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Early trip to the Alps

46 posts & 16 voices | Started 11 months ago by jhw | Latest reply from jhw

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jhw - Member

Day 1

Day 2

I took the route to the right of the glacier, looking downhill. There also looks to be a great one to its left...

Day 3

Epic tree descent

Day 4

Day 5

Another epic tree descent

Day 6

This peak was my objective for the day - there is apparently a well-appointed bivacco on top, at 3,000m, and a great view/dawn ride down the following morning - but it was still snowy and there was a storm rolling in so I got off the mountain instead, heading back into town via a never-ending (brutal in places) traverse.

Thanks to Tom et al at Zero G and Phil at MBMB for making it happen; and also to various users of this site for ideas/inspiration!

Posted 11 months ago #
Shandy - Member

Looks brilliant. Where is day 2? Did you have a crack at Buet?

Posted 11 months ago #
allthepies - Member

Awesome!

Posted 11 months ago #
jhw - Member

Bionnassay - that was a very tough climb, and as difficult going down as up (got charged by a cow, too - had to flee into the foliage! Apparently you're meant to shout at them, hit them with your pump, etc.; I'm not convinced...).

Buet was still very snowy so I gave climbing it a miss - Grenairon told me crampons were still needed for the ascent from Emosson/Cheval Blanc, although not from Pierre Berard.

Posted 11 months ago #
Shandy - Member

I thought it must be round that side. I've been looking at doing the TdMB this year and I'd like to explore round there and do some more around Anterne. I've done Buet on skis but I've no idea what it would be like in Summer, apart from being a very big push!

Posted 11 months ago #
jhw - Member

TMB is definitely high on my list too.

Only one way to find out about Buet! I'm sure someone on here will have ridden it before the summer is out. The Cicerone guide says the Col de Salenton part is rubbly, indistinct and snowy long into July/August. Beyond that I don't know -but there was a lot of snow up there as of last Sunday.

How is the ladder descent down to Anterne - is it a piece of cake, or "scary"? The glacier descent above also has some very steep steps, with a cable. Hard work...

Posted 11 months ago #
bonfield-jones - Member

Fantastic pictures, no doubt you had a great time. Phil is a top guy and knows the place extremely well. Can reccomend MBMB enough to people the TMB is a fantastic trip.

Posted 11 months ago #
jhw - Member

I think we need a separate thread called show me your TMB pictures!

Posted 11 months ago #
jools182 - Member

looks amazing

where were you based?

was it all uplift?

I've found a link to MBMB but nothing for Zero G

Posted 11 months ago #
jhw - Member

I was based at MBMB; there was some but very limited uplift. The best stuff required pushing, sometimes a lot of pushing, all day on broken terrain - but worth it!

http://www.zerogchx.com/ (it's the local shop - very good at impromptu spoke replacements and brake repair)

Posted 11 months ago #
Cabri - Member

Glad you had a great time jhw. You'll find some info on the Buet below.

http://www.vttour.fr/sommets/le-buet,319.html?sorties. I have never done it from the Grenairon side but I've seen photos and would be fairly difficult with a bike.

You'll have to do the Tour du Combin next, http://www.vttour.fr/sorties/grand-combin,467.html an alternative to the TMB.

One of my favourite ones is the Fenêtre du Durand, a bit further away from Chamonix http://www.alpavista.ch/Alp11/2010/09/05/fenetre-de-durand-2010/, now that is lovely, awesome views.

Posted 11 months ago #
Cabri - Member

Knew I'd seen it somewhere

http://blog-de-daniel-hem.over-blog.com/article-29808924.html

(for the equipped passage)

Posted 11 months ago #
forgotmename - Member

Looks fantastic, im off on thursday, staying with Phil but riding on my own(or with the lads on this months cover if im lucky) . The TDMB is the best bike ride ive ever been on,and Phil nows it better than most.
Im probably not going to be able to sleep tonight after seeing your picture. Thanks.

Posted 11 months ago #
freeridenick - Member

Great stuff JHW

In there I can see
Holy trail
Servoz ridge
Courmayeur from the testa bernada?
Bissonay from Nid Aigle?

anything else?

Posted 11 months ago #
jhw - Member

That's about it - some stuff below the treeline at the bottom and top ends of the valley too.

Some great ideas for when I head back, thanks!

I'd say the best day was over on the Italian side but that is one hell of a push up. Took 6 hours round trip, without stopping properly for lunch. You could do it in 8, have a leisurely lunch at Refuge Bertone and still get the 5pm bus back into Chamonix.

Posted 11 months ago #
Scienceofficer - Member

That looks amazing and far more interesting riding than the endless stream of dh style radical dude pictures one normally gets when an Alps thread pops up.

