Mostly aimed at Nick this, but will be of use to anyone TdMBing clockwise or HRing.

Took part in a wee jog from Courmayeur to Chamonix on Friday (18hr 43 mins, 183 out of 1900 since you asked…) and discovered that the Bovine climb out of Champex has been re-routed and regraded. Much easier going on the up than before and pretty much (I think, I had other things to concentrate on at the time) all rideable on the way down. Not going to be one of the top 10 alpine descents of all time, and not as good as the descent to Martigny, but certainly not the downhill carry it used to be!

Apparently the work was done earlier this summer.

Hope this helps.

Enjoy your crisis! It’ll certainly be a change of scene in Benderloch :-)

I’ll use a stereotype and assume you’ll be picking up a car and are used to driving! In which case 1hr of driving (the miles go past much much slower on a Scottish A road than an American freeway, so thats more like 40 miles) gets you to so many amazing places, and the roads (once off the A roads) are really good for riding, as you’ve been shown above. I’d add driving up to Corran ferry, leaving the car there and exploring the Ardnamurchan peninsular roads, or going to as many islands as you can. If the forecast is wet, but not too windy (does happen occasionally, honest) then the further out islands (tiree, harris, lewis etc), though a bit of work to get to, generally have nicer weather (the rain doesn’t realise it’s above land in time and waits till it hits the mainland to pour) and will show you a side of Scotland not that many get to see.

Salut from Chamonix to Vancouver, neatly highlighting how after Argyll, everywhere seems a bit rubbish eh…

Nooooooooooo! My Beinn Lora trails have gone! Gutted.

Of more use to OP, if you’re new to the area then your best bet is probably just to get the OS map and head off to explore the mix of Landrover tracks and singletrack roads that can get you over towards Onich, round to Taynult, back in to Oban, or even further without much effort. You’ve probably got the perfect bike and with road fitness, you’ll be able to get to know the area much better than following track suggested by locals. As you progress you can get onto some of the amazing singletrack around there.

The only problem with being a local on the west coast is that everywhere you go afterwards seems like such a disappointment…

As pointed out by several of you above, the Finale finale is full. Shall plot for next year with a slightly higher degree of organisation applied.

Good luck to all competing, it’s an amazing place even if it doesn’t go well!

Cheers guys.

I’m mostly used to trail running races in France where you can either be part of a nationally sanctioned body, or just have a doctors note saying you promise not to die on the way round.

Friend’s who’ve done the tribe enduro series in France also just needed a doctors note so I’m hoping the Superenduro guys will say the same, once they’ve translated my email (alas my Italian language skills is limited to coffee and ice cream. Important subject, but of marginal use when trying to ask about licence requirements, and I’m not convinced the google translate quite got it right….)

Perhaps another way to phrase it would be, does the BC provisional licence, i.e. the one that comes with “bronze” membership, have a UCI code?

I did briefly as I wanted to sell the chainrings & shifters as unused from my new bike, but the thick thin hadn’t arrived.
Worked ok (XT clutch), only fell off a couple times (Loriaz loop near Chamonix and a day in the Grand Massif) not too annoying really and much better than without a clutch mech. Since getting the works components thick thin I’ve not lost the chain though, no guide or nuffink. Amazing really.
On a related note, anyone interested in an unused 36 & 24 tooth Race face turbine chainrings, XT LH shifter and SLX front deurallieur…

Aye, you’d definitely earn your poco-loco after that!

Cheers, I guess we’ll see how we’re feeling by the time we leave St Luc and base it on that for which pass. It doesn’t seem like there’s a ‘wrong’ choice, just 2 good ones. Bella Tolla noted too…

Nick: I’ve pretty much always gone up Buet from the Salenton & Berard cols (not with a bike!) so just assumed that Buet was in the Rouge park too without ever bothering to look at the map, but like you say, the trail avoids the park. A rudimentary search hasn’t given me any MTB banned results so it’s all good! (once the snow melts…)

I liked it, and at some point will compare it to the previous mega, but in brief, except for price and graphics, I can’t think of anywhere I prefer the older one. Not to say the old one was in any way bad, the new one’s just better!

