With the lift closing for summer at the end of September it seemed there was 2 options. Ride up the hills for once, or leave Chamonix until the lifts opened again for the French ½ term break. I chose the latter.
Back in town almost 4 weeks later and the leaves have changed colour but otherwise it seems to be business as usual for riding. Only the Brevent lifts have been opened mind, so if you don’t like steep techy rock sections and/or fast flowy but narrow singletrack, then tough I guess.
With the upper section of Brevent running this weekend after staying shut for the 1st week of the holidays, there were plenty of riders heading up for the various delights of the bigger rides across towards the Aiguillette des Houches and on to Les Houches, Servoz or Le Fayet depending on your appetite.
Lorne, Spence & I were no different and also made a relaxed ‘traverse’ down and up a few hundred vertical meters of hill to the Aiguillette. Instead of the amazing aesthetics of the ridgeline trail we headed down towards the Merlet animal park before taking the Chamonix classic from there back to Les Bossons. Not as visually appealing as the other options, but probably the best riding you can get off the top of Brevent, and therefore, in the world*
It might be the very end of October, but it was still warm t-shirt weather as long as you were out of the wind, and even the wind was helping to clear the snow (apparently it snowed here a bit in mid October….) from the few parts of the trail that hadn’t seen enough sun.
So, to summarise. End of October, riding lifts, in t-shirts, on amazing trails, with mates. Chamonix, what’s not to like?
*Maybe not, but it’s got to be better than axle deep mud through a field.
