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Managed to escape to Morzine with a few friends this Summer. Literally arrived back home the night before travel restrictions came in in August, talk about cutting it fine! Finally got round to putting a highlights video together today. The trails are amazing over there (if you don't already know!), would thoroughly recommend putting it on your bucket list! Will be uploading some full run clips soon so subscribe to the channel if you're interested!
Extra marks for Prodigy voodoo people soundtrack.👍
There are far better places than Morzine to have on your bucket list.
good vid, some quality riding too. Not been out there since about 2004, maybe get out again some day.
Nice, brings back some good memories 😁
Yeh, good riding too, you were hitting a lot of stuff I wasn't!
Where's the trail right at the start of the vid, I don't recognise that?
I'm sure you could define other places as 'far better' if you chose to, but all round, for a fun week away with your mates in the sun with easy access to tons of different trails and plenty of places for beers Morzine and the wider PDS takes some beating.
What was the first trail. I think I could manage that. Are there lots like that?
I'm with you all the way.
The first trail is Swiss National or Le Grande Conche as it's properly called
Enjoyed it, cheers...nice skills.....apart from the sandwich eating.
****ing steep.
Nice! Makes that step up at 1:28 look easy. It was new last I was there and didn't quite work up to it. Although in my slight defence it was absolute monsoon weather all that week. Went somewhere drier the following years.
Great vid that. Was there last year, stayed at Les Gets and loved every minute, fond memories. Here's hoping things will be back open by this summer.
There are far better places than Morzine to have on your bucket list.
Yeah, looks shit in fairness.
No wonder almost no one ever goes there.
There are far better places than Morzine to have on your bucket list.
Where's that then ?
2020 was the first year I haven't been since about 2011. We usually go somewhere new first then have a week with Riders Refuge because my girlfriend loves it.
That reminds me. My last fun bike ride was in August 2019. It's been nothing but soggy, freezing misery ever since.
There are few better places to go with a bunch of mates and you can do it on almost any budget. I first went there with nothing but a backpack and a DH bike, now we drive down with a car full of supplies and stay in a catered chalet.
What was the first trail. I think I could manage that. Are there lots like that?
No reason to be intimidated, there's dozens of very easy trails. It's the first place my mrs. ever rode a mountain bike and we've been back nearly every year since. The good thing is you can find some really challenging stuff if you know where to look so if you go with a mixed group everyone's happy.
Gutted Covid put an end to my week there last year, hoping that this year is kinder!
@speeder that's a great video of the route to the Swiss National and gives a much better idea of how the track actually is once he gets there.
What was the first trail. I think I could manage that.
The top section of that track is much rockier, steeper and exposed than it looks on the first vid (good riders / go-pro tend to flatten things out). The bottom section is super fun. Loads of much easier / mellower trails to suit all abilities though.
In 2019 we missed the entrance to the Nationals track (fog had rolled in, at the top you could basically just see 10m of the road/track in front and just fog off to the side where you knew the was a huge drop, properly horrible). We ended up traversing to Morgins (which was fun in itself) and then riding there before a road ride/bus to Chatel. That was a step up in terms of how technical runs were (ie blue felt like a Morzine red etc).
Brilliant video, Monty - obviously the TV gardening career will be taking a back seat for a while longer 🙂
There are far better places than Morzine to have on your bucket list.
Erm. That's the whole point of a list... If you followed your logic that stuff couldn't go on the list if there was something better then you'd end up with....
...a single item at the top and nowt else.
We normally stay in Chatel and ride over to Morzine for a day or two. Love it. Can't wait to get back.
Love the Swiss national, steep and flowy singletrack with a bit of exposure on those high switchbacks. I'm not so keen on bigger jumps/gaps (due to lack of talent!) but love Morzine and it's trails. Feels like eons since I was last there with mates (2019). We shall return!
great vid! really enjoyed that thanks
good vid, recognise most of it ( although im much closer to the ground when I do em) looks like buzzed the walkers a few times- oops!
Great vid, looked superb! haven't been back for some time, must get myself back out.
Thanks for sharing
Yeh that's a great video of getting across to the Swiss National track/Crosets area. It's worth going over there just for the views from the chairlift alone. Just don't leave yourself trying to find lunch at the bottom of those trails, there is next to nothing! That trail and the one on the opposite side of Les Gets (at 1:50) were some of my favourites.
There's absolutely stuff over there to suit all levels, it just didn't make the cut as it's not quite as exciting as the sketchy stuff and big jumps! Some of the connecting trails from one resort to another are fantastic trail riding. I actually much prefer that kind of riding to the big manmade jump trails, but the beauty of Porte Du Soleil is how well connected everything is and thus how much variety there is if you're prepared to explore a bit. There are a few amazing natural trails off the beaten track too (Nyon, Colorado etc.). We were there early August and the main trails were verrry rough (Les Gets braking bumps are like concrete lol) and the queues were pretty long so it's great to have the options of heading further away for the day. Was there once previously and it was in the closing week in September and there were hardly any queues and the main trails were in great shape so we rode those a lot more.
Would recommend trying to ride a good bit more than normal for a few weeks before or doing some gym work before you go over if it's your first time so that you can make the most of it. 5min+ 1000m descents are a different sport to UK riding!
Haha apologies for the sandwich eating, friend liked taking the camera whenever it was sitting about 😂.