2013 Nukeproof Mega AM review

Sorry Tom, I got my passes mixed up in my head, and had the Torrent and Meidpass the wrong way round! Torrent definitely looks like the option for day 3, but…
Would you recommend the Pas de l’Illsee then round to the Augstbordpass or Meidpass followed by Augstbordpass. The pics, footage and reports online of both look very good but as one of the few who’ll have ridden both I think you’re in a good position to deliver a definitive verdict!

Tom, I only know the trails as far as Verbier really, I tend to stay in France or Italy when I stray from the valley, Switzerland is kinda dear if you’re a ski bum! I was going to ask which way you preferred, the Pas de L’Illsee or the Col du Torrent. I’d heard good things about the former, and it’s an easier way round with a chairlift then after the descent a 400m road climb instead of 600m+, but the Torrent – Augstbordpass is a really aesthetically pleasing line to draw on the map! Think we’ll take suggestion. I am getting very excited about this trip!

Nick, It’s on the list, though as it’s a very forbidden trail (ignoring the July/Aug debacle, it’s in the aig rouge nat park and it goes above 2500m, but it’s not exactly wilderness when you see the snake of folk winding up it summer & winter) I wouldn’t put it in the blog if/when I do/did it, which obviously I haven’t/wouldn’t. Err. Give us a shout if you’re in town again later in the year and keen though. In keeping with the theme of this year, there’s still way too much snow up there to bother with it just now, but it should be good by September. Unfortunately I think it will be one of those rides that are much more about the adventure than the quality of the riding, it’s fairly loose scree at the top and a very sweaty haul to the top, but to paraphrase someone else, it needs to be ridden because it’s there.

Sanny, aye, I’m one of them now. Terrorising other trail users by going too fast, overtaking, ripping up the ground with aggressive treads, wearing bright out of place colours……disgraceful I know. Buuuut for a lot of Chamonix trails it’s the fastest way about, and it does keep you in good shape for the winter.

Tom, Awesome, an example of all that is good and useful on the internet!

The 2 route links you give are 2 of the main ones I’ve used for planning the route, which has come out more or less a mix of the 2. Same as yours till 1/2 way through day 2, then more or less the same as Jamie’s at Ridethealps to Evolene,day 3 Pas & Basset de Iona to St Luc, day 4 Pas de l’Illsee then back onto yours for the Augstbordpass to St Niklaus, then day 5 up to Zermatt and bankruptcy…

My main problem had been sorting out the accommodation, the majority of online search engines look in the surrounding area, and 10km in a straight line can be an auffy long way in the mountains! I found it hard to believe that there were no gites in any of the towns when it’s one of the main walking areas in Europe.

I live in Chamonix, so had all but 1 of the maps anyway for ski touring (swiss ski touring maps are a thing of beauty for anyone who hasn’t used them, but they colour them in for winter snow levels not summer, which adds something to the MTBing high pass rideabilty guesswork)and also means I can pressgang a mate into driving round and picking us up to save on the train fare.

We’re aiming to start 2nd weekend in September to balance the lifts still being open, the trails being a bit quieter and me having enough time to recover from running the C.C.C. the weekend before.

Looking forward to reading ChrisE’s report too!

If I can help anyone with Chamonix info in exchange, I’ve got the http://www.chamonixbikeblog.com/ which also occasionally has bigger rides. (I’m quite proud of the Tour du Mont-Blanc[/url] one!)

Cheers again

Graham

Oh, and the bike pass only covers the front 2 lifts at le tour ( short new trail being built) and prarion at les houches, new trails also being worked on plus 2 new lines finished.

