We’re off on a trip next summer.

Unless we find a better plan, its Morzine. Now, don’t get me wrong here, I love the place, its great. The whole atmosphere etc.

But the riding isn’t ‘me’ in some ways, steep downhill technical stuff, you know.
I’m more your swinley blues, your surrey hills, you bpw blue/red. I can mince my way down the technical stuff but I enjoy the faster flowy stuff more.

So, if course Doug at basque seems ideal, but he’s very very expensive (sorry buddy, no offence) but the riding seems perfect.

So, where to get the flow, but on a slightly more realistic budget. 5 day trip with 3-4 riding in there.

I’d say morzine is very flowy and swoopy and quite a lote like BPW if you hit the right trails. For sure there is plenty of steep but its not all there is.

Your guide should be able to sort out trails which suit your needs in most places.

Having been to many places I am firmly of the opinion that basquemtb is cheap considering what you get.

You’ve a year to get more comfortable on steeper trails. You’d like the Blues at Chatel imo and easy to ride over there from Morzine just takes a little while. Most of the places offering guided holidays are steeper for longer than Morzine as the mountains are much bigger.

Having been to many places I am firmly of the opinion that basquemtb is cheap considering what you get.

I’m sure in a value for money his trips work out great as they’re catered too etc…

Les Arcs? The official stuff isn’t as steep as Morzine and there’s loads of flow.

The unofficial stuff though, anything but.

Just been looking at Doug@Basques website again and i was looking previously at the more expensive of the trips, the Back Country tour, so have just pinged him a mail about his cheaper version and cutting it down to 4 days riding, 5 nights…. So we’ll see on that side of things.

But please keep the ideas coming. It’s not that any of us are insanely scared of the steep tight nadgery stuff and they certainly do give a sense of acomplishment getting to the bottom sometimes… but i just enjoy the swoopier trails a bit more so if we can go somewhere that’s a bit more like that it will make us happy.

I was in Tignes in the summer. Loads of blue trails especially if you link over to val d’isere. Don’t expect to ride much singletrack as it is very bike parky but the lifts are free and loads of other things to do if you want some time off the bike.

You would love finale ligure, if you can live with minibus uplift instead of lifts.

If you have transport, Les Arc, la thuile, la rosierre and Tignes will keep you busy

I’m sure when you get a reply from Doug he’ll explain, but the Coast trips are B&B. The Back Country trips are catered, and have to be, as you end up staying in places where you wouldn’t find anywhere to eat unless it was prearranged!

If compared on a like for like basis BasqueMTB is definitely not expensive. They don’t try to cut corners, so the everything from the guide ratio, the quality of the guides, the accommodation (it’s a small hotel), the uplifting service etc. is done properly – maybe not the cheapest you can get, but it’s great value.

A couple of other things that make the budget work in the Basque – compared to anywhere in the Alps you’ll find that part of Spain is cheap to eat & drink if you’re buying lunch or dinner – and by quite a margin.
Also if you’re flying it’s cheaper to get to – flights to Bilbao can be very cheap if booked in time.

Guided, catered bike trips are a bargain. You cannot get close to replicating them even if you assume the guiding is free (ie you download a ton of gpx and follow those). You can of course do a cheaper holiday and have a great time but it won’t be the same.

Even Bike Verbier which is about £900 a week (so it looks expensive) you can’t match renting an apartment and self catering 3 courses with drinks (Swiss supermarket prices !!). Then add in guides and uplifts and it’s a bargain for the location.

If there are 4 of you a guided company will do an Alps beginners week of tailored riding for you. It will be out of this world relative to Morzine/Les Gets. Now saying that you’ve only just scratched the surface of the PdS

Also as you get more cnfident you’ll realise thise trails you rode are more flowly as you take a bit more speed and you get to know them

porter_jamie
If you have transport, Les Arc, la thuile, la rosierre and Tignes will keep you busy

I’d add in PILA! Very smooth for a bike park, mostly flow style trails, little rough stuff, and reasonably “sensible” features that are all rideable (with the exception of some of the stuff on the IXS double black run 😉

I’d add in PILA! Very smooth for a bike park

No longer the case when I visited in July, sadly.

Some of the easier tracks weren’t too bad, but braking bump city otherwise.

I’ve never liked Morzine as a place, I think there are much nicer places to be in the alps.

