Looks like ive got the thumbs up from the missus to have ago, and there are still places, but I’d be going Billy No Mates, and frankly, it scares me a wee bit as I haven’t a clue what to expect as far as navigation goes. I have exactly no sense of direction at all. Ive ridden in the Alps a few times so technically should be fine, just the navigating bit and presumably riding on my own – I don’t know how busy it will be.
How long does it take to complete? Is the riding worth it? Is there much climbing? Where is the best place to start in France? experiences and anyone doing this years please?
There are a choice of days to do it..does this mean you can it each of the 3 days if desired?

Navigation – easy. Plenty folk to chum round too.

But the riding’s a bit boring tbh.

Done it a few times. There are many threads on here going back years. Its a grand day out in the mountains with others, some great scenenery. Food and drink stops. Its more like an “XC-max” than a downhill/enduro style Alps ride, there is quite a lot of pedalling but only one or two fairly modest climbs. Thee are some excellent sections but a lot of on fireroads/farm tracks. The route is well marked, there are a few options which are worth taking. You can go on your own and try and join up with some others as its more fun in a group for the chat, we’ve done it with as many as 8. Yes you pick one day, Sunday sells out last. Where you start from really depends on access (ie from airport) and whether you’ll be spending more time there before/after. Its a 6+ hour trip round really, no point going faster as the food stops are part of the day.

If you are going to do it make a long weekend of it and do some other trail riding before/after.

As said, following the official route, navigation is pretty easy. All sign posted. And yes, make a long weekend or more of it. You’ll see all the options and bike park stuff as you go and want to have a play. The official route is an XC route really (alpine XC though), but also uplifted so no worries about monster climbing.

Likely you’ll be able to hook up with others there easy enough. Place is very busy.

Take plenty of spares, or otherwise be prepared to spend a fair bit on spares at premium local prices. Though there are stops that do some free repairs for basic things, but you could be a fair way from them.

Last year’s highlight for me was doing an off piste day on the Col de Cou. Even if I struggled a bit with it. Fantastic views.

Yeah as above it’s easy, it’s well sign posted – but It’s not an event I’m dying to do again – once you leave France and head into Switzerland it’s all a bit of a slog really – there’s a few long climbs, lots and lots of long descents on steep fireroads which destroy forks and arms but pay very little in thrills.

Frankly if you’ve been to Morzine / Les Gets / Avoriaz before it’s likely you’ve ridden all the good bits already – to my mind it’s a bit of a greatest hits around those areas with a 60K loop of Switzerland thrown in.

When I went a couple of years ago it was my first ever riding trip to the Alps. I’m the cycling equivalent of Captain Slow, so I was quite nervous. My riding buddy was my 18 yo nephew who’d done very little riding at all, and was riding an old, knackered bike with steep angles and about 3 sizes to big for him.

We both survived and in fact I was a little disappointed with the riding as it seemed a bit tame (although it was funny riding past the “all the gear” euro riders mincing down any bit of wet roots on foot).

It did take us the full day, though that was partly because we got on the wrong lift at the bottom of the first descent and merrily set off in the wrong direction, so we had a fair bit of extra ground to cover! Complete muppetry, and generally it’s very well marked out.

Glad I did it, but like others have said, not sure I’d rush to do it again.

The French bits are good, the Swiss bits less so. And the French appear to spend more effort maintaining their lifts. Food and drink is excellent.

An enjoyable day especially if it’s sunny, but would I do it again?

Well I used to say no, I’d just go and ride Les Get, Morzine, Avoriaz and Chatel, but every so often I think maybe, just maybe.

Well worth doing. Don’t expect a gnar fest, it’s a day out in the mountains riding your bike. Very easy to navigate, extensive signs, lots of people doing the route with numbers on the front of the bike, lots of people standing looking at maps at any junctions, lots of Fire Road blasting, but quite a few more technical bits if you make sure you take all the ‘harder’ options on the map. Not a lot of climibing, a couple of draggy climbs, but nothing of note. Lots of mixed abilities and bike types, lots of food stops, lots of noise, lots of people. Good fun in all.

We went from Morzine last year, and it’s a good spot to go from.

im booked on this year, wish i hadnt read this thread now 🙁 will just have to make sure we dont miss the ‘hard’ bits. we’ll be there a day or so either side of it anyway…

LOL you’re a miserable bunch.

It’s a great day out !

jaffejoffer – it’s fun. Research it, find a few off piste bits, make it what you want.

This is the sort of riding you’ll do: Click

@jaffe – take all the options – rooty descent into Morzine is on the main route. Also coming back from Swiss side on GR5 into Linderets don’t take the fireroad but black run Toboggan (not too hard, mostly just every tighter berms and a steep bit of hill). From Morzine side into Linderets take red trail option if you can. In Switzerland take red options in les Crossets. If you decide to go all the way to Torgon there is a steep loose loamy trail through the woods straight down, much more interesting than PdS route but possibly not sign-posted.

Where are you staying ? Email me if you care and want some trail suggestions for the other days

EDIT: cbm’s blog has it right. this photo shows Toboggan – the PdS route is the fireforad from mid photo – they end up in the same place.

It’s a good few years since I done it, but I wouldn’t mind doing it again. I wouldn’t head there to just do the PdS though, I’d combine it with part of a bigger trip.

It’s certainly no tech fest, but it’s a good way to spend a day on bikes with mates and/or randoms, and see bits you’re not likely to see if you just go for a normal week.

It’s a great day out !

+1

A lot of pedalling with some good fun sections and really nice food stops.

Do try to fit the Torgon section in if you can, that and the rooty descent to Morzine are the highlights IMO.

Found myself riding alongside Loic Bruni and Sam Blenkinsop last time and they weren’t complaining about the lack of gnar.

Yep, doing this years PDS with a couple of mates.

Starting from Morgins on the Saturday.

I’ve previously ridden most of the circuit but it looks like it’ll be a good laugh with some good nosh and great views 🙂

yup doing the pds this year, looking forward to it, have ridden a lot in the area and have a few days to play after the event.

It was low cloud in the morning when we started and we got a bit lost after the Morgins lift because you couldn’t see enough. Great day out but you’re probably better off riding with just one or two others. We had about eight in our group and it was a bit of a breakdown fest. Really enjoyed it (until it started raining, hard) and might do it again some time. We ran out of time to do the Torgon loop but were pretty frozen and wet by then anyway.

I’ve done 6. Sooooooo weather dependent. A marvelous day out in dry sunshine, a freezing horror story if it snows on you whilst you’re sat on a lift.

There are some optional climbs if you feel like it but I’ve never seen anyone else doing them. We actually rode Morzine to Zore one year as the lift queue was so long !

Its a great day out!

Hmm, with the OP in mind, what made it a (very) good day out for me was the bunch of pals I did it with, not the riding. It was a good atmosphere with about 10 us messing about along the way.

I’d say 10% of the riding was “interesting”. The best bit from memory was a short corner-cut down some fairly narrow, rooty and in places steep singletrack (I think down to Champery (?))… I spent it helping a less-experienced pal down!

Did I do on a bad year for food stops? Every one I stopped at had the same spicy sausages thing that repeated on me for days or melted chocolate- you had to flick the flies off it too?