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Does anyone know of any routes in the Alps which would allow for multi day cross country adventures in the region? Be it in France, Italy, Switzerland anywhere or can anyone think of anything which might suit?
I think Alpin on here did some pretty epic posts about that, might be worth searching (they were last summer I think)
I'm interested to see what people come up with. Tour du Mont Blanc is the obvious standout.
There are a few I'd like to try. Worth a sense-check on here in case anybody knows these to be no-nos.
(1) Courmayeur start. Haul bike up Mont de la Saxe to Tete de la Tronche. Descend through the Val Sapin, haul bike up to the Testa di Liconi (none of these climbs are rideable) and stay the night in Bivacco Luigi Pascal (it'll be f***ing cold, 3000m, even in July). The next morning descend at the crack of dawn past the Lago Liconi. Depending on time, either go all the way to Morgex in the Aosta Valley and get the bus back to Courmayeur/Chamonix, OR stop the descent at the Liconi commune and bear left to push your bike up the neighbouring valley to the Col de Battaglione (meant to be hellish for bikes, by the way). Then descend to the Val Ferret via the Bonatti Refuge, not sure by which route yet.
(2) Chamonix start. Get the lift up the Brevent then carry bike over the hellish rocks at the start, going up and down various hellish (but scenic) patches to the Anterne refuge where you break for lunch. Then haul bike up the Col d'Anterne and basically go all the way from there to Samoens. Then spend a couple of days exploring around there in various unspecified locations. This has to be mid July to mid August because a key lift is only open for 3 weeks.
(3) Some kind of route involving the Emosson dam, Le Buet (a 3000m peak) and the Dorenaz downhill course - far too much for a single day (or even 2 days) but all links together very well.
Not your standard XC fare, more like wilderness DH with a lot of scrambling on the side, in the middle of nowhere - but it's what I'm looking at.
I know Austria is also good for multiday stuff. I'm not sure the Portes has potential for this kind of stuff but might be wrong. T
[url= http://www.mbmb.co.uk/3ct.php ]3 Countries tour[/url] always looks good but mates always want a centered holiday so I've not done it yet.
I think Buet would be pretty miserable on a bike in all honesty, especially coming from the Samoens side...near impossible...it would be a total hike a bike from a long way out.
I know it might be a little lame for here, but has anyone given this a go or know a good blog: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1852845716?ie=UTF8&tag=freewhfrance-21&linkCode=xm2&camp=1634&creativeASIN=1852845716
Agreed, in all likelihood...
We have just completed the GTMC and although it isn't "mountainbiking" it is excellent! There are several stretches of very nice singletrack and the felling of isolation is incredible. We rode the route entirely self supported,carrying a tent,stove and food for a couple of days at a time
jwh-we have also done your number two suggested route from Chamonix to Samoens-yes it a fantastic ride easily manageable in a day. I can also highly recommend the Samoens area for mountainbiking,we worked there this winter and as the snow was not the best,we managed a lot of exploring,discovering some very good singletrack,considering we have lived over in Morzine for the past few years,it was a real eye opener!
Bump
Very interested in this. Planning a tour centers round Mont Blanc later in the year. Know the Verbier area well so keen to read route ideas.
http://www.ocd.org.uk/alps/rs/fred.htm
this guy was pioneer in roughstuff alpine trips i think. may give you some starting points and google earth can do the rest.
Was going to post that. Some crazy routes in that link I have the book somewhere.
GR55
400km of singletrack.
2-3 weeks of riding though!
chamonix - zermatt ?
Tour de Queyras in the southern alps.
Tour du Mont Blanc
The Brick...can you post us a link at all to the book by any chance or could i borrow it at all? I can't find it on amazon.
Basically, where would you want to go? what languages can you read? What food do you like? How touristy/many people do you want? You can piece together good multi-dayers almost anywhere in the Alps without much need for carrying much gear as almost everywhere is set up for tourism.
Check the German/Swiss mags – search their sites and forums for 'alpencross' and 'singletrails'. There are endless German variations on this – generally starting in Bayern and heading through AT or AT/CH and ending somewhere else (sometimes IT). Make sure they emphasise the fahrtechnik or singletrails quotient though if you are anything like me.
It's not difficult to put together some good routes with a bit of time online, some google maps, and the relevant local maps. Possibilities are virtually endless, but if I were planning, I'd start somewhere in Graubuenden or central CH, go through the Oberengadin into the Italian or Austrian Tirol, then back via Arlberg or Tessin... that kind of thing. Plenty of huts/villages to stay in, train access is good to most of these areas making a linear route easy, pretty quiet, loads of singletrack... But then that's only 'cause I know that area best.
Something that might look a little like a personalised version of some of these... [url= http://www.bike-explorer.ch/freeride-x/default.htm ]linky[/url] [url= http://www.bike-explorer.ch/grbike/default.htm ]linky[/url]
Joe, only place to get the Fred Wright Roughstuff guide is to buy it from him direct... drop me an email i'll give you his details ... Should hopefully receive mine tomorrow 🙂
There is a life time of Alpine XC exploring to do.
Transalp?
Haven't read the thread but Chamonix-Zermatt... company that do it all for you
http://www.alpsmountainbike.com/mountain_biking/Chamonix_to_Zermatt.php
Freeridenick - does the GR55 go through the Vanoise National Park? Is riding there banned/enforced? (I heard it was a 400 euro fine...). Otherwise that looks awesome.
Unsupported multiday trips in the Alps are awesome. We have done a few, usually one a year in summer. I spend weeks and weeks of evenings planning with maps then a week (or so’s) great riding. Go unsupported, just carry a small sack with spare clothes and stuff in. Stay at the many hundreds of huts or in the valleys where there are loads of places. Done a fair few Transalps mostly from Germany through to Italy, Garda or Venice. This year (21 Aug) have planned out the GR5 from Geneva to Nice. Looks like 600km and 30,000m the way we have planned it. Try to ride in small groups (2 or 3max). this year there are 6+ of us so will be split into 2/3s
There are thousands who do MTB transalps in the summer, many of them Austrian/German/Swiss so the most info on the WWW is in german.
Start with something straightforward like the JoeRoute Transalp (Google it) or the Tour Mont Blanc (bit busy) and you’ll be hooked, I promise!
If you need any help, or copy maps etc mail me.
C