Your scaphoid is your scaphoid, so how it heals isn’t the same as how the rest of our scaphoids heal. It might be fine (and it sounds like there’s every chance) or it might be a long and painful road back to the bike.
I smashed my wrist up pretty badly in 2016 and it took a while to get back to riding as before, but I seem fine guiding in the alps for lots of back to back weeks. I was surprise by the lack of useful stuff on the internet, so wrote a thing. Probably the only useful thing I’ve written for the interwebz. Hopefully it helps: http://www.chamonixbikeblog.com/2018/scaphoid-stories/

That is a solid day out! And brings back long suppressed memories of a similar trip with Kevin from Oban Cycles way back in the day, the end of Loch Etive in other direction is a blank, but I know it broke me :-D

There’s a lot of great responses above, I’d add that whilst guiding is not the same as riding for yourself, it’s still a great feeling getting to take folk out into a new environment, show them amazing trails, and watch them progress in real time. I often prefer guiding relatively inexperienced clients as it’s all so new to them and they aren’t as jaded (wrong word, jaded is too harsh, but I canny think of the right word right now) as faster, more experienced riders. It can be a very, very rewarding job. Also yeah, you’re not generally riding as fast or carefree as with just friends, but I get to ride throughout the French, Swiss and Italian alps, on some of the best trails in the world, week in week out. Even if you’ve got a heavier rucsac than ideal, that’s still pretty fun. And as Doug say in his detailed reply, all those trails need ridden before the season starts, or need found in the first place. There’s a whole chunk of riding associated with the work that is unpaid at the time. Which is great when it works, not so great when you’ve been carrying the bike for 6 hours up and down hill because that line on the map that was going to be the missing link on a great tour turns out to be a figment of the cartographers imagination.

Most of my work is done for other companies, I am happy to earn less money in exchange for letting someone else deal with marketing, arranging hotels, taking the financial risk of a vehicle for the summer. I still need to pay insurances and various other fees, but none of the ABTA fees a guiding holiday company pays. Having come to the job from without a great deal of money behind me, this works for me. I still do some private work, which I often enjoy more than work for other people, and as there’s no middleman it does pay better, but it tends to be clients who I’ve guided in the past and are looking for something very specific in their riding.

The flip side, to guide in France where I do and you can make actual money (the MCF union rates are €250-300 a day) is quite a lot of work to get the qualification, and you need to be ready to deal with things when it goes wrong. I’ve been involved in a helicopter rescue every year for the last 4 years. Injuries have included broken hips, collar bones, wrists, ribs, feet, vertebrae and a fractured skull. Those incidents are stressful, both at the time and afterwards worry about what you could have done better, and it’s rarely the risk taking rider that gets injured, so frequently it’s the steady, safe member of the group that just has an unfortunate tumble on a relatively easy bit of trail.

I wouldn’t say there’s any good guides who “play” at the job, it’s a job, with good and bad like all jobs, but I really enjoy it and if you think you can too, go for it!

Final thought, back in March I had 90 days booked for this summer. So far I’ve done 1 day and currently have 26 days still booked, although after the weekend’s news I full expect to loose some of those. I don’t get any money for those days I’ve lost, so don’t expect much security from the job!

Airdrop Edit? In stock and on budget at £999.
My V2 did over 750,000m of descending with no problems before it was sold and replaced with the V3 which looks and feels like it should easily manage the same, so that should fit the hold on to it for a long time bit too.
Airdrop Edit

I think it’s all down to the UK quarantine rules for you guys. I’m in France and friends have travelled down to Finale this week, I might head down next week. Accommodation, cafes, restaurants are all open with some restrictions. Shuttles are starting back up, although are a bit more limited just now that pre-coronavirus obviously. On a similar note, our bikeparks are already open or opening up here in France and in Switzerland and Austria.
Just keep hoping that 1) the virus continues to be controlled in the UK (as well as everywhere else) allowing continued easing of restrictions and 2) the UK’s leaders realise that if 99% of the world has a lower circulation of the virus than your country, quarantine isn’t going to make much difference…(and all of us catering to the anglophone MTB market on the continent would really really like it if everyone gets to go on their holidays this summer!!!!)

