Clearly it's time to think about mtb holidays!
Went to Morzine a couple of years ago and mostly did the DH tracks, but a group of us this year are after a bit more adventure and some longer (though obvs lift assisted) rides, Chamonix looks the part.
Does anyone know of any good guides or accomodation there? Are there infinite trails from the chairlifts or is it more limited?
Thanks
There are loads of threads on here if you do an advanced search over the last year.
Guiding will depend on time of year, guiding is frowned upon in July and August.
The infinite nature of the trails will depend on your attitude to pushing your bike. The more you are prepared to do a bit of climbing away from the lifts, the more options you have.
True, sorry, please ignore this thread, I'll read everyone elses
Have a search and post back if you are looking for any specific, you will see from the other threads that there are loads of things to consider - for instance if you're willing to "guide" yourselves then the July/August ban isn't really a factor. If you have a vehicle you are under an hour from Verbier and not much further from Aosta for day trips.
Some of the world's best riding but you generally have to sweat for it, know where you're going, and be willing to deal with complicated and expensive public transport between lifts and at the beginning and end of the day (particularly if you've crossed over into Switzerland). Plenty of people show up and just explore but I think to really get the best out of the area you have to be a bit anally retentive, plan loads and dig around for trail recommendations, that's half the fun. Your starting point is to call the bike shops in Chamonix. Respect the bike ban in July and August...the best stuff isn't within its ambit anyway (at the top and bottom ends of the valley).
MBMB is stellar bike-friendly accommodation and is another starting point.
Courmayeur has some great stuff too although personally I had to endure 4 hours of hike-a-bike (up some seriously steep stuff!) to access it, some might not regard that as ideal but hey for me it was one of the most memorable days of my summer. The (epic) descent had lots of walking too but hey that's the Mont Blanc massif for you!
Sounds pretty complicated in order to get the best out of it. Try Verbier with Bike Verbier - similar terrain and riding on offer, amazing chalet set-up, no crowds, no bans, transport laid on, superb giudes to take you to the best out-of-the-way trails. Super-easy in terms of planning and logistics, and totally unforgettable in terms of riding, as many folk on here will testify.
i love riding in chamonix 
Jedi, to be honest mate that is no real recommendation, you pretty well love riding everywhere 
(although I know you particularly like Chamonix).
Tell me about - Chamonix
It's in France.....?
(Sorry, couldn't resist!)
lol@ johnnikgriff
I didn't take my bike and we only hired for the day, but I booked accommodation through MountainBase and they were superb. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend. They even let us leave our bags in another of their properties after checking out on the last day.
Transferred from Geneva to Chamonix with Haute Pursuit. I paid €10 extra to get a bottle of Kronenbourg included in the transfer. Not only did it not materialise, but they never even wound the windows down. It was 29 degrees! ChamVan next time
Any excuse
http://www.flickr.com/photos/57219258@N02/sets/72157627850738381/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/57219258@N02/sets/72157627850880727/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/57219258@N02/sets/72157627850720831/
The last also has stuff from Bike Verbier.
It depends on your style. If you're a lone wolf, "head into the hills with nothing but a map and some malt loaf to sustain you" kinda guy, Chamonix is unbeatable. Seriously, I can think of at least 7 or 8 truly huge IMAX-level descents which no where else comes close to.
If you prefer to have all logistics taken care of and just focus on the trail in front of you (all day, until after 7pm if you want to), Bike Verbier are the people to go with. Or if you like both, do both!
There's a gap in the market for a totally integrated riding/guiding setup in Chamonix although MBMB is excellent particularly if you're doing the TMB. This gap is presumably due to the bike ban, but is unfortunate because there is still a lot of awesome riding unaffected by that ban. So Verbier's probably the easier of the two options if you want hassle-free, but you should really do both...
if you go to bikeverbier say hi to sam
but I think to really get the best out of the area you have to be a bit anally retentive, plan loads and dig around for trail recommendations, that's half the fun
so true!
Ha. It's a quiet morning so I wikipedia'd the etymology of the term "anally retentive" - Freud was a nutter!
"The term anal-retentive (also anally retentive), commonly abbreviated to anal, is used conversationally to describe a person who pays such attention to detail that the obsession becomes an annoyance to others, and can be carried out to the detriment of the anal-retentive person. The term derives from Freudian psychoanalysis. People who are said to be anal-retentive usually suffer from obsessive–compulsive personality disorder.
Origins
In the psychology of Freud, the anal stage is said to follow the oral stage of infant or early-childhood development. This is a time when an infant's attention moves from oral stimulation to anal stimulation (usually the bowels but occasionally the bladder), usually synchronous with learning to control his or her excretory functions, a time of toilet training. Freud theorized that children who experience conflicts during this period of time may develop "anal" personality traits, namely those associated with a child's efforts at excretory control: orderliness, stubbornness, a compulsion for control. Although "anal rententive" survives in common usage, the concept is not taken very seriously by psychoanalysts today. Chicago psychoanalyst Robert Galatzer-Levy speaks of how this theory of Freud is mostly a product of its time when indoor plumbing was new and less numerous per household, and families were large, causing "much more control of defecation than was necessary in a world of chamber pots and outhouses."
If these qualities continue into later life, the person is said to be "anal-retentive". Conversely, those who reject anal-retentive characteristics are said to have "anal-expulsive" personality types.
Although Freud's theories on early childhood have been influential on the psychological community, research suggests that the overall pattern of parental attitudes has a much more concrete effect on how an infant will grow up. There is no conclusive research linking anal stage conflicts with "anal" personality types."
freeridenick - Memberbut I think to really get the best out of the area you have to be a bit anally retentive, plan loads and dig around for trail recommendations, that's half the fun
so true!
absolutely !!
and now and then getting lost..even with all these maps and research...
..fantastic..!
looking forward to september ....
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