The ascent is pleasant

Guide book exploration in the Val d'Aosta, Italy

I have several very good ski guide books including the now out of print Anselme Baud "book of death" that can reach €500 on eBay. However, up until recently I hadn't owned any mountain bike related books. This changed when DIRT Mag (R.I.P) mentioned a Val d'Aosta guide book.

The best thing about spring is being able to take part in your favourite winter and summer sports. So on my first day off, straight after the most recent storm to hit Cham we were up in the first bin of the Aiguille du Midi to ski the Cosmiques Couloir. I could have turned home satisfied after my first turn which kicked snow up well over my head. But it was rude not to carry on searching...

Accessing the couloir

The next day after reports of muddy Chamonix trails it was time to go to the "sunny side of Mont Blanc" in search of dry trails. I flicked through my new book and found one suitable just 20 minutes from the exit of the Mont Blanc tunnel. "The ascent is pleasant" it said about the 800 vertical metre climb. Doesn't sound too bad. "The descent is technical, but extremely fun" Lets go Rich!

More up

After some bonus climbing into an unsuccessful trail exploration we went back to the guide book route. The snow had gone all the way up on these south facing slopes so it was easy going bar the last hike-a-bike for 100 metres. The main descent started straight into high speed smooth singletrack, a few switchbacks to make sure our brakes were working and we popped out in the meadows above a mountain hamlet. We rested briefly in the village, but were excited for more goodness. We searched for a trail entrance but missed the higher trail head but luckily found it again on a lower firewood switchback. And what a treat it was! It was the stand out section of the day; a fast, smooth pine cone and pine needle covered trail with, like Switzerland, just perfect switchbacks.

As we got lower the trail became rockier with tighter switchbacks, not quite as good as higher up due to the lower speeds, but you can't complain at turn after turn of singletrack can you now!? OR can you, when potentially out there in Aosta Valley are longer more perfect trails???

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What guides do between work in the peak of July

Summer is here, and after fantastic spring riding in Southern France and then all over Valais, Aosta and Haute Savoie with good friends it's been time to get back to summer guiding, taking hikers around the Tour du Mont Blanc circuit. There's much worse things to do, but with three weeks off the bike I was itching to get back on some trails. With a carefully planned week between tours I was excited and made some plans to hit up some classic lines, and some new stuff too. It's mid July now, so in Chamonix valley you have to think carefully about where to go to miss the crowds, and to avoid going on the bike ban trails (July & August). Luckily it's still easy to find quiet trails in nearby resorts, or to simply drop round the back of a hill away from the frontside lifts. It went a little like this: Day 1- La Thuile with Wayne of newly qualified French legal mountain bike guiding service Chamonixmtb.com . Enduro race venue at it's best, rough and raw. ...

Aiguille de la Grande Sassiere 3751m

One of those pure adventure days *warning mega photo post* Ali-venturing as it's been known by over the summer. When Ali from trailAddiction gets grand idea's in his head it always leads to hike-a-bike. Read here on DIRT Mag about a previous mission, its the highest rideable peak in the alps! A special team was organised: A top ten finishing team from the Bivouac Enduro, Mael and Max, Ali, myself and Fred the mountain bike mechanic from Mavic. All keen, all stupid? And then my alarm went off at 04:30. Time to eat and drink as much as possible. I hadn't been up this early since ski touring in refuges last winter. In my tired state I did subconsciously know how to load the bikes onto the trailer, it's easy after doing it everyday all summer. We drove up towards Val d'Isere, then turned left up a singletrack road. It was around 6am, and it was still pitch black. Slowly the sun began to rise: Tignes...

My new favourite place- Part 3

It is possible to beat what you thought was a world class trail when in Gap Read Part 1 and Part 2 . I woke after a warm nights sleep. The wind had died down too as I ate my breakfast and took my time to pack everything away. I was in no rush today. It was very mild even at 8am & the scenery was stunning. View under the road bridge near my campspot From my research I decided to bolt on an extra descent onto a circular loop ride near where I had ridden yesterday. The climb would be long, beginning on a very minor backroad, and then slogging up a fire road. Over 2 hours later I was nearing the top. The first part of the descent felt familiar, like Saleve or Servoz. Within beech and pine tree terrain, roots, switchbacks, fast and fun. Again, part way down I stopped to take in the views when it cleared momentarily. Lower down things opened a little and began to feel like the southern alps should. Dry du...

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