Can anyone tell me anything about biking here? Reckon it would be a good option for some (lesser known?) singletrack for a week in July. I’ve ridden here on the Trans Savoie last year but can’t remember much about Beaufort specifically (it all merges into a blur of awesome trails!).

We’re usually quite good at sniffing out trails with a map and a bit of a sense of adventure so hoping to do the same here. Lifts seem limited but there appears to be a shuttle bus. Does a combination of lifts/bus do you well to get around, or should we expect some self propelled uplifts?!

Any info much apprciated- where to ride/stay, getting around etc etc!

Thanks!

I assume it’s pretty good as, if I’m correct, this is area of Trail Addiction’s “Destination X”.

@Susie as @torihada posted it’s the base for Trail Addiction’s Destination X and the riding is indeed superb, deserted single track surrounds the unspoilt village.

Now the bad news, TA have really worked out how to make the most of it with a combination of van uplifts and buses back up from the valley floor together with a bit of pedalling. For you as an independent traveller it would be pretty much impossible to replicate.

There is a bike park at the nearby La Saisies and the lift at Areches runs a few times a week to access some of the man made trails there but really the place isn’t about those at all. Most of the riders there are roadies or mtb-ers who ride the 700m climbs before their descent.

I’d highly recommend a holiday with Trail Addiction, if you are going self supported I fear you may be disappointed.

I cannot post photos from work but another in our group posted up some fantastic photos, I’ll try and link later.

“Ridgeline” trail. I recall it was 800m van uplift, 200m pedal.

Photo Link

Perfect
All walking trails, but almost like they built them to be ridable……but only just 🙂
Hardly any lifts so you will need trail addiction for van uplifts.

That’s lucky: I’m off to Desination X with TA a week on Saturday.

great trails but as Jambalaya says up there you really need uplifts sorting. Very few lifts to rely on.

Here’s a taster of the trails

[video]https://vimeo.com/84708585[/video]

Ballroom Blitz

Thanks for the responses. The lifts only run 3 days a week I can see. Are the shuttle buses any use at all for getting places?

yes we used the buses a lot on the trail addiction week. They all have bike racks. It was nice to let the guides chauffeur us onto and off of them but no reason you couldn’t do it yourself with some planning.

Thanks ndthornton. Do the buses run regularly? I assume they serve Areches since that is where Trail Addition stay I think.

Certainly not against Trail Addition- had a great time with them in La Plagne last summer but there is something exciting about seeking out your own trails if possible!

They go from the main town of Beaufort which is a few miles downhill from trail addiction HQ in Areches. Fortunately there is nice single track down. We normally got a lift back up the hill in the van at the end of the day although for some strange reason this was often turned down in favor of a race back to the hotel up the road.

Never quite understood this but always felt obliged to join in…. and inevitably arrive back just as everyone else was sitting down for dinner. Barmy Londoners!

Haha! Clearly not trying hard enough on the descents then (or just too many Oranginas at lunchtime!!)!!

Do the buses run often, and do they run all day?

@Susie – yes there is a bus schedule, I am sure you can find it with Google 8) . It runs from the valley floor to Areches village.

Most of the best riding however is 700m-1000m above the village then all the way to the valley. The ski lift doesn’t service the parts of the mountain on which the best single track is. If one of you has a car and is prepared to be the chauffer I could point you in the right direction, the ridgeline ride I linked to involved the van going up a rutted gravel tack for quite a way after the tarmac. We did a couple of very nice rides out of La Saisies involving catching a bus to a higher point out of the main ski village (van uplift to La Saisies) ending where we could catch the bus to Areches. Whether I could find them on a map I couldn’t tell you. We also did an epic ride down into Alberville

A beer race up the road from Beaufort to Areches – bonkers ! One of our group did the ride and wished he had not. When we where there is it was close to 35 degrees, that tarmac is baking. I would have no hesitation getting a taxi, I’d rather book a hotel in Beaufort than ride up the road at the end of the day. There, I’ve said it !

Swine of a place, got stopped by the police for doing inner tube uplifts, rode up to la saises dh track I believe on dh bikes and it was hell, the track was freshly cut in, was back on 2010 and pretty rubbish, however the descent back down was ace. Similarly there is a top ridge line descent to alberville as someone else mentioned.

If the lift network was there, or open it would be something else I’m sure!

As I said we had the offer of a lift everyday but the group I with that week were a strange bunch – super posh bikes and much more accustomed to pounding tarmac in Surrey….. ultra competitive towards each other so that everything always became a race.

Id love to say they were mincers on the DH and a bit anal but actually they were very good…and a good laugh too.

If the lift network was there, or open it would be something else I’m sure!

It certainly would – lets hope it never happens
We have Morzine for that sort of thing

@Susie – just book Trail Addiction, it’s worth every penny.

@mtb – nice video, representative of the riding. I can vouch for the fact Will is very good at dealing with tired and grumpy old gits with a dose of vertigo. Thank’s Will and sorry about that …

errr, it’s Albertville ashley, the ‘T’ is silent…

I’m not being anal, it’s important to spell correctly if poor old Suzie will be looking for it on a map although I’m sure she’s intelligent enough to work it out.

errr, it’s Albertville ashley, the ‘T’ is silent…

I lived in Paris for a year and there are more issues with my French than the lack of an odd T, silent or otherwise 😳