My new favourite place- Part 1

Discovery

After a 9 days of riding in a row I was still up for more. Tired legs, an increased appetite, and still with a hunger for more descending.

However Chamonix weather wasn't playing ball. I had no work, it's quiet time at the moment, but I also had nobody available to join me for adventure's. Solo it was to be. I sat in my apartment and looked where I could go to find good weather. First option, Finale. Stormy down on the coast. Inland around Switzerland, also stormy. The closest weather window appeared to be just below Grenoble, and westwards.

Heading around Grenoble the skies where still grey, the wind was still blowing, but the temperature was creeping up. I turned off the motorway, and headed left (west).

I'd planned to spend the next couple of days around Die and Crest in the southern Vercors pre-alpine Massif. As I lost mobile phone signal and the central line markings on the road you could feel the change from the Haute Savoie to the Mediterranean. Clay roofs replaced wooden.

I arrived at the Col de la Croix (745m) with the Bec Pointu (1342m) insight as my mission for the afternoon. Being in the middle of nowhere, there was parking space for maybe 3 cars at the col, luckily I was the only one. The wind was still blowing when I reached the summit after hike-a-biking the majority of the trail. Ready for a fun loose gravely descent!

Just down the road from the col I'd seen a quiet little track I could sneak down with my car to set up a camp spot. It was chilly, and I was as far out the ever blowing wind as possible. I climbed into my sleeping bag...

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Being shown around my classic stomping ground

Another chance to be shown around trails. Not as glamorous as Switzerland, but just as good! Mortimers Forest and Bringewood, Ludlow, Shropshire, England The woods of Mortimers Forest and Bringewood are where I grew up mountain biking so I always love going back. A few years ago I built a long section of singletrack trail to link in above a much loved piece of trail that had been a staple of rides for many years. It was my way of giving back to the forest riders and builders. Over the last few years whilst I've been away riding 1000m+ descents my Dad has still been out exploring every corner of these forests. Sometimes walking with my Mother, other times out on road rides with his Wednesday night Pub Ride group or usually with his main Sunday morning off road group. They are trail connoisseurs, though they might not look it. They are the type of group that make up every British Forestry carpark on a Sunday morning...

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. ...

Changing times

Being show around Valais trails for a change People I've been riding with recently have been talking about the Emosson to Martigny trail and how good it is. Me and Tom had been up there in June to ride the first half of the trail and loved it. blogged here . So I was keen to get back. I wasn't keen to get up after a late night in Amnesia, but knew that the road climb from Finahut would sort me and Jarno out. 1 1/2 hours spinning wasn't too bad. Luckily the trail is great form the beginning, even if it undulates and you often have to get off your bike for a quick push up. It still kind of flows, in a 'flow-tech' kind of way. The views looking down towards Martigny and Sion were still great. The trail really gets going after about 3 kilometres. Basically from the Emosson the trail traverses North-Eastwards constantly hugging the mountainside to your left, and always with a big drop down to your right. It's another one ...

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