So it’s that time again… I didn’t get away in 2015 but 2016’s looking more promising. But trouble is, I’ve been to White Rooms 3 times so I am ridiculously spoiled and hard to please. And as much as I loved those trips I do fancy a bit of a change. So… Basically, help!

I’m looking for something very much of the same vein- hassle free, catered and guided, mostly uplift (I’m happy to pedal a bit, like a white rooms backcountry day; but I’m not going to spend a week pedalling up when I could be descending). Not jumpy, and not easy. Double header and la varda not red routes and not particularily berms (I don’t mind a bit of bike park but it’s never been the highlight). La Thuile and Pila sort of bikeparks. Trailbike not dh bike obviously. In other words exactly what white room do.

The 2 that seem to get recommended most, and in the same breath and terms as white room, are bike verbier and basque mtb. Open to other recommends though.

BasqueMTB’s basque coast week looks like the best match for me, and I’ve genuinely not heard a bad review… but what puts me off a little is their description of daily descending “up to” 3000 metres. That’s only 75% of my average white room day and less than half what we did in pila. And it says 2 days usually have only 1200m of uplift. Obviously numbers aren’t everything and I don’t doubt the quality of those metres but it sounds like basically less bang for buck and a different balance of riding. Is that just an unfair criticism? Particularily fishing for people who’ve done both, here…

And I guess that asks the same question of bike verbier- just how much riding is there in a day, and how varied? The area looks incredible (I’ve watched VAST too many times!) but I know much less about their riding weeks and I don’t feel like I’ve got a handle on it from the website. And I think it’s going to shake out a bit more expensive.

No doubt at all I’d have a great week with either btw. The question is about awesome vs incredible 😉

And then… who else?

We are doing our 3rd trip to White Room 😆

Stevo has been very busy scoping new trails. This year I rode so much new stuff, it was ridonculous. Oh, and the La Thuile enduro is on our changeover day next year so hoping to go and watch a bit of that.

Does that help? 😆

On a serious note, I wouldn’t be put off going with Basque. There may be less vertical drop but in my head the trails are less steep than Les Arcs and therefore go on for longer. (Does that make sense?). Also the food in that area looks immense.

I’ve been to Whiterooms and Basque. Basque is a very different experience but one that I’d definitely recommend. More varied riding than Alps, flexible itinerary, stay in a beautiful costal town with mazeballs food. We did a couple of big back country days with Doug, involved quite a bit of climbing but was totally worth it. There are days where he can provide more uplift if that’s what the group wants…The whole area is very different to anywhere else I have been in Spain. I’d go back again (cost might be higher than Whiterooms depending on logistics)

A leftwing option (and my choice) is Freeride Madeira… if there are convenient flights then it is great. They will pick you up from your choice of accomodation in Funchal, plus Funchal is only a few mins from the airport. Good food & drink IMO (cheap too) and the riding is mega…

Bike Verbier gets great review from my buddy but I’ve never been (on my list though)

What about the likes of Transprovence guided week? Bit different and awesome riding

I don’t know what is happening with the transprovence next year, I know they were planning something new and only going to do a few transprovence guided weeks. There has been no announcements on his website or via mailing list, and when I emailed to ask for info got no reply. I really wanted to do the trans provence guided week to tick off the bucket list of trips.

For next year I have booked trips with basquemtb and trail adiction already, I have booked on the weeks that include a bit of skills training as well as guiding. Also hoping I can do the tour of mount blanc late in the season, not sure if I can afford 3 trips yet though.

If you want a few websites to browse hear is my list of my bookmarks

http://switch-backs.com/
http://www.benjonesmtb.com/mont-blanc-enduro.php
http://www.trans-provence.com/
http://trailaddiction.com/
http://www.justridefinale.com
http://www.basquemtb.com/
http://www.themountainbikeadventure.com
http://www.whiteroomchalet.com/

Singletrack Safari in Andorra could be worth a go…back country plus 2 bike parks

We have done both BV and White Room back to back and most of the other Alps guided companies. We did BV and Finale this year and have already booked BV for next year. The riding at BV can be as easy or as technical as you want. Im sure if you want to climb all day then they could even facilitate that. The days riding can be as long as you want and most is accessed by lift or van assist. The area that they cover is vast and not all based in the Verbier area.

There is a reason why we go back every year and get to ride new and varied trails, the food and accommodation is first class, the guiding is as good as it gets and the professionalism is second to non.

They are on my bucket list every year.

Worth every penny, thats saying something from a Yorkshire lass.

We are up your neck of the woods from tomorrow till Satuday, if you see us we can have a chat. You will be able to reconise us by Abigale who will be on the floor most of the time as she trys to master clips for the first time.

Not done white rooms but based on my trail addiction experience, the statement not always as steep but longer for Basque. I did coast and back country Pyrenees. I loved both but Backcountry was awesome, that balance of fast as, variety, barely used, tech and flow but the gradient that most of the time means you don’t live on the brakes.

My experience is Transprovence race, Finale multiple times and the super enduro series races, Alps.

I’d like to do Bike Verbier based on recommendations too.

The rising out of Ainsa on the Basque trip was incredible and the EWS stages treat but it was eclipsed for me by other gems that it felt like only a handful of locals ever rode. No braking bumps to see, just amazing scenery, great food, great riding.

Excellent bookmRks too

You’d be nuts to ignore rivierabike IMHO. On top of some mental riding, the whole small village italian experience is really great.

Aye, riviera is fantastic. Riding is amazing, as is the food.

