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First trip to Aosta/Le Tour/Megeve/La Clusaz area last year and going back to that kind of area this year with a burlier bike but..
I also wanted to ride some longer routes but worried about heading away from the lift area and ending up miles away at the end of the day. La Clusaz looked amazing for the start of a longer route.
Can anyone recommend some good bases for 4+ hour rides that are pretty easily navigable? Heard a lot of stories of people just heading off and ending up a few valleys away from where they started.
@billy would appreciate any info you can share on La Clusaz from last year. Thinking of making a trip there this summer, I've studied IGN maps a bit but nothing concrete has turned up yet on various VTT websites I've looked at.. Email in profile.
I've found following (or searching under) Piste de VTT triangular signs in France can get you onto some great trails. Maybe not the best of the Alpine cheekies a local or guide may show you but some very good ones anyway. Look up the pistes map from a local shop or website
eg
http://www.laclusaz.com/ete/pistes-vtt.html
Sites like this can be useful but you'll need to transfer them onto a map, not as good as finding a guidebook to follow but the book routes I've ridden have been more 90s style XC, ok but not what I expect you're looking for.
http://la-trace.com/itineraires/vtt/1124/la-clusaz-manigod-par-beauregards-et-la-crois-fry
or
http://www.routeyou.com/en/route/view/155198/randonnee-a-velo/velo/la-clusaz-tourrit-la-colombiere-71-km.fr
Thanks jameso.
Jambalaya I cant really tell you that much as it was just a bit of a rushed last stop in that area before heading up to Pres de la joux.
Not sure how much you know already but there are 2 mountains to go at for pure DH. One very tree lined with exposed roots here there and everywhere. The other more rocky but more exposed and accessed by multiple lifts.
It was the first mountain with the main lift which most interested me as I knew from looking at a map supplied in the lift station that there were miles and miles of trail off the back of said mountain.
I did explore a little but as I said was limited on time. Thought of going back but it doesn't really fit with a plan to return to Aosta/Pila then south to Valle D'Allos.
I'd highly recommend La Clusaz, the village is beautiful.
I went in the last 2 weeks of the season on a 140mm bike with air shock. My arms and wrists were ruined. Part of the reason for wanting to combine DH with XC this time.
YGM jambalaya
Only 2 basic maps I've just found but may be of some use to you..
@billy much appreciated. I'm keen to explore as with Annecy town and lake plus mountains it seems a great summer and winter playground (hoping to ski there late Feb). Have a freiend who did some nice road rides around and TdF goes to Grand B and Semonz. There's another STWer who lives in Alex a village on the road up.
@jameso - agreed on signed VTT trails but the issue seems to be the maps are only available from tourist offices with only a few scanned in and uploaded to vttfrance.com
My experience echos Jambalaya and JamesO, when I was cruising round the alps, bugger all info online outside of the PDS, but a wealth of maps etc in the Tourist Offices.