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So today we went car shopping and Mr MC bought a Seat Alhambra so now I can see myself driving to Southern France. for the last 8 years we have gone to Morzine/Les Gets (flown in to Geneva) however as we will be mobile we were thinking of going somewhere else as well. so where do you suggest?
We were thinking head down to chamonix and do 5 days there then back to Morzine/Les Gets on the way back for a few days? What have others done where can you recommend? A friend has recommended Pila in Italy but that's further AGAIN another 2 hours from Chamonix so not sure.
Open to ideas and suggestions? Where have you been? What did you do? where was best? We are looking at last weekend in June and have about 12 days in total door to door. Cheers.
have you riden with Ash and the boys at trailaddiction at Les Arcs ?
they know some great trails 😀
We're looking to do something similar this year. Hows about Verbier? From what I've heard, less DH orientated, but still lift assisted.
Interested to hear what other people think...
That's what I'm thinking - stay away from Morzine/Les Gets this year and take the "normal" bike...
Rachel
Spent the last two years with The White Chalet http://www.whiteroomchalet.com/ Great riding, trails, food, place to stay. Highly recommend them!
2009
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stevemilne/sets/72157620506140969/
2010
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stevemilne/sets/72157624659000105/
MMM Verbier, Les Arcs are options, I don't particularly want an "Organised" holiday rather places we can go and book our own accommodation and find the trails easily. That's what I like about Morzine/PdS area is it's so easy to find your way around. I'm more than happy going somewhere else though since we've been to Morzine for the last 7 years of which 2 of those Mr MC has ended up stretchered off the mountain last time in 2009 resulted in full 5 day stay withh im 40 minute taxi ride away in hospital in Thonon. Could be doing without that. Off to start checking out other places and will have a look at White room.
Pila is only the other side of mont blanc an defo worth the trip or the 11k run pila to aosta is.
http://www.26in.fr/bike-parks/
We are doing Deux alpes, Montgenevre, Orcieres this year. There is so much more than the usual suspects.
White room already full the week we are interested in, plus we don't want full 3 course meals every night on a summer holiday but it looks great and good value. Just saw that Verbier is only 60odd km from Chamonix so possibly g oto Chamonix first, then Verbier and up to Morzine ...mmm or just drop Morzine off the list all together.
next question is I know in PdS area the lifts tend to open weekend of PdS however what about Chamonix and Verbier?
Bike Verbier and Trail Addiction = brilliant, brilliant biking and guiding. It's worth it to be shown the most amazing trails. If you like the idea of moving around Ride the Alps do a great Roam in the Rhone trip which you get to bike in a few different places on some top trails.
Careful in Chamonix - there is a bike ban on many trails in the height of Summer
You could do Chamonix, Verbier, Pila, Les Arcs, in a loop, I don't think there would be more than a couple of hours driving between each of them and the scenery over the passes would be stunning. Or you could do the first 3 and then back through the tunnel, or ride Cham, then Pila, then Les Arcs.
Double Post.
Verbier is an hours drive from Chamonix and an hour from Pila.
The impression I get though is that there aren't any or many lifts open around when we would go, 25th June? Is this right? As I don' mind more XC riding but I like the idea of using lifs to get further and higher quicker. Any good websites for self guiding? I don't want these all inclusive tours, not interested in that for France. Or any guiding books?
Pila is amazing well worth the ride through mont blanc tunnel ,then go over the col to bourg st maurice and ride les arcs amazing riding there aswell
I am happy going to all these places but now I need to know can you easily find your own way around? do you get resort maps like in Morzine etc???
If you do go to Chamonix, there is a lovely trail down from a place called Merlet. We parked the car at the top and one of us got a taxi back up to retrieve it later. May have GPX somewhere....
Rachel
No maps are needed for Pila, 1 or 2 days is enough though.
coogan, those les arcs pics look fantastic. we're off to the white room in september and from your pics, it looks even better than i'd thought.
8)
So does Pila have lifts? and it's easy to find your way around? do they have waymarked XC trails? In which case that sounds like a good un.
Lifts should be open then, lots of dh runs, not done any stuff away from the lifts. Crans Montana is also worth a day.
trailmonkey you'll have a blast, some fantastic riding over there.
Some of the Chamonix lifts usually open around 18th 19th of june, not all of them tho,Pila's only an hour or so from cham and well worth a day, you cant get lost there.
Have a great holiday.
Forgetmename that's useful to know. cheers maybe we'll just head here and wing it!
So next question where to stay in these places? good campsites you can recommend or cheapish hotels/B&B's. DOesn't have to be really cheap.
Give Phil of mbmb.co. a bell, he does bnb and knows ALL the best trails.
That's what I'm thinking - stay away from Morzine/Les Gets this year and take the "normal" bike...
Thing is, it's such a good base. Over to Switzerland pretty quickly, loads of off-the-beaten-track stuff, and lots of lifts for the days when you just want to be, er, gnarly.**
Which is why I now have the DH bike and a more normal bike (OK, a Patriot, but 33lbs and entirely rideable uphill) for the Alps.
**Sorry, I keep forgetting I'm not twelve.
if your going to Verbier the main lift to worry about is from Medran, this is the one that gets you out of the village upto the high level road. I don't know about when it opens but it is the last to shut at the end of summer.
I think as early as you are going in June you'll be limited on your options. I'm fairly sure les arcs lifts don't open until 4th july ish. The long pila lift is open all year but the chair at the top that you'd really need is later from memory.
Have you got a copy of rowan sorrells mountain bike europe book? It's got lots of useful information on resorts, openings, trails etc. Might be worth buying a copy. We used it last time on a riding road trip when weather was bad to find an alternative spot.
The Chamonix lifts open a bit earlier, most of them around the 25th June, some on the 19th or even 13th last year I recall. But the main ones don't open 'til the 25th, some not even 'til early July. It's the Les Houches and Le Tour lifts you want to be open in particular.
An alternative to consider might be some of the Swiss places where they have a year-round rail line going up. Gornergrat? Rochers de Naye?
Wooo my Mountain biking Europe booke has turned up looks quite useful! think I'll be heading to other countries exploring next year too now I hvae the book.