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Out there for 5 days...its apparently thundering for 3 of those...
Don't mind getting wet, but I must say I don't really fancy been stuck on top of a mountain in a lightening storm. Anyone got any tips, is there plenty of shelter? Or is it simply a case of 'duck and cover' and hope for the best...
or stay indoors for the best part of the week 🙁
MTFU!
If the lifts are runnng then ride if not then drink beer - don't go too far if you think it will thunder as you might get trapped in a valley- usually take shelter at restraunts
what dates are you out don't the lifts only fully open on the 26th?
Beware of going into Pre la Joux/Chatel as you can't get back without riding back up the hill from there if lifts close.
Everywhere else you can get back to Morzine from.
and get a set of these
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In August 2007 I was at the top of the Mossette sheltering from the rain at the lift station when I saw lightening below me. Now that was worrying.
Anyway, I set of down the access road, which is just full of baby-head rocks and the thunder & lightening continued. I had to cycle back via the road through the goat village & Montriond.
The next day it was lashing down so I caught the telecabin at the prodam to Avoriaz to find about 6" of snow. I spent the rest of the day drinking latte's and reading in an August winter wonderland. Very odd!
I've been following the long range forecast for a couple of weeks. It's gone from all sun, to all rain, now it's a mixture of sun/showers with the odd storm. Luckily I just purchased some new mud tyres and a headcam - an interesting week ahead!!!
I think one of the forecasts had a bug a few years back and always predicted storms on a Tuesday
Why so scared of thunderstorms? I don't get it ride it's rain and thunderstorms are ace.
we've got our weather contingency plan 100% sorted 🙂
Arrive Weds. Get drunk. Sleep.
Thurs, wake up, get drunk, sleep.
Fri.... as Thurs
Sat, as Fri and Thurs.
Sunday... come home 🙂
You often get forecasts like that in the Alps. Thunder is often in the afternoon. I once got caught in one descending the Obergabelhorn at 3,500 m. I had walking poles attached to my rucksack that were buzzing!
get some swampthing's as someone has said, they make riding so much easier as it just gets slimey and so slippy.
As long as the lifts are running just make the most of it, if they're not, pub!
Drac -
Moderator
Why so scared of thunderstorms? I don't get it ride it's rain and thunderstorms are ace.
The real fear is getting stuck miles from home on a dh bike.
Screw Swampthings, get proper mud tyres e.g. Wet Scream, Dirty Dan, etc
To be fair, on both the occasions we've been stuck (once down in the Pre La Joux valley & once down in Les Crossets) when the storm looked like it was set for the rest of the day, the lifties/PDS staff have come to the rescue both times with pickups & gone all ghetto uplift to get us to the top of the mountain so we can get back.
I've never seen to many people in the back of a Hilux pickup, bikes and people hanging off anything they could hold onto 🙂
Having spoken to someone who decided to push out, i'm glad I didn't bother. It's a long way up at the end of a days riding.
We always have a plan B, one year ending up in Finale Ligure, other years detouring to the Ecrin (further south so in theory better weather). It's not necessarily all bad, One year in Chamonix we had 2 weeks of bad weather where we never saw mont blanc, but in the lower valleys it was reasonable enough for biking.
dont forget to remove all carbon fibre bits.....oh and anything gold. lightening loves them.
I've been out there with a 5 day forecast of rain. As someone else has already said, all the rain and thunderstorms came late afternoon, the morning was always sunny.
Beware of going into Pre la Joux/Chatel as you can't get back without riding back up the hill from there if lifts close.
^^^^^^^THIS^^^^^^^^
what's wrong with riding up hils 🙂
Some great advice folks...
As long as the lifts are running then I guess its just a case of trying to get down the mountain as fast as possible if theres a hint of lightening.
Good call about the Swampthings/Wetscreams...although a bit agrieved I just spent 80 quid on a pair of minnions. having said that given I fly out on Monday I can't gt hold of any anyhow, unless anyone has them in Edinburgh
Weather picks up tomorrow apparently!
Anyone else heading out there next week?
What kind of hit am I going to take on a tyre if I buy one out there. I'm assuming it'll be no more than RRP?
IME avoid buying anything there, takes spares with you, mega-expensive
Everyone on here says its expenseive but last year I managed to pick up a pair of wet screams for £70 which I didnt think was to bad
Had a couple of big storms when I was there, roads into rivers but then they are gone and things dry out so quick. The thunder was so loud I thought I was going to pee myself.
tyres are 50 euro in Chatel, not sure about morzine. I'd take with.
I've always found the lift dudes give plenty of warning about the old orages and we never got stuck..
Yikes, hope it perks up for when i go out on the 1st!
Got caught in a thunderstorm in Les Lindarets last year - the car was at Chatel. I could have climbed the hill ok, but my son was on a rented DH bike - it would have killed him. They finally opened the lifts for a few mins in the evening to get us home.
The temperature doesn't half drop during a storm I've rarely been so cold as on that final descent down the road.
It was also absolutely amazing how many people - bikers and walkers were out in only t shirts. Despite the fact that the weather forecast is usually ultra reliable there and the storm had been well forecast. It was like a wet t shirt competition in the coffee shop where everyone took shelter!