Home " Members' routes " Country " France route " FR-01 Lake Genin – Gravel 40 km, elevation gain 900 m, 4 passes

FR-01 Lake Genin – Gravel 40 km, elevation gain 900 m, 4 passes

Author description

Author : Philippe Chazottier
Course : completed on 17 August 2025
Departure : Apremont, south of Oyonnax. Car park on the roadside 500 metres before the southern entrance to the village.

Tourist information

The Oyonnax forest and the surrounding area Lake Genin are nicknamed «Little Canada»: a haven of coolness in summer and faced with overtourism, some blame «social ills», winter is particularly harsh there with the lake freezing over; skating is even possible, as well as ice diving!
Le Lake Genin has the distinctive feature of being privately owned. However, an inn and a campsite run by the owners allow visitors to enjoy it to the full without any apparent restrictions on access.
There is a large car park next to it, but I would advise avoiding it as it gets very busy on sunny days.
A 20-minute drive from Apremont, the site of Dinoplagne allows you to see the largest dinosaur footprint site known to date.

Technical specifications

Suitable for cycling at 98%, the route is mostly on roads and does not present any major difficulties. During my trip, I abandoned the idea of reaching Golet de Roche-Taillée (FR-01-0914b) and Collet de Châtel (FR-01-0760) because of the rough forest tracks.

4 collars

1 – Golet Brandeu	880 metres	EN-01-0880
2 – Golet des Amboutillieux	960 metres	EN-01-0960
3 – The Basset Corridor	995 metres	EN-01-0995a
4 – Sentier Pass	979 metres	EN-01-0979a

Keywords : Genin, Apremont, Oyonnax, Centcols

Openrunner link, interactive map, profile, track : https://www.openrunner.com/route-details/23068650

This itinerary is provided for information only. The author accepts no liability, nor that of the Club des Cent Cols, for any imponderables due to the cyclist himself, the equipment used or anything to do with the road, tracks and paths, their surroundings or other users.

Photos