Morzine/Les Gets/Swiss DH etc- how has it evolved?

I was last there in 2004 and was wondering how its evolved. Have parts become scarier? Pics would also be nice 😀

Don’t worry Hora, you will still do a poo in your shorts riding the blues.

What’s a blue? (You’d poo your pants if you saw me coming your way!) 😉

You’d poo your pants if you saw me coming

😯

A sight I hope never, ever to see.

This was Les Gets and Morzine just over a week ago…

The swiss national claimed at least 2 hips last year in the week I was out, there was a big step down to nothing that came out of the blue.

Nice vid, was riding all of those a few weeks ago, I freakin’ love Chevannes red, I could ride that forever, breaking bumps and all. The Shore is nice too and all the bermy ones up on the Nauchets lift.

Since 2006.
Closure of the old Les Gets bike park and it’s associated lift,
Opening of the new Les Gets trails and the Nauchets chair
Massive development of Chatel bike park at Pre la Joux
Super Chatel course pretty much abandoned (still ace fun though)
Chatel buses now even worse (no bike section)
More female riders
More restuarants open.
Where trails are maintained, they’re in better nick
Where trails are thrashed they’re not as smooth.

Watch out for the little red flags either side of takeoffs, that seems to be the code for “try not to get this one wrong”

last time I was there was 2010 and there were a lot more DH tracks (Les Gets and Chatel mainly). Which is fine if you like that sort of thing. The trails are very accessible though (maps, lifts etc.)

I went elsewhere this July for more natural stuff.

My personal take on it is that things have moved more towards downhill on built tracks at the expense of lift assisted trail riding which is what I prefer. Last years trip to Chatel just seemed to be one massive full face dude ranch. Each resort trying to be more extreme than the last. Fine if that’s what you’re after but the wife and I will be looking for alternatives to the PdS from now on.

Onzadog – went out for the PPDS last month, and couldn’t agree with you more! I just can’t help feeling the area is becoming a victim of it’s own success and the only growth has been been chanelled in to DH riding which is NOT how it used to be.

As also mentioned above, maintained trails are fine, on the whole, BUT those that aren’t have been thrashed – the last time I went was in 2006, and the differances 5 years on are massive. So many of the trails have got big sections of roots exposed, big ruts and drops. The Avalanche course could always be ridden on a 4-5″ bike, but for those of us not on DH bikes this time, it was a case of ‘forget it’.

Also testament to the growing popularity was the vast increase in the number of bikeshops in Morzine.

I’m afraid it’ll be a while before I go back…

My personal take on it is that things have moved more towards downhill on built tracks at the expense of lift assisted trail riding which is what I prefer.

Agreed, having spent a week there last week. It was last minute and not somewhere I’d personally choose to go due to the lack of natural riding. I was also totally undergunned on my Five, hence this thread[/url].

The Swiss was good though, in a massive sphincter-twitching way. Saying that, it also claimed a clavicle, hand and finger:

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Nic heads to the hospital[/url] by Pimpmaster Jazz[/url], on Flickr

The Swiss, last week:

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Calv and Stu in the grease.[/url] by Pimpmaster Jazz[/url], on Flickr

Also been out there recently myself.

Main runs like Pleney and Chavannes far worse than two years ago, felt absolutely battered after riding either.

Saw about three ambulances in one day at Les Gets (all on Chavannes track). A bit offputting to say the least.

Had a much better while based in Morzine though as we spent more time on the Super Morzine side of the valley, where the tracks are loads more fun and in much better condition.

the wife and I will be looking for alternatives to the PdS from now on.

Rightly so. Try Bourg St Maurice/Les Arcs area if you like technical singletrack.

More female riders

Still a sauasagefest though.

Was there last week on a hardtail and its the first time I have ever felt under biked, those braking bumps are brutal.
Also had my kids (5 and 7) up the chairlifts, and it was totally unsuitable for them.

Also had my kids (5 and 7) up the chairlifts, and it was totally unsuitable for them

Were they freaked out as well?

I remember going DOWN on a wire lift over towards Switzerland- ever been down a ski lift? It swings FORWARD pitching you head forward as it goes down. I know your not supposed to but I was on foot/going to collect a bike of a fallen rider from the day before.

That freaked me out especially as it crossed big drops in the terrain!

Saw about three ambulances in one day at Les Gets (all on Chavannes track). A bit offputting to say the least.

Saw two ambulances at the Les Gets jump spot and administered first aid a bit further up the mountain too.

Thoroughly enjoyed the reds around the top of Les Gets, but the main ‘big’ runs are brake-bump hell. I’m now looking forward to something a little more natural either in Spain or Italy later in the year.

Do people really just stick to the main lines out there?!?

No wonder you felt beaten up on a 5, you get beaten on a DH bike on them. Absolutely no fun at all – you need to explore the multitude of different trails off the main lines.

Mark, we are going to get you very drunk each night and we wont be riding much of the of the trails shown in the video above (nice edit BTW)

Absolutely no fun at all – you need to explore the multitude of different trails off the main lines.

8)

I have just returned from a weekend out there.
The last time I went out there was in 2005 ..and what a difference .
Still some of the old favourites but they are a bit bashed up now (braking bumps and massive drops after roots).
As said above though the Chatel side is much better for choice of runs.
I felt VERY under biked on my pitch.

Still enjoyed it though… 😆

Give me a couple of pints before I ride and watch how smooth/relaxed I am. Wierd 😆

Mark, we are going to get you very drunk each night…

Re-mortgage now and you’ll be fine. 😉

Well last time tight-ass here went to the supermarket, bought 3 bottles of red and erm (drank them) 😳

What tyres worked for you? Im guessing my Ardents wont enjoy it and my winter Swampthings wont either if its dry?

Last time I was in Morzine, I was riding a rigid Giant… and the GT Lobo was being test ridden… when I was 15…. back in 1999.

I rode all the DH tracks on the rigid bike, and still have a numb right knee cap to prove it 😉

‘cos I’m ‘ardcore!

I used Ardents they were ok …..bit sketchy when it got wet though.
Not much in the way of side knobbles on them 🙂

.High rollers seemed to be the favorite..

High Rollers, Swampies after rain and Wet Screams during and immediately after.

Is it possible to ride from Morzine to Les gets and back on a downhill bike without too much pedalling?

From either direction, you take a lift and then yes, it’s a pretty DH friendly run down…

Rachel