After doing the Mont Blanc circuit I fancy something similar. I have found some vague info inc a couple of youtube clips on a tour of the Grand Combin. Has anyone tried this or got experince of the riding around Aosta?

Cheers

I did MTB rides around Aosta many years ago (late 90s), when people did low level mtb and no one from the uk was particularly doing Alps MTBing. I have somewhere a 90s Italian MTB guide for the area, I’ll look for it and give you the name if you want?, but not sure if it’s what you want?.

Rode in Pila (above Aosta) last year. Was really good but very steep! Never seen switchbacks that steep, that tight and with such a penalty for a mistake in my life.

Loved it.

Rachel

Allthegear – where did you fly to and how easy where the trails to find? We are more xc than downhill, Pila seems more of a freeride/DH area but i may be wrong.
Banana – there is a book on Amazon with some 61 trails in it. Was looking to see if it was worth splashing out £30.
Ideally i fancy a couple of days riding in the valley with maybe a 2-3 day trip using huts.

OK, I’ll look for it tomorrow and see what routes it has, if it looks like it will be of any use to you around Grand Combin, I’m happy to pass it on at postage cost, I’ll never use it again. I think it was more routes around the whole area (a big area) than specifically Aosta – Grand Combin circuit. we used it for mtb days in the valleys when forecasts in the big mountains were grim and it’s in Italian and 1997ish.

Pila ski resort publishes a summer trail map, showing quite a few high mountain xc and proper DH routes, including a long world cup standard route right under the access gondola from Aosta city. Having seen the place in March, it looks really quite interesting and I can’t believe that there isn’t plenty more riding in that extensive valley. La Thuile ski resort is nearby and has routes too, including cross border towards La Rosiere and therefore Bourg st Maurice. There must be extensive trails up towards Gran Paradiso just to the south of Pila, in the next valley.

Book is called In Valle D’Aosta con la mountain bike by Matteo Giglio.
40 routes, rough idea of spread here.

B.A.Nana, sorry router failed at the weekend. Could you get in touch, my email is in my profile. The book sounds good, happy to paypal postage.

Ta

I ride in Pila a lot (I live couple of hours away) but as per previous poster it is predominantly a downhill/freeride resort. La Thuile has more chilled trails but also mostly lift accessed. There is a famous (but tough) big XC route in the Parco Gran Paradiso which is on the southern side of the Aosta valley, accessed from a lovely little ski resort called Champorcher. It is a multiple day circuit and probably requires too much planning, but Champorcher would be a good base to do some exploring incorporating some of the route.

This is the overview on an italian MTB forum (in italian but good pics):

http://www.mtb-forum.it/community/forum/showthread.php?t=47525

Map (Champorcher is top right):

http://www.mtb-forum.it/bike/granpa/bilder/cartina.JPG

Parco Gran Paradiso is truly a stunning part of the Alps.

If you need any help with italian happy to help
Ben

Kaiser, the Italian forum is very interesting, thank goodness for google translate. Have been looking at the Tour Mont Combin, there appear to be a clockwise route taking in Col Ferret or a shorter anti-clockwise route. There also seems a way to combine it with a route around Mont Fallere, have you tried any of these?

Pila-Aosta vid:
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAsKiO-55ZY[/video]

Pila DH

140mm+ travel bike really to have most fun and take the battering, but nothing too tech, especially the FR trail to Aosta

Nope, not done any, tbh I just like all the list assisted downhill stuff around this area. Where I live (Italian lakes, como area) there is limited uplifts so tend to focus on lifts when in Aosta