The French Alps. Some questions.
Hey guys.
I'm off to France in the summer for two weeks as part of a uni field course and I figure since I'm there anyway I might as well take my bike and spend an extra week having fun in the Alps. Everyone raves about the place and from what I've seen in videos etc I can see why! I do have a few questions though.
Obviously having never been before, and the high likelihood of going alone, means I won't really know any trails etc, so I'm wondering how "user friendly" it all is. From what I've seen in videos and such it seems like it's basicaly jump off a ski lift and follow the trails to the bottom, but searching on google doesn't really come up with any trail centre-style places, so are the trails a little more hidden than this? I only seem to be able to find guide companies etc, and being an impoverished student means I can only really afford to slum in a hostel or camp and guide myself.
Also I don't really know any good places to go. Are there specific mountain bike "resorts" that I should be looking at? And if so can anyone recommend any? I'm not averse to crossing the odd border (so Switzerland, Italy, Austia and Germany are not completely out of the question).
Cheers folks!
I'm off to France in the summer for two weeks as part of a uni field course and I figure since I'm there anyway I might as well take my bike and spend an extra week having fun in the Alps. Everyone raves about the place and from what I've seen in videos etc I can see why! I do have a few questions though.
Obviously having never been before, and the high likelihood of going alone, means I won't really know any trails etc, so I'm wondering how "user friendly" it all is. From what I've seen in videos and such it seems like it's basicaly jump off a ski lift and follow the trails to the bottom, but searching on google doesn't really come up with any trail centre-style places, so are the trails a little more hidden than this? I only seem to be able to find guide companies etc, and being an impoverished student means I can only really afford to slum in a hostel or camp and guide myself.
Also I don't really know any good places to go. Are there specific mountain bike "resorts" that I should be looking at? And if so can anyone recommend any? I'm not averse to crossing the odd border (so Switzerland, Italy, Austia and Germany are not completely out of the question).
Cheers folks!
0
Comments
-
Hi there,
I've ridden in lots of places in France, Switzerland and Italy and I reckon the most user friendly and simple to ride place that is ideal for a first experience of Alpine riding would be Sauze D'oulx in Italy. It's part of the Alpi Bike Resort setup in Italy which has many resorts in this area all beautifully setup for riding in the summer months. Check out the website, you can get all the info you need there.
Good luck and have fun!0 -
Portes Du Soleil. If you look in the right places, you can get dirt cheap places to stay. Trail maps from most lifts for free. They'll get you from A to B on the most popular trails, though keep an eye out for unmarked trails deviating from the main ones. Those are usually the best ones out there.Check out my site - http://www.trail-dog.co.uk
It's good for you.0 -
We rode around Morzine, Les Gets and Chatel. You don't need a guide, we went for the first time and never once got lost. You can often see the trails returning back down the mountain beneath the lift if you want to ride the bike parks. They're far more friendly than UK trail centres in this sense. If you want to do a longer route, the main ones like the Portes du Soleil are sign posted. B&Bs are surprisingly more expensive than some chalets. The Edge, where we stay was only 35euros a night.
Be sure to take spare inner tubes and basic spares because they are very very expensive out there (9euros for a tube). The local deli was cheaper than the Carrefour.
Check my blog for a few articles on our ride which might give you further info that could be useful.0
