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We're off to the Alps (Morzine) later this year for a while. Whilst there i was wondering about the viability of using the Ebike and saving some money on uplift passes. I've done the road up to Avoriaz on the Orbea Rise and it was fine, but it was getting close to death by the top that's for sure, i could go slower and lower power to preserve it a bit now that i know it's on the edge of viable.
Our accomodation is close to lifts/town so i could say get to the top of the Pleny, do a run down and maybe back up on a battery i rekon then charge over a lazy lunch and do another 1-2 in the afternoon.
But can i get to the top of Morzine on the Pleny side up a road ? How about Les Gets ? Obviously if wanting to go further like Chatel etc then i'm going to need a lift pass that day. But hoping i can do say 4-5 days of just Eebing it.
I know a lot of places have Bosch chargers at the top, which doesn't help in some ways as i'm on a Shimano, but maybe i could take my charging unit up with me and charge up there... dunno yet on that, again that would help if i wanted to explore a bit.
The answer is NOT to use a manual bike to pedal to Avoriaz lol... really not... Although i think i'd manage 1 in a day... that's about it 😀
Theres probably a way to the top of Pleney off the Joux Plane, but for the sake of £160 (assuming your staying for a week) id be getting a lift pass, just for the amount of time it would save.
Time isn't an issue, i'm not a 10 lifts/runs in a day kind of boy, if i get 2-3 in a day i won't be unhappy, even if that means more of a longer day out. We're out in Morzine for 12 days, so a bit longer. Although i'm working for some of them potentially.
It may only be £200 for example, but it's still £200 on top of an already insanely expensive trip/year. So it has some merit, in my mind at least 🙂
Spends thousands on an ebike
Spends thousands on a holiday
Baulks at £160 for a lift pass?
Sigh, that's not really how it is.
I don’t get it either. Restrict yourself to 3-4 runs a day and really restrict where you can actually ride?
but maybe i could take my charging unit up with me and charge up there... dunno yet on that, again that would help if i wanted to explore a bit.
You’ll spend more buying food in restaurants trying to justify using their plugs (and I doubt they’d let you) than the cost of the pass.
Just buy the lift pass
I don’t get it either. Restrict yourself to 3-4 runs a day and really restrict where you can actually ride?
but maybe i could take my charging unit up with me and charge up there... dunno yet on that, again that would help if i wanted to explore a bit.
You’ll spend more buying food in restaurants trying to justify using their plugs (and I doubt they’d let you) than the cost of the pass.
Just buy the lift pass
Well, as you can see they already have a tonne of free ebike points, so the cost could potentially be £0 (apart from a coffee/beer at the top while it charges)
https://en.portesdusoleil.com/in-summer/vttae/
EBike / VAE / electric mountain bike recharging stations
34 Bosch recharging points available free of charge throughout the area, allow hikers to recharge along the way, making the Portes du Soleil the largest cross-border e-bike network. Some of these charging points are powered by solar panels.
However that doesn't help in a way as mine isn't Bosch. (Although i could borrow a Rail and give my mate the Orbea), but if they allow you to bring your own and use the free points, that would also be awesome.
In Les gets you could follow the road up passed the golf club, there's various off piste that runs off the road. I've cycled up that hill on one of the ebikes you can hire with the basket and it didn't take long to reach the mid lift station.
Even with a lift pass the ability to explore new, further afield trails is enhanced by using the 'e' of ebike to get you to the top of lift-free trails which absolutely abound in the PDS if you look for them. There is an ebike trail map but it barely scratches the surface. The provision of Bosch charging points is great if you are using a Bosch motor but if you are using a Yamaha/ Shimano/ whatever... you can't take advantage of these chargers.
So, electronics experts assemble please; can a Bosch to Shimano/ Yamaha/ whatever charger adaptor be made?
You can get to the top of Pleney by road, Les Gets not as easily, but I would suggest rather than just replacing a lift pass with an e-bike lap (which you really won’t get much actual riding in) I would go slightly further afield and hunt out some very off piste locals trails, further down the valley in Essert, SJD or the other way up CdJP.
There is some absolute gold hidden away, which gets very little traffic, as it can’t be accessed via lifts. Infinitely more appealing than riding up to Avoriaz, rinsing a battery in one climb, to ride a battered main line back down the mountain.
Was going to suggest stop being tight then spotted who it was that posted. Different perspective.
