Cheers munque chick, I will drop you a line.
I've got the MTB Europe book too, is v handy and it gets read quite a bit at this time of year.
Bike Forum
[closed]
Talk to me about .... VERBIER!
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Posted 1 year ago #
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The maps are ok but only show you so much. The riding there is fantastic but if I was going for the first time, I'd definitely recommend that you get some guiding as a minimum. You'll get to the best trails with the least faff. However, availability of guides will very much depend on whether there is space to guide you.
Guests who pay for a full package will obviously be the priority as they are the ones who help the guides stay in business so I would say you'll need to go with a flexible attitude as to what and where you will be riding.
I'd recommend Lucy and Phil at Bike Verbier for the simple reason that you'll spend no time faffing with a map and wondering whether you are on the best trails, accommodation is laid on for you and you don't have to rush back to get a meal in one of the few open restaurants.
Like I said, the riding is great and I reckon going for the full deal will make for a far more enjoyable trip.
Hope this helps?
If you go self catering, definitely book accommodation in advance. A lot of the hotels are closed for the summer so pitching up and finding a reasonably priced place to stay might be a bit of a trauma.
I'm not sure how much you'll save if you go the camping/ buy your own meals option etc. Verbier isn't as super expensive as you might think for eating out but it will add up fairly quickly cost wise.
Posted 1 year ago # -
I found that a week with BV worked out cheaper than staying in a hotel and self-catering, with guiding to boot, and all the advantages mentioned above, but if you're in a group it might be different.
I actually rode a bit independently in the Verbier vicinity last year (though not Verbier itself) and it's a massive drag if you haven't had someone give you specific details of the trails together with a GPX. I had a GPX and a very good marked up map and it still detracted from the experience a bit having to check GPS and map at every. single. junction. And even still you sometimes inevitably take the wrong turn and have to spend ages pushing back up in a futile way in the baking valley heat. It was still fun, highlight of my year even, but a guide would've helped.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Did an Alps road trip last year, stopping off at Verbier for a few days on the way home. Like everyone has said, its difficult to do cheaply, even if camping. Lift pass (from the bottom of the valley) is twice the price as France or Italy for example, and supermarkets are expensive too. We stayed at the campsite in La Chable, run by a rather 'interesting' mother and son partnership. Yes its basic (can't remember how much it was) but got everything you need and in a quiet location. Its about a 4km drive to the bottom lift station which takes you up to the resort, from where you can access the rest of the area. We found it better doing this than driving up the hill which is quite a way, plus its difficult/expensive to park for the day in Verbier.
With regard to the trails, there are a few dedicated DH tracks which are all pretty much full on and steep but you'd probably soon get bored with these and want to venture further afield....in which case I'd definitely look to get a guide as you're likely to spend much of your time trying to follow rather vague maps. We hired a great local guy from one of the bike shops in the town and got more riding done in a morning than we did in the previous 2 days. While the pics above make it look fast and flowing, some of the trails were super steep and very exposed...dry when we were there but would be very interesting in the wet.
Chakaping, all the trails in PDS from Morzine are really accessible with a huge area of trails that are easy to find. Les Arcs has great riding but to get the most out of it you'll need a guide for a day, also probably best to stay at one of the campsites in the valley and get the funicular up, as the campsite is quite a drive up the hill, and also not very central so you're likley to have to drive to get to the lifts. Pila is essentially a bike park with all trails accessed via one lift, again easy to find using the maps but I'd say 3 days would be enough unless you like riding the same DH trails over and over ....great for practising riding in the dust. The trail from Pila to Aosta has to be one of the best around! Would recommend staying in Aosta as its a beautiful town, as opposed to Pila which really isn't, and there isn't mcuh going on there. Have camped in Aosta but site was very basic (but cheap)...there is a VERY expensive one if you fancy treating yourselves.
Posted 1 year ago # -
As I've already mentioned a lot depends on what dates you are going and hence what will be available lift wise. so we are going quite early lots of other resorts the lifts aren't open, as we looked into Pila etc and that's how we ended up with Verbier.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Have been going to Verbier every year since 2003, always with Bike Verbier. Each year has been different and we are still riding new trails. As the girls have got older Phil and Lucy have pushed them to their limit and they always want to go back for more. I would probably be able to find most of the trails that we have done but would prefer to be guided every time.
This year will be different as we cant go as a family, due to Katie having to have a back operation, so it will be just Abigale and me.
Have rode other places but the area around Verbier is special and Im sure some of that has got to be due to the guiding provided by Bike Verbier
Plenty of pics over the years on here
Posted 1 year ago # -
Aww man Verbier looks ace - can't afford Switzerland again this year though
cp - cool pics but that first one is one of the worst offending 'tilt-the-pic-to-make-it-look-really-steep' examples I've ever seen.
Posted 1 year ago # -
WEll I wonder about it! Has anyone been to Morzine and Verbier? As lots of people say that Morzine you need guides of which I disagree as there are numerous easier trails to find, okay to find "THE BEST" stuff then you want a guide or someone with the knowledge but yera on year of going we have found them ourselves. Maybe I'll just wing it how we want to do it and see how it goes!! As I don't know where else to go end of June that the lifts will be open. MMMM still the research goes on
Posted 1 year ago # -
Only in the height of summer which is about 2 weeks long does Verbier get not even near busy, most times we've been its been dead, hard to find places open to eat at.
Wonderful for biking though, if you dont want catered try to organise a guide for a day or 2 to show you about, it will be worth it (with decent guide).
Posted 1 year ago # -
I'm happy to organise a guide for a day or two and I have e-mailed Biker Verbier last week but I'm waiting for their reply.