Posted 11 months ago #
nickegg - Member

Those are some truly inspirational shots! Perfectly sums up Alpine riding. To go to the Alps and only ride the man-made stuff seems crazy when you could ride the above!

Been to the Alps for the last two summers and have only ridden proper singletrack but this year we have 8 days in Eastern Switzerland followed by a week in the Tarentaise valley. I'll give the man-made stuff a go, if we come across any decent looking bits. But, you can't beat epic singletrack descents.

Posted 11 months ago #
Shandy - Member

JHW I've never done Anterne - always gone Holy Trail direction from the top of Brevent, or back round the front.

Could you give me a link to the bus timetable from Courmayeur?

EDIT - Used my initiative.

http://world.chamonix.com/PDF/courmayeurete.pdf

Any issues getting the bikes on?

If anybody is looking for a down day then there are some incredible baths at Pre St Didier. I am hoping to take the road bike over the cols and meet the missus for an afternoon at the spa.

http://termedipre.it/

Posted 11 months ago #
jhw - Member

Comes into effect next week http://world.chamonix.com/PDF/courmayeurete.pdf (all timetables at http://www.chamonet.com/maps-and-timetables/chamonix-valley-maps-and-timetables.htm)

Who says I don't do "dh style radical dude" - check my spaceman outfit :

Thanks for all the kind words!

edit - yes there were issues - you have to pay quite a lot extra - can't remember exactly but it was about 35 euros all in, I think. It gets quite hairy if you have more than one bike - you basically have to pile them flat on each other in this trailer the bus tows, great recipe for scratches etc. If you can maybe bring some bungees and put your pads between them.

Gotta book in advance at the little hut outside Chamonix train station (they are not responsive to emails) and if you get back early, you have to go into the office to change your booking for the earlier bus - can't just hop on.

Posted 11 months ago #
Shandy - Member

I bet they just shrugged and deleted your email

It is good to know the option is there. I'm hoping to do a 2-day TMB but there aren't that many multi-day breaks where I can get away, so I could get scuppered by the weather and have to break it up.

Posted 11 months ago #
jhw - Member

2 days - ambitious! but doable, look forward to the report

forgetmename, are you Gary? Phil mentioned this kind of thing was up your alley, shame our trips didn't coincide. I'll be out again in July.

Posted 11 months ago #
forgotmename - Member

Hi jhw, yes im Gary, i was seriously thinking of doing at least 1 wkend in july, what dates are you out there?

Posted 11 months ago #
jhw - Member

Cool! I'm riding July 17-30 inclusive. I'm in a group of 4 in the first week and some of them are fairly new to the sport so we may keep it relatively mellow that week (but it's still Chamonix...).

The next week (from the 23rd) I'm going to do at least one more big route, either on the Flaine side, the Italian side or on the TMB with Phil (will decide nearer the time).

Posted 11 months ago #
jhw - Member

ooh, found one more

Posted 11 months ago #
forgotmename - Member

Ok il try for the 22nd for 3 days. Il let you know asap.

Posted 11 months ago #
jhw - Member

sweet, cya there if you make it - you know where to find me!

Posted 11 months ago #
bonfield-jones - Member

Chamonix to Samoens/Sixt would be a good route to do. Only issue is getting back however. This goes over the col d'anterne. Easily do in a day.

Posted 11 months ago #
jhw - Member

Thanks - definitely on the list!

Posted 11 months ago #
pickle - Member

awesome pictures!! looks like you had the time of your life out there.......brings back lots of great memories of the times i've been! have to get back out there next year me thinks

Posted 11 months ago #
jedi - Member

nice! im back out there in august.

Posted 11 months ago #
jhw - Member

Only issue is getting back however

Train from Cluses strikes me as the most likely way!

Posted 11 months ago #
ChrisE - Member

What's it like doing it in the other direcion ie Morzine-Samoens-Fer.Sixt.Chav-Hutte Willis-Atterne-Plan Joux-Servoz. Will be riding it in Aug as part of a TransAlpGR5, and never been over there (just on a paraglider which was a bit easier!)

ta
Chris

Posted 11 months ago #
jhw - Member

I don't know, but should be alright providing you head down to Servoz and avoid trying to go up the backside of Brevent. I know it's been done before on a bike (read about it somewhere). Lift out of Samoens takes you up to 1,600m, but I think this could be a little west of Alfred Wills/Anterne where you need to be.

But I'd start in Samoens not Morzine. That might be slightly too much for a day, depending. It could be alright but I'd take lights just to be sure.

Posted 11 months ago #
RHSno2 - Member

Ace!

Posted 11 months ago #
ChrisE - Member

We're starting at St Gingholph (Geneva) and riding to Nice, pretty much down the GR5, not just from Morzine!

C

Posted 11 months ago #

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