Plus I want to ride some stuff I’ve missed before like Samoens and Morgins. Will anyone be around that week?
I'm there for the Worlds.... Although we may or may not ride at all depedning on Xray stuff today and in 2 weeks and whether the lad can grip a handlebar.... But we're there from the Thurs evening till the Monday with the wife and 2 boys... Staying just outside Les Gets.
TheGeneralist - This is a good bit of single-track back into the Champery valley (sections 4 - 5):
I'm in Les Gets 6-13th Aug then Morzine 21-28th with some Tignes/Les Arc/La Thuile in-between 🙂
I’m in les gets now, if anyones coming be aware that it’s red hot. 39 degrees today according to the signs in the Main Street.
I’m in Champery now, if anyones coming be aware that it’s currently pissing it with rain and thunder and lightning according to the huge puddle collecting in our awning.
Which I'm hoping might glue the trails back together a bit.
This is a good bit of single-track back into the Champery valley (sections 4 – 5):
Awesome.
I’ve not seen dust like today on the Super Morzine runs. The lower bits through the woods before getting back to the bottom of Zore was amazing; dust everywhere but it seems to be grippy. Very weird surface to ride. God knows what it’ll be like after some rain!
Excellent. I did that ridge this evening and it was exactly what I was after. Roots, soil and trees. Roots were slippy as hell in the rain but still great fun.
We're off to Morzine tomorrow I think.
@sharkattack. I’m in samoens now. Be careful most of the trails on the trail map don’t actually exist any more. The reds numbers 1, 7, 00 and 18 have all gone when they built a new ski poster 2 years ago but haven’t been taken off the trail map. So the reds and blacks down to flaine are fireroads. I never knew you could get a black graded fireroad!!! The rest of the trails back into samoens are great as long as you like step rooty stuff
@chrismac We were in Samoens a couple of weeks ago. We climbed up 7 from the lift and then came down the top of 1. The trails then disappeared before 8 and 18 but there are loads of offpiest full on stuff in the woods below that the locals have put in. We'll worth exploring.
There are also a couple of trails down from the other side of the valley but it's a long climb or an uplift from the shuttle service but that's a bit hit and miss.
Don't think I have ever riden as many roots in the Alps
@tracey. I have never ridden so many roots in all my life. It gets to the point that you just have to ignore all but the big ones!!! Thanks for the info on the off piste stuff. We were a bit wary as 5b was about the other half’s limit on tech. Great trail though
Last day in morzine today. As much as I love the place, the atmosphere etc, I've grudged paying for a lift pass this week. The trails are in an awful state. The whole place needs a big overhaul. The place was the busiest I've ever seen it, which is great to see, but they need to invest some money in rebuilding and maintaining the trails
Last Day for me too. Trails in Switzerland much better. Morgins was excellent except the climb to come back.
Best trail is the Swiss national.
We rode in morzine Les gets today and agree entirely. The trails are in a right mess. The only time you don’t get rattled to bits by the holes and breaking bumps is by jumping
@thegeneralist Morzine to Champery is one of my favourite days out on the bike. Takes in some great trails. I've not done anything in Champery other than the World Cup track so can't comment on the other riding round there.
@chrismac Is there plenty of good stuff that's accessible in Samoens? I've stumbled across some gold there, but also wasted huge amounts of time trying to find stuff. The chair above the gondola wasn't running when I was there, I believe the lifts don't run all day?
I'd love to go back but don't want to risk wasting a day when on a short trip.
I’m in Samoens for the next few weeks, if anyone fancies meeting up for some single track outings let me know! Either Emtb or manual. Planning some big days out over to Flaine and Lac d’Anterne. But also shorter early or late rides around the Giffre valley…
I've been riding in the French Alps for the last 3 weeks and man oh man has it been dusty. How have the Morzine tracks been holding up given the high traffic they get. I was in Meribel and it was dust city, but way less riders so the trails were still in good nick, but I'm curious about Morzine this year
I’ve not done anything in Champery other than the World Cup track
Did that yesterday just before the thunderstorms. Can't imagine how tricky it must be in the wet.
I stupidly left it open to the kids to join me. Luckily they didn't. Not really many other options to get back to the campsite. Wonder if Chvreiuv is any easier....
Gutted to hear that the Morzine trails are trashed. Family is heading there just now on the promise of Fast well maintained trails 🙁
Ho hum more of the same.
Last Day for me too. Trails in Switzerland much better. Morgins was excellent except the climb to come back.
Hmm. Do you think there's better swoopy jumpy in Morgins than Morzine today?
@thegeneralist. The upper lift is working daily so access is no problem. The challenge is once your up there is finding stuff that isn’t fire roads. We wasted allot of time looking for trails on the map that don’t exist on the ground. The best trails are off the first lift.
Be aware that for the last couple of days the lift up from the village has shut at about 13:30 because of the heat. It does mean early finishes. We tended to ride until the lift shut then have a late lunch at the top before riding back down
Can't work out what you lot are on 🙂 Fair enough, we only got over as far as the top of Supermorzine, but the trails down to it and around Avoriaz are in amazing condition. So smooth and swoopy compared to the ruts and b'bumps in Switz. If that's blown out then God knows how smooth they must normally be.
That's the good news, the Bad news is we barely got to ride France side as I diverged to Chatel bike park after the comments on here about Morzine being trashed.
I'm defo in the family bad books.
Got to say some of the runs Les Gets side are in the best state I’ve seen. There has definitely been trail work going on. That being said, they will soon get battered if not maintained as it’s been very busy, a 45 min wait to get on the Super Morzine lift the other day.
Echoing the above, had my first sighter ride today. The trails in Morzine and Les Gets seem in decent nick. Quite pleasantly surprised by the (new to me) return to Morzine trail. No more pushing up to the golf course and cracking fun.
Got to say some of the runs Les Gets side are in the best state I’ve seen
Really. There were the worst trails we rode in 2 weeks and 4 resorts. I get that they are battered through high usage but it just reminded me not to go back and enjoy the other resorts instead
Well, having ridden in the Alps for years I can’t disagree with you on how bad some runs in Les Gets can get with braking bumps. My point was they have done work in the area with new runs put in, berms reshaped and the jump section under the lift rebuilt.
The resort must be 10x more popular than a lot of places but then, perhaps for good reason. How many times in the Les Gets, Morzine area do you say “We wasted allot of time looking for trails on the map that don’t exist on the ground”? It’s that convenience that makes it so popular and so good for beginners.
Stoked for you exploring so much @chrismac, that’s what it’s all about. What’s been the best you’ve found so far? For smooth, flow trails Zermatt can’t be beat (but at a cost). We think Marmottes come out at night and smooth them with butter knives
Arrived in Les Gets a couple of hours ago. The trails are definitely not dusty to be sure.
I've lived in Wales for most of my life so I thought I knew what rain was. Today has been an education.
Tomorrow's plan is to get the car sorted (engine warning light came on when whizzing around the bends up from Tanninges to Les Gets with only 30 km diesel left in the tank) and then over to Morzine, up to the Col de Cou but cut left to Les Chalets du Freterolle, les Mines D'Or and back to the car, hopefully now fixed by the nice people in Montriond. Fingers crossed 🤞