I sold my much loved and much abused Airdrop Edit V2 this afternoon. The final scores since getting it new in June 2017: 10037km and 760378m of descent.
The distance isn’t much, but I’m quite proud of the descent bit! Airdrop should be pretty proud of the still going and still running well bit.

Hello Sanny (waves back)

I think that scratching was the blankets in the refuge though….

Nice big loop of Verbier, Pila, Aosta, La Thuile, Les Arcs, La Plagne, Beaufortain, La Clusaz, Portes du Mont Blanc, Chamonix. Assuming “summer” is between July and August when all of the above are open.
Or further south through Alp d’Huez, Les 2Alps, La Grave, Serre Chevalier/Briancon, Montgenevre/Sestriere.
Or stay as flexible as you can and chase the weather through Pyrennes/Med basin/Alps..
Or not france, but I canny help much with that! Have fun wherever the van takes you

I can’t help you with the V3 as mine is still having the spec dialled, but the V2 it’s replacing has been my guiding bike since June 2017 and has done 10,000km and 760,000m (the benefits of having to keep a professional log book) of European Alps and BC Canada descending in that time without any issues. Definitely doesn’t look like new any more but its still creak free, rattle free, generally feels like it did after the initial running in period 2 years ago. The V3 clears up all the wee issues I have with the V2 (rear wheel clearance, cable routing under down tube, slightly steeper seat tube, slacker head tube) As said above, it’s not the best bike for fire road climbs but it’s such a barrel of laughs on the way down and the reliability is hard to beat! Being able to fine tune your build from the start is a huge bonus too.Well, until you start trying to decide on a colour scheme…

Here’s 3 lesser known ideas, each with some other options if you search about the websites:
Queyras. Best place you’ve never heard of: https://theinsidelinemtb.com/holidays/queyrasmtbholiday/
Chamonix to Alp d’Huez via lots of places folk don’t ride much: https://www.benjonesmtb.com/transalpepic
La Grave, which is one of those places everyone who’s into the mountains should go at some point: https://www.endlesstrailsmtb.com/hautes-alpes-mtb-enduro-safari

Edit because he posted as I posted. And what Nasher said!

I’d say keep the yeti at least!
Was in a not too dissimilar position 3 years ago, broke both wrists and arms but the left wrist was a proper mess, 1st surgury the surgeon basically said he was going in to save my fingers, my wrist would be fused and that was that. Fortunately I was then moved to a hand and wrist specialist and several surgeries and 8 months with a completely immobilised left wrist later I could start riding again. The movement is much reduced, I have to wear a brace to protect it, but I can ride almost as well as before. As I’m an MTB guide in the alps then I think day in day out riding of alpine trails counts as mountainbiking, not just riding along a forestry road! Injuries differ, the standard of care I received in France may or may not be better than what you have available, the road back might take a lot longer than you think and even when you’re back, it might be painful and frustrating, but I’ve seen folks riding with some pretty messed up bodies. If you still want to ride, you’ll find a way and for me, having a bike I really love sitting there waiting to be ridden again is a big help.
I wrote up everything I found from a lot (LOT) of research into how to recover from wrist dislocations and breaks from a MTB perspective, it mostly focuses on the scaphoid as that was my, and most peoples, problem bone in the injury but a lot of the stuff I found carries over, it’s all here: http://www.chamonixbikeblog.com/2018/scaphoid-stories/ hopefully it’s useful to you.
Good luck.

@marko The French Bourg St Maurice website: https://www.bourgsaintmaurice.fr/vie-pratique/transports.html is fairly clear, clearer than the Les Arcs official site at least.

The funicular is closed, as it always is, in the interseason. It closed on 31st August, it’ll open for the winter season in mid December.

Whilst on subject, other places now closed include La Thuile, Les Contamines, St Gervais, Grand Massif. PdS and Pila call it quits next weekend, Megeve the weekend after, then Chamonix the weekend after that. Verbier and a few others keep running, usually weekends only, until late October/the snow arrives.

Trailforks and Pila are the best bets by far.

