Looks like we are booked for July 2017 8)

Biking looks fairly straightforward to find what we want – equivalent of Scottish trail centre Red, more descending than climbing…

Hill routes – some nice big ridges / scrambles / routes please.

We are also looking at a night in a refuge – I have found one that looks good – but looking for huts that are high up, walk/cycle in only without being an alpine climb on the way is limiting things.

bike routes – yes fairly easy – just follow the maps / your nose

For walks…. pm Stoner or better still meet up with him out there and buy him a beer!!

Stoner is your man (also Ambrose had some good tips). Let me dig out some old threads (see below), there are bike park trails inc “enduro style” and “off piste” on walking paths.

Have a good browse through these

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/help-please-morzine-for-the-non-downhiller

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/stw-get-together-morzine-aug-15th-2016

As I have posted before a trip over to Chamonix for some “serious” mountains is worth the hour in the car. Maybe do the refuge there ?

Edit: there is a hut at Col du Coux but it’s not “out of the way” in my view you want to find something where only walkers go and feels like a bit of an adventure. There wil more likely be places like that in Chamonix imo

Roc D’enfer loop is a pretty special walk. Very ridgey but still quite accessible. There’s some more remote and epic walking to be had to the East of Morzine and Samoens, up to the glaciers but I still haven’t ma

Roc D’enfer

One of our possibles for this summer Matt, might even see you there.

Think the kids may look a bit different now:

Biking looks fairly straightforward to find what we want – equivalent of Scottish trail centre Red

It’s really not

Trail grading over there is a lottery at best. They’ve tweaked things a bit in recent years, most noticeably in chatel where grading was laughably optimistic.

As for Les Gets, the main red line on the Chavannes side is nothing like a trail centre red. It’s not that steep but it’s fast as hell with some enormous table tops (rollable) big gaps (chicken runs) and it’s unbelievably rough, particularly the section after the cattle grid halfway down.

The Nauchets side is maybe a bit closer but if it rains in the slightest it’s horrific.

Either way, it’s a big step up from a Scottish trail centre red.

It’s really not

Trail grading over there is a lottery at best. They’ve tweaked things a bit in recent years, most noticeably in chatel where grading was laughably optimistic.

As for Les Gets, the main red line on the Chavannes side is nothing like a trail centre red. It’s not that steep but it’s fast as hell with some enormous table tops (rollable) big gaps (chicken runs) and it’s unbelievably rough, particularly the section after the cattle grid halfway down.

The Nauchets side is maybe a bit closer but if it rains in the slightest it’s horrific.

Either way, it’s a big step up from a Scottish trail centre red.

You are right about Chatel – proper DH stuff over there (although there are chicken lines for everything).

The main Les G red though other than being a bit steeper and yes nasty braking bumps in places is a hoot. My 8 year olds loved it (tabletops not gaps) so generally it’s fine for most adults who ride trail centres.

Obviously… you’ll know what you like. The tour routes are good but don’t bother too much with the XC routes – very dull.

OP based on posts I’d say you and your son can ride anything I would, this would include blacks of Canyon and Dans Le Gaz, the off piste too on Stoner’s map. The route to Chapelle Jaquincourt is a family ride.

BTW I did a quick search for Refuge, not sure if Chavan is any good. Stoner will know,

I stayed in Les Gets a few years ago. The XC trails were good fun. Not too techy ( 1 dismount section iirc ) but some arduous climbs despite the lifts , and the red behind Mont Cherry has some huge drops to one side ( killer drops )
The Chavvannes could cause you some mischief. Fast , braking berms, big tables , Fast , some steeper sections , all rollable. There are 3 -4 other runs to the side that are switchback fun.

Some of the blues are 50 /50 road /off road and not great. The PDS route is way more like a UK trail center , but with chair lifts

Some double track, some singletrack, some rocks, scree , no exposure though . Col Du Coux climb is a killer push the way I climbed up it.

Col Du Coux climb is a killer push the way I climbed up it.

Morzine side then ! 4×4 track round from Mossettes past lovely little farm / restaurant at Laspia is mostly flat till the end.

Blimey Dangerousbeans – the kids are a *bit* bigger all round…

That ridge is the business! I am game…

Hmmm, not liking the biking comments. Any other suggestions of locations / places around the alps for ‘Laggan Red’ riding…? I have one more nervous son, and we will be on hardtails…

Matt the riding is fine, hardtails are ok just a bit tough on old bones so you’ll have to mtfu

There was a thread about stuff suitable for a 10yo (although from memory the riding vids showed he was much better than me), will try and find it

Moraine has plenty of swoops smooth trails that I saw loads of families on. They were marked green I think.

The HT’s will be ‘okay’. Mine first rode some of the Les Gets runs on little 24″ rigid bikes. The little one did the greens on his 20″ Isla bike and my wife did the greens on her HT and she is not a MTB’r at all.

However we did hire some bouncy commencal’s and they loved them but yes some of the blues are actually steeper than the reds. I always check out the runs before taking the kids on them.

For very tame riding then the river down the bottom of the valley near the go ape thing by Samoens is great just keep going as far as you like, pick a good picnic stop then turn around.

Refuge de Chesery may be what you want. A walk or ride along the GR5 will get you there from the top of either of the Pointe de Mossette lifts.

As for riding in Les Gets and further away- if you avoid the ‘DH’ routes everything is fine- nothing too technical at all. If in doubt, just get off and walk.

As for the red route around the back of Mt Chery referred to above; this has been closed for a couple of years now. My son once fell from the only technical section. How he survived I’m not really certain but thankfully he did.

Will you have a car there?

Yes, car is going with ha us to avoid hire bike costs 😯