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I'd love to go on a trip but cannot afford the cost associated with a company. As an experienced rider would it be possible to turn up with some mates, study some maps and lifts etc and take off into the mountians and od our own routes. We do this in Wales and the lakes in all sorts of weather
More than possible. Did exactly the same in 2010. Rocked up in morzine, stayed in a ropey little caravan on
the campsite just out of town. Went into morzine the next day and purchased map, lift passes and a brilliant book called 'porteous du soleil;53 mtb routes'. Found some amazing riding and unbelievable Alpine scenery.
Have to admitt I got massively caught out with the cost of spares. Oh, and if you have a rest day Annecy is worth a visit.
Yep, you're still on planet Earth after all. Mountains are higher, but signage is generally good and there are the lifts to help you out.
Morzine / PdS is so busy you cant get lost, more chance of that in N Wales. Just dont miss the last lift home.
It's worth asking for some more advice on here or the web generally if you're looking to get off the man made ski runs. Some folk will tell you that you need a guide to find the best stuff, but you cant fail to have a good time either way.
The resorts are well set up with timetables, piste maps, free buses to the lift stations etc - it's almost like they welcome mountain bikes.....
Porte du soleil is probably your best bet as there is lots of XC stuff as well as lifts. Otherwise, deux Alpes/Alpes d'huez for more dh orientated.
IGN maps are good, most resorts have little lift/xc route maps available (often free), the vtopo guide to the PdS is meant to be good. Camp-sites are cheap. You don't need to stay with a holiday company for most resorts.
Chamonix the best for this IMO - different league to Borzine.
lots of web info, books etc
for example a trip I did non guided. just researched maps etc
[url] http://www.flickr.com/photos/71958789@N00/sets/72157624822288907/ [/url]
If you really want to do it on the cheap, go to tignes. The lifts are free and you can doss in the car park at the top of the resort where the motorbikes overnight.
Les Arcs would be best for just riding, do some research and youll find all the trails official and unofficial.
great stuff, thanks guys. I see from some pics and other threads that we may need some armour, is this necessary/
And will my full sus with 150mm travel and 160 rotors going to be enough bounce and stopping power?
Bigger rotors for sure - 203/203 or 203/180
Freeridenick is on the money, Chamonix is the ultimate place to go for this kind of thing, and the surrounding area. There's a good guidebook written by Tom Wilson-North to get you started.
Did some trips last year doing exactly what you're talking about:
[url] http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/sketchy-july-in-the-chamonix-area [/url]
[url] http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/early-trip-to-the-alps [/url]
Have now sold my bike for this kind of thing so that's me out for the foreseeable :S Unless I hire.
The lifts are free
Really??, Are they free every summer to attract off season visitors? *rummages for passport*.
Saas Valley lifts are free this year - not sure if that's just for people on foot though
Yep, chamonix is amazing (unlike the tiny 3d maps in Tom's guide book....)
Pads are never essential, but i wear them.
True 🙂 But the maps are still big enough for you to plot them on an IGN map and then use GPS...
I'm quite the Chamonix zealot.
Try this link for info and maybe get an idea of prices with a small company. http://www.summitdown.com/
I'd go for bigger rotors and plenty of spares, and a good book in case it decides to thunder and lightening for a week!
Really??, Are they free every summer to attract off season visitors? *rummages for passport*.
Yep, free for the summer season. 10 Euro deposit gets you a pass for as long as you like, refundable when given back. There is also free canyon bikes to demo, and a free air bag to play on. Top place for a cheapskate!
Yup, of the Alpine places I've been to, Chamonix is the one I find easiest to get around and find routes. I've been a few times to Les Arcs now and I'd still miss a lot of the good stuff without a guide. If going to Tignes, don't forget to buy the Canyon guys a pack of beer if you take one of their 2hr bikes out all afternoon 🙄
Yes you can self guide, the resorts provide trail maps and you can supplement these with local maps. With a bit of ingenuity and some google work you can turn up local language forums too.
For Chamonix for example I found [url= http://www.chamonix.com/pdf/guide-vtt-2011-en.pdf ]this[/url] via google of "Chamonix VTT" and I sure this just scratches the surface.
On the costs I'd give some thought to a package, when you add in accommodation and food and wine they can be hard to beat, £400-ish for a week inc guiding is in my view a good deal.