When is Passportes Du Soliel this year?

Anyone?

Need to start getting excited again!

http://www.passportesdusoleil.com./index.jsp?c=66004

http://www.passportesdusoleil.com/index.jsp?c=65880

Woukld like to do it again myself, but holiday timings won't allow.

🙁

Nine of us so far. 1st time doing the PDS. Chalet booked in Chatel. Leave on Thursday, return on Monday. Celebrating a mates 40th birthday as well. Could get messy 😀

@freeform.
I'm also doing PDS. I also have a 5spot. Are you taking that? There a few of us going over and we are now starting to talk about tyres and stuff. I know we have a 2.35 max on the spot. I ride on a Nobby Nics (cool-damp season) and Ralphs (summer-dry) but was thinking about Big Betty's. I'd be interested to know what you'll be using.

I'm hoping to get on it too. Drive down Fri 25th, ride on the Sunday, drive back on the Tuesday. Give's us a couple of play days too.

Registration opens on the 10th Feb IIRC.

What's the concensus?
We can't decide weather to fly or drive.

FLY.
Less time away
More Riding
Bike broke/stolen
Excess baggage fury
Stress

DRIVE.
Road trip fun
Take spares
Take tools
Bring back wine
Takes Longer
Bikes WILL get there.

We are basing this on four going in a Renault Espace.

Drive! It's not too bad, French roads are great, it'll be a blast. Drive back is always faster than the way there so job's a goodun.

I live in Schweiz, might suggest this to my mtb buddies here that we do this, not even seriously thought about it till I saw this post. Hmmmm, really got me thinking! Why the hell not? I am fat, unfit, sh!t skills, but love it. Sounds perfect!

Not done this before but planningto drive down this year. Was hoping to do the Saturday and play on the Sunday, any advice on timings, etc? Thinking of staying in Morzine as base…

freeform – is Matt going this year? If not, I'll take his place 🙂

this is an excellent event to do for everyone! it is not a race against others, just a race against your mates.
shining trails and the best food tents waiting for you at the bottom of some descents make it a blast to enter.
be aware though that there is more uphill than you might expect so there may not be the need to wear a full on pressure suit otherwise…its boil in the bag time!
make sure you stop in morzine and appreciate the food,music and free massages if you get the chance too.
tyre wise-the terrain varies from wide dry(hopefully)fire roads to always wet/alwats dry forest singletrack, so a solid all rounder would be best with strong side walls to stave off any chance of pinching so look at high rollers 2.35 ST/dh or something along those lines.

have fun

Exactly how much up hill is there, we're looking to head out for a couple of weeks of DH and im meant to be doing this. One of the lads did it last year on a V10, however he's pretty fit. Im not. Slightly worried i might die.

There is a fair bit of climbing, so I wouldn't do it on a DH sled.

Did see others doing it last year on DH bikes, but I think this was because they only brought one bike for the trip. Most I saw were either breathing out their A£$% on the flat/climby bits or off and pushing.

Bearing in mind time is a factor for the whole loop, its not something I would consider unless there was no other option.

I've done it several times on both DH and AM bikes. AM wins out every time but definitely stick on dual ply tyres and DH tubes as it will save you a lot of agro. There are sections that are rocky and fast and you'll be cursing constantly with pinch flats.

There is quite a bit of pedaling involved though; an uppy downy seat post is a godsend.

You do need to motor a bit to get round the whole thing. There are usually some optional loops; the official loop around Torgon from Chatel is a waste of time but I've heard that there are some amazing single track trails in that area if you know where to look.

If you're only taking one bike then fly, otherwise drive and go for the week. The lifts in Morzine and Les Gets are open the week prior.

Torgon route and the red down optional route to Chamery were the best bits! Tight woody single track heaven. All the rest were stunning scenery but not the most amazing trails I have ever ridden. Loved the event though it was fantastic fun. Death on a DH bike. I did it on a patriot and it seemed just right though if I do it this year I might be tempted to take my Dialled Alpine that I am building up now or my Cannondale prophet as the Patriot was a bit too much bike for the trails.

Oh by the way just the main lifts open the week before not all of them

According to the route info on their website there's 1000m of climbing.

Not sure if that's on singletrack, fire road, road or what but it's still a fair amount of up on super tackys.

I did a 50k off road ride from the top of Val d'isere all the way to Bourg Saint Maurice last year with about 1000m of climbing and it was a killer.

Sounds like they changed that section then since I rode it last as it was a) a push up to the to after the first descent from Chatel and b) there was no woody single track.

The push up was still a killer but the ropey lift from Torgon where you had to hold on to you bike was fun. I can't see how there could be 1000m of climbing.

GEDA – you coming then mate?
Booking places on the 10th Feb. Looking at Morzine again. You want in?

Exactly how much up hill is there, we're looking to head out for a couple of weeks of DH and im meant to be doing this. One of the lads did it last year on a V10, however he's pretty fit. Im not. Slightly worried i might die.

I did it on a very heavy Big Hit last year, with no granny ring, too-soft a spring and a short seatpost.

It was very hard work in many places, but I got round most of the 75km (we accidentally cut off a section in Switzerland by getting on the wrong lift). I'm not very fit.

To be honest though, the bike was massive overkill for 95% of the course, so it wasn't as much fun to actually ride as it should have been.

I'd probably have preferred my 6in bike for a lot of the riding we did the week after too, even though that was mainly DH runs.