Recommend me some good beginner’s downhill routes in the PDS region. Or good but slightly harder xc routes.

Thanks for your help.

Panoramica then serpentine in pre la joux is nice. The green under chevannes is fun, too. In fact the blues on that side aren’t too tricky and its easy to have a few goes.

For xc the ppds/tour vtt is very scenic. There’s a black round the back of les gets that is quite nice too. Not sure why it is black. There is on short steep hill to a stream crossing that needs walking but the rest is nice

Cheers Mike. Sounds great!

The green under the Chavannes (squirrels) is easy enough but really fun.

The Red XC loop on Mt Cherry ( Les Gets ) is good . Like Penmachno but with consequences .
Take the Mt Cherry car up , then turn left at the top and slightly downhill toward a 2 man chair lift . Ride round the back of this then spank it up the hill on the fire road.

Don’t think the XC loop colours are an indicator of difficulty.

The Les Gets Black XC is pretty easy most of the way around.

The Mont Chery red XC was rather good (bit of a drag at the start but then the best bit appears). Nice restaurant too at the end of the ridge, just at the point where you’d start looping round the back. And another cafe where you’ll meet all the roadies/bikers half way round the back.

Went back and did that one twice but a bit more singletracky variation round the back. Bit narrow in places, with lots of steep switchback, and no berminess.

Panoramique + Serpentine in Chatel were fun (and we survived on HT).

Have GPX if anyone needs them.

The Mont Chery red XC was rather good (bit of a drag at the start but then the best bit appears)

It was great when the chairlift on Mont Chery took bikes. You could get a lift right to the top then ride the ridge down to the top of the fire road bit

Ace views at the top though. And the ride along the ridge is brilliant. So it’s worth it.

IMHO, the best routes in les gets are from the top of the Nauchettes lift. Go to the top of Chavannes, follow the nice green all the way to the bottom of Nauchettes, then try the red runs in the Kona bike park, combined with all the bottom runs to the Nauchettes lift. Loads of combos here.

Also nice, and empty this year, is the return from Les Gets to Morzine.

Thanks all. Your advice is appreciated.

Panoramic for sure. Can hit it up at any doped fast of slow.

Buy some of those spring grip things climbers use to strengthen their forearms, mine pumped up and eventually something went pop.

Watch how people put bikes onto the chairlifts for a minute before joining the queue. There will be someone at the top to unload them. It is worrying to see your pride and joy dissapear on a different chair , but it will be fine.

Col de cou, down to Champery, Telephariqe up then hit Les croset DH a couple of times, on the way home stroke some goats and take a swim in the lake.
That’s what I’m doing I’m three week 🙂