Passportes du Soleil 2011

[a11y_m]

http://www.passportesdusoleil.com/

I've always liked the look of this - it looks like more my sort of thing than the riot that's the Megavalanche events. It looks likely that both the wife and my summer hols will coincide with the date of the 2011 event, so we're thinking of entering. We're definately heading for a 3-week tour in the Alps/northern Italy/Dolomites/etc for a bit of biking and r 'n r, and this looks like a fun thing to include.

I seem to remember that some PHers have done this in the past? Can you share any advice? i.e. where's best to start, most suitable bike, what to take with you, exactly how hard it is!?

My thoughts are I'll probably take my full-susser rather than a hardtail, despite it not being my main bike and being a bit heavy (34.5lbs 160mm front/rear) for an all-day ride. My thoughts are that the comfort of full-suss will outweight the lightweight of a hardtail, when chainlifts are taken into account... correct?

(I see the entries don't open until Feb 2011 but we're looking at booking ferries, etc soon and want to be prepared!)


Anyone else thinking about this? Advice?

Cheers

[baxb]

Do it, a great (if long) day out. I did it this year on a Giant Trance X1 with 5" of travel & about 27lbs in weight, you don’t need a downhill rig, the weight will be too much. Start as near as you can get to your accommodation, Morzine & Les Gets will sell out first, I stayed in Morzine but started in Avoriaz (25min drive away) which worked fine for me. Get going as soon as you can in the morning, I was out of Avoriaz by about 8.20am, stopped 3 times during the day for food for about 1 ½ hours total & finished at 4.30pm. They quote a distance of 75km but it is more like 90km, there is a bit of uphill involved but you would do more uphill going round something like the Marin trail in North Wales than there is on the PDS.

Have a look at this years thread for more info http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

It was my first time over there with the bike & definitely not the last.

[a11y_m]

Cheers, that's the thread I was thinking of.

I'm still in a dilemma about what bike I'll take bearing in mind I'll be riding elsewhere on the trip over. At the moment considering a few days in Bourg St Maurice and making use of the funicular (or TrailAddiction - an old riding buddy is a guide there); also considering some of the riding in the Dolomites and probably some XC stuff in Germany on the way back home.

It'll either be a 456 Summer Season or a Lapierre Spicy. I know both will be fun, I'll decide nearer the time I think...

[Marcellus]

If you can definitately do the passporte and tbh it doesn't matter which bike you use!

So, if you can only take one bike each for the whole holiday then pick the most suitable bike for the rest of your holiday.

[cone]

Some great riding around Bourg especially with Trail Addiction (who's your mate?) I'd definitely take the spicy , most of the guys ride Dialled hardtails but i think its more of a maintainence factor and longevity from day after day of alpine pounding.

[a11y_m]

cone said:

Some great riding around Bourg especially with Trail Addiction (who's your mate?) I'd definitely take the spicy , most of the guys ride Dialled hardtails but i think its more of a maintainence factor and longevity from day after day of alpine pounding.

Ben Jones - used to ride with the same group of folk around Stirling that I still ride with. Bit of a loony on a bike (snapping a Giant XTC hardtail by hucking off a slab halfway up a small mountain behind Stirling Uni comes to mind...) but a top bloke and good rider. IIRC (or so the story I've been told goes) he revamped TA's website in exchange for a free holiday a few years ago, and it just went from there...

I'll have to speak nicely to him as we're just looking for guiding, not a full holiday deal - got our campervan to stay in. Keen to ride the best trails without wasting time (doesn't everyone?!) but also got to bear in mind my wife will be riding with me too and isn't as much of a MTBer as me.

[cone]

Met and rode with Ben last year , he's a talented rider(with a hint of crazy)and a guide is essential in Les Arcs to get the best from such a massive area and to keep it wife friendly too - it can be quite lairy in places whereas Morzine etc can be ridden by most folk as its all graded(yes I know there's secret stuff). We returned to Morzine this year and I was disappointed in with the "manmade" "sanitised" feel of the place it took some local knowledge and maps to find the natural stuff , but in LA you ride trails which feel like they've been there for centuries - mile upon mile of singletrack , depends on what floats your boat I suppose.

Edited by cone on Tuesday 9th November 08:08

[a11y_m]

Ah, that's a good description of Ben's riding! He's got a younger brother who occasionally came on evening runs with us too and had a similar style. I distinctly remember having to call his dad to come and collect him (he was only 14 I think) after a crash through over-exurberance on one ride...

I've only biked in Europe once and that was the signed trails around Bourg St Maurice. Not that impressed with them, but Ben assures me the local-knowledge stuff is some of the best there is. One-day guiding for (I think) 60euros so perhaps might do a few days with them if I can. Also thinking about the Dolomites as there seems to be a lot of signed trails around the Cortina d'Ampezzo area, so might get away without a guide there: looks like a lot of high-altitude tours utlising chairlifts too.

Still to confirm my hols but the more I read about the PPdS event the more I like the sound of it

[Digga]

Hmmmmm <cogs whirring>

Another question for those who;ve been before; Mrs Digga is reasonably fit and is an 'okay' mountain biker - she's fine on most of the red & blue routes at the Welsh trail centres - would she enjoy PdS or will she hate me forever if I decided to go and took her along?

