On a bit of a road trip in europe and I’ve got one or two days in chamonix – probably 1st august. Can anyone help with some must do trails? I realise there are some lift restrictions etc during the summer. But having said that, more lifts the better – my group aren’t big pedalling people, so think lift assisted…

As technical as possible too.

Help!

Plan Praz / Brevent lift up (even only halfway will see you on some excellent singletrack).

Find a way down*.

*Disclaimer: I don’t know how much of this is classified as ‘footpath’ which is affected by the July/August ban.

Nope to the above. The only legal way down from the Brevent during August is the 4×4 track.

If you want lift assisted in August you’ll need to go to Le Tour or Les Houches.

Personally I’d be looking at getting a bus from Finhaut to the Emosson dam. Ride the amazing trails all the way down to Martigny and then get the train back up to Finhaut. Will take you most of the day and you’ll probably not see many other riders.

As technical as possible probably isn’t the right question to ask in Chamonix,but if you’re sure that’s what you want then go to Les houches, top of Prarion lift, follow the trail to the top of the Prarion hill then take the trail down to the Col du Forclaz. From there, head back towards Les Houches on the 4×4 trail for about 100m then take the singletrack off to the left towards Vaudagne.

If you want good technical riding then I’d still go with Les Houches, but instead warm up on the top part of the official DH trail, then about 1/3 of the way down and just before the first of the wooden jumps, take the singletrack to the left and then follow that round the hill until you end up at a junction with a signpost making you choose between Vaudagne and Les Houches. Les Houches will get you back to the lifts quicker.

Next lap, about 2/3 of the way down the DH trail, take the left and again, follow the singletrack

Next lap, take the Bellevue lift then pedal up for 30 to 45 mins depending on fitness towards the Col just below Mont Lachat. At the junction, head down the hill for a few hundred meters vert of singletrack fun then at the next junction, go right towards a small hut you can see in the distance. Follow this trail with interest to the valley floor. It;s been ridden in its entirety, but that doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to ride all of it, you’re in serious terrain here.

Next lap. Back up Bellevue, descend down the fireroad for a couple hundred meters, turn left and follow the trail called “Glacier Trail” in the bike book all the way to St Gervais, or….

Cross the tramway du mont blanc tracks, descend behind the train tracks for hundred meters or so then turn left. Follow signs for Col du Tricot, it;s a bit of a hike a bike up there, then enjoy the descent to the Miage chalets, turn right and enjoy the flow towards St Gervais, then at St Gervais take the Pipeline trail to Le Fayet and either the normal train to chamonix (cheap) or the tramway (not cheap) back to Bellevue and a descent of the old DH trails that are being resurrected back to Les Houches.

Or…… Nid d’Aigle into Col du Tricot, but that’s a really big last lap out! http://www.chamonixbikeblog.com/2014/link-up/

superb thanks very much, some great tips there.

Slight hijack. Does anyone have any other recommendations for slightly less technical (i.e. UK trail centre Red or BPW blue) type trails in or around Cham? Will have a car, will be there in September, so would like to use the lifts where possible.

Cheers,

Have a look around Le Tour/Vallorcine.

If you’re there when the lifts are open there’s the ‘bike park’ trails at Le Tour (effectively 3 trails). The best natural stuff is probably at les houches but it’s quite hard to find and a little bit of pedalling even with the lifts – Hugh’s way and Crooked Hillary are a couple of good ones (have a look at trail forks). Another red trail would be gross pierre (trail forks again) – not lift access and most fun with an e bike, but perfectly doable without (though more enjoyable with train or shuttle back from Servoz, unless you like pedalling back uphill).

St Gervais has really nice flowy downhill trail…..though just the one.

up brevent and down to the right out of the lift. up flegere down to savoyez, up grand montetes and down the fire road to the chairlift and do the 47 switchbcks, back to grand montets and descend to les bois camp site through chappeau path