"De toutes nos forces", Le Bugey à vélo, all the beauty of the Jura in three days

*Today, Charlotte Jammes, co-founder of the Bivouak bicycle travel agency, takes us on a tour of the Bugey region. Don't know it? Bugey is a region nestled in the eastern part of the Ain department, between Lyon, Geneva and Grenoble. This picturesque area is part of the Jura Massif and is incredible for cycling, with its hills, mountains and beautiful lakes and rivers. Let's go with Charlotte! *

What is Bivouak?Bivouak is a responsible gravel bikepacking adventure agency.

What is Echappey Bivouak? Echappey are weekend bikepacking adventures in small groups discovering the most beautiful regions of France with a.The first of the year took place in March, for a loop in the Bugey region, with Bivouak co-founder Charlotte James.

The tour in detail

Departure and arrival are at Ambérieu-en-Bugey, with direct TER trains from Lyon taking between 45 and 25 min.

Nestled in the southern of the Jura, the Bugey region is a massive offering a ** breathtaking array of landscapes **: meandering streams, majestic cliffs, verdant meadows, sun-drenched vineyards and wooded ridges. Easily accessible just a few kilometers from Lyon and close to the Savoyard agglomerations, it's a rich and ideal playground all year round!

With a group of around twenty participants happy.ses to get back on the bikes after the winter cold, we set off from Ambérieu-en-Bugey on the morning of March 22, for 3 days of discovering the Bugey massif.

🛣 On the road

DAY 1 🚲 from Ambérieu-en-Bugey to Evosges 🚲

🚴🏻‍♀️ 51 km - 1210 m D+

🛌 Overnight stay at Evosges gîte communal

Stage 1. Ambérieu to Château des Allymes

The day begins with coffee and a hearty breakfast at Tatup, Ambérieu's "atypical and rebellious" bakery where Nirvan, the baker, treats with a thousand flavors. Everything here is organic and 100% locally produced. We pack up some nice loaves for the road, ready to accompany our bikes on the ascent to the plateau!

And off we go, 23 bikes happily set off on the country roads of the Ain, before valiantly tackling the ascent of the first villages perched of the Bugey. Between vineyards and forests, you'll enjoy watching herds of Highland cows, recognizable by their bushy coats and small stature.

Take a break at the end of the first big climb of the day at château des Allymes. It's picnic time with a superb view over the valley.

We recommend: the Amitchi restaurant, open in season, offering a variety of dishes and pizzas baked in the village oven. Its location in the heart of the village is perfect for soaking up the midday sun!

Stage 2. Château des Allymes to Evosges

We start this second part of the day with a climb on a stony gravel path, where even the most intrepid prefer to put their foot down before gliding along a magnificent track, winding through fields and then into an enchanted forest.

Here are the first passes of the Ain! Here, the climbs follow the descents in an eternal dance. The effort put into the climbs quickly fades in the face of the grandiose panoramas that unfold before our eyes, and the pleasure of descending with our noses to the wind.

A brief gourmet stop at the Fruitière d'Aranc to refuel for the evening, then we swallow the last kilometers under the golden light of the end of the day to the village of Evosges, where the gîte d'étape opens its doors to us for the next two days.

DAY 2 🚲 Loop around Evosges

🚴🏻‍♀️ 56 km - 1020 m D+

🛌 Overnight stay at Evosges communal gîte

The alarm rings at the Evosges gîte! The wind blew hard last night and the temperature plummeted! Everyone gathers for a hearty breakfast and a good dose of hot coffee. Today, we're riding light, and our panniers remain at the gîte! Everyone has their own plans for the day: some set off on a longer route via the Mollard du Loup and the summit of the massif, taking in some lovely gravel trails. Others opt for a leisurely stroll to the Lésines lake no far from Hauteville.

The day begins with an ascent on a small road which turns into a forest road . Since Evosges is in a basin, you have to climb to get out of it!

The descent through the forest is magical, the sun peeking through the leaves warms us with its rays. At the top, we enjoy a panoramic view of the Hauteville plateau.

From here, we can see the sheer cliffs opposite, typical of this part of the massif! We deviate a little from the initial route to try out other trails that seem more suited to hiking than cycling. But no worries!

We carry our bikes on our shoulders across green moss-covered rocks, in a mystical atmosphere . We expect an elf to appear at any moment!

