We will be going for e few days to Sion which is about 50 mile south east of Montreux in Switzerland. The main purpose of the trip is not for mountainbiking but I hope to get some done while we are there. there are apparently routes and bike hire locally but has anyone been there? Looking for fairly gentle XC stuff really as I will be taking my dutch nephews with us.

When you hire mountainbikes do you get helmets with them? The dutch boys fairly obviously don't have them and even I think that on unfamiliar mountain trails it might not be a bad idea to wear them

We won't have easy access to a car so travelling is not really an option

Don't know about biking there, but I quite like Sion. Used it as a base for few days driving/skiing in the Valais last winter.

There is a trail Sion-Martigny which is fairly tame, my missus has done it.

You might be able to get a train to somewhere more interesting, Vallorcine is probably only one connection from Sion but it depends what age the kids are.

We just got back from that area and there are some superb routes around Sierre, Martigny, etc. TBH you could easily sort a good route with a decent scale map, just pick a lift that's running. Might be worth giving Bike Verbier a shout. They are at the end of the valley by Sebrancher and could probably hire decent bikes.

Really good marked up Swiss MTB maps from here:-

http://www.singletrailmap.ch/singletrailmap/index.php

Trails marked blue-red-black and indicates if singletrack or fireroad so should be easy to plan a suitable route. Also some suggested routes printed on the back.

Fairly cheap and delivered to UK in about 3 days. They are 1:50,000 scale so OK if area isn't too complicated. Tricky stuff might need the 1:25,000 swiss maps for a bit more detail.

We stayed in the Zermatt valley last year superb biking area, we drove up to Bellwald Bikepark for the day for a day on the championship DH course.
But for XC stuff the trails around Zermatt were amazing.

More pics here http://s393.photobucket.com/albums/pp14/zermatt08/

my mother lives 15 minutes up the mountain to the south of Sion so I know the area fairly well… your best bets for bike hire are nearby ski stations. I'd go for Crans-Montana (above Sierre) or St. Luc (in Val d'Anniviers). both of them have a range of trails from full-on DH tracks to nice gentle beginner trails, served by lifts with reasonably-priced bike-hire. you could try Anzere as well, but I can't remember if they have bike hire. All hire-shops will be able to give you helmets.

Don't worry about not having a car because the Valais PostBus is excellent. if you get chance to do some riding on your own, get yourself up to the Col de Tsanfleuron and do the Diablerets glacier traverse since it's one of the best high-altitude routes in the alps.

Ta chaps. Its a family trip to celebrate my parents 50th wedding anniversary so MTBing won't be the focus but I shall have to get away for a day or two 🙂

The helmets thing will be funny – the nephews are 16 and 18 and used to riding in Amsterdam – altho I took them to Glentress last year and made them wear helmets. When I spoke to their dad about wearing helmets he just laughed at the thought it.

Good to know there is some bike hire nearby as I can't be bothered to take my own and will need to hire bikes for the others anyway.

Having ridden in the Valais area, I'd suggest a guide. Lots of very steep, technical stuff around that you wouldn't want to stumble upon with an inexperienced rider. As furry-marmot says there will be beginner friendly trails so a guide isn't essential but it only takes one wrong turn for things to go wrong and with a guide, you're certain of getting what you want.
As above, I'd recommend Bike Verbier. If they can't guide you, maybe they can let you know exactly where would be suitable for the youngster.

Ta trailmonkey but no chance of guiding hence looking for information

hohten sudrampe. +++
will post details + pics when i get home

TJ – sapaudia once of this 'ere parish posted pics of something he called the Lotschberg Sudrampe (the route is actually signposted as the Hohenweg Sudrampe). It looked fantastic so on one of the Stoner Euro trips I tracked it down. Its the old path from Hohtenn to Brig – gently dropping just 1,000 ft down the north side of the rhone valley – not far from Sion. You can start higher up at Lotschburg but its wise to catch the train up there and then ride down, whereas its not to bad climbing the 1,000 ft to Hohtenn station to start from.

You ride along old aquaducts and a disused railway – there's a couple of short hike-a-bikes but it's well worth it.

Also, the thermal spa at Birgerbad is probably the best Ive ever been to. You need to wear a swimming cap and jockeys but the water temperature is blissful and outdoors (although theres a really hot grotto bath too)

Start here

Route guide (from a walking map. Full size scans are here http://www.northmalvern.co.uk/hohtennlrg1.jpg and here http://www.northmalvern.co.uk/hohtennlrg2.jpg )

some pics

Brigerbad http://www.brig-belalp.ch/regionorte/brigerbad/thermalbad.php

Stoner – ta muchly.