Want to ride your bike in the biggest Mountain Biking area in the world? 2.0

[gkp]

So....Morzine again! This time the group was smaller, we went earlier and had our own spot! If you do any MTB, you must have heard of this place called the Portes Du Soleil, it's to MTB what the North Shore is to surfing, the ultimate mecca of the sport, the biggest MTB park in Europe and home to some of the best trails around, from groomed, well-maintained race tracks to the wildest, steepest "off-piste" stuff you have the cajones to descend!

650km of maintained trails, 2 countries, 19 MTB chair lifts, 50+ PROPER DH trails, 12 resorts connected with a single lift pass....it's possible to descend down the same distance as the height of Everest in a single day....8848m.....it's truly MTB heaven based in the hippest of ski resorts....all centered in one of the most picturesque parts of the world, the French Alps....

 

Thanks to Martin (GWS dude!), Anthony and Carlos for a big jol!!

 

 

Capediver, looks very good. A quick question: any drama with bikes on Emirates? A group of us are going end August and want to pre-empt any potential problems

[capediver]

Capediver, looks very good. A quick question: any drama with bikes on Emirates? A group of us are going end August and want to pre-empt any potential problems

None whatsoever...just make sure you inside the weight limit...they did not check dimensions....having said that, we did have a member of our party who had a contact and we had a "code" for the bicycles....this "code" was seen by check-in in Cape Town, but not on return but we managed to convince the kind Swiss lady that all was good and legit and on the straight and narrow...I even had two bikes plus normal checkin suitcase (23kg) against my name for the return....no charge

So to answer your question, I'm still not sure if the pre-arranged understanding and "code" we had played any part....it would be better to call Emirates directly or have an agent intervene on your behalf...the Emirates call-centre doesn't always get the facts straight and may scare you with excess baggage rates just because they not sure....so if you do know an agent, ask them if they can pre-arrange with Emirates.

Qatar Airways on the other hand is far easier, I use them frequently and have never paid for my bike in a bike bag under the weight limit of 32kg.

[Duane_Bosch]

We've booked on Qatar.

 

Found some ridiculously cheap flights (17k for 2 including comprehensive travel insurance)

 

I'm terrified of that dimension policy of Emirates and the day they decide to enforce it.

[capediver]

We've booked on Qatar.

 

Found some ridiculously cheap flights (17k for 2 including comprehensive travel insurance)

 

I'm terrified of that dimension policy of Emirates and the day they decide to enforce it.

With current sanctions on Qatar locally, Dubai is a train station!!! Making Qatar just sublime!

[Duane_Bosch]

With current sanctions on Qatar locally, Dubai is a train station!!! Making Qatar just sublime!

Dude I HATE dubai airport.

 

It's glorified shopping mall.

 

So how's this? We taking roadie bikes to Bassano. But I tried to find an uplift service coz there looks to be some ridiculous gravity trails there too. So the plan was rent bikes and pay for a shuttle uplift for a day or 2. And I stumbled upon a shop that rents out those Spez Levo's for 50Euro a day. So that's what we're gonna do.

 

  

Edited July 17, 2017 by Duane_Bosch

[captain morgan]

When and where are you guys going ?? Im over in france from 10/8 for some work for a week. Was thinking of either andorra and pyrenees or french alps,Italy last world cup val de sole and maybe eurobike for the last 3 weeks .

Me and wife(assistant driver)in our camper road and trail bike.

[capediver]

Dude I HATE dubai airport.

 

It's glorified shopping mall.

 

So how's this? We taking roadie bikes to Bassano. But I tried to find an uplift service coz there looks to be some ridiculous gravity trails there too. So the plan was rent bikes and pay for a shuttle uplift for a day or 2. And I stumbled upon a shop that rents out those Spez Levo's for 50Euro a day. So that's what we're gonna do.

 

  

Looks ridonkulous!

