you can take the stretch that goes to Sant Pau de Segúries, a new stretch along the River Ter that crosses it on numerous occasions thanks to four large gangways. In Sant Pau de Segúries, the Pirinexus route takes us to Camprodon and from there, another section runs for 3 km to Llanars.
MTB routes for all levels
El Ripollès guarantees bicycle lovers a deep, lasting relationship. Hundreds of kilometres to enjoy doing your favourite sport, or just some gentle pedalling as you blend into the scenery.
MTB fans can find a host of trails, up to 24 signposted exits and documented with detailed information on routes that go from easy 4-km rides to more demanding 40-km trails with elevation gains of 1,200 metres.
Trails to suit all tastes, short and intense, quick and exciting, so you can discover every inch of the region with surprising beauty spots.
Cyclist reception point
The nerve centre of the region’s MTB trails is the BTT Centre and Reception Point in Sant Joan de les Abadesses, where you can find all the information you need for a safe cycling trip. You’ll also find all the necessary services so all you have to do is pedal and enjoy.
Cycle touring in stages
El Ripollès provides cycling challenges, of considerable difficulty, and you’ll feel like a champion from start to finish. These are trails that take more than a day, linking El Ripollès with other locations, that you ride as fast or as slow as you want.
There’s the River Ter Route (220 km to the mouth of the river where it flows into the Mediterranean Sea), the Pirinexus trail with its many options, the 100 km of the Bi3000 Ruta de la Retirada (the Retreat Trail) along the paths of L’Alt Vallespir and the Camprodon Valley, and the extreme Bi6000, a 250-km circular trail through the Eastern Pyrenees to do in four or five days.
In the wake of the professionals
On the peaceful roads of El Ripollès you can enjoy cycling in all its glory and try to beat the clock in some of the most demanding passes in the Pyrenees, the site of some of the greatest feats in professional cycling. Challenges like riding up to Valleter 2000, Collet de les Barraques or Col d’Ares. Off you go!
Races and events
The excellent conditions in El Ripollès have not gone unnoticed by the organisers of races and events that pose attractive challenges, such as the Esquella Bike Race in Pardines and the Scott Cup Pirineus.