Thinking of doing the passortes due Solei this year, anyone know what the trails are like that they use? Do they use the single track and bike trails or is it more fire roads etc

Thanks for any advice

I did it 2 years ago. They use everything. Tons and tons of single track, , lots of ‘natural’ trails, lots of bike park stuff and DH ish trails. Its quite simply the best day you can have on a bike and if you don’t go when you have the chance you need your bike taken off you and given to someone more worthy.

Mattbibbings pretty much sums it up. Just don’t miss the last lift home!

Totally agree with the posters above, one of the best days out you’ll ever have on your bike.

There’s been a few threads on this in the last couple of years; what bike, what spares to take, the event itself.

There are also quite a few haterz….. but I’ve been twice and loved it.

My input:
People will tell you that you can to it on a 80mm hardtail, but most people seem to be on 140-150 full sussers.
There is pedalling
Start EARLY.
in your pack you get a free lift pass for another day – so make sure you have a spare day afterwards to do your favorite runs again.
Brakes/spokes etc etc etc

Went last year, going this year. There’s loads of singletrack, plenty of fireroad and a couple of longer climbs on roads (gravel or tarmac). You can ride it on a hardtail and plenty do but I was glad I took something with a bit more travel (160mm for me) as I think you’d get beaten up on a hardtail. However any FS would probably work pretty well; you’ll see pretty much every type of bike there. Spares are useful but there are shops so it’s not a disaster if you need new pads from one day to the next.

It’s not overly technical but it’s a long day of riding and a lot of miles covered. We’re doing 1 day of the passportes event then 3 days going back to our favourite bits this year.

As batfink said, start early. We had to wait until 10 to get going as one of the group needed a lift pass so we didn’t get over to Les Gets (and it pissed it down the following day too). Remember to take advantage of the food too, we didn’t and I bonked quite badly late-afternoon when we were racing the lift closures to get back to our cars.

Oh, and don’t wait too long to get tickets or sort accommodation or you’ll be in the middle of nowhere or paying an arm and a leg.

Good advice above. Last year we had to drive around to collect passes then free wheel it down from Les Gets to Morzine to collect last pack and go – eventually set off gone 10. Manged to catch the last bus back from Morzine to Les Gets with seconds to spare, didn’t fancy that hill back up!

Just looked and tickets from Les Gets\Morzine Fri\Sat sold out…

Glad we got ours with the accommodation then really as I think getting 9 people synchronised at the same time was going to be a challenge

I’m in.

Chatel on the Fri.

I processed 4 of us at 9am sharp…… 😀

We’re going from Morzine on the Friday

Morzine on the Sunday here 🙂

Les Gets on the Friday 🙂

Morzine on Sunday for 5 of us 😉

thanks for the advice 🙂 sounds like ist worth a shot

i’l get it all booked up

There is some pedalling, but it’s not too bad. I’ve done it on an Orange 222 before when I was pretty unfit and made it around.

If I did it again I’d take my 150mm all mountain bike.

Quality day. There’s free wine and beer at some of the feed stations as well 🙂

Morzine on Sunday for 9 of us 🙂

Chatel on Friday for 8 of us. Been there loads before but never done the PPDS. Looking forward to it 🙂

Chatel on Sautrday for 9 of us. 4th year, really looking forward to it, just generally a good laugh!

Every year a completely different experience!

Year 1 – bit unprepared, on a 120mm 29er – absolutely battered
Year 2 – on a L NP Mega, much better but christ it was hot
Year 3 (last year) on a XL NP Mega (better now knees not hitting shifters) – did the saturday in some spectacularly bad weather but still ahd a blast – aimed to do the Torgon loop extra but failed due to OTB with broken ribs/stiches in shin about 15 yds from Chairlift!

Year 4 – we WILL attain the Torgon loop, and try to start the day early and without a stinking hangover!!!

😆

For extra comedy value, on the Torgon loop, after the horribly unpleasant “short climb” up, make sure to ride into an electric fence and spend 15 minutes getting electrocuted while you try to untangle your bike. I’m in two minds if I’d do that loop again. We didn’t even get all the way down into Torgon before realising we were never going to make it back to Lindarets if we didn’t get a move on.

That rain on the Saturday was quite spectacular wasn’t it. Coming up from Morzine to Avoriaz I could just see a line of riders on the chairlift in front of me huddled up under rain coats, hands under armpits, knees up against chests. Bloody miserable. Apart from the descents which were hilarious. Took my shoes a week to dry out.

Oh and that chairlift from Super Chatel to Torgon was bizarre. Pile the bikes up and wait for them to send yours up. One bloke was standing around for nearly 15 mins before his was sent up as people kept putting their bikes in front of his.

2 of us going from Morzine on the Friday, I logged in at 9.10am this morning and all Les Gets places had gone. Looks very popular this year.

I can’t wait. Will be on a Yeti 575, hopefully the perfect bike for the job. 🙂

Cracking day out.. have done it twice on a 140mm 5. If the weathers kind you will see some amazing scenery and get to sample the resorts of the PDS… Oh if you are feeling brave try the alternative marked Red route which takes you into Champery..
If the weather is poor then be prepared , we did it in lovely sun for half a day then cloud , rain , sleet with some sketchy downhills and being on the chairlifts in pea soup for the other half..

It’s a full on day !!

Does anyone know if the route down from the Pointe-des-Mossettes via Lac Vert is ridable. I’ve just found a GPX that goes that way rather than the long slushy fireroad but I seem to recall some bridges below the chairlift missing last year.

The wiggly bit coming in from centre-right here