"My last fun bike ride was in August 2019. It’s been nothing but soggy, freezing misery ever since." 😂😂 I feel this! Used to be a hardcore all weather kind of rider but I'm getting very soft these last few years... it's safer to only ride in the dry, right?
I'm hoping to go twice this year, June and August. Keeping fingers and toes crossed.
Jeeze, twice in a year! Assuming you have a nice van or something?
There are far better places than Morzine to have on your bucket list.
Where’s that then ?
Well the woods behind Nationwide in Swindon obviously. But you already knew that.
When I did a bucket I didn't want to go anywhere, the floor was moving enough of it's own accord.
Jeeze, twice in a year! Assuming you have a nice van or something?
Once with my pals for Passportes and once with my family for our hols. The kids love it there, we’ve been going for years.
It funny isn't it. This has no great appeal for me. Maybe do a day if I am in the area but to spend an entire holiday? I have plenty of cycling on my bucket list but this for sure ain't one.
Maybe do a day if I am in the area but to spend an entire holiday?
Are you aware it's a massive area? The lift area covers Morzine, Les Gets, Avoriaz, Chatel, Les Crosets, Champery, Morgins.
You could spend many weeks there and never ride the same trail twice. It has absolutely everything from pure DH, bike parks, epic backcountry, mental off piste, stunning xc tours and amazing road rides
Its the concept. One day uplift assisted in a holiday would do me. I prefer exploring and quiet places.
I am not saying the Morzine lovers are wrong - its just that that sort of riding has little appeal to me. I first saw an MTB tandem in Les Gets 15 years ago and have ridden in the area a few times
Nice vid. Brings back lots of fond memories. Me and the SO had planned to go last year as we've not been for several years and used to go every year but Covid put a stop to that. I'd like to think we may get out this year but we'll have to see what the situation is like come the summer. Realistically it probably means we won't get there until 2022.
Weird! Been all over PDA so many times over the years but never seen it without snow!! Would love to do this with the bike sometime. Nice video!
Quality video, was worried when I saw the Prodigy comment but the riding lives up to it!
Enjoying reading the pro/cons of Morzine.
There's more imaginative places to go, certainly quieter and even more picturesque Alpine towns to stay in and better regions for less full on DH riding, although you will find good trail/enduro too.
I'd say if you're after the kind of riding Monty seems to be, real DH tracks and then some serious freeride lines, Morzine and the surroundings are as good as it gets in Europe, plus the town has a good party vibe if that's your thing. I like this video because it highlights that, rather than the usual Morzine video of someone slowly bashing through the brake bumps and avoiding the jumps.
Morzine is where I called it quits for riding bikes. The mental battle of riding big stuff/DH had been increasing and wasn't fun anymore (I'm 48now). My last run was down through the goat village and down the road back to Morzine. Sold my bikes as soon as I came home.
Great video, you have some skills op. Never particularly liked the Swiss National myself, the top bit was fun but after that it just seemed like braking bump hell with not much else of interest.
I’m also 48 and can’t wait to go again. Too old now to be hitting huge tables/gaps but there is so much more than the DH runs. Last time I was there in 2016 I was concentrating mainly on epic backcountry stuff and it’s almost limitless for that. Morzinette was a highlight. Also like the way you could rock up into most shops and chat to the staff about lesser known trails and they’d always be keen to share tips. Not particularly unique to pds I know but I found it really helped.
Seems like such a world away from lockdown and the quagmire most of us have right now.
It’s an interesting track.
Certainly is, my Norco really didn't like the corners and I had to do some weird thing involving hanging off the side of the back wheel to make them. Didn't enjoy it and the bottom was just a mess (2006). French National on the other side of the hill was far more fun, except for that bastard corner rock round the tree at the wood entrance I took a swan dive off of.
Super Morzine IIRC had a proper terrifying bit that you would never notice unless you stopped, there's a chute at one point with a drop to the right, I washed out and when I stood up (and took a look over the edge) I realised it was a proper cliff and nearly soiled myself. The track would catch and guide you but was still scary.
I remember lots of minor (in comparison to FW at end of season) braking bumps that had people upset but it was generally good and the bridge was fine as long as you were lined up right 😉
EDIT:
Never particularly liked the Swiss National myself, the top bit was fun but after that it just seemed like braking bump hell with not much else of interest.
Very much this. Very poor compared to the French side.
Oh, and Mutzig seems to be back again, for a number of years it would appear!
There are far better places than Morzine to have on your bucket list.
What kind of the end of a bell writes something like that.
After watching iolo's Austria tours vid on here a few weeks ago I braced myself before pressing play 🙉, that Prodigy track took me back to some good times. Plenty pro's honed their skills at Morzine, worthy of anyone's bucket list.
TJ:
I first saw an MTB tandem in Les Gets 15 years ago
A green cannondale?
smiler - maybe. It was a local XC race IIRC and there were a few tandems. One team fell off on a slippy adverse camber corner and were laughing so much they could hardly get back on. that was the moment I thought getting one would be fun
Ah, not us then. we had a lot of fun but there was no XC racing.
TJ - There's plenty more to do than uplift, loads of trails for those who prefer to work for them. Of course there are plenty more places to go than the Portes but you could easily base yourself there if you wanted and never go near an uplift. Guess it comes down to whether you prefer to tour or concentrate on one area.