[a11y_m]

Digga said:

Hmmmmm <cogs whirring>

Another question for those who;ve been before; Mrs Digga is reasonably fit and is an 'okay' mountain biker - she's fine on most of the red & blue routes at the Welsh trail centres - would she enjoy PdS or will she hate me forever if I decided to go and took her along?

That's almost a description of my wife'a riding ability too (she ventures onto black-grade stuff too but can't ride eveything, and occasionally gets the wheels off the ground too), so keen to hear answers about that too...

[Marcellus]

Digga said:

Hmmmmm <cogs whirring>

Another question for those who;ve been before; Mrs Digga is reasonably fit and is an 'okay' mountain biker - she's fine on most of the red & blue routes at the Welsh trail centres - would she enjoy PdS or will she hate me forever if I decided to go and took her along?

Yes the Pds is a great area for all abilities.....

[baxb]

Marcellus said:

Digga said:

Hmmmmm <cogs whirring>

Another question for those who;ve been before; Mrs Digga is reasonably fit and is an 'okay' mountain biker - she's fine on most of the red & blue routes at the Welsh trail centres - would she enjoy PdS or will she hate me forever if I decided to go and took her along?

Yes the Pds is a great area for all abilities.....

Seconded , it's more important to be fit than have great technical skills, there are a few downhill options on the route, if you're not sure leave these alone & stick the main route, which will be fine.

[Digga]

baxb said:

Marcellus said:

Digga said:

Hmmmmm <cogs whirring>

Another question for those who;ve been before; Mrs Digga is reasonably fit and is an 'okay' mountain biker - she's fine on most of the red & blue routes at the Welsh trail centres - would she enjoy PdS or will she hate me forever if I decided to go and took her along?

Yes the Pds is a great area for all abilities.....

Seconded , it's more important to be fit than have great technical skills, there are a few downhill options on the route, if you're not sure leave these alone & stick the main route, which will be fine.

Thank for the info guys - I will discuss!

Am I right in thinking that on a lot of the routes you have 'options' in some parts; mega 'black' jump, smaller 'red' jump and a [plain 'chicken route' so you can ride together with different abilities?

Morning Marcellus. One of the Wednesday night massive was asking "where the Pistonheads guys had gone" over the weekend. Keeping well I hope?

[Marcellus]

Digga said:

Morning Marcellus. One of the Wednesday night massive was asking "where the Pistonheads guys had gone" over the weekend. Keeping well I hope?

Digga..... errrm yes still having Osteo and Physio on my back!!

As for PDS yes there's always an easy route!!

[Digga]

Marcellus said:

Digga said:

Morning Marcellus. One of the Wednesday night massive was asking "where the Pistonheads guys had gone" over the weekend. Keeping well I hope?

Digga..... errrm yes still having Osteo and Physio on my back!!

Seriously, is the back still bad ofter the OTB? Sorry to hear that.

If it's any conslation. I went through a spell of (very painful) comedy dismounts last month. I think I'm over it now.

[snorkel sucker]

crikey - that sounds awesome! I skiied in the portes du soleil in March this year so would be great to have a bash on the MTB

full sus only, or is a decent hardtail good enough?? (im on a cube ltd race)

[theboymoon]

snorkel sucker said:

crikey - that sounds awesome! I skiied in the portes du soleil in March this year so would be great to have a bash on the MTB

full sus only, or is a decent hardtail good enough?? (im on a cube ltd race)

hardtails are fine, might be a bit more comfortable on something like a spicy though! Its not bit scary riding, more flowing trails


done it a few times, had to miss out last year. Tis fun

[snorkel sucker]

theboymoon said:

snorkel sucker said:

crikey - that sounds awesome! I skiied in the portes du soleil in March this year so would be great to have a bash on the MTB

full sus only, or is a decent hardtail good enough?? (im on a cube ltd race)

hardtails are fine, might be a bit more comfortable on something like a spicy though! Its not bit scary riding, more flowing trails


done it a few times, had to miss out last year. Tis fun

cheers!

had a go on a mates full sus at the weekend - was like sitting in an armchair!

im going to see how much interest i can drum up from my mates for it though - looks like a great way to spend a long weekend!

Morzine rocks too!

[mk1fan]

baxb said:

Stuff

Hope you're well.

PdS was fun and I'd like to do it again but our group is starting to get 'bored' of Morzine. Spain and Italy next year.

[baxb]

mk1fan said:

baxb said:

Stuff

Hope you're well.

PdS was fun and I'd like to do it again but our group is starting to get 'bored' of Morzine. Spain and Italy next year.

Good to hear from you, I'm well-ish. Remember my little spill over the bars & subsequent shoulder ache ? well about 4 weeks ago I found out i'd broken a bit of bone off the top of the humerous & torn cartlige in there as well ! I went under the knife last Friday to have it patched up, 6 weeks in a sling & 3-6 months before (hopefully) back to normal. I'm joining a bunch of lunatic mates & having a crack at an Ironman distnce tri in Copenhagen next August. Must try & get the footage from this year sorted while i'm off & drop you a link. Say hi to the rest of the gang from me.