I’ve used procore on the rear wheel for 4 seasons now (matched with dual ply casing tyres most of the time, double down or supergravity if I want to save some weight), and it does a grand job of limiting how many rims I go through. I live and bike guide in Chamonix and get about 300,000m of descending in a season so that’s a fair test. I run the procore at about 55psi (though even there you can feel the drop in spoke tension, so I have the wheel a little tighter than usual to compensate) to avoid the exploding wheel issue that a few folks had when the system first came out.
It is hassle though. Changing tyres is a struggle, but it’s about the same level of struggle as Cushcore. After a while the tubeless sealant builds up on the inner tyre, which then helps it weld against the inner of the actual tyre. I’ve had to cut one procore tyre off in the past as it simply wouldn’t pull apart!
If you flat on the trail and need to put a tube in then it’s not a quick change, but then I’ve not had to do that with a procore in as if I’ve ripped an unrepairable hole in the tyre I just keep going on the inner until I get to home/car. I’ve snapped the valve off a couple times, but the outer tyre remained sealed so again, just rode the rest of the day with a dropped amount of pressure in the tyre as 1/3 the volume had gone. Cushcore would win there.
Despite all the above, I’ve gone from the rear rim being a disposable item to them easily lasting a full summer, current EX471 is almost 2 seasons old! So that’s a win for protection. Oddly though, the best thing I find about it is the combination of “progressive” travel through the tyre (you really do feel the change as the impact goes from outer to inner tyre pressures) and that you just can’t burp the tyre!
See if you can find a secondhand procore if you’re not sure, I’ve heard of some right good deals from folks who couldn’t be having with the hassle…

Another vote for the Allsports Dynamics brace here, although the Mobius brace seems pretty good too and the way it attached to the hand is pretty good.
I made a right mess of my left wrist a couple years back (and broke the right arm and wrist at the same time, not a great day) and nearly had it fused before getting sent to a specialist who had other opinions. As I had 5 months where I couldn’t move my wrist let alone use it for anything, and I really struggled to find any good information for cyclists about the scaphoid, I ended up writing all the information I could find into one place. Which is here: http://www.chamonixbikeblog.com/2018/scaphoid-stories/

As well as the aforementioned benjones and Jamie Carr who do all manner of point to point variations of the Tour du Mont Blanc, Chamonix to Grindelwald, Chamonix to Alpe d’Huez and more, there’s also Emily of Inside Line who does a point to point trip in the Queyras which virtually no one seems to have heard of yet is one of the most exquisite wee corners of the alps. https://theinsidelinemtb.com/2017/11/02/were-in-singletrack-mag/

Wayne at chamonixmtb can sort you out with the Chamonix guiding bit, and can do the Verbier bit too, though maybe not quite to the same levels as Bike Verbier…

Both places are relatively easy to self guide (look at the Verbier Bike Park trail map and the http://www.chamonixbikeblog.com/ for more) but with a short time to play with and wanting to get the best out of both areas, a guide will be a big help. There’s so much good riding at both places that narrowing it down to the best trail for what YOU want to ride, and sorting out the logistics, makes it worthwhile.

As for other spot, you’ve got a pretty good loop sorted out there already, even if you’re out for a couple of months you’ll not run out of riding between all of those. If you are looking for a few quieter,off the beaten path type places, check out Les Contamines/Megeve/St Gervais (all linked, really good natural riding, there’s info on the chamonixbikeblog if you click the tags on the right) La Clusaz, most of the bikepark trails are fairly natural in feel, but with berms where needed, a little like a mini La Thuile (check out Kilian Bron’s stuff, lots of his edits are filmed around there) And Beaufortain/Les Saisies, which is the old Trail Addiction destination X

Enjoy!

Le Tour gondola is broken (like about 1/2 our lifts at the moment…) however the Vallorcine gondola has had its opening extended to compensate, so will be turning until the 16th. Way better this way round, get train to Vallorcine instead of Montroc, short pedal over the col from the top of the gondola then down to the chairlift which is still running. Then ride all the swiss side variants or if you just want to lap Posettes (really, what is it with everyone and that trail?) then do the Tre le Champ variation and it’s 5 mins over the col des Montets and a cruise down fun trails back to the Vallorcine gondola.
Also, Les Houches is still all open until the 16th and is where all the best trails are at the moment (the new official DH track from Prarion is getting run in at the moment ready for work over the autumn and is tree dodging loam ruts of the finest quality) plus PlanPraz is still open for some rocky and technical fun.
Way more options than Verbier right now!

Though that all changes after the 16th when it’s just Bellevue at Chamonix, whilst Verbier keeps running through to 28th October this year!

