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

[hayleyearth]

Ok maybe the guys should wait. I like to do book the appointment pretty much the day I get my ticket. I like to get these things done as soon as possible so if they do reject for some reason you can fix it quickly and re apply. Last time they rejected me cos my credit card printout was from an internet banking thing. They insisted on a bank stamp. I didn't have to re apply or anything. I just got the papers from the bank and took them in.

 

You'll get a multi if you ask especially if it's your 2nd application. Just ask nicely and smile at the lady behind the counter. My mate Richard got a multi first time. He told the lady he planned on going back every year and can they please give him a multi. Job done.

 

Yeah, my 1st and 3rd time was for work (although we got normal visa's) and the 2nd time I just said I plan to go back for October fest which was a few months later. (Maybe also because my accomodation letter was from a 'well known' German )

[Guest Omega Man]

Yeah, my 1st and 3rd time was for work (although we got normal visa's) and the 2nd time I just said I plan to go back for October fest which was a few months later. (Maybe also because my accomodation letter was from a 'well known' German )

Nice.

 

Oh ja. for those that haven't done it before you apply for the visa at the consulate where you will be spending the most time in the Shenghen territory. In this case France. You don't need a visa for all of the countries we visit. We will be visiting Switzerland, France and Italy.

 

Technically you need to have your passport when crossing the border but no one has ever asked me for my passport on the way to Morgins.

[patches]

Nice.

 

Oh ja. for those that haven't done it before you apply for the visa at the consulate where you will be spending the most time in the Shenghen territory. In this case France. You don't need a visa for all of the countries we visit. We will be visiting Switzerland, France and Italy.

 

Technically you need to have your passport when crossing the border but no one has ever asked me for my passport on the way to Morgins.

 

Peach and I carried photocopies of our passports, travel insurance, and a sheet of paper with emergency details on. We put this in ziplock bags and had them in our camelbaks while riding.

 

It proved useful when Peach had to ride the red ambulance to Thonon.

[Guest Omega Man]

Peach and I carried photocopies of our passports, travel insurance, and a sheet of paper with emergency details on. We put this in ziplock bags and had them in our camelbaks while riding.

 

It proved useful when Peach had to ride the red ambulance to Thonon.

Ja that's good advice. on our past trips we swapped WAGS cell numbers. I also give a copy of my insurance deets to my wife just in case. She's incredibly good at getting things done. On my first trip MTN had screwed up my roaming. I used a mates fone to sms her and by the time we were in Morzine my roaming was on.

 

I also carry 50 Euro with me just in case i get stranded in Morgins after the lifts close or something like that.

[patches]

Ja that's good advice. on our past trips we swapped WAGS cell numbers. I also give a copy of my insurance deets to my wife just in case. She's incredibly good at getting things done. On my first trip MTN had screwed up my roaming. I used a mates fone to sms her and by the time we were in Morzine my roaming was on.

 

I also carry 50 Euro with me just in case i get stranded in Morgins after the lifts close or something like that.

 

Yeah, both Peach and I didn't have roaming, so whatsapp at wif--hotspots was out only connection to the outside world.

 

When he went for his mini-holiday to Thonon, he had no Wi-Fi there, so between 2 phonecalls (translated by Doug at Nantegue) and some whatsapps between myself and Mrs Peach (who was flying out to rescue/scould him) we got things sorted.

 

After my crash I needed to phone Emirates to try get a seat with no passengers either side of me. (I had one of those nasty figure-8 braces on so my elbows were constantly in Shane Myburgh mode). To do this I went down to the post office (near Carefour) and bought a 10EUR starter pack. the lady at the counter was incredibly rude to me when I asked for help loading it cos I coundn't read the Frech instructions.

 

As fr riding with money. I think we each rode with about 40-50EUR on us. To some this may sound like a lot, but in an emergency it is actually too little. (Peach stranded for -3 days with only 40EUR on him and hardly any contact with people he knows... rather scary. Lucky for him travel insurance came through and Thonon released him. That 40Eur wasn't even enough for Taxi back to Morzine)

Edited November 27, 2013 by patches

[Guest Omega Man]

The trick is to not destroy yourself of course and not need the ambulance or your insurance. Thousands of riders there seem to manage it...... Just saying.

 

When Richard broke himself last year he organised a business class upgrade via the insurance. He reckons it was the best flight of his life. High as a kite on business class.

