And a 15C drop in temperature! Hopefully with rain this week the snow won’t settle.

Does rain scare off snow ?

Just to get the excitement for the opening this weekend:
https://www.facebook.com/Tignes.net/videos/1689948117699540/

Funky Dunk – nobody likes rain, so yes!

Or maybe snow falling on wet ground in marginal temps is far less likely to settle.

Giles – let’s hope the weather forecast holds!!

Conditions are apparently excellent for race training in Tignes at the minute

Hmm not posting from Photobucket

Not many runs open for the opening day.

Val/Tignes lift & trail status

All the runs off Borsat are now open 🙂

Lots of runs off Palafour/Toviere are closed, which I’m guessing is for trail work as there’s no snow left there. Weather been a bit pants for opening weekend, but selfishly it’s looking much better for me.

Weather here (Bourg St Maurice) been fine Dan, some rain Thu/Fri and minor drizzle Sat, but all dry today. Keeping the dust down! Forecast on yr.no looking good for next few days.

My group seem to always just miss the crap weather! Never book a riding trip the week after me – always pisses down the day after I leave 🙂

Landing in Le Brevieres in a few hours! Snow all gone, trails open, sun shining, not too much rain forecast. Will report back afterwards.

Dan, if by chance you read this send me a message re riding over here!

Well, Tignes is bloody marvellous! There’s a lot of work going on in the riding area, which is already fantastic. Enduro trails really good – blacks are pretty tough.

It’s Getting busier this year too. First shuttle of the morning is leaving people behind at the first stop in Brevieres, let alone higher up.

Chalet chardons – good recommendation.

Well we’ve just got to Tignes yesterday, just done a GREEN called Smoothie which was more like a defenite blue with red bits in if we’re comparing to U.K. Almost no pedalling needed!

Has anyone got any recommendations for which trails to go into next? I’m fine but the gf is a bit more than wary about not being pushed too far out her comfort zone.

Only two trails in tignes closed at the moment, a green and a red…all others open!

Has anyone got any recommendations for which trails to go into next? I’m fine but the gf is a bit more than wary about not being pushed too far out her comfort zone.

Maybe head round to Val D’Isere and try Popeye? Long Green, gets a bit harder the further you go down.

My eldest loved it.

Chris – the blues tend to be similar to greens, but with berms – makes them easier imho!

The 2 long trails from the top of Bellevard in Val (Popeye/Val Blue) are great. Be careful if the dodgy weather comes in though as you can get stuck Val side if the lifts close.

Also try the red IW Enduro trail off Borsat lift. Gorgeous views, not technical.

Brilliant thanks a lot well we actually did the Popeye yesterday from Val….we were the only ones that set off in driving hail and rain, it was wet but so flowy and fun, had to stop about 10km in because gf’s hands were shot from braking….5 mins rest then got back on, forest trail at the end was just ace too!

We’re going to do a Smoothie green and then jump on a blue I think n cut and then I reckon full blue, Just avoiding the jumps for her, is it possible to take the easy chicken line on the jumps? I’m sure it is but just want to check……jumps look well signed anyway from what we saw….

That red enduro sounds amazing too… cheers really appreciate it

There’s nothing not rollable on any blue.

Nice one, it’s surprised me how different the trails are graded to over in the U.K….. but goes to show that people were right when they said a blue here is a red at home…..glad we can get onto blues though as there’s SO many of them! Will try get some photos up on here for anyone to see what it’s like too!

we were in val & tignes 2 days last week, mon & weds. scorchio flag crackers both days! definitely had our fill of the bike parky runs after two days, especially as brake bumps were already starting to appear!! but loved racing down to Val on Popeye in a super fast dust train tbf!! RR and RT were favourites otherwise and the long SV down to Les Boisses! and VBT! also not that great but worth it for the vistas, the IT ridge line from the top of Val Claret lift! we also took a few interesting looking walkers paths (apparently this is allowed!?) the highlight being this long winding singletrack through the the ‘lost valley’ which is a classic off piste ski run in the winter! you feel a million miles away from a bike park down there!

I think you have to consider them as a green DH track rather than a trail centre green!

You’re very right and I hadn’t thought about that, well the blue for me was fine but pretty tricky for the lass, mainly the really tight and steep switchbacks from what she’s used to, did it with a bit of tutoring from me though and is happy to carry on now but was definitely a development on green haha!

Only thing I really want as a MTB helmet (not fullface) I can’t find anywhere as they’re just fullfaces. Can anyone recommend a place that is actually a full on bike shop? Guess there isn’t one locally they’re all hire and have virtually no helmets that aren’t fullface to actually buy . Found one in the best bike shop in tignes centre but it was a cheapie….

Have you tried Startlinemtb in Val Claret? Best one we found for spares in Le Lac was Gravity.

Every hire bike seemed to be a DH rig which was a bit surprising.

Yes for sure tried all those shops, done most of them to death. There were plenty of spares and great parts that could be bought but a lack of buying helmets that aren’t fullface. We’re going to have a crack at gunpowder which is the opposite side tomorrow….we heard that the blues on the other side are more flowy.

Also the Wonderboisses trail I think as seems like an enduro one to wake up the “climbing” leg muscles a bit haha

Mahalo

the highlight being this long winding singletrack through the the ‘lost valley’ which is a classic off piste ski run in the winter!

What really, the lost valley works on a bike too?
Wow.
As in the really narrow one with at least one rocky hole/tunnel section?

Tell me more.

Cool as hell. Loved that piste and would love to take the kids down it (bikes or skis).

How hard is it?