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My search for an Alps destination for my son & I goes on.
I don't want a bike park type destination. I've ridden in Chamonix & Verbier a long time ago, the riding was all kind of natural, paths, tracks etc as opposed to built for MTB stuff.
I'd like somewhere with similar trails, accessed by uplift to cut out ascending, mapped or waymarked would be good (or gpx). Blue & red, no black, gaps or big drops.
Both on 120mm HTs.
Am I after the moon on a stick?
A big ask. Just about anywhere with lifts running that cater specifically for bikes will be either built-up bike park stuff, or pretty hard going on a HT. With a bit of local knowledge you could certainly find stuff to suit in the Les Arc area, though a lot of the natural stuff can be quite steep/rocky in places. Your problem would be finding suitable stuff to string together without any local knowledge. Probably going to be the same every where though. From what I can see most of the Austrian stuff is regimented and built to a very high degree. Slovenia? Trouble is when you get out of the high Alps you tend to lose the extensive lift systems that make uplifting practical...
Yea, it's a tough one. I'd like a break with him somewhere alpine, views, altitude, it's not going to be biking every day, we'd do a walk, check out a glacier, tandem paraglide. 4-5 days I guess.
Switzerland gives you some uplift assisted riding like that, but its definitely assisted only. I ride in the 4 vallees a lot and i can get a couple of lifts up to take the worst of the big climbs out but still quite a bit of climbing in an xc day. Then you can shoot across to verbier for some harder stuff.
Or forgetting the uplift the Jura gives you everything else.
Les arcs has that sort of stuff but you'd need some local knowledge. Do a search see if the tourist office has a vtt map. There will be plenty around but can be steep techie. Speak to someone like whiterooms they have the knowledge and if you offer to pay for help or a days guiding they might help.
Anywhere you like in the alps and hire e-bikes.
No need for uplift then. You pick based purely on other factors.
this would be a good destination according to your last post....
https://www.myswitzerland.com/en/snow-white-eternity.html
https://www.aletscharena.ch/sports-summer/mountainbike/bike-route-suggestions/?oaid=23155254
for a few days with alpine meadows,glaciers,good marked biketrails from moderate to difficult ,hiking,paragliding,and good summits its perfect
but its switzerland so prices are generally a bit high,
there is even a good campground in fiesch...
Courchevel and Meribel is great for that stuff - the troi vallees has shedloads of lifts, there's some amazing natural stuff in courchevel, some top stuff over the top, a great natural ridge ride.
Stay at Pleisure in courchevel. Cheap as chips. Only thing I can say is that as it's not a main destination the place is like a ghost town (it's way more snowboardy) in summer.
You’re unlikely to find everything you need in one single spot. But you can base yourself in say, Chamonix or Aletsch area for the high altitude/glacier elements and travel daily to suitable riding spots in nearby locations such as St Gervais (for Chamonix). As Chevychase says the 3 Valleys is well equipped but some of the runs in Meribel are full on dh... Choose the trail carefully. Good call re the ebikes though, buy a good local topo map and go exploring!
I was very impressed with Leogang in Austria when we went a few years ago. We were based in Zell-am-Zee which is a nice place to spend some time.
Leogang and the surrounding area is lovely but very much bike park. You’ve got Hackelberg trail, milka line and blue line in S/H but any other singletrack is cheeky stuff really.
They’re just going through planning to add 4 new trails in Leogang though including flow and enduro trails for next year so that will be great.
Many thanks for all the tips, i appreciate i'm after a fickle list, lots to muse over.
colp nails it as far as leogang is concerned.
We went there 3 or 4 years ago and had a lovely time, but objectively speaking the biking wasn't that great unless you're really into fireroads or steep downhill.
Samoens
Uplifts via telecabine or get onto the shuttle one of the bike shops runs up.
Ok, bit of a contradiction in my answer. singletrack, forest and meadows here.
But it does also have loads of sculpted downhill tracks
witha few lovely natural (ish) paths and tracks.
We loved it last year and we're going back again. Still searching for a second week destination however, and the Aletsch Gletshcer above looks promising