However I never go on holiday just to ride a bike…

Hi Weeksy,
I rode with you on 15/8 with Stoner et al where we met up in Morzine..was your days riding your only experience of Morzine? I was there with my son and a few friends and found plenty of Bermy flowy trails but they are dotted about..there’s a few down from the top of Les Gets, a couple down from Avoriaz, Lindores etc. but there not all in one place..there was also a lot there out of my comfort zone also but I suppose it’s all good/part of the experience..
I’m liking the look of Finale ligure and am putting it on a shortlist as I’m after ideas for next year also..I like riding singletrack and the idea that at FL they all finish at the sea is a bonus..sipping a cold one on ghe beach after a days riding..what’s not to like..

I recall who you were mate 🙂

I’ve been before, 3 days riding that time too (i also went but couldn’t ride due to injury another year).

FWIW the lads decided Morzine is the way forward and have booked it up… So we’re back to Morzine next year.

Been watching some of the ebay videos of the Zore Blue for example and that looks cool.. so yeah as you say, the stuff will be out there to ride, it’s just a question of finding it 🙂

There’ll be a ‘Help me find the routes i want’ type thread closer to the time. I’ll probably even steal a mates Garmin for the week to help me with that.

I’m out this week with a gravel bike. There’s loads…

Go where the Germans go, they love flow trails. Finale is the Morzine for Germans, and make sure you visit Nava nearby, better trails and no crowds.

Just watched this video from Nava
https://youtu.be/V3v2-tZF_zI
Decent singletrack without the man made feel..

Weeksy I prefer the riding in and around Les Gets to Morzine as I find it a bit more managable generally. Morzine is still a good place to stay as you are that much closer to the rest of the PdS. IMO you’ll like the Blues in Chatel – People, Fluid etc.. (just skip the 10ft gap jump over the pipe 😉 ). The Green round from Linderets to the top of Chatel bike park is quite good fun with a bit of speed.

Get practicing and perhaps get your mates together and book a private group with Jedi at UK Bileskills ?

JEdi is booked for the 20th Sept 😉

If you like flow the LG trails are terrible. For what looks like a blue flow trail they ride like anything but.

If it’s just a few days there is probably enough to keep you entertained. Probably the best flow stuff is on Super Morzine at the top, although you need to slap the berms fairly hard to carry enough speed to clear the jumps.

There are some trails in the Chatel Bike Park that would be ok too.

Be careful to pick your time though, they will be riddled with braking bumps, it’s just a question of how bad they will be.

Jedi is booked for the 20th Sept

Winner winner chicken dinner ! Please keep the omg it was a fantastic revelation post to less than a 1000 words 8)

Winner winner chicken dinner ! Please keep the omg it was a fantastic revelation post to less than a 1000 words

This is our 2nd time and yes time 1 was great… but i don’t feel i absorb information well and i also struggle to retain it… With that alongside the fact i don’t (didn’t) ride enough techincal stuff, means i need a re-cap and a visit back there to play and learn with him 🙂

How about a few days riding in Briancon with Alpine Singletrack?
Just back from a week out there and I’ll definitely return.

Great natural trails with plenty of flow, hardly any other bikers, no braking bumps and trashed trails from the number of riders. Warmer and better weather than Morzine, great guide/hosts/food.

Stunning part of the Alps.

Meribel bike park sounds like what you need. Much quieter than the others but with some nice long red routes over ridges with some rock and woods tech. Went in 2015 with family so it was ideal. The trans Savoie used one of the routes as well so it’s pretty good.

Get practicing and perhaps get your mates together and book a private group with Jedi at UK Bileskills ?

Surely there are many better exponents of this on STW?

Might be worth contacting a guy who posts as spekkie who, I think, is setting up a b&b near Ainsa in the Spanish Pyrenees. The zona zero trails here are good for the type of riding you are after.

We went to Les Orres this summer (near Embrun). Lots of routes (14) all doable, reds are very flowy, lots of switchbacks. Zero lift queues meant lots of runs. Bars, ‘cheap’ bike shops (€8 for a tube supplied/fitted). Good food and deffo going back. The run called ‘Gawa Line’ is so much fun its hard to describe. (not me but this is the run, (red) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6xG8H055ZU). There are a lot of ‘run vids on Youtube).

Basically the highest point is 2500 mts and is the top of the ridge dead center of this pic. The routes flow down either side through the trees. It takes 2 lifts to the top. Most of the runs are off the top of the first lift.

The main track is not a run ! but you can see one of the runs flowing through the trees

The station

I found I could ride better here for some reason, no idea why but drops and jumps felt smooth, placebo fun factor I spose

Looking down from the top run

Hope these help as an option for you next year

that looks a fantastic option buckster. Nice post.

Only 4-5 hrs from Morzine. Could head over for a few days explore next summer.