Posted 1 year ago # -
(Mr MC posting from MC's account to confuse things)
Our original plan was to ride the passeport over a long weekend, flying out there. Passeport has sold out, and my work has effectively extended the period I have off to just short of 2 weeks. Having just bought an MPV specifically as a bike transporter we have decided to drive down and visit a couple or three areas hence the various threads, we are looking at a bit of a road trip like you chapaking.
We'd ruled PdeS region out on the basis it will be busy, we'd struggle to ride over the passeport long weekend, and having ridden there something like 8 times it would be fun to try something different. We're not after 2 weeks of dedicated DH but functioning lifts extends your riding possibilities, and had ruled out catered/guided/organised out-of-hand on the grounds of assumed expense, and having seen how easy it was to find trails and navigate and eat cheaply in the PdeS region. From various posts it looks like 1) PdeS is unique in being so easy to self navigate, and 2) some areas like verbier are no more expensive going the organised route.
Appreciate all the posts, looks like we might have to reconsider organised, I'm sure MC is amenable to a luxurious catered chalet for a few days rather than tent+pasta
Posted 1 year ago # -
Munqe-chick..... If great riding is your priority, then a guide really is a must for Verbier. I've spent about half a year riding & guiding there, and many of the best trails are impossible to find without one (despite what some might tell you - after all, how do they know what they've been missing?), and arguably the best trails of all aren't actually in the resort or the Verbier bowl at all - they're backcountry trails in the surrounding mountains, often accessed by van. Go it alone and you'll spend almost as much dosh as you do with a company by the time you've added it all up, and you'll miss the best trails (if your definition of 'best' is a huge selection of ridiculously fun and mildly/moderately/massively challenging singletrack going on for many miles and dropping thousands of feet). There's only one company worth looking at, Bike Verbier - no one else comes close for knowing Verbier and beyond, and their holidays are the stuff of legends.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Okay but next question is will they do a trip for just 5 days or does it have to be a week and from Sat-SAt as that could put a spanner in the works? If that geniunely is the best then I don't mind, it's just lots of peopel on threads on STW before say you need a guide for Morzine and I know full well from being there you don't, but sounds like Verbier may be significantly different. That's not a problem though this is ALL in teh planning stage at the minute so I may have to carefully construct ANOTHER e-mail to bike Verbier and see what they can offer us.
Chapaking, got your e-mail I'll send you a message tonight when i'm at home and not having to switch screens so the boss can't see Posted 1 year ago # -
Just email Bike Verbier - they're very helpful. There are dozens of trails in and around Verbier that only Phil & Lucy know - even other guides and local riders haven't discovered them, never mind holidaying Brits, including the more adventurous ones.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Another great descent that the Bike Verbier boys and girls might show you if you're lucky.
*Waves to wl*
Posted 1 year ago # -
Got response from BV only problem is we don't want to go for a full week. Will be there for 4-5 days depending on how long we spend in Chamonix as well. Anyone suggest any companies that will take us for a shorter period of time? I'll have a look at the video later when I get home from work! Cheers for your help guys.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Nice one Stu,
Going to ride the bottom half of that trail this afternoon.
That video has got me in the mood
Posted 1 year ago # -
Ayup, Stu - hope all's well.
I'm heading to Verbier this summer - June 29th to July 9th - will you be there then? Be good to see you both.Posted 1 year ago # -
September 3-10 here, already itching for it!
Posted 1 year ago # -
So other than Bike Verbier has anyone else here gone with any other tour companies? Now looking for the possibility of guiding, accommodation etc everything in but only for 4/5 days which we may struggle with as most places tend to want to make it 1 week. Anyone have any experiences of this and if so who? thanks.
Posted 1 year ago # -
try Poweranddust.com or Bikeverbier.com
Good luck with self guiding and keeping costs down. Can be done but you'll never find the secret and frankly frickin awesome 1500m plus descents or 3 hr plus singletrack heavy rides through terrain you cry yourself to sleep about. Ohhhh the lord of riding prey down on me
Your Sincerely
Former BikeVerbier guidePosted 1 year ago # -
MC - This operation has been highly recommended to me by a couple of different people I ride with...
Posted 1 year ago # -
here's a few more pics to tempt:-
Posted 1 year ago # -
So I'm awaiting responses from Bike Verbier and MTBverbier.com, mountainbikeholidays.net and bramblebike.com I'll look at the powder one. I'm happy to pay for a guide and I dont' mind particularly about not keeping the cost down. My point was I don't want to go to Verbier for a week and have an everything in holiday. I didn't particularly want to be dictated to with food etc, however if that's the best way to do it then fine, but I'm looking for only 4/5 days. Thanks though.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Cow shots
This one picked it nose on Abigales brake lever
Posted 1 year ago # -
In Sept 08 we drove to the Zermatt valley & rented a chalet for £240, chipped in for food & spent the week riding from the lifts & trains using the maps we bought in a ski/mtb shop - really good & cost less than £400 each.
Navigating wasn't to bad due to good signs but I suspect the best stuff would need a guide to find.
Posted 1 year ago # -
My best pic of Jackass.
Posted 1 year ago # -
That Jackass is easy
Posted 1 year ago # -
i remember riding up the moraine in cp's photo, and being overtaken by a truck, it is alot further from the bottom to the top than it looks!
Posted 1 year ago # -
How was the bottom half of the trail then cupid?
wl.
Unfortunatly we'll be there the week before you so won't see you.
We'll have to catch up soon though.Posted 1 year ago # -
Munqe-chick, send me an email to trailhunters@googlemail.com and i'll give you all the info you need
chris
Posted 1 year ago #
Topic Closed
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