[Closed] Mega avalanche 19

My first! Perfect preperation is ongoing, I've broken my wrist and can't ride and have become fat.

MC convinced me to do it, aim is to just treat it as a holiday with a race at the end

Be sure to turn up to the start line with a stinking hangover, vaguely needing a poo and a head full of Codiene. Prep of champs.

Would love to do it

For those who done it before, how gnarly is it? Any huge features?

I'm used to long natural trails, but get confusing reports on how hard the mega is

It’s as hard as you make it. There are some awkward bits, soft snow is my nemesis it seems. The track is graded red and black from what I remember.
People walk some bits, probably the hardest bit is the different standards of riding all on one track during qualifying but that gets sorted out pretty quickly.

Be warned it can be addictive, it’s also strangely cheap if you carefully ignore all the other costs.

For how much should one budget, excluding deslocation?

How does qualification work? Is it seeded in anyway or is it literally everyone barging each other for space? How hard is it to qualify for the main race?

It seems that unless you start near the front you haven't got much chance of qualifying???

All the following should be taken with a pinch of salt as I last did the mega 7 or 8 years ago...

For those who done it before, how gnarly is it? Any huge features?

It's really not that bad if you're a half decent rider. Much easier than most dh tracks. Ignoring the snow, there are maybe one or two tricky bits near the top of the qualifier that might get a trail centre 'black' grade. The main race is easier. No particularly big features, just really fun natural singletrack. The biggest problem for me is arm pump and then not being able to hang on.

How hard is it to qualify for the main race?

It seems that unless you start near the front you haven’t got much chance of qualifying?

You only get seeded if you're good. If not, like me, it seems to be based on when you enter. I've started on the 2nd row and on the last row. Both times I ended up in about the same position at the back of the main race, so you can qualify from anywhere. Just aim at the little guys on the start line rather than the big ones, that way it's not you who goes down. 😉 More accurately, don't crash too many times, put some effort in on the pedally bits and maybe work out where to pass people in practice and you're more or less guaranteed the B final, or the A if you get lucky and enough people puncture. When I started from the back I got lucky, all my sneaky lines worked, nobody else seemed to bother pedalling and someone crashed behind me halfway down and, I presume, blocked the track for a moment so I had no pressure from other riders towards then end.

It's ace.

For me the Goldilocks qualification is front of the challengers, it’s ace loooking back at all those riders, also it gives you half a chance on the snow. I’d rather be there than the back of the main race.
I’m far to old and slow to make the sharp end of the main race

It seems that unless you start near the front you haven’t got much chance of qualifying???

Like a lot of things, depends if you can ride a bike and are reasonably fit. The quality track has some big short cuts if you think outside the box, you only need to be between the tape if there is tape.

The first year I was on the back row, and just about qualified top 20, so mid pack for the main race which was a total sh*t show. Fun though.

Last time I did it I was front row for quali and came 3rd, so second row for the main race. Also mildly intimidating when everyone around you is a pro. But it made the race a hell of a lot easier being in front of the pack. The snow was great with no ruts 🙂

So there are some good riders on this thread already so I'll chip in from the back row.
Fourth year this year, I'm shit. But I love it, find myself just scraping into the challenger event, though last year binned it at the end of quali and ended up on the front row of the amateur race. It was brilliant starting on the front and I actually got to race.

Already getting giddy about this year...

In terms of being there for enough practice, when do you need to arrive and when do you have access to the trails? I'm supposing to be doing the enduro2 race on 6-8 so wouldn't arrive until the 8th or 9th.

I haven't actually checked if there are spaces available for this year!? Maybe I should before making plans.

It was very cool, the start line with the music blasting everyone pumped ready to go. I'll never forget that, as soon as I got to the bottom I was planning the next year's trip. I'm not a great downhiller but managed it all and back for more.

So many cool people, going for 8 days this year then heading over to Las du alps for a few days after as it's not that far when your over that way.

I ended up being on front row of qualifying next to the lad that went on to win last year.

The top section in the snow is next level crazy. Can't wait...

You will have a great time, the sport bar is good for food and beer. Good value for money.

The quali track changes year on year after the lift station, some bits are the same. Track gets taped out on the Thursday.
Main race track, bottom section in the trees changes, more so at the bottom near the river.

Top tips for finishing:
-DH casing tyres, tyre inserts (if you are a bit hamfisted)
-Big chainring (34t on a 29er, 36t on 650b), plenty of places can be made overtaking people who are spinning out. Find the chain isn't bouncing around as much either.
-Proper chainguide
-C02 and tyre plugs (if you are running tyre inserts, you won't be getting the tyre off!)
-Make sure your bike is mechanically perfect, the tracks are rough and long.

For those who done it before, how gnarly is it? Any huge features?
I’m used to long natural trails, but get confusing reports on how hard the mega is

8400ft in 13 miles, with a few climbs thrown in. There are a few tricky features in both the quali and main track:
-Rock slab at the top of the quali track is a bottle neck, couple of easy lines, then a few large drop offs
-Big rock garden in the middle of the quali track is easy to make a mistake on and case rims/destroy tyres
-Main track, snow at the top, riding a bike down a ski slope is hard!
-Main track, there are a few big rock rolls, one down by the DMC
-Main track, after the climb out of the DMC bowl is really fast in places, but nothing difficult, unless it rains, then is greasy clay....