Big Bikes and Big Hills

Last year was supposed to be our first trip to the French Alps but due to lack of organisation and lack of funds, we had to settle for a week of downhilling in Scotland. This actually turned out to be a great week of riding – Fort William has to be ridden to be believed! This year we are definitely going to The Alps, even if we have to ride the whole way.So the plan last year was to go to Morzine, a great central location with good access to the whole of the Portes Du Soleil. The plans have changed a little after hearing all the stories about Morzine being so busy and all the runs being so blown up with braking bumps that every berm feels like you're riding over an elephant’s rib cage. I did some research (watched Kranked Eight!) and decided that Chatel looked like a better option. It has 16 permanent downhill runs, a bike park with loads of drops, gaps, north shore runs and a dirt zone! Plus, it tends to be less busy than Morzine and Les Gets so hopefully the run back to the chalet won’t be a motorway. I put the idea across to everyone and the decision was made.


We found a reasonably priced chalet and started thinking about what date we would like to be there. After a few emails with the chalet owner we decided on 3rd to 7th July. This just so happens to be the weekend of the Chatel Mountain Style event! Chatel Mountain Style is an international freeride competition previously won in 2009 by Kurt Sorge. This year will see the likes of Darren Berrecloth and Graham Agassiz so it really is the best of the best in international freeriders and big mountain riders.

After recently having one of my blogs published on to the Pinkbike main site, it gave me an idea for another blog. “Why not take a video camera and cover the event?” I thought. This won’t be easy. Ideally, I would like 4 or 5 people with cameras to get the whole run from different angles but its not like I’m planning on doing live coverage so one camera will have to do!


I may even try and get some interviews with the riders after their runs but I don’t know easy this will be as there will no doubt be ‘real’ journalists trying to do exactly the same thing. Whatever happens it will be a crazy week of riding and we’re all super stoked about starting our week watching the world’s best mountain bikers riding stuff that we will be riding later on in the week!What more could you want from a bike holiday?

So watch this space for a full write up of the week including the video of the Mountain Style event and footage of us wrecking ourselves in the alps!

Thanks to Nico for the pics from last years Mountain Style (Copywrite Nicolas Malherbe)