You’ve a year to get more comfortable on steeper trails. You’d like the Blues at Chatel imo and easy to ride over there from Morzine just takes a little while. Most of the places offering guided holidays are steeper for longer than Morzine as the mountains are much bigger.

I was thinking Les Gets too.

But yes, a good guide will be worth his/her weight in gold.

that looks a fantastic option buckster. Nice post.

Only 4-5 hrs from Morzine. Could head over for a few days explore next summer.

Would agree re Les Orres looking good (thats @buck never heard of it before) but 4-5 hours is a fair old schlepp. Morzine: Chamonix 1hr, Verbier 2, Zermatt is 3 assume you’ve been but if not you have to go at least once in your life 🙂

I can also vouch for Nava.

Would maybe do a three-centre trip there, Finale & Molini for a next foreign trip.

What’s Punta Ala like Nasher?

Absolutely oodles of fast and flowy natural singletrack in and around Verbier, best enjoyed with http://www.bikeverbier.com Having said that, plenty of steep and technical stuff there too. Good job they divide their groups to match personal preferences.

Weeksy you sound like you enjoy the same riding as me. I’d also add that I not only don’t really like steep and technical, but I also like to keep my wheels on the floor.

Have been to Morzine 4 times and have never ridden any if the Morzine trails, and have loved ever trip! 🙂

Normally spend the first day riding at Chatel bike park as it’s a great way of getting your eye in. It’s a lovely ride across from Morzine using 3 lifts abit of XC and some blue trail. You then drop down to the bike park using the green Panoramic trail which is super flowy. You then have a great choice of trails; Panoramic, People, Blues and Rock, Serpentine etc. to play on. Finish the day riding the red down to Les Linderats, pick up the road down through the goat village, turn left onto the Pds route at the bottom of the switchbacks, grab a beer by Lac Montriond and ride back to Morzine.

Always spend a day riding the blues and reds at Les Gets, a day doing a big XC loop and then normally finish off back at Chatel for a day.

And whilst I like my wheels on the floor when riding, I’m normally jumping a bit by the time we come home and loving it.

I did a session with Jedi/Tony 5 years ago and can hear his advice ringing in my ears most of the first day as I sort out my cornering and jumping technique.

In fact I’d be surprised if you could find a higher concentration of easily accessible flowy trails anywhere. I’ve also done a trip to Spain with a highly thought of company and it was a fun week, but the riding was steep, rocky and, for me, way to the technical and high consequence.

Hope you have a great time next year.

Im having the same dilema, finding it difficult to find anywhere even close to Morzine, especially when going as a family of 4, the riding is good (i would prefer more singletrack style myself) but the family love the vibe of the town bars / resturants etc also the lifts/ multipass , and its so much more affordable compared with anywhere else in the alps, about half the price compared to our last catered chalet

@dry well if the family is happy that’s a major factor. In 10 years I think I’ve been to Morzine/Les Gets 6 times. Its hard to beat do all round riding and it’s close to the airport / UK. I do much more “off-piste” now and I like the fact you can mix and match that into a days riding.

I like the fact you can mix and match that into a days riding.

That’s the key for us. Start the ride with the kids and wives in a mixed group. Some take a coffee break while others do a quick uplift loop or 2. Do some more mixed riding. Some head down early others do some off piste. Something for everyone all in one area.

Cheers for the replies guys, I only just saw this thread… it´s been a busy week. I´m not sure if I saw and replied to your email weeksy, I don´t see any emails which correspond to your username but hopefully I have given you a proper reply.

I don´t want to get defensive here but just to say that I think our trips are priced as well as we can and like previous guests have said above (thanks a lot!) I think it offers great value for money.

The BCPyrenees trip is our most expensive trip, definitely. Why? Well you are getting 4 people (proper local guides) working for 12 guests, dedicated uplift vans and on a few days a week you get uplift with 4×4 trucks to get to places where our vans can´t get. Great accommodation and food. It´s not a cheap thing to put on! It also has about 50% of the places each year booked with people who came the year before! So yup it´s expensive, not because we´re making a fortune on it but because we are including lots of things which hopefully make it a special trip.

Hopefully that didn´t come across as overly defensive, I just thought that the question had been asked and I´d do my best to try and explain.

In fact I’d be surprised if you could find a higher concentration of easily accessible flowy trails anywhere

Apart from the obvious Canadian place you mean, where they can actually build proper, flowing trails, that do get maintained and don’t look like they are part of a war zone film set?

Unfortunately the elephant in the room being the cost aspect 🙂