Edited November 27, 2013 by Omega Man

[NicoBoshoff]

Which begs the question. How did he off himself? Doing a crazy jump?

[patches]

The trick is to not destroy yourself of course and not need the ambulance or your insurance. Thousands of riders there seem to manage it...... Just saying.

 

When Richard broke himself last year he organised a business class upgrade via the insurance. He reckons it was the best flight of his life. High as a kite on business class.

 

Damn! I tried for business class with my injury, but Emirates wouldn't bite. I should have got the travel insurance involved!

[Guest Omega Man]

Damn! I tried for business class with my injury, but Emirates wouldn't bite. I should have got the travel insurance involved!

Ja. He got the insurance involved. but the key is DON'T BREAK YOURSELF!!!!

[Guest Omega Man]

Which begs the question. How did he off himself? Doing a crazy jump?

I think Patches over jumped a table on Pleney. Pretty easy to do as there's SOOOOO much free speed. It's not like here where you have to pedal like a bitch to clear stuff. There you often have to brake check or scrub not to overjump stuff.

 

Peach didn't look at the red flags.

 

 

It's not the crazy jumps that get you. It's the not concentrating on a commute. It's the fatgue. It's the my buddy did it so now I need to.

 

I always say day 3 and 4 are the danger days. Your body is fatigued cos you are doing more riding than you've ever done in your life. And you are starting to feel comfortable with the speed on offer.

Edited November 27, 2013 by Omega Man

[NicoBoshoff]

I think Patches over jumped a table on Pleney. Pretty easy to do as there's SOOOOO much free speed. It's not like here where you have to pedal like a bitch to clear stuff. There you often have to brake check or scrub not to overjump stuff.

 

Peach didn't look at the red flags.

 

Aah, I see. Well fortunately my gonads (or lack there of) will keep me in check. Berms, small tables and rocks. That's what I'm limiting myself to. It's when your wheels are in the air that shart happens.

[capediver]

Aah, I see. Well fortunately my gonads (or lack there of) will keep me in check. Berms, small tables and rocks. That's what I'm limiting myself to. It's when your wheels are in the air that shart happens.

I'll be right behind you Nico...what's the point of buying big fat knobbly tires for grip when you always airborne! (hehe, I lack same set/size of body parts for that!)

[Guest Omega Man]

I'll be right behind you Nico...what's the point of buying big fat knobbly tires for grip when you always airborne! (hehe, I lack same set/size of body parts for that!)

There's enough riding to keep you whooping for joy all day every day. There's 2 trails in Chatel. La Panoramic and Serpentine. Panoramic is the natural intro to Serpentine. Serpentine has 32 berms. That's right. 32. Panoramic probably has a similar number though I've not bothered counting.

 

Oh. And when I say berm what I mean in BERM. not a rotting log with a few shovels full of dirt. I mean twice the height of a man in many cases.

Edited November 27, 2013 by Omega Man

[Guest Omega Man]

The blue trail on Zore has (I'm guessing here) about 20 berms and 15 tables ranging from hip high to stuff you see on motocross tracks.

 

All totally safe. all well built and totally rollable.

[Guest Omega Man]

Morgins is.. Um. Steep. You'll need to put your big girl broekies on for Morgins. But it's so well built that you can't help but laugh at how much fun it is. There's some proper staunch stuff in Morgins that will have you re-assessing your skill level.

 

But it's totally worth going there. I absolutely love everything about it. Even the commute to get there is incredible. You roll down from 2300m about 15km into Morgins down a jeep track. But the jeeptrack is in some of the most beautiful scenery you've seen in your life. Oh and it's downhill all of the way into Morgins. And when I say downhill I mean not one single pedal stroke. There are some cow pats to dodge.

 

There's a great little bakery in Morgins where we usually do lunch. Even the tar road into Chatel from Morgins is awesome. You ride past a lake at the top of Chatel and there's a huge fountain like the thing in Lake Geneva spraying water up into the air.

Edited November 27, 2013 by Omega Man

[patches]

I think Patches over jumped a table on Pleney. Pretty easy to do as there's SOOOOO much free speed. It's not like here where you have to pedal like a bitch to clear stuff. There you often have to brake check or scrub not to overjump stuff.

 

Peach didn't look at the red flags.

 

yup! I pedalled in a little too hard for the jump and followed the red line in stead of the jump line...