Chamonix beta: the vallorcine lift is open, but the dh track is closed due to lots of works, alternatives exist. The lift there always closes at end aug anyway. Train is running le fayet to argentiere, the bus beyond does not take bikes. As ever, more info (and several lesser known spots) at chamonixbikeblog.com

Live in chamonix and drive home to Glasgow once a year. Generally 20 – 24hr door to door using the tolls (73 euro) dunkerque to Dover (30ish) and m6. Fuel depends on what you drive and how, but I stick to about 110kph the whole way, and get the drive done in a reasonable time. It is way easier sharing the driving though! Having a car in chamonix is a big help too as in early aug means you aren’t limited by the bike ban and can ride the quiet spots nearby…

Cheers for the positive news one and all, have assumed that as they’re a wee operation they’ve been focused on making stuff rather than answering emails, which I can more than identify with! (Though it would be good to get a reply to my panicked email about the delivery.)

Have you heard anything yet? I’ve also got one on back order and haven’t had a reply to any emails.

Took part in the Risoul (linked to Vars) Deval this year. Only rode the 1 enduro trail down from the resort to the Durance river (that’s the problem with racing, usual blog plug here http://www.chamonixbikeblog.com/2013/risoul-deval-turns-out-the-deval-is-in-the-detail/ ) however the surroundings looked pretty good for riding and the resort seemed pretty keen on bikes. Whether that translates onto the ground or if it was just tourist info enthusiasm I don’t know, but if you’re not that far away, it’s worth an explore for the day.

As Jambalaya said, check on a real map the road directions if relying on GPS, I know a fellow transfer driver who tried following his GPS from Chamoix to Val d’Isere a couple summers ago, ended up on a 4×4 track round the back of Les Contamines….(though Cham to Verbier is the same summer and winter) and also double check the cost of tunnels if you’re being routed through them!

Hi Downtimehunter. Not sure what budget you’ve got, but the long way to do it would be go to http://www.chamonet.com/ and about 1/2 way down the page there are 3 boxes; chalet holidays, hotels & residences plus apartments & rentals. look through and any that take your fancy send an email.
Unfortunately that weekend is the Mont Blanc marathon when several thousand runners descend on chamonix to rip up the trails and terrorise other trail users with their excessive speed and garish clothing….and use the accommodation.
Nomadic Ski are a very nice bunch of folk who also ride, they might have some space. Otherwise most of my knowledge is at the cheaper end of the scale, so try google the following: High mountain holidays (bunkhouse style chalet by the hospital) Gite Tapia & Gite Chamonard Volant, both Gites just past MBC. Ski Station, bunkhouse up by the Brevent gondola. Gite Belvedere, up in Argentiere, under new ownership and in much better condition than the last few years! Les Randonneurs, another Argentiere gite.
Hope this helps!

Northwind, La Thuile is probably my favourite lift accessed riding, though like Chamonix I think it’s better on an enduro style bike than a full DH rig (I used to race DH, got 3rd overall junior in the old SCU series, which shows my age, so it’s really not that I don’t like DH!!!) It is a pretty expensive 40 minutes though if you have to pay the full whack for the MB tunnel…
Pila just a bit further (and many euro’s if you take the autostrada) down the Aosta valley is better for pure DH riding.
Hire a van and make a roadtrip of it! Start in Chamonix then Pila, La Thuile, over the col to the Tarantaise and its Tignes/Val D’Isere free lifts, Les Arc/La Plagne for singletrack, round via Beaufortaine and its buses, La Clusaz, Portes du Mont-Blanc, Grand Massif, PDS, return van, go home a hero!

Ah well, +1 to Johnhe ‘s comment….then come back at the start of September with AM bikes and visit Chamonix for some challenging rocks n roots!

The dates you’re over covers the weekend most of the Haute Savoie lifts open, so as well as PDS you could try the Grand Massif area for some DH only uplift without the crowds. If you can cadge a lift off someone then Les Portes du Mont-Blanc would also keep you busy for a day with a DH rig and wanting some roots and rocks without any of the braking bumps. It’s also when the bike ban kicks in in Chamonix, so most of the best trails from the lifts are off limits by then anyways.