Next time I wouldn’t be wanting to do the coastal day though, there was a right annoying gobby girl who was determined to go ride the coast so she could have an ice cream after the ride. Leaving the mountains to go riding feels wrong.

Mega entries open in a couple of weeks… ;-D

Bike Verbier are excellent, we did some of the best trails I’ve ever ridden with them. Never been to BasqueMTB but I wasn’t keen on Spanish style riding when I rode down near Malaga. A personal thing but I just like my mountain riding to have trees and roots.

We did a diy trip last year that started in Chamonix and finished with Enduro 2, so good we’re doing the same again this year.

*ahem

trailAddiction.com
Check out the Destination-X package and Trans-Savoie Tour if you’re after something a little different and have already done Les Arcs several times.
🙂

Rivierabike is the best so far.
I have been also with Basque and Ciclo Montana but Rivierabike is just awesome. The hotel is not a 5 stars but the food and trails are fantastic.
Here you can see some of the videos that I took during hols with Ciclo Montana:
Ecurie Neeps

I still need to upload the ones from Basque. If interested in Basque videos pm me.

BasqueMTB offer only breakfast, although there is lots of restaurants around with great food.

I’m looking at this at the moment too.

The pricing seems to have jumped up a bit since we last did anything guided, and it’s not really looking too great now.

We went to Verbier a number of years ago, and enjoyed it, so we’re considering it for next year, but for the prices wanted for a couple, for 2 weeks, we can go to Whistler for nearly the same cost!

I know where I’d rather go & it’s not Europe. Maybe we will be going back next year…

Eating out in basque country doesnt need to be expensive BTW. Can get a 3 course menu del dia for 10 euros with a bottle of wine.

Alternatively, you could go to Ainsa. There are marked routes, very much Enduro in style. Get a cheap hostel/camping barn. Only issue is getting there with the bikes. Do a search for Zona Zero.

If a few of you go to Riviera, you can opt for the apartment (still get the hotel food). We (3 of us) did it last time, and would want to do it again.

You’re welcome to join us for a long weekend in Finale Ligure matey! 3 days uplifted and 1 day pedalling.

We went last year and this year a couple of the guys are foregoing Megavalanche passes from their other halves because they thought it was so good, other members of the party had been to the French Alps for years and thought it was the best riding they’d ever done.

All guided by some of the fastest and smoothest riders I’ve ever seen, let alone ridden with.

Hi Prouster… Do you mind me asking which company did the guiding.? I’m considering a weekend there myself… Went to The Alps last year.

Outside of July/August I’d be going to finale ligure. Did a week there last year as part of a an 8 week euro tour and the riding was probably the best on the holiday. Just don’t go in those 2 peak months, I spent the first 3 days unable to ride with heat stroke. Finale freeride are worth a shout but if you want to do something a bit more civilised there’s a handful of bike hotels that will sort you for uplift too. I’d recommend a couple of days without uplift though, just use your legs and get off the beaten track.

The Swiss riding was a close second though, some of the Verbier stuff is fantastic. That big descent top to bottom going through people’s gardens was pretty epic!

Op, any decisions made?

Just seen this and have been having similar thoughts.

Only have a hardtail at the moment. Are these rideable with a ht?

Rivierabike looks the cheapest option and if the riding is good as reviews etc might swing it.

Has anyone been to these without knowing others? i.e. billy no mate’s type of thing. Looks like my riding pals wont be up for anything and my other half doesn’t ride so might have to go solo, doesn’t both me but just wondering if other people have.

cheers

Totally flummoxed tbh! Riviera, Basque and Verbier I reckon but that’s as far as I’ve got. Or, buy wheels and forks for a bike 😆

I went out as a no-mates last time, but to White Room where I’d been before so I knew the guides and the setup. I’d be happy enough doing it again elsewhere tbh- it’s just how it works out sometimes, my mates that I go riding harder stuff with mostly don’t want to spend the money for a week, and my mates that are up for a holiday maybe don’t want the same riding… Most times, there’s been at least one solo when I’ve gone away.

As far as hardtails go, I’ve always taken a full suss, there’s never been a single foot of riding I wouldn’t do on my ht but it does add up, after a full day at Pila on the big bike I was ruined so I reckon I’d have had to do less riding on the HT. But for less massive days it’d be grand. Thing is the alps cover an area bout the size of britain, even before you look elsewhere, so there’s every sort of riding you could want.

nice one, are you sure you cant read my mind!! 🙂

same three I’ve narrowed it down to and also want a new setup of wheels for the bike and cant afford both atm 🙂

All of this of course is useless without me bagging some brownie points which I’ve probably got a bit of work left on that one!!

immybob
Hi Prouster… Do you mind me asking which company did the guiding.? I’m considering a weekend there myself… Went to The Alps last year.

Sorry for the delay, been busy!!

We went with Just Ride Finale, nice bunch of people and great guides – Gabby is the fastest person on a bike that I’ve ever ridden with, and soooo smooth. Gave a few of us bits of coaching as well as the guiding and she knows her onions there too.

You’d be nuts to ignore rivierabike IMHO. On top of some mental riding, the whole small village italian experience is really great.

^^^This , been twice with Rivierabike, great riding and food located in your typical Italian mountain village

Ooh, sorry Proutster, I didn’t mean to shun you there! Think I’m looking for a week or longer but cheers for the offer

Northwind
Ooh, sorry Proutster, I didn’t mean to shun you there! Think I’m looking for a week or longer but cheers for the offer

Too late now, I’ve taken my toys home and spat the dummy out 😉