Megavalanche 2025

[mikeyicepops]

Hey, anyone else doing this?

[warp9]

Hell no!! But I love watching the rider head cams on YouTube.

[ChocolateFrog]

No but would have loved to have done it 5 years ago or so.

The penalty for failure is too high these days for me.

Good luck and have fun.

[mikeyicepops]

warp9 said:

Hell no!! But I love watching the rider head cams on YouTube.

Yeah YouTube is where I heard about, I’m already in Morzine and got some space where I’m Billy no mates so going to have a drive north and go have a bash

If anyone is going and would be willing to be to do me a wee favour though please do get in touch!

[fooman]

I did it last year with my son, we weren't particularly competitive but it was a great experience overall. There's only a few sections that are terrifyingly technical the rest is mainly steep steep steep for longer than seems possible, if you are ok on UK reds and blacks and have reasonable endurance you'll be ok.

I think tickets were still available a day before qualifying, you need a medical certificate (common on European events) but again I think they could arrange one there for you.

[BunkMoreland]

A friend of mine was showing me this a few months ago. Neither of us have the correct bikes for it. I haven't ridden MTB for decades!

And I couldn't convince him to enter with me for 26.

But its on my "maybe one day" list

The headcam videos are mega though!

[bobbo89]

Been a few years since I've done it but for those considering it, it really isn't that bad, I think the videos make it look lairier than it is. You'll be fked at the bottom with the worst arm pump you've ever had but other than that it's just a race down a mountain with some snow a the top...

[mikeyicepops]

fooman said:

I did it last year with my son, we weren't particularly competitive but it was a great experience overall. There's only a few sections that are terrifyingly technical the rest is mainly steep steep steep for longer than seems possible, if you are ok on UK reds and blacks and have reasonable endurance you'll be ok.

I think tickets were still available a day before qualifying, you need a medical certificate (common on European events) but again I think they could arrange one there for you.

Define ‘reasonable endurance’ I’m all sorted for the race etc I have a licence and it’s all validated, it’s just going to be a struggle to be there for the Thursday so was hoping to find someone to pick up my plate for me (have checked and they’re fine with it).

BunkMoreland said:

A friend of mine was showing me this a few months ago. Neither of us have the correct bikes for it. I haven't ridden MTB for decades!

And I couldn't convince him to enter with me for 26.

But its on my "maybe one day" list

The headcam videos are mega though!

See how I get on this year and I might do it with you in 26 if you like, can’t find anyone to go with either!

bobbo89 said:

Been a few years since I've done it but for those considering it, it really isn't that bad, I think the videos make it look lairier than it is. You'll be fked at the bottom with the worst arm pump you've ever had but other than that it's just a race down a mountain with some snow a the top...

Kinda what I’m thinking tbf, the trail itself doesn’t look overly hardcore. I can’t do a full A Line run without stopping for a couple of breaks so my fitness may let me down here, but hopefully a mix of adrenaline and pacing myself and it should be fine.

[EmailAddress]

I'd love to do this. It's been on my bucket list a while.

Not particularly to 'race', just to experience top to bottom.

[fooman]

mikeyicepops said:

I can t do a full A Line run without stopping for a couple of breaks so my fitness may let me down here, but hopefully a mix of adrenaline and pacing myself and it should be fine.

Now I consider myself moderately fit and there's an uphill bit in the middle that I thought I'd smash, but I hadn't factored in the altitude I had zero power and just had to winch up. The rest of the time it's squatting and hanging onto the bike, I can't remember if there were many opportunities to rest, a few I think.

EmailAddress said:

I'd love to do this. It's been on my bucket list a while.

Not particularly to 'race', just to experience top to bottom.

You can just rock up and ride the course as long as top lift is running, it's a waymarked black, but apart from saying you've done it I don't class the glacier as much fun, the time I did it there was more snow than normal and was a slog. The rest of the course is good, the second half is easy to get to from the main lift. The qualifying course is excellent too, one of my favourite trails there.

[EmailAddress]

fooman said:

You can just rock up and ride the course as long as top lift is running, it's a waymarked black, but apart from saying you've done it I don't class the glacier as much fun, the time I did it there was more snow than normal and was a slog. The rest of the course is good, the second half is easy to get to from the main lift. The qualifying course is excellent too, one of my favourite trails there.

I quite like a stupid mini challenge. Keeps things interesting.

Stuff like; riding my favourite trail parks at night, or in reverse (usually at night too). Or double, triple loops, combinations etc.

We used to have much more varied weather but it seems to be simply hot, or bland these days.

[bobbo89]

fooman said:

qualifying course is excellent too, one of my favourite trails there.

Qualifying is the best part of it IMO, not sure they do it anymore but the DH race down to Oz a day or so before was sick too.

[james0]

Done 7 or 8 of them, first one for my 40th birthday. I literally just threw an old (1999 ) Santa Cruz Bullit in a van and drove down.
Loved it, struggled with the old bike and lost brakes completely, didn’t qualify for a mass start, but the bug bit.
The difference, between an old 26er and a modern 27.5 or 29 enduro bike is dramatic.
Was probably my last ever last year (I’ve said that before).
I was given no3 race number so no pressure in quali!!. Ultimately pushed too hard, slid out on a corner and injured my knee. After a two minute lie down, rolled down and was astonished to still qualify ok but no racing or riding for six months after that.

Enjoy!
Stay out of trouble on the switchbacks, scope the snow section of the qualifying track out the day before, it can change a lot.
If you care about your Frame, Cranks and Shins, protect them anyway you can. I dented a brand new frame in two hours.

[missing the VR6]

Just back from Les Deux Alpes and there's still snow at 3,200M, did about 75-100m on snow and decided the gondola was the best way back down, haha!

Always wanted to try the Mega, now realise I'm too much of a coward for riding on snow and will be taking it off my bucket list.