Thinking ahead to rides I’d like to do next year I’m looking at the Pass’Portes du Soleil.
Any STWers who’ve done if before please can you help me out with some advice.

2012’s main town is Morzine. I’d like to make this my base and start point. When you sign up can you specify the start town?

I’ll be honest I get a bit of vertigo, so I try to avoid the exposed, big vertical/steep kind of stuff. Give me trees to block out the view I’m fine 😉

Is this video typical

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65PMfAnNegU[/video]

Are there optional routes on the circuit eg Blue, red & black?

Cheers for any advice and ridicule to MTFU with the vertigo.

Your video doesn’t work.

I don’t think there’s anything too exposed riding-wise on the PPdS tbh – but would you freak out on a chairlift?

The video link isn’t working.

Is this similar to the tour de porte du soleil? I never noticed any massively exposed bits on that or any of the built trails in the area but then heights don’t bother me.

That probably doesn’t help you much!

I get vertigo quite badly, cannot even look straqight down out of my 5th floor office window. I have done 5 alps trips mtbing and only had bother with chairlifts but just hang on and it will soon pass. You will eb absolutley fine.

When you sign up can you specify the start town?

Yes, but the popular ones fill up fast!Nothing exposed at all that I can remember on the trails, but some of those lifts do go very high above ground indeed!

Video link fixed.

I did two weeks in Morzine in August. On the whole fine on chair lifts (as long as the don’t suddenly stop)

It’s the narrow paths with the big drops that get me.

That video is pretty typical of the riding in the area although the angle of the camera and the lens make it look worse than it is. There’s no sheer edges and the like. As above, lifts will probably be the worst bit but they are very safe. Its fantastic riding and you need to concentrate on some of the techy bits so that will take your mind off it.

You used to be able to sign up for a specific start then actually start where-ever you like, you just needed to go to that start the day before to sign in. Not sure if that is still the case.