WHen exactly are you over Toys? It’s not that you need to climb to get the best out of Chamonix (though if you can lead 7a+ it’s quite helpful….)more that the trails don’t really suit a DH rig, they are much much better on a AM trail bike, which you seem to have, so just take that!
The trails are already starting to get busy with walkers and at the speed you need to be going to justify a DH bike, it’s just too fast for the other trail users.
Of the “bike only” DH trails, Flegere is average at best, the new Les Houches trails are now due to open in mid July due to land owner disputes, the old Les Houches trails are sort of closed and most of the north shore sections in pretty bad disrepair, and the Vallorcine track will BE CLOSED ALL SUMMER, along with that side of the hill to all walkers and cyclists. Though the lift will be running. This leaves the Le Tour trail, which is good, but doesn’t warrant a DH rig.
To summarise. Just take the 160mm trail bike.

1st the bad news, Vallorcine DH track is to be closed for maintenance work this summer!
The optimistic news is the the trains will be running by the end of this month.
The tyre news (it IS STW after all…) Singleply Maxxis minion and high roller 2.35, with normal tubes at about 30 – 35 psi, rarely puncture (once this year, see below, maybe 3 times all of least year) but I’m only 65kg. Several friends have gone ghetto tubeless on single ply maxxis this year, so far with no problems, except when riding across the montenvers cog railway I and then a friend on tubeless both slit our tyres open on (presumably) a sharp edge of the track. So go UST, pack a tube and tyre boot, carry your bike over the railway crossings and you should be fine!

I live in Chamonix and use a 160mm AM bike. Pretty much everyone I know in Chamonix uses a 160mm(ish) AM bike. Lots of them have DH bikes, they use them when they go to Pila, Morzine or for the Vallorcine DH track. You’ll have way more fun on the AM bike basically!
The only real DH track in town is the excellent Vallorcine track (which doesn’t open untill the 29th June), everything else is either a purpose made trail center style track or a natural trail which at the end of June will be too busy with walkers to go fast enough for a DH bike to be of use on the downs, and generally are too tight to get round the bends without skidding a DH rig.

Hi GI78, just to help with your planning, the trains MIGHT be back on by then, as Freeridenick says they’re due to start running again late June, but then again, they were meant to be running up to Argentiere again for this winter, so…. The bus replacement will be running if the trains aren’t, but you can’t take bikes on it. The bike bus, which you can and is very useful, only runs July & August, the same time as the bike ban.

Bikes are (or at least, last year were) allowed on the Mont Blanc tramway, LEs Houches Prarion & Bellevue gondolas , Brevent 1st stage (sometimes second stage), Flegere 1st stage, GM 1st stage, Le Tour & Vallorcine lifts. Plenty to go at…

The Tour du Mont Blanc is awesome, write up in the chamonixbikeblog linked above.

You’ll be out in the best week of the year when all (perhaps not GM right enough) the lifts will be running, there’s no bike ban (other than the year round one for the Aig Rouge national park)and the trails are nice and quiet.

Enjoy

Hullo Sanny (waves from PocoLocoLand)

Do indeed, but have wee bro’s wedding in Orkney in July and need to take time off work for the CCC in August, so might only manage a bit of it with yous then have to head back to Chamonix.

Gies us a shout wi dates and we’ll see what we can do eh!

Hope the bike-rafting was as good as the 1 paragraph I can read suggests.

And Mattjq, correct, VTT is very far down the Marie’s list of priorities, however there is some interest from the tourist board who have been speaking to various influential bikey types in the valley and are trying to work with both the Marie and CDMB, so hopefully things will at least not get any harder for access…

There’s still plenty of riding to be had in Chamonix once the July – August ban kicks in, check Tom & Angus’s book for details http://www.thechamonixbikebook.com/ (they list the trails you can ride legally) or http://chamonixbikeblog.wordpress.com/ for a locals perspective (look through the archives to what we were riding during July & August).

The lift pass is much less than 50e for the day UNLESS you want to go up the Midi or such like as well, when it is that much. There’s a selection of deals which Compagnie du Mont Blanc will get round to telling everyone about minutes before the summer season starts.

