Riding in Morzine - More Euro style...

Mike Wallace went on a dh trip to the French Alps this past summer. It seems he liked it.

Check out what he had to say here...

Nice! Been there this summer. Riding over there is really Amazing, we unfortunately we had some rain the last few days, but didn't spoil the fun!

Where did the Summer go??
Morzine DH

Brings back great memories of two days I spend riding in the Samoens area, 3 years back now I guess. Very near Morzine, but unlike Morzine, more than enough French culture. Paris is phenomenal, but there is something about the Alps that is just…so peaceful. Unbelievable cuisine. Have since gone back w/ the kids this time (last spring) to go skiing. My wife and I absolutely love the area. We've even discussed one day simply selling out here and moving overseas for a few years.

I haven't been to Les Gets and MorZine for 6 years. Great riding. Chamonix also has great riding, you can mix the climbs with pedaling and cable cars. There's usually a multiple day pass which includes a trip up to see Mt Blanc. Good for a day or morning off the saddle. There are more hikers in Chamonix but they're usually kind enough to move aside and some will even clap and whistle you on.

_Posted via Mobile _

the riding does look good, but how does it compare for technical standpoint. all the pics i see are very smooth singletrack. they must have chunk, steeps and drops/jumps on trails right? i know the descents are big as far as vertical.

Here[HTML_REMOVED]#8217;s my take, as far as the riding is concerned[HTML_REMOVED]#8230;

It isn[HTML_REMOVED]#8217;t the Shore, or Interior BC. Not many places are. I went late Spring, before the tours were going, and had Jamie Carr all to myself for two days. I asked him to take me places where he[HTML_REMOVED]#8217;d take his more experienced clients or where he[HTML_REMOVED]#8217;d go to get a good, challenging technical DH in. He swore up and down he showed me the goods that day. The climbs were brutal (we shuttled very little), and the DH was all tight, flowy singletrack. Nothing too gnarly, because they aren[HTML_REMOVED]#8217;t allowed to build off trail there. But, we came to one waterfall where there was a nice rock-face. I showed Jamie the line that he[HTML_REMOVED]#8217;d never considered before, and after watching me, hit it no problem, first attempt, no hesitation. Same w/ a few natural drops. No problem on the 6x6 Orange he[HTML_REMOVED]#8217;d provided, and Jamie had no problem following the line.

In the single track sections, the guy could book. He can rail w/ the best. I ran up to him up at Whistler and spent an afternoon w/ him in the Garbo Zone. No problems keeping pace, and just avoided some stuff that his Orange wasn[HTML_REMOVED]#8217;t suitable for.

If you go looking to compare it to our stuff, I think you[HTML_REMOVED]#8217;ll be disappointed. I rarely felt like I needed any armor, or a full face. In fact, I didn[HTML_REMOVED]#8217;t have a FF (but carried legs around, and rode clipped in).

The thing about riding there is that you are in the culture[HTML_REMOVED]#8230;the heartbeat of cycling is everywhere, and it[HTML_REMOVED]#8217;s great. Like said above and in the article, hikers will stop and cheer you on, like you[HTML_REMOVED]#8217;re in a race. They love cyclists there, and it[HTML_REMOVED]#8217;s a great place to ride. Guys like Jamie have so much experience under their belts (in his case he was a UK based pro [HTML_REMOVED]#8220;mountain bike rider[HTML_REMOVED]#8221; back in the day where they all raced everything) that they are simply super confident on bikes.

Like Moab, if you are a cyclist, you need to ride the Alps at least once in your life.

Depends what you want. Tell me a place in BC where you can get a lift up a mountain ride down the other side catch a different lift up another mountain ride down into another country etc for 60 kilometers…

And as others have said there's Chamonix an hour down the road which is nuts.

It was great to have Mike and Michelle out to stay and we were chuffed when we saw that! And I think JCL is right about the main advantage of the Portes du Soleil. You can spend all day going up the same lift and do the DH tracks under and around it, but you can also do some massive days out.

Chamonix is great too for steep/on the edge type riding. Best visited in june or sept though as they shut loads of trails off to bikers in high season.

Hopefully we'll be your way riding your tracks for a bit next summer - important research I think ;)

the riding does look good, but how does it compare for technical standpoint. all the pics i see are very smooth singletrack. they must have chunk, steeps and drops/jumps on trails right? i know the descents are big as far as vertical.