They are BIG hills. I'd say it was viable as a shuttle option if you were going to drive to the midish bits and then session some favourite trails but losing big elevation is going to kill the battery getting back up. treat it like a FOD session or a big day out and you'll be good I reckon.
Good training anyway.
I can understand this approach in an area where there is no lift access, but given the ease of the lift, I can't personally see the point.
I do ride my ebike in the Alps, and use it to go places where the lifts don't take me, or to do a ride where I wouldn't use a lift for a single uplift, for example. I camp near Risoul. I take the shuttle bus (with my ebike) up to Risoul at the end of the day, usually when we've been out doing something else all day. I then use the ebike to ride up to the summit, then back to the valley.
Or I head out somewhere where there is no uplift, and ride uphill on the ebike, hogging the shade as much as possible, to ride the trails less travelled. The choice is almost endless. I try to avoid tarmac, but it isn't always possible. Last summer I rode up Col Du Granon on actual tarmac in the midday sun. Even on the ebike it was awful. I could feel myself frying.
Recharging at the top is an interesting thought, but unless you are getting Amflow levels of charging speed, probably not worth it. My Levo takes about 4.5 hours to charge, and shouldn't be charged if the battery is still warm from use. If you've bolted up Joux Plaine, the battery will be warm! I have seen quite a few Bosch free recharge points. Outside a cafe/restaurant is a good idea, and a long lunch might make dent in recharging a battery.
A short Bosch to Shimano adaptor cable could be good idea!
I ride in the Portes du Soleil every summer. And now I have an e-bike. While I will obviously ride without lifts outside of the season, I use the lifts when they’re open. Even when riding an e-bike. When in a e-bike, I tend to take less lifts, and ride different trails, that still have some climbing involved. These tend to be terms ‘Enduro trails’ in mountain speak.
My take on your question is that it’s a poor trade off to do without lifts totally, hen there are no many available.
But to answer your question without totally disagreeing with you, you could ride up from Morzine towards Samoens. There is supposed to be a cracking trail down to Samoens. You can ride back up the road apparently. Most people use the bus. But I hear it’s doable on an e-bike charge. There are a few videos on YouTube showing the route. I tried to find it once, and I’m pretty sure I rode some the correct trail, but went off course along the line.
'There is supposed to be a cracking trail down to Samoens'.
Indeed there is. Easy to find - just follow the track up to the Parapente launch point and head down. Best to have a vehicle at the col and then ride back up the road from Samoens.
Back on point:
Last place in the Alps I'd use an eBike. Plenty of better venues that combine the manufactured stuff with off piste. But if needs must, then crack on.
As I understand it, there's a PAYG option for the Pleney gondola which may be useful.
Last place in the Alps I'd use an eBike. Plenty of better venues that combine the manufactured stuff with off piste. But if needs must, then crack on.
Was just an idea, if it's not a great idea then I'll just ride 2-3 days and do them all full days over the course of the trip. There'll be a lot going on so a few days off may not be x terrible idea. It'd also mean I get to ride my preferred bike too.
I got a reply from Avoriaz center which said that they're OK with you bringing your own chargers and using their charge station.
It's not exactly a game-changer in some ways, but it does open up a few ideas and options for sure. It's all a very loose plan currently in terms of my riding as the rest of our plans evolve over the coming weeks and months.
All joking aside though, with the plans for the year as they are, i don't see me changing my bikes at all. There's a world in which i'd love a DH bike, but i don't see it currently.
If you’re only doing a few runs a day buy passages not days - yes you can get to the top of the Nauchets lift by road (it’s on Col de Joux Plane) but it’s a very long way round.
| ADULTE | ENFANT (5 à 15 ans) |
JEUNE (16 à 25 ans) SENIOR (65 ans et +) |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 passage Les Gets (télécabine Mont Chéry OU télésiège Chavannes Express) | 9 € | 6,8 € | 7,7 € |
| Carte 6 passages* | 27 € | 27 € | 27 € |
| Carte 12 passages* | 48 € | 48 € | 48 € |
Can't seem to find that option for things like the Pleny or SM lift are you sure that's not just for walkers ?
I’ve used it in Les Gets when the boys were small. I think Les Gets covers Pleney (it does on the day pass) but I’m not sure on the passages.
There's no option for single bike uplifts on Super Morzine, only Pleney.
https://www.ski-morzine.com/ete/tarifs-ete/