There are all manner of rumours at the moment as to what the bike situation will be for summer 2013, including that no bikes will be allowed on the Flegere or Grand Montets lifts. I’ve no idea what these are based on so until we know, what IS happening is a change from the Bellevue to the Prarion lift at Les Houches for the focus of the bike trails, including new trails getting built. More trails at Le Tour & the Flegere trails being completely abandoned with no bike access on the Index chairlift (the same situation as last summer, although the lifties were happy for you to maintain the trails yourself)

The bike ban’s been around for a few years, like it or not, it’s there and at least paying some attention to it and not riding high profile trails when chock full of walkers will help the situation not get worse. No VTT guide qualified to work in Chamonix will take you on the trails that are banned during July & August either.

Hope this helps, the riding’s great and you’ll not get bored in a week for sure. If you have transport then you’ve got an obscene amount of riding at your disposal in less than 60 mins driving. Enjoy!

This: http://www.thechamonixbikebook.com/
and this: http://chamonixbikeblog.wordpress.com/
should help.

No GPX log, but if you look in the comments field at the base of the blog entries there are links to other folks trips which might help.

If you have a map, google earth and some trip write ups that you like you will be able to work out the route pretty easily. If you can’t then you would probably enjoy the route more with a guide, which sounds terribly patronising, but the weather can get interesting up there. If you want more on how interesting, google for the Ultra Trail Mont Blanc race which is held round the TdMB on the last weekend in August, unless there’s too much snow/wind/rain/ice….

Not with a holiday company, and the wrong way round, and on some different trails to those the guides use. Ignoring that, here’s some pretty pictures and a write up to make you want to book the flights…
http://chamonixbikeblog.wordpress.com/2012/08/16/tour-du-mont-blanc-day-1/
http://chamonixbikeblog.wordpress.com/2012/08/16/tour-du-mont-blanc-day-2/
http://chamonixbikeblog.wordpress.com/2012/08/16/tour-du-mont-blanc-day-3/

For a first trip, especially of you’re not too confident heading off to explore “off piste” then guided makes a whole lot of sense, you’ll get a much higher ratio of enjoyable riding to well-I’m-liking-this-at=the-moment-but-wtf-is-happening-with-that-cliff-infront-of-meeeee moments!

If you want to do it for yourself however, and like food, try Italy, particularly the Val d’aosta.

For uplift you have La Thuile, Cervinia and Pila and for just riding out then there’s all manner of amazing trails which have pretty much the same access rules as Scotland (i.e., VTT are allowed, but be sensible, slow down/stop for pedestrians and don’t bother the livestock) And as for the food, well, it’s Italy! We go through from Chamonix and pretend to ski/bike/climb for an hour just so we can spend the afternoon eating!

There’s an excellent guidebook (available in English and everyfink) here: http://www.versantesud.it/INGLESE/dettaglio.asp?id=318

The Aosta valley freeride guys do uplift and guiding (generally more full-face style, but they aren’t all gnar): http://aostavalleyfreeride.com/bike-activities.php

And here’s a wee trip report to La Thuile: http://chamonixbikeblog.wordpress.com/2012/09/02/singletrack-heaven-la-thuile/

The rest of the Chamonix bike blog site might help give you some ideas too, there’s t.r. from Samoens and Megeve too.

Very good answer!

Before reading this bit, remember, most voters are car owners. (not most people of course, but most voters) most voters are var owners.

Your local councilor thinks bikes are a great idea and more people should cycle. Cuts obesity, traffic congestion, cheaper. All good.

He/she/it instructs your local authority to begin constructing cycle paths that are not on road.

OK says the L.A., £400 per meter & we don’t really own any useful land near where people actually want to go on the bike, and folk don’t like using them after dark due to perceived risk to personal safety, but we’ll try.

£400 a meter! For something that people won’t want to use! Any other options says the councilor.

Well we could do on-road cycle paths for about £100 a meter.

