Been seeing all the threads on Alpine trips for the last few months and have been seriously thinking about a trip there myself someday – only thing that puts me off is the videos/photos of high-exposure riding; you know, the sort of stuff where a little slip over the edge would basically result in death (I have a somewhat slight fear of heights!).

Do all the guiding outfits all do that kind of riding, or is is possible to go there and spend a week riding amazing trails but without the extreme exposure?

I think most of the man made stuff I’ve ridden there hasn’t had much exposure, but the natural stuff does.

Alternatively, MTFU.

It is completely, totally and utterly possible. I HATE exposure and regularly love the Morzine/ PdS stuff.

Let the possible guiding company know about what you like/ dislike. FlowMTB seem to have a good reputation.

I can’t speak for the alps, but I’ve got a terrible head for heights and I never once felt it was a problem when we went to the pyrenees with A Quick Release. I’ve had worse exposure-terrors at Glentress 😳 That was a riding-up holiday not uplift or dh (I got in some chairlift action on the rest day) but if that’s what your after, I have to say it was fantastic. Also great food and a nice location

Almost all of the stuff I’ve ridden at Les Arcs has absolutely no heights involved, or not really visible, even the upper exposed stuff. Of course it’s there, but not necessary to enjoy the trip.

i always say to my guests that they should look where they want to ride, not where they might fall……

…. and ultimately die.

a good guide should be able to pick a route to suit you or at least pre-warn you of what is coming up.

or alternatively go and ride it in the dark first. that way you don’t see the danger.

Stay home, ride around local park, with full armour and stabilisers.

Had Alps trips with so much exposure I thought I was climbing again and some where there was none (sometimes in the same week/resort)

Would suggest a guided trip or with some element of guiding so that you can find what you want to ride, call the companies first and have a good chat with them. If their after your cash they should be able to spare you the time to see if it’s for you or not.

Morzine area – Very little except on the Swiss National which feels upside down at some points
Les Arcs Lots of in the trees stuff – some of the higher stuff we found was exposed but could be avoided
Alp Du Heuz – Mostly good
Deux Alp few bits exposed – Venosc would probably make you think twice

I am in the same boat, I get terrible vertigo. From my experience, you don’t have to go anywhere with bad exposure. found portes du soleil and Villars areas with great riding and little/no exposure.

It’s the alps, so some is going to be a wee bit squeaky bum, but forget exposure, it’s the steepness and length of some of the trails that get me! You know, stuff you would ride at home nae bother as you know you can roll it out at the bottom, but here that steep bit is the actual trail, and any attempt at stopping is almost an OTB experience. eek! 😆

However, recent riding around Lugano/Italian lakes area was an exposure fest and brown pant extravaganza. And I was on my own. Jesus, one of the corners still gives me heebie-jeebies thinking about it… shudder (wall of rock on one side, trail, absolutely nothing on the other side except air, blind left hand corner with bars scraping off the rock…. bleurgh!) 😯

Go for it, don’t worry, and if you are are worried get a guide and stipulate to avoid bad exposure. Good guide will suss you out in the first couple of runs anyway.

Kev

i suffer from acrophobia pretty badly and have been out to the alps twice and am going again in september. it does seem to affect everyone differently and i’m often ok when there’s exposure off to my side but get really freaked out just by being high up and sometimes feel intimidated by the scale of everything around me. but i love riding there so i put up with it.

first time in morzine there was next to no exposure, certainly none that freaked me out and even some that i found quite exhilarating. i went with flowmtb and i’m sure they took my fears into consideration. didn’t like the ski lifts much but they weren’t that bad.

second time in verbier was a lot more uncomfortable for me. again the bits of exposure didn’t really bother me but the scale often did and the nature of the geography there means that the riding is very steep with lots of switchbacks and that seemed to freak me a little, more the idea of what was there than what i could actually see. again i let the guides at bike verbier know that i had issues with it and i’m sure they took it into account. in fairness, i think that verbier is so extreme in places that the whole group felt terrified at one point or another. but i have to say, the riding was beyond superb as was the holiday that bike verbier provide, so as an overall experience i’d say that the occasional terror was more than worth it.

off to the taranteise valley with the white room in september. i’ll tell the guides that i have an issue and just cope with it like i’ve done before. am i nervous ? hell yes. do i care ? nope.

ignore all the mtfu crap on here, it’s not something that you can just control like that and just remember that it takes 10 times the courage to do this sort of riding if you’re acrophobic than it does if you’re not.

just go and do it, you’ll be fine and feel better for it afterwards.

RealMan and cheez0 can bu**er off – everyone else, thanks for the advice and reccomendations! I love the idea of stuff like this: http://www.trailaddiction.com/gallery.php, just not the stuff with a sheer drop immediately next to the trail as I know I’d be going over the edge…

Morzine/PDS would be fine for you.

Les arcs – mostly fine although some trails that have exposed bits (you do get used to it/tend not to notice it after a bit and I suppose that you could just walk the odd bit). There are a couple of properly exposed trails but you’d have to go looking for them. If choosing a guide company be sure that they can cater for you and not just say “ok” and then bundle you along with whatever the larger group wants to ride.