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So then, what's all the plans for summer 2024...
We're doing 10-20 days in Morzine and Les Menuires depending on a few plans and a Croatia Trip for dance festival. As long as nothing goes pear shaped the boy will be racing a French DH cup race before we head back.
Assuming Kevin is mended enough to bike, If not then they will still go ahead and we will do other things between me hitting the trails.
June/July Alps Trip, Verbier, Aosta Valley, La Thuile, Tignes, Bourg St Maurice.
Sept/Oct Chamonix, Finale, South East France Trailforks to be determined as we are passing on our way to Les Orres.
Possibility at the end of the year of visiting Abigale in NZ if she hasn't moved on
Tunnels are booked, Finale campsite booked. The rest will be sorted once we know more regarding the injury.
Skiing first then Pyrenees in August probably loudenville and then Andorra. May get a week to Spain in May if we can
Might go back to Alps if finances allow.
Otherwise it'll be Highlands.
A little taster through Tennessee, North Carolina and Virginia.
Heading to Solden Bike Republic for a three dayer in June for 12km flow trails. Nothing too jumpy at my age.
Bourg St Maurice
@Tracey (or if anyone else knows), have you heard anything about the funicular status for summer 2024? Keen to avoid the need for the bus replacement that was in place in recent years and unsure if the works are done or continuing again this summer.
Les Arcs area for a couple of weeks for us, with the kids riding for the first time with us. Still hoping/aiming for some non-kid days so I can tick off things like the Mont Jovet circuit again.
Thanks @Tracey. I'd asked the tourist office ahead of our aborted summer 2020 trip and they had similar uncertainty that time too. I'll enquire myself in another month or so. We're undecided between camping in BsM or joining together for a chalet in Vallandry or similar - both have their benefits, but funicular being off with only the bus uplift would swing it towards staying up the hill for us.
Frustratingly some of my favourite trails descend to the valley floor, so we've previously used the funicular a lot.
Hopefully a week(ish) in and around Ballater, getting there by train and bike.
A week at Bike Alp in Briancon, getting there by Eurostar and sleeper train.
Fingers crossed the Trans Ewri in October
Also looking at starting to do some out and back trips from home with a view to working up to the Great North Trail in 2025.
have you heard anything about the funicular status for summer 2024? Keen to avoid the need for the bus replacement that was in place in recent years and unsure if the works are done or continuing again this summer.
It was finished and working as normal last summer.
The bus replacement service previously had a big bike trailer on it, so no problem getting up to Les Arcs, just made lapping the "8" less practical.
For some reason the French dislike letting people know in advance about their summer seasons in case anyone decides to come and visit and ruin it.
Mine will be a family holiday to Parcent, Spain. Supposed to be a great place for cycling road, gravel and some mtb.
Probably going to kick off in June with the maxiavalanche in Vallnord or whatever they now call it post rebranding, followed by some weekend breaks towards the end of the month.
It looks like we'll be starting August in Châtel, although we haven't finalised anything as yet, then heading to Les Menuires where there's a high probability of meeting weeksy IRL for 9€ beers!
then heading to Les Menuires where there’s a high probability of meeting weeksy IRL for 9€ beers
LOL there won't be many at that price that's for sure... We may have to bring some from supermarket.
Not sure that the funi work was finished completely last summer, maybe just the first section. Thanks for the reminder though, I'll wait for confirmation before booking a week camping there. In 2022 the shuttle was a complete **** up (small trailer, not enough capacity, chaotic queues - the one up to the La Plagne was way bigger and they should have swapped the trailers around).
Paris Center Parcs (and Disneyland) for a week and then either a week in Morzine or Tignes because we’ve missed being away from the mountains for the last 6 years and it’s time to introduce the kids to the Alpes (they’re 5 now) even though there won’t be much riding.
Hopefully in a few more years we’ll be back to spending 3-4 weeks in Europe every summer like we did before the little buggers were born.
White Room booked for August
White Room booked for August
Have you been before?
The fenicular had very nice new trains on it last summer. No idea if that means the work has finished or not
We are doing 3 weeks in Italy in April/May. Family holiday around Tuscany, but bike focus, so planning on riding Punta Ala, Massa Maratimo & Monte Amiata as part of the trip. There is a Toscana Enduro Series race while we are out there, so I may even try & get into that as well.
Summer is 2 weeks in Morzine, as it’s small person friendly & we can tag team riding / other stuff.
Autumn is adults only week in Finale.
Should be a good year 👍
For some reason the French dislike letting people know in advance about their summer seasons in case anyone decides to come and visit and ruin it.
Yup, very much this. Even when you're there, trying to find out what lifts are open when on the La Plagne side can be a struggle I know.
Not sure that the funi work was finished completely last summer, maybe just the first section. Thanks for the reminder though, I’ll wait for confirmation before booking a week camping there. In 2022 the shuttle was a complete **** up (small trailer, not enough capacity, chaotic queues – the one up to the La Plagne was way bigger and they should have swapped the trailers around).
