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Mountain Carting in La Plagne: Plagne Centre vs Montalbert
Mountain carting had been on our summer list for a while, and this year we finally got around to trying it, not just once, but in both Plagne Centre and Montalbert.
And while we really enjoyed both, they are quite different experiences.
If you’re trying to decide which mountain cart track to do with your family, here’s what I’d want to know before booking.
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What is mountain carting?
Mountain carts are basically three-wheeled, gravity-powered carts designed for coming down the mountain.
You sit low to the ground, steer using the handlebars and control your speed with the brakes. There’s no engine involved, gravity does the work.
Which means you can take it relatively steadily… or discover that certain members of your family have a rather more competitive interpretation of “steadily”.
Helmet and protective equipment are provided, and you take the lift up before making your way back down the designated mountain cart track.
It’s simple to get the hang of, but still gives you that slightly ridiculous feeling of hurtling down what, a few months earlier, was a ski slope.
And yes: you will probably get dusty.
Very dusty.
The mountain carting in La Plagne is an adrenaline-pumping activity that combines the thrill of downhill racing with the stunning beauty of the Alps. Whether you're a seasoned adventurer or trying it for the first time, the experience is both accessible and exciting. Riders control their speed and direction using the brake handles, making it easy to navigate the turns and curves of the track. It’s a unique way to explore the mountains in the summer, providing fun for all skill levels.
This is just one of the activities you can do here. For more ideas, see my full guide to the best things to do in La Plagne in summer.
La Plagne mountain carting location and tracks
You can currently mountain cart in:
- Plagne Centre, using the Colorado chairlift
- Montalbert, using the Montalbert gondola
We tried both, and although the basic idea is the same, the experience is surprisingly different.
La Plagne’s mountain carting tracks are expertly designed to maximise both fun and safety. The courses are set on the ski slopes, which are repurposed for carting during the summer months.
Mountain carting in Plagne Centre
In Plagne Centre there are two tracks from the top of the Colorado chairlift:
Colorado – red: 1.585 km with 300 m of vertical descent
Buffalo – blue: 1.785 km with 300 m of vertical descent
If I was doing this with younger children, I’d choose the blue Buffalo track.
The red isn't simply a slightly faster version of the same thing. There are some pretty steep sections, and for a younger or more cautious child I think the blue gives you the fun of mountain carting without quite as much intimidation.
Plagne Centre is also a good introduction to the activity because the runs are relatively short.
You're up, down and back again fairly quickly, so if your child gets to the bottom and decides mountain carting isn't actually their thing, you haven't committed them to a 4 km descent.
The setting is still absolutely beautiful, but it feels quite connected to the resort.
You're weaving around the bike park and other mountain activities, with people and riders around you. It feels fun and lively rather than particularly remote.
And on a dry summer's day?
Prepare for dust.
A lot of my view involved following a child through a cloud of it.
Mountain carting in Montalbert
Then we tried Montalbert. And for us, this was the clear winner.
The La Branchée blue mountain cart run is 4.4 km long with 620 m of vertical descent, so you're getting substantially more time on the cart than you do in Plagne Centre.
But it wasn't just the length that made us prefer it. The whole experience feels different.
The track winds down through the trees and forest, and there are moments when you feel much further away from the resort and much more immersed in the mountain.
Rather than simply riding down a track, it felt as though we were actually heading off and exploring somewhere.
It's still dusty!
It's still slightly chaotic when you're following another cart.
And you're still going to arrive at the bottom looking considerably less clean than when you started.
But the combination of the longer descent, the forest and that feeling of being out in the mountains made this one much more memorable for us.
Plagne Centre vs Montalbert: which mountain cart is better?
Having now tried both, if we could only choose one, I'd pick Montalbert.
Plagne Centre still has plenty going for it.
I'd particularly consider it if:
- you're staying in one of the altitude villages and don't want to travel down to Montalbert
- you're trying mountain carting for the first time
- you have younger or slightly more cautious children
- you want a shorter activity
- you're combining it with other activities around Plagne Centre
And for younger children, I'd stick to the blue Buffalo track rather than the red Colorado track.
But if you can get over to Montalbert, that's the one I'd recommend.
The run is so much longer, and for us it felt like a much fuller mountain experience.
Is Montalbert worth the extra money?
For us, yes.
For summer 2026, one descent is currently listed at €19 in Plagne Centre and €23 in Montalbert.
So you're paying €4 more for Montalbert, but you're getting a 4.4 km run with 620 m of descent rather than a roughly 1.6–1.8 km run with 300 m of descent.
I'd happily pay the difference.
Not simply because you're getting more kilometres for your money, but because the longer run changes how the activity feels.
In Plagne Centre, we'd reached the bottom while I was still thinking, “Oh, we're properly getting into this now.”
Montalbert felt like an adventure in itself.
What age is mountain carting good for?
This is where I'd think less about age and more about confidence.
There is height restriction, children msut be 1m 30 to do the carting – whcih is why my kids didn't come do it this year – maybe next year!
You control your own cart, including your speed and braking, so children need to be comfortable doing that independently.
The current La Plagne information gives a minimum height requirement, although there is a discrepancy between official pages at the moment, so I'd check the current restriction before you go.
There is also a specific rule on the red Colorado run in Plagne Centre: children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult on the circuit.
From a mum point of view, I'd also think carefully about which track you choose.
A confident child may absolutely love the steeper red run.
For younger or more hesitant children, I'd start blue.
Nobody gets a medal for frightening themselves on the first descent.
What should you wear mountain carting?
My main advice? Don't wear anything you're precious about.
Mountain carting in dry summer weather is dusty. By the end, we'd collected a decent portion of the mountain on ourselves.
I'd go for:
- clothes you're happy to get dirty
- londer shorts or trousers
- proper closed shoes
- sunglasses
- layers depending on the weather
And I'd avoid carrying anything you don't actually need. You can leave your bag at the bottom of the Colorado chairlift where you get your helmet from. Or on the Montalbert track, they offered to send out bag back down in the gondola to the lift workers at the bottom.
And trust me: you want your hands free for steering and braking rather than wondering where your phone, bag or child's abandoned jumper has gone.
How much does mountain carting cost in La Plagne?
For summer 2026, the current official prices are:
Plagne Centre
1 descent: €19
5 descents: €76
10 descents: €143
Montalbert
1 descent: €23
5 descents: €92
10 descents: €161
Cart hire, access to the track and protective equipment are included.
I'd always check the latest prices and opening information before setting off, particularly if you're reading this article in a future summer season.
Do you need to book?
The current La Plagne information states that no advance booking is required. WE didn't book ahead for either track and it was totally fine on a peak day in August.
For Plagne Centre, you head to the mountain cart chalet at the bottom of the Colorado chairlift.
For Montalbert, the mountain cart starts from the Montalbert gondola.
Opening days also differ, so check before travelling across the resort specifically for it.
Our mountain carting verdict
This was one of those summer activities that I think would work really well for families with older kids.
It's active without requiring everyone to have the same level of fitness, exciting without needing to learn a complicated new sport, and there's plenty of opportunity for children to decide that overtaking Mum is suddenly the most important objective of the afternoon.
We'd happily do both tracks again.
But if someone asked me which mountain cart to choose in La Plagne, my answer would be Montalbert.
Plagne Centre is fun, accessible and particularly useful if you want a shorter introduction to mountain carting.
Montalbert feels like more of an adventure.
The longer descent, the trees and the feeling of disappearing off into the mountain made it the one we were still talking about afterwards.
Just don't go for the views expecting to actually see them while following another cart.
Sometimes the mountain views are mainly… dust.
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