Well seeing that the Alps are a large mountain range, it might not come as too much of a surprise to find out that some trails are easy, and some are hard ;)

Here[HTML_REMOVED]#8217;s my take, as far as the riding is concerned[HTML_REMOVED]#8230;

It isn[HTML_REMOVED]#8217;t the Shore, or Interior BC. Not many places are. I went late Spring, before the tours were going, and had Jamie Carr all to myself for two days. I asked him to take me places where he[HTML_REMOVED]#8217;d take his more experienced clients or where he[HTML_REMOVED]#8217;d go to get a good, challenging technical DH in. He swore up and down he showed me the goods that day. The climbs were brutal (we shuttled very little), and the DH was all tight, flowy singletrack. Nothing too gnarly, because they aren[HTML_REMOVED]#8217;t allowed to build off trail there. But, we came to one waterfall where there was a nice rock-face. I showed Jamie the line that he[HTML_REMOVED]#8217;d never considered before, and after watching me, hit it no problem, first attempt, no hesitation. Same w/ a few natural drops. No problem on the 6x6 Orange he[HTML_REMOVED]#8217;d provided, and Jamie had no problem following the line.

In the single track sections, the guy could book. He can rail w/ the best. I ran up to him up at Whistler and spent an afternoon w/ him in the Garbo Zone. No problems keeping pace, and just avoided some stuff that his Orange wasn[HTML_REMOVED]#8217;t suitable for.

If you go looking to compare it to our stuff, I think you[HTML_REMOVED]#8217;ll be disappointed. I rarely felt like I needed any armor, or a full face. In fact, I didn[HTML_REMOVED]#8217;t have a FF (but carried legs around, and rode clipped in).

The thing about riding there is that you are in the culture[HTML_REMOVED]#8230;the heartbeat of cycling is everywhere, and it[HTML_REMOVED]#8217;s great. Like said above and in the article, hikers will stop and cheer you on, like you[HTML_REMOVED]#8217;re in a race. They love cyclists there, and it[HTML_REMOVED]#8217;s a great place to ride. Guys like Jamie have so much experience under their belts (in his case he was a UK based pro [HTML_REMOVED]#8220;mountain bike rider[HTML_REMOVED]#8221; back in the day where they all raced everything) that they are simply super confident on bikes.

Like Moab, if you are a cyclist, you need to ride the Alps at least once in your life.

there are lots of better places than pds in my opinion. most people from your side of the atlantic dont know them yet. for gnarl riding the east side of the alpes is far better, as of steeper hills…

for example, check out the old vertriders site: http://www.vertriders.com/actual.htm

they ride pretty steep trails, more trial then trail, most located in the innsbruck area in tyrol, austria. just ask if you want to get some tips ;)

I'm sure there is. How can there not be? Just look at the vast terrain available.

Just saying that as far as technical riding out here, we are beyond spoiled. If pure gnar is the only thing you are after, you never have to leave BC. But if that is how you judge it, you're also short sighted. There is a lot more to riding than just going big all the time.

I've also DHed w/ the boys in Maui, and I can tell you the very best part of riding there wasn't the trail technicality. Their toughest- compared to here- wasn't that tough. That being said, another one of my top 5 riding experiences. Like Moab.

In any event, we'd like to simply move over there sometime in the next 5 years. No idea where, but French Alps leads the list right now, w/ Alagarve region on Portugal a close second.

If you want to see the best of the DH here you NEED to come when the lifts are open. Jamie's fantastic and I'm sure he showed you lots of good stuff, but there's no way he could have got you to the best and the techiest steepest stuff in may. Lots of it is still covered in snow and it's just takes to long to climb up too. If you come here in July or August there will be sooooo much more you can do. The area's so vast as well you do need at least a week. Next time you're here you need to get down the new black runs at the Chatel park and Morgins, and of course Champery (all PdS), they probably wouldn't have been accessible when you were here. You also need someone to show you the secret tracks on the Pleney and elsewhere. And that's only touching on this small part of the Alps. As you say there's masses of places to ride in the world and you need to get out there - just pick your timing more carefully next time - our season is far too short :(

Obviously everywhere's different and you guys are def spoilt for steep gnarly stuff, but if you go to the right places at the right time so are we :) Now we just need to work on getting our bike parks to stay open as long as yours do!