MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
We will be in touch
ok so sitting watching the rain bounce of the windows at the weekend got myself and the girlfriend thinking.....where to in 2011
its been agreed that we will borrow my maw and paws motorhome and drive to the alps, but where? you lot know your way around so where should we aim for?
heres the brief:
can be anywhere in the alps
we are aiming for june so nice weather please
spending a couple of days getting there 7 days in resort
must be decent campsites near
would like a lake to jump in and BBQ beside
spending 3/4 days on bikes so chairlift uplift and singletrack back down nothing too insane its our first time in the alps so marked / graded trails would be ace
other things to do away from bike like luge or paragliding mountian trains etc
few bars to get pished in
I will now sit back and welcome the STW knowledge
Cheers
It's got to be the Portes Du Soleil really. Morzine would be the obvious choice for fulfilling all your criteria. You could go for the PassPortes Du Soleil - perfect for getting to know the area a little bit, nice easy riding and free beer. There's something for everything. You could ride a whole week and not ride any of the same trails.
http://www.passportesdusoleil.com/
Morzine is a great place to start Alps riding.
Chamonix is harder work in some ways - the easiest riding is a quick train ride up the valley and you need to explore a bit and have Tom Wilson North's guidebook (see Chain Reaction Cycles) to find suitable trails (I even needed a GPS and a map at some points but that's because I'm rubbish at navigating).
However it's much more rewarding and I prefer the town. The place also has a v. helpful shop in Zero G Chamonix which doubles up as a kind of general centre for all things riding-related in Chamonix.
I'd head to the Isere valley. Where you have got Les Arcs, Sainte Foy, Tignes, Val d'Isere. Head up to the Cormet de Roseland for a nice day out, plenty of lakes around, great white water rafting, via ferrata etc.
This way you make the best use of being mobile.
Since you are driving a stop in Annecy is recommended.
You could even head down through Annecy to the Les Arcs area and loop up to Morzine heading through Megeve in between.
I can recommend a lot as I used to live out there (Les Arcs & Morzine), feel free to ask if you want to know any specifics, email in profile
Portes du ive heard about but i dont know if i would go during the event as ive read that it can be mobbed and im not too keen on being crowded out on the hills
In June, Portes du Soliel is your only real choice if you want chairlift access (although some lifts would also be open in Chamonix as mentioned above and going in June neatly side-steps the bike ban issues).
All the uplift in the Les Arcs/Sainte Foy/Tignes/Val d'Isere area will be closed until the beginning of July (our holidays during June use van uplift).
sorry, missed the bit about going in June.
The PassPortes du Soleil is during peak season so the towns are busier and there are more people using the chairlifts. I wouldn't describe the hills as being crowded though.
Especially since the event uses some of the lesser used trails.
I would head down to near Embrun in the Hautes-Alpes.
You'll be right next to a large lake with all manner of watersports. There's loads to do off the bike, the weather is more reliable and there's great riding at Les Orres and Pra Loup with Montgenevre a little further afield.
There's also less Brits (esp. bikers as most have PDS induced blindness).
EDIT: And now I read the bit about the Motorhome, there's free overnight motorhome parking at Les Orres and at a number of spots up the beautiful Ubaye Valley if you go to Pra Loup.
There's also a free spot that's fully serviced at Vars, which has riding too.
There is a fantastic free serviced spot near St. Crepin that we stayed at for a number of nights this summer. We did a 4 1/2 week motorhome biking tour.
June can be awesome in Switzerland. The italian part (Ticino) will have a Mediterranean climate and a good mix of riding on offer. The area around Brig also has a lot to offer with a good mix of lift assisted and self powered touring. Both areas will have lift assistance in June and in my opinion the riding there is 100 times better then anything I found in PdS.
If the weather is good there is also a lot available further North in Switzerland but the lifts there don't tend to open until between mid June and Start of July. They stay open 'till October though. 😀
Have a look at the following site and see if anything grabs your fancy.
www.swissalpineadventure.com
also look at la clusaz
mtbing beuatiful and not far from annecy which is nice for a jump in the lake
ok so Im struggling to decide as I'm really liking the idea of the Pds and esp the passPds as its all laid out infront of you and marked, for my other half that would be a big plus I'm happy to find my own way but not too sure she would but having watched a few of the videos last night I'm wondering if its going to be rammed....6000 riders over 3 days next year sounds like a sunny bank holiday at GT
defo heading for anncey tho so that leaves options open
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