Le Pilgrimage

Le Pilgrimage is a non-competitive gravel experience run from Puy-Saint-Vincent in the French Alps over three stages, covering approximately 485 kilometres with around 9,100 metres of climbing. Like The Grand Escape, it is not a race — there is no timing, no ranking, no competitive element — but unlike that event, it does not provide full logistical support. Le Pilgrimage operates in the spirit of its name: a shared journey through a demanding landscape, undertaken in community. Puy-Saint-Vincent is a ski resort village in the Ecrins National Park, one of the most spectacular alpine reserves in France, and the routes that radiate from it for the three stages are among the finest alpine gravel riding available anywhere in the region. The Ecrins massif includes peaks above 4,000 metres and an alpine character that is wilder and less visited than the Mont Blanc or Vanoise areas to the north. The base-camp format means riders return to Puy-Saint-Vincent each evening, making it possible to participate without the full kit-carrying demands of a traditional bikepacking event. The three-stage structure — typically covering 100km, 135km, and 250km respectively — builds in scale toward a longer final day that gives the experience a genuine sense of progression. Le Pilgrimage draws a community of riders who want the physical intensity of alpine gravel riding alongside the social experience of shared endeavour.

Date to be confirmed: 2026 (typically Aug/Sep – check site)