Verbier itself is easy to self guide for the bike park, it’s bikepark! start on Blue and work your way up as feels appropriate. There’s a map available for free from the lift stations that shows some of the trails a little away from the bike park, basically though if there’s NOT a no bike sign at the top of the trail then it should be a good trail. Unfortunately all the Tzoumnaz side lifts are closed now so it’s a bit of a pedal back from all the good stuff over there.

Bike Ban is still very much in place, but all the trails used in the big day mentioned above (Hi Ed) are 100% legal (You were right Tom). They’re also mostly not in the Chamonix valley. Le Tour and Les Houches then Les Contamines, St Gervais and Megeve. If you’re in Chamonix for near a week and buying the week long lift pass then it’s not bad value really and you can ride all those spots, if not, it’s something like 65euro for a (big) days riding. More info here: http://www.chamonixbikeblog.com/2018/all-the-lifts/

Even with the bike ban, there’s tonnes to ride.It’s a shame Wayne’s booked out as Les Houches in particular is getting really good these days, but most of the trails are really hard to find or spot. Te complications this year are that Grands Montets is basically closed to walkers and bikers for the summer as the new lifts being built hare over most of the lower trails, so they’ve been closed for the summer. Flegere has a similar story, although for the last few years bikes haven’t be allowed on it in July and AUgust. Brevent has recently changed to let bikes up after 1615 and only to ride Charnalon, which is good step. An important thing about the bike ban is that it actually makes sense. All the centre of valley trails are so busy with walkers there’s no point in riding them. More bike ban info here: http://www.chamonixbikeblog.com/2017/unintended-consequenceschamonix-bike-ban/

As for October Bream, unfortunately you’ll fall between the times the lifts are open in Chamonix, they close late in September and Brevent or Flegere will re open in late October. Verbier will still be open at weekends then, the train will still be running in the valley and Dorenaz, Bex, Saleve and other year round lifts will still be going if you have a car and the inclination to drive an hour.

@spin When I rode the TdMB as a route I climbed from the Tete noir a few km down the road from Trient to the col du posettes, (missing the col du balme completely as it’s a horrendous climb from Trient) then descended the posettes trail, but that was in September, in August the posettes trail is part of the bike ban and properly off limits (local sore point, please don’t ride it in July or August)

If I was riding the tour in August i’d descend from near the top of the vallorcine gondola down to buet then over the col du montets and follow petite balcon sud home.

Over in Italy, we cheated and rode up Val ferret on the road then climbed up past the elina at the top. Unfortunately the storms at the start of this week caused a huge landslide in Val ferret blocking the road and killing 2 tourists. The climb initially following road and double track out of courmayeur and then up to the bertone is the way I’d go. Still a brutal way up (especially after obligatory pizza…) but a beautiful traversing singletrack at the top opposite the dent du geant, grand jorasses etc.

I’d say anti clockwise, but as said above, totally depends on which variation you take. Main argument being the route from champex to boviner was re made in 2013 and is now an ok climb or a dull descent, and the longer descent towards martigny isn’t to great either, so I’d rather climb that bit and instead have every descent all the way round being really good!

Whichever way you go, it’s a great ride. Have fun and don’t worry too much about what others are telling you.

Ps, mind the UTMB is in 3 weeks time, you don’t want to be riding the TdMB during a week with 10,000 competitors over the 4 races using the trail!

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/

tonnes to ride during the bike ban. All of the back side of Le Tour is unaffected, either due to being in the Vallorcine commune or being in Switzerland. Posettes is most definitely out of bounds during July and August though, and as elliptic says, too busy with walkers to be worth it anyways.

Brevent is open for VTT from 1615 in the afternoon this summer, though only to ride the Charlanon trail.

Les Houches is where the cool kids are at in Chamonix these days, lots of trails getting built, all the natural stuff there too with only really the GR5 from the Bellevue lift off limits as the Les Houches commune version of the Chamonix bike ban is only on the “grand” trails, i.e. the Tour du Mont Blanc/GR5.

