“The nights are fair drawing in” I’ve heard no-one say recently, but it doesn’t change that at the end of the month, most of the alps’ lift operators start to stop putting the 50 centime pieces in the chairlift machines and going down needs you to consider getting up first.
Here’s a list of the closing dates for our nearby lifts, along with a couple of beacons of hope for us:
Chamonix
VALLORCINE: 1st Sept
GRANDS MONTETS: 8th Sept
PRARION: 15th Sept
BREVENT: 15th Sept (then Oct 19th to Nov 3rd)
FLEGERE: 15th Sept
LE TOUR GONDOLA & CHAIRLIFT: 22nd Sept
BELLEVUE: Never really opened…
TRAMWAY DU MONT BLANC: 29th Sept
Nearby
Grand Massif, started closing on the 25th, all done by 31st Aug
La Thuile, 1st Sept
Portes du Mont Blanc, 8th Sept
Tignes / val d’isere 1st Sept (still FREE up till then!)
Pila, 8th Sept
Portes du Soliel starts closing the weekend of 1st September and is mostly closed by the 9th, except Champery which keeps going to 6th Oct
Verbier, 27th Oct (if weather’s ok, and sometimes only at weekends)
And have a google for
St Luc, Dorinaz, La Saleve, Aosta Valley Freeride….
The eagle eyed amongst you may have noticed that the pictures here have absolutely nothing to do with lift accessed riding. This is because I stretched the ulnar collateral ligament of metacarpophalangeal joint (or hurt my thumb as I previously knew it) a few weeks ago and am in a cast for another few weeks yet. So instead of riding my bike, I helped out Chamonix Bike Rentals in the latest of their Tuesday evening mates races.
The courses are generally downhill oriented XC in style, though I’m hoping to be back on the bike for a pump track challenge evening, and your 5 euro entry gets you a beer in the Pub afterwards and a random chance to win a prize for the shops shelves, Nukeproof bars, grips, energy gels and body armour all featuring in the after-race giveaway. Give Spencer a shout in the shop or visit the website for more, contrary to the post title, you don’t need 6 toes on each foot to enter. Congratulations also to Nina from the shop who took part in her first “real” race at the weekend there, the Les Menuires Enduro, and came second!
