This years road trip went without a hitch once again and the trusty LDV (which is incidentally now up for sale) performed her second trip to teh Alps faultlessly once more.
Really just to show folk that there are other places to go that are more inspiring than the PDS!
This year we took a more relaxed approach than in previous years deciding on where to go once we set off pretty much. The main objective being to hit up a few new resorts and have a break and catch up with friends in Pila for a few days (and because its ace)
Crans Montana, and in typical northern Alps style it started raining. The next day was a washout unfortunately. The coffee was highly rated, the others said the riding was decent.
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Off to Cham Valley. Staying in Vallorcine to ride the DH track there. I had other ideas. Over the top and to the swiss border, singletrack heaven just like the peaks followed by trail centre style fun DH to Le tour, then one of my favourite tracks of all time, the steep rooty switchback world walkers track that runs down from the lift station below the Argentiere Tele cabine. If you havent done it then go just for this!
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Accomodation in Vallorcine (SQUAT!)
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Les Praz, Cham. New track, new this year but shite, well at least the top half is, gets better after the second lift
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Started raining again so off to Italy where its ALWAYS sunny
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2100m vertically and 16km to Aosta
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And not a bad view to wake up to either
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Halfway through the trip and bikes are starting to feel the pain (especially as half the crew have things thrown together on a whim and a prayer. In this case a buggered circlip holder meant no rebound damping. So with an inner tube, zip ties and gaffer tape its fixed! Hey presto - desperate times and all
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Some time was spent taking pics of riding
Top of Pila (3rd lift) ridge ride. Prob the scariest thing i have ever rode. 2000m of scree and cliffs to the left that WILL kill you if you go over and enough scree to the right to do you in good style
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The classic Aosta run from the Pila lift
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Fantastic new descent in from the top that you can link in all the way down to Aosta, including a snide walkers path (21b) that a local pro showed us. Basically an unridden gulley run that falls all the way to Aosta and is hit flat out with wall rides the entire length and loose loamy soil, an absolute gem!
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Then say our goodbyes and head back via a new place that we were keen to scope out, Lac Blanc. Its in the Savoire region and close to the Swiss & German border. Only really a hill in comparison, but a real fast lift and loads of graded green, blue, red and black runs ranging from not as basic as you would think to jumpy fun, to challenging to fu%* me, i need to man up!
The best bit was that we were able to get a full day in before leaving Pila, drive up and get there in time bed down and ride all teh next day, have tea and leave for a 4am ferry!
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Lac Blanc NUTS Track
Huck
So in short, get out and explore as there are a lot more resorts out there that a) have decent trails, and b) have much better weather than the PDS
In fact, scrap that, the PDS is ace, everyone go there, having more than 10 people in a lift queue (who were all with us) would be shite.
Yeah the rest of the alps including the above are utter toss!
some nice pics. thanks for sharing.
Pila = 😯
Never been to the PDS (Zermatt and Les Arcs/Tarantaise Valley for me) but PDS region is so easy to get to and caters well for bikes I can see the attraction. BUT, quiet non-worn trails are great.
Looks like you had an ace road-trip.
Really nice pics.
We did Pila and Crans on our Alps trip last month too. Only had half day at Pila but it was the best half day riding of my life!
Can I ask you more about the other riding you did there? We just did the freeride track to Aosta and the DH runs.
Defeinitely planning a return trip and would be good to know about other trails.
schweet, that run from the top looks amazing!
Chakaping, no worries, ask away, drop me an email
WOW!
If anyone is interested, the Red LDV is up for sale after 3 years of trouble free Alps trips. She has done a 3 week trip, a 2 week trip and two trips this year.
£1000 which split between 8 or 9 is just over £100 each.
She does about 30mpg believe it or not and we generally chip in £150 each to cover insurance, Tax, MOT, Fuel, Tolls and group food/beer.
A real cost effective way to go on a road trip.
If you are planning a road trip this year do it in style.
It comes with a massive stereo, loads of up top storage for junk, a snuggle den that will sleep 2 on the move comfortably, free gypsy tassles and free stickers!
genuinely jealous 😳
That run on the ridge at the very top of Pila is pretty scary!
La Blanc looks pretty cool.
Nowt wrong with PDS, just after going there for about 7 years on the trot it's refreshing to go somewhere different.
Cheers bland, you don't have an email in your profile though.
Mine is in my profile if you'd like to drop me a line.
Cool Stuff!
I was over in Pila for a day last week, probably about the same time, but don't recognise you from the pics. We go over 2 or 3 times a season with our DH groups, would really like to have a bit more time to scope out some of the trails away from the bike park.
Wow looks like a great trip (Perhaps not for me 😯 )That NUTS trail looks proper rough.
Some videos of the riding in some of the places mentioned
This should give folk a better idea about the ridge ride i mentioned in Pila
Pt 2
Pt 3 (From the lift station on the trail centre type DH)
Pt 4 (last bit of trail centre type track)
Vallorcine DH (Top of Cham Valley)