Here’s more info: http://www.chamonixbikeblog.com/2017/unintended-consequenceschamonix-bike-ban/ (caveat, info correct in 2017, the Brevent opening is new for 2018)

Le Tour’s the best choice for a mixed ability group for sure, plenty for every standard from total beginner upwards. The 20e liftpass (just buy it from the ticket office at the base of the lifts) also gets you the Vallorcine gondola, so you can take the train (free with a carte d’hote, which you should get free from your accommodation provider, or it’s less than 10e a week from the tourist office if you’re staying with friends) to Vallorcine instead of getting off at Montroc and save the wee pedal up the road (and pedal up a coupe hundred meters from that gondola instead, no such thing as a free unch) There’s also the free bike bus in the summer which will take you all the way to Le Tour, but best to get on at Montenvers in the centre of Chamonix as the UCPA has a irritating habit of filling it with their clients.

Plenty of bike hire in the valley, just mind you get what you pay for…

July is in the bike ban period so on the front face of Le Tour you’re limited to the green, blue and red official trails. PLEASE DON’T RIDE THE POSETTES TRAIL NO MATTER HOW GOOD IT IS. The green is quite fun and flowy, the upper blue a little tricky for the grade, and the lower red is again lots of fun. Round the back the Black Vallorcine DH trail is a bit full on for most folk, but one of the better DH tracks in the alps. You can ride round all the more interesting lines easy enough, but to take the fastest route down requires a fairly solid bike….

The non-Chamonix side of Le Tour is in Switzerland and the bike ban doesn’t apply, the main line down to Trient (in the chamonix bike book) is easy going and a great, great trail, so if your team is feeling a bit more adventurous then it’s a really good choice.

Finally, as Kenttaff13 says, there’s a few ways to ride the 400m vertical back to Chamonix from Le Tour. The Promenade des Arve is the easiest going and is cruisy double track the whole way. Petite Balcon Sud is a bit more engaging but fun, and Petite Balcon Nord is the uphill track so you shouldn’t really ride down it.

Hope that helps, here’s a bunch of Le Tour inspiration if you want it:

Le Tour Triptych

http://www.chamonixbikeblog.com/tag/le-tour/

In addition to the grand advice already given, the climbing guide book folks at Versant Sud also have a MTB guide book for the Aosta valley which is fairly good as an introduction to the stuff away from the lifts: https://www.versantesud.it/en/shop/mountain-bike-in-valle-daosta/

Chamonix and Verbier will both still have lifts running late September, have lots of walking, and have some via feratta. And a few other bits of tourist interest too….
In that neck of the woods you also have year round uplift with Saleve, Bex, Dorenaz and a few others.
Here’s a list of opening and closing dates for around the Haute Savoie/Valais: http://www.chamonixbikeblog.com/2018/lift-openings-2018-houston-we-have-a-problem/

But, I’d be looking at Finale/Molini/Sospel too at that time of year.

Chamonix and Verbier will both still have lifts running late September, have lots of walking, and have some via feratta. And a few other bits of tourist interest too….
In that neck of the woods you also have year round uplift with Saleve, Bex, Dorenaz and a few others.
Here’s a list of opening and closing dates for around the Haute Savoie/Valais:
<h1>http://www.chamonixbikeblog.com/2018/lift-openings-2018-houston-we-have-a-problem/</h1&gt;

The weather will be your big issue. It can be amazing in October, sunny crisp perfect riding conditions, or it can be snowing to the valley floor. The last few years have been perfect autumns for biking, but that doesn’t meant this year will be.

For lifts, here in Chamonix the Brevent lift is open for the all saint’s holidays. so the last 2 weeks of October and 1st week of November, if you have a car (it’s easiest with a car) then you can combine that with the le Chable-ruinettes lift in Verbier (possibly weekends only by then) and the always open Dorenaz and Saleve lifts to easily get a week of lift accessed riding in.

Accommodation won’t be an issue, loads of airbnb available then. Town will be quiet as that’s when most of Chamonix goes on holiday but it won’t be a ghost town likemost of the alps.

Personally I’d go off to Sospel at that time of year though. Uplift with coolbus, selfguide from transprovence Ash. Sorted! http://ridesospel.com/trails/

@Ewan. The Valais canton changed the rules a couple of years ago to allow VTT riding on footpaths, though I think there was an exception made to the paths that running alongside the aquaducts that criss-cross the hills over there, so they’re probably still not permitted. Information is pretty hard to come by, and the rules in Switzerland have a habit of changing, but last info I’ve been able to see is that.

