[Closed] Some alpine trail notes.

I am just back from a couple of weeks in the Alps. Here are some observations...

Les Orres - A good variety of trails with family friendly options, but can be quite busy with groups on rental bikes with full-facers, even on the Green trails. Magic Woods - one of my favourite trails - has been re-routed, and once in the woods it drops very steeply off the end of the ridge on trail so virgin I nearly collided with the lad swinging the mattock. TBH the new section in it's un bedded-in state was a bit too much for me, and made the later sections of the trail seem relievingly easy.

Reallon - I had never ridden here before, and this was a recce. "Enduro" and "DH" - their words, not mine - at Green, Blue, Red and Black. Nice narrow trails where nettle stings were unavoidable on some. Not hard, but loose in places, and combined with the narrowness, made it unsuitable for the kids. Some nice off-piste too. Very friendly place with chatty lifties and locals. Would go back with pals, but only for 1 day.

Puy St Vincent - Again, reliable family friendly. No Gnar. Good value for families - 48E for 2 Adults and 2 Kids for a day. Plenty of superb off-piste that drops all the way to Vallouise/Les Vigneaux/Argentiere. These are not suitable for nippers. The blues here are easier than the Les Orres blues. The reds even more so. No marked blacks. Good omelette at the Petit Chamois.

Maurienne. A multi-station pass is available for 27E a week, but not all lifts run every day, and nothing on a Saturday. So much promise, but...

La Norma - Red and Blue "Enduro" trails. The Blue was Lame McLameface, access road and forest track/ski piste all the way. No single track. Tedious. the very antithesis of what ANY mtb trail should be. To be honest, most of the trail on most of the reds was similar. There were some excellent sections, but the consistency was poor, and off-putting. There are off-piste options that offer plenty of challenge, but 100% unsuitable for the kids.

Val Cenis - I only rode at the Lanslebourg end and the La Norma comments fully apply. Some excellent sections, especially the most Easterly red, which has some lovely alpine singletrack, but this is followed by such tedium that I didn't want to do it again. Esentially both La Norma and Val Cenis suffer from trails being marked, but no effort being put in to make them decent. It is like a non-mtber was given a bunch of signs and scattered them about. So much potential only heightens the disappointment. There is separate uplift at Termignon that promises a blue and a red trail, but I suspect they are very similar. There are also longer, more wilderness Black routes that look like they might be good, but shuttle buses are required to get back to the start, and I wanted to avoid these.

Aussois - I was not optimistic, but the Blue Red and Black were all excellent. The blue has some proper built trail and took my oldest lad (9) on it one afternoon, and he loved it. Again, a short day, but I would go back here for day if in the area.

Last year I took my ebike and rode plenty of fantastic trails that I would never have tacked on a normal mtb, as TBH I can't face a 1500m vertical climb in 30deg heat. I didn't take my ebike this summer, but MTB ebikes are everywhere. Alpes 2 Roues in Embrun told me 90% of all sales are ebikes. I saw more ebikes than non-ebikes. Even some e-roadies...