First trip to the alps. What do I need?

[trophies]

I'm off to Les Gets a week on Saturday, for a week. Is there anything I need to know or take that first timers normally forget?

I'm about to buy either a bike deck, to go on the tow bar or roof mounted bike carriers. Is one better than the other, I dont want the bikes to get damaged!

I have just had our bikes rebuilt, new pads etc so they are ready to go. I have several spare tubes, spare chains and a tool kit.

I presume there will be shops there should I get in trouble, but is there anything I need?

Thanks guys

[P-Jay]

Spare brake pads, I was lucky this year, but bad weather and Alpine grit can kill them in hours, especilly on your first trip if you're not used to how steep it can be. I used Superstar Kevlar this year, they really did the biz and lasted really well. You can get them there of course, dozens and dozens of bike shops but they're expensive.

The tools and ability to bleed the brakes helps too.

Any funny / odd tools or parts your bike needs. If you've got a funny hanger on an unusual frame etc try to get a spare, wasting a day walking around les Gets or Morzine looking for a Mag hanger for a Cove Shocker, not fun.

Fresh rubber, and mud tyres if you've got them.

a light waterproof jacket you can stow in your pack - weather changes very quickly.

[SlimJ]

Decent insurance. Someone like dogtag, £40 for our trip. It's not cheap to get you off the mountain by chopper when you break your leg... Trust me!!

Take all the spares you will need, the bike shops there are expensive. Spare brake pads are required really. But if your bike is in good shape then there should be no worries.

[SlimJ]

Oh, for medical expenses, don't forget your EHIC card. You probably won't require this but it's a 'just in case'...

[ewenm]

Strong legs
Strong heart
Big lungs

[SuperNiceBig]

Everything PJ said, and a camera. Show us some photo's

[P-Jay]

SlimJ said:

Decent insurance. Someone like dogtag, £40 for our trip. It's not cheap to get you off the mountain by chopper when you break your leg... Trust me!!

THIS!

Dogtag are good, I had to make a claim a few years ago, I managed to smash myself up before I even got there. Reasonably painless even if one of their claims handlers decided that a note signed by a Senior Consultant wasn't adequate and wanted a note from my GP... They quickly changed their mind though.

Different place, but I met a guy in Whistler last with a hospital bill for £15k (with more to come) holding a Travel Insurance Document like a new born baby.

Don't believe the hype when some supermarket / post office travel insurance policy covers "mountain biking" the exclusions are stupid.

[anonymous-user]

if you have been recently fettling your bike, fitting new pads etc, take it out for a few miles before you depart to make sure its all bedded in, everything is done up tight etc etc. I sometimes see people at trail centres with bikes that are fresh from home service that have bolts loose etc.
A nightly spanner check whist you are away wouldnt hurt, the bike will get a beasting out there.

there are a few threads on Singletrackworld along the same lines for first timers to megavalanche with some good advice.

[oola]

Echo the comments on brake pads. My first trip to Morzine & Le Gets was a very wet one ... new pads were annihilated in 2 hours ... the rain causes the dirt to turn into a fine grinding paste. Dry weather shouldn't see you needing to change pads at all.

Decent insurance is a cert. I saw some nasty crashes out there ... one bloke flew out of the top of one of the kickers at the bottom of Le Gets and went into the trees. Legs and body were facing the wrong way round but was still conscious. I use Chartis (AIG) for winter sports and MTB'ing trip as I have an annual with bolt-on's for extras. Only had one claim for lost baggage and they paid out within a matter of weeks.

[P-Jay]

God I wish I hadn't gone so early in the season now...

Frankly I've been a bit down on the Alps / Portes Du Soleil in recent years, but this summer really changed my mind, they've really pulled their finger out. Actual signs telling you where trails are, and giving an idea of what you might find on them!

Bike Park style trails, not just vertical drops through trees over rocks.

Lifts that don't wreck your bike (much) and real people working on them to help.

They still turn into mud slides as soon as it's starts raining, but Eu12 a day compared to CAN$56 a day in Whistler you have to forgive the fact all the trails aren't 100% hardpack.

[trophies]

Wow - thanks for all the replys.

I completely forgot insurance! I will get that sorted today. Thank you! I will buy some spare pads and tyres.

I can't wait wait! We will be out a couple of times to make sure the bikes are ok after the strip/rebuild. I will post pics up once we get back!

Thanks all!

[Jimbo.]

trophies said:

I'm off to Les Gets a week on Saturday, for a week. Is there anything I need to know or take that first timers normally forget?

I'm about to buy either a bike deck, to go on the tow bar or roof mounted bike carriers. Is one better than the other, I dont want the bikes to get damaged!

I have just had our bikes rebuilt, new pads etc so they are ready to go. I have several spare tubes, spare chains and a tool kit.

I presume there will be shops there should I get in trouble, but is there anything I need?

Thanks guys

There are shops: some English-run, others English-speaking, others "Oui!" with lots of pointing and some just rubbish. Provided you don't run anything rare, exotic or old, you should be able to get most of the bits you'd need: cables, tubes, tyres, chains, hell even wheels. However, it's F. expensive (swap the full RRP in £ for the same number in € and add 25% at least), so make sure everything is tip-top before you tom and take whatever spares you have to save you buying them.

AND TAKE A SPARE MECH HANGER. You have been warned.

Proper travel insurance: Dogtag, Snowcard etc. Don't rely on whatever your current account provides, as they NEVER include MTB'ing or anything else beyond sitting in the sun.

Breakdown cover.

[Rolls]

Big adjustable spanner to true any rotors you may bend.
Huge discs too - break fade is NOT nice in the alps!

Edit to add - as big a tyre as you can fit on the front too!

Edited by Rolls on Wednesday 25th July 18:33