Excellent, do that.

Unfortunately most urban roads are fairly narrow already, you can’t build in peoples gardens, the footway can’t (& shouldn’t) get any narrower, the road can’t magically get wider, so we’ll have to remove the parking from outside peoples houses.

Suddenly the councilor is receiving emails a plenty from residents who believe paying council tax & v.e.d. gives them the right to park right outside their house. They will be voting for the other party next time if he/she/it doesn’t do something about it

Sod it! says the councilor, they can just ride on the pavement* like everyone else.

What can you do?

*Joke only roads engineers will get, hence not a joke!

Whilst going further and further from the original theme of the thread, it’s very interesting to hear professionals take on the current situation! Cheers Whiteroom, Rivierabike & Mountain Bike Chalet for the insight.
It would seem to be in the interests of all the alpine countries to agree on a common equivilancy. Foreign tourist pennies are the best pennies you can get and foreign guides and holiday companies attract them better than the locals.

There isn’t much snow shoeing in your average days MTB guiding, and there isn’t much mountain biking in your average days trekking in the Himalaya. Whilst the I.M.L. qualification is a respected badge to have and shows the holder is very, very competent in the mountains, it isn’t of much relevance to MOST days mtb guiding.

Juan, I apologise. I should have made clear that I was not meaning you should be able to sit the diploma in Franglais. Whilst at university a great number of my fellow students didn’t speak English as a first language. (I’m Scottish, it could be argued I don’t speak it as a first language!) however they got by and allowances were made for how their accent/grammar/use of vocabulary. Friends who have spoken French since childhood, but have the wrong accent, have had some very unpleasant experiences whilst training for both high and middle mountain guide in France. This doesn’t mean it happens to everyone and that it is endemic, but it is the experience they have had.

What people are trying to get is an equivalence of qualification that allows guides to work across borders as with, say, UIAGM in the high mountains where holders, irrespective of the country they gained the qualification in, are respected around the world. This may mean the UK has to up the standard, or that other countries may have to change the emphasis, but it would be good if it can happen.

I wish you the best in getting it sorted before next summer. Hopefully having the British Cycling also arguing the case will help, BASI succeeded in the end after all!

The current recommended equivalence (I.M.L. and a UK MTB qualification) does seem a ridiculous overkill for 99% of guided riding.

The French diploma system looks like it should produce good guides ( http://www.formation-velo.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=34&Itemid=44 ) but everyone I speak to who has been involved in gaining a French guiding qualification (though not the VTT one) has said that, if you are a none-native French speaker (and this includes Belgians and (eastern)Swiss) then you will struggle.

Will you still be running van uplift next year?

Quick question for Mansell. You say you are trying to get qualified asap. Are you trying to get equivalency of your UK qualifications or sit the new(ish) VTT guiding diploma in France?

Nasher, my understanding is that as long as the ride starts and finishes in Italy, you are fine on the qualifications you are riding on in Italy (though you might want to chat with the French authorities to double check!!) to ride across the border, certainly it’s the technique a lot of Swiss based operations use to guide around Chamonix & Portes du Soleil

In danger of taking this way off topic, but:

“If you are resident in France, you are legally obliged to register with the French authorities every bank account and every penny of earnings you make, no matter where those accounts or earnings themselves exist.“

I think what mugsys_m8 is referring to, which I suspect happens more in France (and possibly Italy & Austria) than the UK is the habit of companies in the alps to have offices in the UK, with staff employed under UK law, paid £ and paying UK tax, and then “seconded” to the alps for the entire duration of the contract. It means less tax for the company and they can get the employees to do longer hours for lower wages, but it’s not really fair on the locals, and considerably worse than ordering from an online supplier (which is just a good example of free market capitalism. If you don’t like it, don’t vote for capitalists).

Having said this, not quite on the same level as the surprising number of UK mtb guiding companies out here without local (or sometimes any) qualifications, or the likes of Amazon/Starbucks etc paying nae tax at all in the UK.