The difficulty of a mountain biking trail is evaluated according to the VTOPO MTB grading scale. Note that this grading system does not take the difficulty of climbs into account, only the difficulty of descents and flat sections—that is, how hard it is to stay on the bike. The physical difficulty of an MTB trail is inherently linked to its technical difficulty, which is why the grading is based on technical criteria.
This scale is divided into six categories, from V1 (easiest) to V6 (most difficult). Before listing the levels, it is important to define some terms specific to mountain biking:
Track: a wide path suitable for all types of forest vehicles
Trail: a narrower path suitable for light vehicles (like 4x4s)
Path: a narrow track accessible only to pedestrians
V1: Family and beginner level > easy tracks with low slopes (maximum 10%), stabilized surface. Suitable for children and beginners.
V2: Family and beginner level > tracks or trails with a maximum slope of 25%, fairly rocky surface, or easy dirt paths with low slope.
V3: Intermediate level > steep tracks or trails, or rocky paths.
V4: Expert level > trails or paths with many steps and difficult sections, significant slope.
V5: Expert level > very technical descents with high steps and sometimes jumps.
V6: Expert level > extremely technical descents with mandatory jumps, reserved for top-level riders.
It is crucial to know your own skill level as well as the level of the descent before attempting a trail.
At Annecy Aventure, our guides adapt the trail to your level and supervise the descent to ensure safety, fun, and excitement!