Edited July 17, 2017 by capediver

[Duane_Bosch]

When and where are you guys going ?? Im over in france from 10/8 for some work for a week. Was thinking of either andorra and pyrenees or french alps,Italy last world cup val de sole and maybe eurobike for the last 3 weeks .

Me and wife(assistant driver)in our camper road and trail bike.

Tony has been and come back.

 

What part of France are you going to?

 

I can only advise on Morzine (PDS) area and that is BONKERS good. You can take a trail bike but you'll still buy a lift pass. There's something very special about hooking your bike to the lift and cruising up an Alp. You CAN ride up an Alp if you want but..... Ski Lift.

 

The trails are color graded so you shouldn't get on to anything too scary if you aren't a sh$t hot rider. There's LOTS of blues & greens to keep you entertained if you aren't into big gaps & the like. Blues have jumps but they are tables. Reds have gaps. It's Gravity country but there's LOADS of xc stuff and even the road riding is AMAZING.

 

If you are an Alpine Virgin look no further than the PDS.

 

My bird and I are going in October. But we are going to Bassano del Grappa in Italy. I've done 6 years straight to the PDS so it's time to try something different. Having said that we were watching youtubes of the PDS last night and having serious FOMO!

Edited July 17, 2017 by Duane_Bosch

[captain morgan]

Thanks , done a lot of france on roadbike , transalp 2006 and les2alps and trails in Ardeche Rhone Alpes ... yip im comfy with blue and light red . Keep a giant trance sx over in france ... decision. Go east or west from massive central.

[captain morgan]

Think gonna do pyrenees and Andorra this year.

[capediver]

arrrgh..360 days to go

[Duane_Bosch]

Think gonna do pyrenees and Andorra this year.

Pretty much sold on Girona for next year. There must be a reason most of the pro's base themselves there.

 

Then of course I will be making a return to Morz. Gonna see if I can rat it. 15k All in. Duran says easy, But he doesn't have the boozing problem that I do.

[captain morgan]

Change plans .... morzine area then to italy val di sole for last wc end off with eurobike .

[Duane_Bosch]

Change plans .... morzine area then to italy val di sole for last wc end off with eurobike .

NICE!

 

If you want a little insider info I'd be happy to help out.

 

Some things to note.

 

1. WATCH OUT!! Bar Robinson and the beer they sell is to be treated with respect

2. Be careful when booking accommodation. Often the accommodation will say Morzine but it's actually Avoriaz. That's right at the top of the mountain so you don't want to book there. Also you might be in Morz but on the super Morzine side which is very steep. so if you're 2 roads back you are 150m up the hill.

3. Don't book accommodation in Les Gets. It's a great little place but the action is in Morz.

4. Rent a road bike for 50 Euro from Torico and ride the roads too. There's a road book available at the Tourist info an most bike shops. There's an amazing 80k loop that takes in Tanings, Megevette, Col de Jambaz, Bellevaux La Baume an back to Morz. We did it in that direction coz we wanted to get the busy Les Gets descent into Tanings out of the way first. Death bed memory!

5. There are trail maps available in all of the bike shops

6. The basement shop in Les Gets has great deals

7. Supermarket beers are cheap

8. You'll buy a lift pass even tho you are on a trail bike. Because.... Ski Lift.

9. The trails in Les Gets are cr@p compared to the rest of the PDS

10. In Chatel. Panoramic-Serpentine. OMG.

11. People-Blues & Rock

12. People-Fluid-Lower People

13. I Think Morgins is closed but the Swiss side is worth a visit.

14. After a day at Chatel roll down past the lake into Montriond and have a beer at Marmador with views up the valley of the Pleney

15. The water in the water troughs is perfectly good to drink. If you bought it here you'd pay R20 a bottle.

16. Bikes do get stolen so secure your bike.

 

 

I Should sell this advice.

Edited July 20, 2017 by Duane_Bosch

[captain morgan]

Thanks mate ... good advice .

[Hairy]

NICE!

 

If you want a little insider info I'd be happy to help out.

 

Some things to note.

 

 

11. People-Blues & Rock

 

Kief!