as the title says.................
NO. NO. And NO! Most trails are illegal due to a ruling by the Mayor that bans MTBs during peak tourist time - July and August - from all but 12 sections of trail in the valley. All the decent riding is forbidden. You can still do it, but you're breaking the law.
And as for "just say you're English" as we were advised by the guide, that didn't go down well with me (English) and certainly didn't go down well with my wife (Scottish). I was VERY uncomfortable.
So.... when did this come in then?
Have you a link?
Even so - the trails there are awesome. I know the top stuff to the left of Argentiere/Vallorcine is now national park so unrideable (except sneaky early/late season), havent been since last summer, was all ok then, so would be interested to see which ones are now on the ban list. 😥
We went to Chamonix in 2000, it was pretty crap then, no real trails, and there's a sh1t load of walkers on the trails that do exist, drive round the corner to Morzine/Les Gets, also ride down the road to Argentiere, ****in wicked trail there!
Lord - who did you go with?
Trails in Cham valley are all natural - rocks roots & all. Morzine is more "man made".
If you know where to look there are amazing technical trails everywhere.
I lived in Chamonix for two years.There are masses of trails of every level of difficulty.All the summer lifts give full bike access apart from the Aguile du Midi and the Montenver train.What the Mayor says, and what is overlooked, are very different.
There is no comparison between Chamonix and Les Gets/PDS in terms of technicality.Chamonix is highly technical,Darren Berreclaw holidays there.Its steep,rooty and rocky and offers very little for your average cross country rider apart from the balcons nord and sud.Get a map and check it out..
Les Gets/PDS has a lot of fast flowy marked trails and a brilliant lift system.The official dh tracks and the trails get covered in braking bumps very early in the season,the Swiss less so.There's a lot of un-official building goes on in spring around Morzine which become common knowledge as they get discovered.
Chamonix is a great place to base yourself if you want to mix it up.Pila,Verbier,la Clusaz,Morzine...all just an hour away.Much more well rounded in the evening...
Depends on what you like to ride,but like I said,Chamonix is in a league of its own regarding difficulty.
http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/biking-in-chamonix-advice-please
http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/chamonix-trail-advice
Check out these threads.....
I wouldnt go in August and even July is getting dodgy (thanks Mayor) - dont know what effect (if any)the death of the English biker last summer will have on attitudes?
As for the riding....... steep,technical, rocky & rooty.... with very big drops!.... you cant compare to PDS - wat too different.
I love it there but it's been getting way too expensive - 6 bucks for a beer!
go..
ride vallorcine
ride les houches
ride brevent
ride servoz
ride le tour
ride the mont blanc tour etcetc
Restrictions came into place in 2004. [url= http://www.chamonix.net/files/Mountainbiking/planVTTEn.pdf ]Details Here.[/url] I personally don't think it's acceptable to knowingly go on holiday somewhere to break the law, and I'm annoyed 'cos the riding in Chamonix is right up my street, except my holidays are in July and August...
...so my tourist £ gets spent elsewhere.
Forget the mayor,its not an issue!
Spent 2007/8 riding out of Chamonix.I never heard of anyone being stopped apart from the unqualified guide issue of the time.Spent two weeks riding with locals 2009,no issues.Will be going out again this year...
Don't let the rule-bound put you off.
troutwrestler:thats a 2008 plan I think,when they replaced the plan praz lift.
peasnotwar:Death and Chamonix go hand in glove,no impact
I've been riding quite a while and i think that tecnically i can hold my own. I've been to Morzine a couple of times and wanted to try somewhere different thats all. i think that the xc trails around morzine are way too tame which why i was looking at chamonix. Not really up for poundinng the DH tracks like i used too, just can't take those HUGE braking bumps anymore ha ha
Plus i'm taking the other half so there's more for her to do while i'm riding.
I've got a mate out there now and he says that the illegal thing isn't an issue, but i have to say it is playing on my mind?????
Going the end of june to Les Houches. Were planning to ride some of the stuff out of Tom's book at day trips to Pila etc.
Go to chamonix, then ride to Morzine- [url= http://www.ridemorzine.org/2009/09/chamonix-to-morzine/ ]http://www.ridemorzine.org/2009/09/chamonix-to-morzine/[/url] That route is not outlawed, but will be busy in July.. And involves a bit of pushing and shoving. Well worth it.
But do ride the trails in Cham - they're bloody marvelous.
I went last August and did a bit of riding. I enjoyed the terrain but there were just too many walkers around for my liking. Much prefer Les Arcs and La Plagne as there is nobody there in comparison