There is a big “advice” board on the border twixt France and Switzerland on the Col du Balme (I’m going to guess you’ll head through that way from Chamonix, the descent to Trient is a belter) which has out of date rules and claims what’s blatantly water erosion is the fault of bikes. There’s been attempts to have it taken down over the years but it keeps re-appearing.

Mrlebowski has the best advice there, it’s very, very rare I meet any disapproval whilst out on the trails in Haute Savoie or Valais, far more likely to get good natured cheering on and questions about your sanity (though warming up the toblerone first is also pretty good advice…)

What Lornholio and kenttaff13 said!

Only Brevent and Flegere lifts closed through July and August, so that leaves all of Le Tour (except posettes), Les Houches, Grand Montets (ish, a couple trails are off limits) then if you have the full area lift pass, St Gervais, Megeve, Combloux, Les Contamines. I think you’ll survive for the week.

I got fed up reading rubbish about the bike ban in Chamonix and wrote a rough guide to just how much you can do during July and August: http://www.chamonixbikeblog.com/2017/unintended-consequenceschamonix-bike-ban/
Or you could give Wayne a shout and get shown the stuff that doesn’t make it into any of the books…. https://www.chamonixmtb.com/

For the road bike bit, depending on your legs you might want to look at the Cluses-Col Colombiere-Col du Aravis-Megeve-Cluses loop. I’d park up in Cluses (about 20 mins drive from Morzine) to save a good chunk of climbing at the end of the day, but I’m weak and rely on chairlifts a lot! So if you’ve got the power, the full loop from Morzine would be great, and with a good selection of cafes and boulangeries along the way.

For the MTB bit, don’t get too fixed on routes you want to do before you arrive, and don’t get too fixed on grades either. Skipping round the jumps on harder trails can leave you with lots of really good and quieter riding inbetween, a lot of the fun in a place like the PdS is just following trails infront of you fairly safe in the knowledge that you’ll get to another chairlift to move you back to where you want to go next. (assuming the chairs are open which, given your dates, not all will be)

@scruff Work’s been finished now and it’s running fine taking skiers up to Verbier, it’ll be open for biking this summer (and was this winter before it got too snowy, and thanks to the more bike friendly attitude, next spring too once the snow melts below Verbier village for laps down to Le Chable after 11am)
Of slight complication for folks wanting to do Chamonix and Verbier in the same trip is a big landslide near the Col du Forclaz last week now looks like it’ll take until 5th March to clear, which would hint at ongoing closures as they stabilise the whole hill. Probably won’t be an issue, but one to keep an eye on.

What Jambalaya said. but also here’s a link to the chamonixbikeblog post with lots of the 2017 north west alps summer lift opening dates, and links to the lift websites: http://www.chamonixbikeblog.com/2017/turning-over/

I put that post up in April last year and you’ll notice most of the areas are just estimated dates, I’ll put another post up this year about the same time and no doubt it’ll be the same however in the mean time you can work from these dates and it won’t change too much. Bear in mind we’re having a normal* winter in the alps this year after a few fairly dry years so there’ll likely be more snow kicking about up high this June.

*normal as in 30 year average normal, not post invention of social media and folk getting surprised at it snowing in the alps in winter normal. #grumpy #bitter #old #man :-)

@madedgar Yup, it’s completely possible. Though you need to find out which lifts are open when (because some are only open on certain days of the week) which trails are open to mountain bikes (there’s all manner of MTB bans across the alps) and which trails are good to ride (against which are more suitable with absail kit….)
All this is either a good reason to hire a guide, or even more reason to do the trip as you get to spend a year in advance pouring over maps and internet articles ;-)
If you want any suggestions for getting through the 50km or so around Chamonix let me know and I’ll try and help though.

I ride 650b not 29″, but otherwise have the same wheelset and they’ve lasted pretty well since I got them on my Edit in mid June. That’s over 160,000m descent in the Alps and Canada mostly off of the lifts and a few Enduros thrown in for good measure. So far the damage is a bit of a wobble and a few snapped spokes in the rear wheel and not even the need to true the front. I generally run 2.3~2.5 dual ply tyres and a pro core in the rear so there’s a fair bit of protection, and at 69kg I’m not exactly a clydesdale, but I move at a reasonable pace on a good day.
I had the EX471 before and I don’t think they’re quite as robust as those, but the extra 5 mm width is quite nice and is noticeable on the trail.
As plenty of folk have noted above, it’s easy enough to change rim to a higher spec if it’s not lasting for you.