Fortunately, this section isn't too long, and we rejoin the road and then the Lésines lake, where all the groups meet to enjoy pizzas, the ultimate comfort for cyclists.

Reboosted, the group sets off again. We skirt a quarry, then take wide forest tracks lined with fir trees. It's almost as if we were in Canada.

From paths to back roads, we return to the Fruitière d'Aranc to enjoy beers, praline tarts and Comté cheese, the undisputed king of these valleys.

Before returning to the gîte, a detour to the **col d'Evosges ** is in order, offering a breathtaking view of the neighboring valley and the charming village ofOncieu, with its houses arranged in a circle around a central orchard.

Tonight, on the menu: **vegetarian croziflette **! A well-deserved rest accompanied by a feast and a workshop led by Alexandre to **learn how to plot and prepare your route **before setting off on your bike trip.

DAY 3 🚲 From Evosges to Ambérieu-en-Bugey 🚲

🚴🏻‍♀️ 51 km, 640 D+, 1160 D-

After packing up the panniers and getting the gîte as clean as a whistle, the team sets off for the final day .

After a few kilometers, the weather takes a turn for the worse, and we find ourselves in a snow shower ! After the summer atmosphere of the first day, it was like stepping back in time! In the space of three days, we'll have had a taste of all the seasons.

The snow stays on the ground and quickly makes the experience and the landscape magical. The small powdered fir trees greet us as we pass, and the sun finally returns to illuminate our descent to Cerdon.

Cerdon, this small winegrowing village renowned for its sweet, sparkling wine, welcomes us to its café in the central square, offering warmth and refreshments. We set off again through the vineyards to get a closer look at the cliffs that surround the valley.

A final climb brings us to the village of Mérignat and then we take a balcony path through the vineyards, offering us a breathtaking view of the **Ain valley **which we'll soon reach to catch our train to Ambérieu.

A frantic race not to miss the start and jump on the TER bound for Lyon, then the Vélcroc, a warm and welcoming bike bar where we meet up with other cyclopotes to share our tales of adventure over a hot drink and a generous, well-deserved pastry. Thank you Bugey ❤️.

Final lap

L'Echappey in the Bugey by Bivouak is a 3-day dive into a **little-known** mid-range territory (the last straw for a Lyonnaise like me!), far from the overtourism and very pleasant in the off-season, offering panoramas every bit as breathtaking as their high-altitude cousins. As an added bonus, this is the kingdom of the king of cheeses, Comté!

🎒 The right set-up to replicate Charlotte's journey

Equipment:

🚴🏻‍♀️ Our mounts

Everyone was equipped with gravel bikes with panniers from bikepacking. The aim: to be as light as possible to tackle the climbs!

I have a Kona Rove gravel bike that accompanies me on all my adventures, big and small

I travel with a 9L saddlebag, which is the maximum I can fit on my little bike, and I top it off with 2 travel panniers attached to a luggage rack on the front of my bike.

I've got 2 food pouches for things that are easy to grab, and in particular little things to nibble on while riding, and 1 handlebar bag to store the little repair equipment in particular and a bit of everything that's easy to grab too.

🧦 Our outfits

It's March and the weather is changeable, so I took a bit of everything:

• Lightweight clothing: shorts (I'm wearing Wilma's latest cargo shorts with removable pad), a merino t-shirt and a cotton shirt

• Layers to withstand the cold: a long-sleeved merino underlayer, a thin fleece, a down jacket, winter gloves (I use mountaineering gloves which retain heat very well, are soft and waterproof)

**### 🛠 Our tools / Our food / or any other practical advice

Tools and mechanics

**- a mini pump and an inner tube repair kit: patch + glue + tire iron plus 2 spare inner tubes

• a multifunction tool "multitool"

• ** serre flex** and straps to fix anything and everything on the bike!

• A derailleur hanger because in gravel you never know!

Food: there are few refreshment points on the route, so we planned ahead

• Day 1, breakfast and lunch eat-in and take-away at Tatup in Ambérieu en Bugey + some cross-country shopping at the nearby Biocoop

• Evening and breakfast refreshments at La Fruitière in Aranc

• Day 2 lunch in Hauteville (choice of restau, cafés, bakeries, a large supermarket)

• Day 3 lunch in Cerdon (fast food, grocery store, café)