Morning guys! I'm off to Morzine for the first time with two friends in early July (4th-10th), and I guess I'm just looking for some tips or advice for the area... I realise that sounds a bit vague, but we really don't know anything about the place...
- Best tracks to ride? (Downhill/Aggressive Singletrack style riding)
- Lift pass cost?
- Best place to shop? Local butcher, bakery etc?
- Best bike shop for DH?
Basically I'm getting pretty excited, and just want to make sure I know as much as there is to know about the place so I can make the most of it while I'm there.
Thanks!
Tim
Bar Robinson , Mutzig beer.
🙂
take all your winter riding gear, weather was shit when i was there july 2007. Dont ride without minimum elbow and knee pads.
What he said.
Don't be afraid to explore, there's loads of good stuff out there, and the lift pass works over a large area, right out into Switzerland.
Don't get stuck into riding the pleney over and over again (some people do, and there is soo much more out there)
Lift pass used to be 65euro for the week, might have gone up since I was last there though.
As far as bike shops go, there's a fairly well stocked one at the bottom of the Pleney Lift, and then there's Dert in the middle of the town, both are OK but don't expect them to have everything, It's fairly pricey to buy things out there - captive market an' all that. I would advise you to take a spare mech hanger and brake pads with you.
Above all just make sure you have fun, and don't get too carried away with the mutzig.
Get hold of these books, EVERYTHING you need to know is in them...
https://shop.bike-fax.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=21&products_id=30
http://www.bivouak.net/accueil/livre.php?id_livre=300&id_sport=4
TX you're going to have a fantastic time! I can't go this year as the wife is expecting end of August.
I'll give you a few pointers as a starter for ten. Basically if you're in Morzine, then you've also got Les Gets to ride as well. You can get to Les Gets easily from the top of the Plenny lift, which is the main lift out of Morzine and is where most of the conventional DH tracks run from. You'll need to ask for directions when you're there, but most people will be able to tell you where to go. You basically follow the fire road from the top of the lift.
The bike shop at the bottom of the Plenny lift is very good and last time I was there had a very helpful English chap working there so communication is no problem.
There is a fabulous bakery on Route de la Plagne, somewhere between Taille de mas du Grand Hotel and Taille du Grande Mas.
There are a few supermarkets on Route de la Plagne but they aren't very good. The best one is off the side of Rue de Bourg. I can't remember the name but you can't miss is from the side of the road.
if you're going by car then you should definitely check out other parts of the Porte Du Soleil area, especially Chatel and Champery, and ensure that your lift pass covers these. The Lindarets Valley is excellent and the French National course runs down into it from Avoriaz. You might be able to get there via the lifts, out of Morzine on the Super Morzine and then another lift up to Avoriaz. If not you can easily drive to Lindarets and use the lifts there, which should be open.
Dert aren't there anymore but there are a few shops in town. The one at the bottom of pleney is generally the best stocked though.
There's a great bakery on the lower road between the super morzine lift and the tourist information place. To be honest thou the other couple of bakers in town are pretty fine too. Bars wise for the evenings try cavern. If you're self catering or similar then on a Wednesday (always used to be check the day) the sherpa/jolly good have a bbq where you bring meat and they cook it, salad and bread is free and there's a bar.
Defintely head over into switzerland as it's much quieter. Try les crosets for the swiss cup race course and also over the far side of les lindarets for the pre la joux bike park (sometimes called chatel bike park but the real chatel is a bus ride down the valley from here).
Try and find some of the locals tracks too as they tend to be the best ones. You'll have a ball though whatever you do. If you have any specific questions drop me a line, I spent a season in morzine a few years ago so know most stuff.
Second the 'local knowledge' tracks. There is some wicked stuff off the Plenny, super steep, twisty, singletrack. Some of it you'll never find unless you get shown, some is easier to find.
Thanks guys, this kind of info is exactly what I'm looking for.
Will definitely be taking the old body armour - got pretty much every bit of armour imaginable from torso down to ankle biters. I end up looking like robocop, but at least it means I'll still be in one piece (hopefully) by the time we return home.
We're going self catered and are driving, hence asking about butchers/bakery's etc... nothing better than some red meat and french bread... mmm!
Didn't realise the lift pass worked over Leg Gets and further abreast too - that's awesome. We're staying in a flat owned by an expat brit who's going to take us out on a ride one of the days and show us the place which will be mighty helpful.
Shop below the Pleney Lift - got it! I've got two spare hangers and two spare sets of pads, so I should be alright in that regard.
I see myself spending a lot of the time doing open singletrack as well as the specific DH runs - you don't go somewhere like Morzine to spend all your time in the woods!
Thanks again guys. Can't wait! 🙂
See you there, we head out on 2nd July, staying at le Sherpa / jolly good and have before so recommend the wednesday night bbq