Which company / area best for an Alps summer holiday?
Discussion
I want to organise a holiday this year for a weeks biking in the alps, probably the Portes du Soleil area but Im not sure which place to choose or which company to go for?
Im not a full on DH'er, I'd say im more into backcountry riding. My bike is a 6inch, fairly heavy weight thing that can handle descending but can also be made to crank up a few climbs, although not too many!
Any suggestions?
Im not a full on DH'er, I'd say im more into backcountry riding. My bike is a 6inch, fairly heavy weight thing that can handle descending but can also be made to crank up a few climbs, although not too many!
Any suggestions?
I've been to Portes du Soleil twice and stayed in Morzine both times. Chairlifts head off in all directions from the town centre and you can go the whole week without riding the same trails twice. We used Alpine Elements both times. 1st time they were ok and the 2nd time they were pants. Thankfully we already knew the trails as we only received 2 days half hearted guiding. I think the staff were on a protest or something. Food and accomodation were excellent though.
Verbier is also supposed to the good.
Verbier is also supposed to the good.
I've done Portes du Soleil twice too, both times in self-catered chalets in Morzine.
We've not had any guiding yet, just stuck to marked trails - there's TONS of trails for all levels. Bike-fax.com has some good route guides if you fancy a day or two XC trekking in between uplift days - best get an IGN map though if you're using a Bike-fax route 'cos the routes aren't always obvious!
We've not had any guiding yet, just stuck to marked trails - there's TONS of trails for all levels. Bike-fax.com has some good route guides if you fancy a day or two XC trekking in between uplift days - best get an IGN map though if you're using a Bike-fax route 'cos the routes aren't always obvious!
Edited by GHW on Thursday 10th January 16:46
We used Trail Alpine last year and stayed in Morzine.
Their guide was excellent (Hi Matt) although spread a bit thinly as there were four different groups plus one solo guy. It is so easy navigating yourself though. Maps are pretty clear and there are enough people about to ask if needed.
We've booked our own chalet this year and will be guiding ourselves.
By the way, the riding is
ing 'A'
Their guide was excellent (Hi Matt) although spread a bit thinly as there were four different groups plus one solo guy. It is so easy navigating yourself though. Maps are pretty clear and there are enough people about to ask if needed.
We've booked our own chalet this year and will be guiding ourselves.
By the way, the riding is
ing 'A'Alpine Elements have a pretty crappy review from most however most people come back raving about Riders Retreat. They are 300m from the Super Morzine lift and half a mile from the supermarket. You dont really need a guide just hook up with people there becaus emore often than not people are happy to show you around for a day for a couple of beers down at Bar Robinson after.
There is loads of riding there of the singletrack type and eqally as much downhill, just make sure you go up the Super Morzine side & over to Linderettes and beyond because the tracks are better and less populated. Morzine and Les Gets are horribly busy and the trails are always blown out because not enough track maintenance is done and you find its the area where the less competant riders go so the braking bumps are bad. Hope that helps.
There is loads of riding there of the singletrack type and eqally as much downhill, just make sure you go up the Super Morzine side & over to Linderettes and beyond because the tracks are better and less populated. Morzine and Les Gets are horribly busy and the trails are always blown out because not enough track maintenance is done and you find its the area where the less competant riders go so the braking bumps are bad. Hope that helps.
mk1fan said:
We used Trail Alpine last year and stayed in Morzine.
Their guide was excellent (Hi Matt) although spread a bit thinly as there were four different groups plus one solo guy. It is so easy navigating yourself though. Maps are pretty clear and there are enough people about to ask if needed.
We've booked our own chalet this year and will be guiding ourselves.
By the way, the riding ising 'A'
Aussie Matt? Orange 222?Their guide was excellent (Hi Matt) although spread a bit thinly as there were four different groups plus one solo guy. It is so easy navigating yourself though. Maps are pretty clear and there are enough people about to ask if needed.
We've booked our own chalet this year and will be guiding ourselves.