That's my understanding too - that the work was paused for the winter season the past few years and may or may not continue this summer, depending if it was finished last summer or not. Difficult to get a proper answer! My last visit was in 2018 but plenty from our group have been in 2021 and 2022 and haven't been that complementary about the shuttle replacement, so I'd rather avoid. TBH staying up in Vallandry or the like might be better for family activities, albeit at a higher cost than camping.
The funicular was definitely fully operational last summer, and I'm pretty sure that Stevo from the Whiteroom told us that it had been completed.
I used the bus at the end of 2022 and it definitely had the big bike trailer attached at that point.
Off to Slovenia and a couple of trips to Finale.
Yup, very much this. Even when you’re there, trying to find out what lifts are open when on the La Plagne side can be a struggle I know.
definatley. Skipped La plagne as too hard to work out. We went to brides le Bains May to get there and find that the fee bus upto meirbel wasn’t running as advertised in the towns website so we moved on.
@rockhopper70 Solden is nice, if you can have a day at Serfaus Fiss Laddis. It's about an hour away, small park with a bit of everything. The longer trails outside the park are awesome with spectacular views.
I'm heading to Austria & Italy again in June. Trying to plan it so I can watch the world cup at VDS, the track is a brute and I had an uncomfortable overnight in the car park thinking I was going to get robbed, which didn't help. I want to see how the pros handle the track.
Got a week in Scotland split between Bremar & Inners in June and a week in Finale, both with mates.
Me and the Mrs are looking to go away mid summer but don't really know where. We want somewhere similar to White Room where we can go with separate groups etc. need to do some research.
And I can also confirm the Funni in Bourg was running as normal last summer.
After doing White Room last year (possibly/probably with @Kramer, I think?! Hello.) I can't be doing any big trips like that again so soon, but I'll try to make up for it by getting more UK days/weekends away at least. However, we have a family holiday booked for Madeira in July and a cursory google suggests I can escape for day's guided enduro riding on a hirebike. Any tips on that are most welcome!
Yeah. I was, indeed still am Mike, on the blue Bronson.
Many trips in and around Scotland plus a long weekend in Massa Marittima.
May 1 week tandem cycle tour on some Scottish islands.
Summer is 6 week tandem gravel tour in Norway.
October Ainsa for a week.
@weeksy That’s our plan too for a bit of biking, and a bit of hiking - hopefully walking distance to some overpriced bars and restaurants
If you are staying in a chalet, have you booked an airbnb or similar or booked something through an agency?
andylaightscat wins.
Dream month that. Even with van driving!
@milko9000 - Madeira - Freeride Madeira - defintely. Went there alst year with them, took my own bike, but they had Canondale Jekyl hire bikes which were well like by the gorup I rode with a couple of days. Amazing riding and I really want to get out there agin this year.. If funds allow. FreeRide are the only ones who actually invest in the maintenance of trails out there - they employ 2 guys full time to do the maintenance. Apparently most of the other companies don't even turn up to organised dig days...
Re Les Arcs - the Funi was fully operational last summer, but apparently the Trasnarc is out this summer as its being replaced now - year before last (22) it was the Vallandry lift. They're slowly upgrading all of the lifts apparently.
Busman’s holiday on Stone King Rally, hopefully a roadie trip to Parcent end of Feb.
Yeah. I was, indeed still am Mike, on the blue Bronson.
Hi Mike 👋
Last week of May into mid June at Leogang for the WC then back mid July possibly until mid September. Might do a trip down to Italy in there somewhere.
Bike-wise, a long weekend in Inners in June with the Fathomer shreddin’ crew 😉 - that’s it so far. Something in the van in the UK with the good lady at some other point (though the bike might make it into the van when she’s not looking)
Light cycle touring in Normandy or Holland for a few days with my 12 and 15 year olds for 5 days. We will also visit Twisted Oaks on at least one Suffolk trip and probably a BPW trip with them.
For the Euro trip I'm trying to decide whether to do a fixed base hostel / campsite/ Eurocamp and ride out or chuck a shed load of cash at backpacking gear for 3 and go for a loop.
I'm mainly put off the latter by the logistics of booking places for one night at a time. If anyone's done similar in August and has any tips / thoughts happy to take some tips/ideas 🙂
Whistler, 2 weeks in July for me
If you are staying in a chalet, have you booked an airbnb or similar or booked something through an agency?
We've gone through Air-BNB for this one. We've booked through agents previously and booked through Morzine Lets, but this time we went airbnb. We know the location fairly well from previous visits and this particular chalet is at the bottom about 1/2 mile along the river and we've stayed close before.
We went to brides le Bains May to get there and find that the fee bus upto meirbel wasn’t running as advertised in the towns website so we moved on.
Yep, that really scuppered our trip there as well. Apparently it was scrapped at the last minute.
Thanks - forgot about the Transarc work as well as the potential funi issue continuing into this year. If that lift is closed it pretty much makes the far side of the bike park inaccessible, and a fair old pedal to the likes of Double Header.
I'm once again going to Morzine to give the boring and obvious answer