It’s very hard to find statistics on just how many people die in the Mont Blanc massif every year, even as a local, but the most common numbers I hear are about 400.
The TdMB doesn’t get walked in winter, in fact rarely before mid May or after late October. It also rarely gets done as a ski tour partly because there’s much more interesting things to ski but also because there are several points with very high avalanche risk due to the slopes above heating up. On a fat bike you’re unlikely to be able to get through those sections very quickly.
I don’t know if you’ve tried fat biking off piste above 2000m in mid winter before (March is peak snow depth for mid mountain altitude in Haute Savoie) but it does seem quite hard. You don’t have a trodden trail to follow, nor is it the 10-30cm powder snow ontop of solid ground most biking on snow videos feature.
Now, on the other hand, Aosta valley has lots of great nordic ski trails, cafes, restaurants, scenery and refuges. Just 90mins in a hire car from Geneva airport….

Are you sure you mean the Brevent to PlanPraz descent? That’s from the top lift station to the mid-station. Fun enough but not really the same league as the trails from the top of the second stage (Brevent) down towards REfuge Bellachat then either down from there towards Les Bossons or traversing and climbingon to the col just the Aiguliiet des Houches then down to Servoz (more scenic, longer) or down towards Merlet (better trails, more fun)
You’ve got until the 17th September anyone who’s keen…..
And there’s a bunch of guys locally in their mid 50’s into their 60’s who ride that and a whole lot more tech, age isn’t a reason not to try ;-)

Def stay in Aosta rather than Pila, partly because the gondola starts in Aosta anyway so saves you the surprisingly long drive up, partly because, as everyone above says, the trail from Pila to Aosta is great, but mostly because you’ll get way better pizza and aperitivo down in Aosta and what’s the point of being in Italy if you don’t eat well?
I’d say there’s a lot more tech in La Thuile than in Pila, but caveat it with the iXS course in Pila, which if you can hit all the fastest lines you are most definitely on it for tech riding!

Are you in Chamonix the now or is it after August?
Either way, for fast n flowy singletrack you’re best looking up at Le Tour, as oldnpastit says, the trails from the Col du Balme above the Le Tour lifts heading for Trient, Chatelard and Vallorcine are all great and fit the bill. The Vallorcine gondola closes at the end of the month though. If you take the train or bike bus up to Le Tour/Montroc and buy the 31euro all area vtt pass then you can do a lap or 2 at Grand Montets on the way home too. The Lavancher trail is the official trail down from the gondola, but you’ll get away with riding the fast n flowing (fast n flowing is relative to ability) switchbacks down to Chosalet, though it is technically part of the bike ban.
Down at Les Houches it’s a bit rootier and less flowy, but there’s still great trails there. I’d just get the 21euro vtt ticket there and ride the Prarion and Bellevue lifts. There are some amazing options down to Le Fayet/St Gervais from there which can either involve the train (10 euros maybe) or the Tramway du Mont Blanc to get back.
The nearby Portes du Mont Blanc is great value at 17.50 for Megeve, St Gervais and Les Contamines.
The standard recommendations still stand though. Buy the Chamonix Bike Book from Tom in ZeroG, check out the Chamonix bike blog (here’s one on the bike ban http://www.chamonixbikeblog.com/2017/unintended-consequenceschamonix-bike-ban/ ) or just hire a guide (Wayne is awesome) http://www.chamonixmtb.com/

Maybe a better question would have been “where’s good when in the alps?”
I’d say June: Portes du Soleil, ‘cos it’s open and there’s not too many braking bumps yet
July: Aosta valley, not too busy, Pila and La Thuile running great and all the shuttle/pedal stuff is free of snow
August: Down south into the Mercantour, you’ll probably melt in the heat, but there’s plenty of rivers and lakes to cool off in
September: Chamonix and Verbier, dot between the 2 enjoying the open lifts and amazing walking trails with hardly any walkers on them…
…but then I’ve never ridden east of St Luc so that’s another 1/2 of the range to look at!