By the way, the riding is
ing 'A'he's a good mate of mine! Me and Matty have done several seasons together winter and summer all over the place.
mk1fan said:
theboymoon said:
Aussie Matt? Orange 222?
he's a good mate of mine! Me and Matty have done several seasons together winter and summer all over the place.
Yes. Say 'hello' from us - he used my mates Spesh Hardcock when his forks failed after a service and still rang rings round me!!! he's a good mate of mine! Me and Matty have done several seasons together winter and summer all over the place.
He is human tho - a rare sight....
AbarthChris said:
I want to organise a holiday this year for a weeks biking in the alps, probably the Portes du Soleil area but Im not sure which place to choose or which company to go for?
Im not a full on DH'er, I'd say im more into backcountry riding. My bike is a 6inch, fairly heavy weight thing that can handle descending but can also be made to crank up a few climbs, although not too many!
Any suggestions?
10fifty based in chamonix http://www.10fifty.com/Im not a full on DH'er, I'd say im more into backcountry riding. My bike is a 6inch, fairly heavy weight thing that can handle descending but can also be made to crank up a few climbs, although not too many!
Any suggestions?
or have a look at this: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=N4d_p3NZ5YM
top blokes and AMAZING riding. very different from morzine etc. more technical downhill trails. done two seasons there myself and had a lot of fun. there are 1000m decents straight off the lifts as well as xc.
good shiz.
Edited by Scho on Friday 11th January 19:01
Used Trail Alpine in the Summer around the weekend of the PassPortes and also met Matt - great guy and really helped us find some all round trails that weren't just downhill runs.
I'm pretty impressed with the picture of him crashing, nice to see it happens to the good guys too.
As a random aside, I've just got back from Val D'Isere and on Friday in Tignes they were mountain biking on the boardercross course, initially on solo timed runs and then racing 4X. Even had a few famous Brits out there reacing such as Steve Peat, Brendan Fairclough etc. Very entertaining to watch for half an hour, and even the non-rdiers amongst the group thought it was good entertainment.
I'm pretty impressed with the picture of him crashing, nice to see it happens to the good guys too.
As a random aside, I've just got back from Val D'Isere and on Friday in Tignes they were mountain biking on the boardercross course, initially on solo timed runs and then racing 4X. Even had a few famous Brits out there reacing such as Steve Peat, Brendan Fairclough etc. Very entertaining to watch for half an hour, and even the non-rdiers amongst the group thought it was good entertainment.
hey my mate 'theboymoon'just sent me the link to this page. thanks heaps to all the guys who said they had a great time out here in Morzine. I agree the guiding was spreas a bit thin here at trail alpine, as I was the only guide but I had a great time none the less riding with you all. pitty the weather was not any better. thanks for the pic of me over the small table in the Les Gets park. didn't know that one was taken. and as for riding the spec hard rock, that was a tough day. when you are use to 9 inches of travel under you all the time, going to a hard tail with 3 inch forks. yeh big change!!! thanks heaps moon for posting the pic of me on my back. that was a pretty funny crash. anyway it was cool to read thoes comments so thanks heaps.
matt.
matt.
soaspen said:
hey my mate 'theboymoon'just sent me the link to this page. thanks heaps to all the guys who said they had a great time out here in Morzine. I agree the guiding was spreas a bit thin here at trail alpine, as I was the only guide but I had a great time none the less riding with you all. pitty the weather was not any better. thanks for the pic of me over the small table in the Les Gets park. didn't know that one was taken. and as for riding the spec hard rock, that was a tough day. when you are use to 9 inches of travel under you all the time, going to a hard tail with 3 inch forks. yeh big change!!! thanks heaps moon for posting the pic of me on my back. that was a pretty funny crash. anyway it was cool to read thoes comments so thanks heaps.
matt.
Matt - seems you have quite a following on Pistonheads, the photo was taken on our first riding day when we went out with the family whom hadn't much off-road riding before!! Looking forward to being back in Morzine later in the year. matt.
You can never have to many photo's of the alps
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