Col de la Sambie - Monts du Matin

A beautiful route with a slight climb in the first section and a few sections where you’ll need to push your bike. Stunning views over the Rhône Valley. Passes through the Col de la Sambie and the villages of Barbières and Rochefort-Samson before returning at a leisurely pace to the Combe d’Oyans campsite.
Option to extend the route with circular loops 15 and 16 (Red and Black) from Barbières.

Details

1214134
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Mountain biking
    Activity: Mountain biking
  • ↔
    Distance: 11.22 km
  • ◔
    Duration according to the author: 1.5 hrs 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 387 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 384 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 676 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 367 m
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐
  • ⚐ District: Rochefort-Samson (26300)
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 44.979295° / E 5.163648°
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 3136ET, 3136SB

  • ◶
    Type of surface:
  •  
     100% Path
  • ⇧
    Bike carrying: Not specified
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Not specified
  • Hour-by-hour weather

Description of the route

Mountain bike trail no. 20

(S/E) From the Combe d'Oyans leisure centre, head towards Les Marelles and turn right onto the path through the boxwood trees.

(1) Turn left onto the track to reach Les Ducs. Turn left, passing the climbing car park.

(2) At the hairpin bend, leave the road and take the path opposite. Return to the road at Château d'Eau and climb left to pass the Col de Saint-Genis.

(3) Just after the pass, take the path climbing to the right. Pass Coquat (North and South), continue to Les Carrières and turn left.

(4) At the three-way junction, take the track on the right to reach the Col de la Sambie.

(5) Technical descent towards Barbières. Join a small road.

(6) After the second house, at a three-way junction, leave the road and head up to the right onto a small path through the pine trees.

(7) At the cross, take the road on the right to reach Barbières. At the next junction, Le Pertuis, continue straight on.

(8) Just after the church, head up to the right towards the cemetery. Further on, go down to the left onto the path. Pass through Les Rosées and join the D125.

(9) Turn right onto the road: watch out for cars! Just after entering Rochefort-Samson, turn right. Continue straight on and join a wide road, turning right.

(10) At a small cross, turn right onto a wide track. Reach a small tarmac road; turn left onto it. At the next junction, turn left and then immediately right to return to the Carrefour des Ducs

(1) Return to the start by following the route taken on the way out (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 367 m - Camping de la Combe d'Oyans
  2. 1 : km 0.75 - alt. 433 m - Crossroads of the circular loop
  3. 2 : km 1.23 - alt. 456 m - First hairpin bend on the road
  4. 3 : km 1.73 - alt. 525 m - Poteau - Col de Saint-Genis (529m)
  5. 4 : km 2.66 - alt. 606 m - Three-way junction
  6. 5 : km 3.82 - alt. 665 m - Poteau - Col de la Sambie
  7. 6 : km 4.73 - alt. 522 m - Three-way junction after the second house
  8. 7 : km 6.13 - alt. 433 m - Poteau Barbière. Follow the - Barberolle (Rivière)
  9. 8 : km 6.63 - alt. 432 m - Junction after the church
  10. 9 : km 7.85 - alt. 392 m - Turn right onto the D125
  11. 10 : km 9.11 - alt. 382 m - Junction after a cross
  12. S/E : km 11.22 - alt. 367 m - Camping de la Combe d'Oyans

Notes

Reviews and comments

4.9 / 5
Based on 4 reviews

Reliability of the description
5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.8 / 5
Route interest
5 / 5
Stephi
Stephi

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 04, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant route, with no difficult sections. Lovely views and a pleasant return route along the edge of the meadows.

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API27
API27

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 23, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk. We were just a little unsure about the end of the route because the first wayside cross wasn’t the one mentioned in the guide. We only came across one mountain biker and two walkers.

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Magouche
Magouche

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 09, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A lovely mountain bike ride, with very reliable instructions and descriptions! Beautiful scenery to ride through and take in.

However, the difficulty level could be ‘difficult’ rather than ‘moderate’ (for a route done by mountain bike rather than on foot, of course): it’s not so much the elevation gain that’s tricky to manage, but rather the technical nature of the route (lots of paths with stones of varying sizes in the first part of the ride, whether going uphill or downhill).

Well worth doing again!

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rochefort
rochefort

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 29, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A lovely walk on a day worthy of a beautiful autumn, with the first section featuring a good climb up to La Sambie, where a few clearings offered views of two dragonflies; the second section along the edge of the plain is just as pleasant, with its varied terrain of rolling hills, open plains and slopes
Thank you, Rochefort

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