Chamonix Bike Blog

Tag: Brevent

This ‘n’ that

After a spring of moaning about the cold and snow, the sun’s come out and it’s got dry and hot. So instead now everyone’s moaning about it being too hot and dry. On the plus side, the +30 degree temps, blazing sunshine and a bit of warm rain has put a fair dent in the snowpack and things are starting to get a bit easier to ride up high.

Conveniently most of the valley’s lifts have opened for the summer season now, which has saved us from having to actually exercise in the heat, instead we can just enjoy a sauna for 5 minutes then cruise down the hill.

This seems like as good a place as any to try and clarify what’s happening with the lifts and bikes in the valley this summer. After all manner of rumours that bikes will only be allowed on this, that and the other lift, official word from Compagnie du Mont Blanc is:

Mountain bikes will be allowed on ALL lifts other that Montenvers, Aiguille du Midi, Index chairlift and the upper stage of Grand Montets. So far so good, but there’s a twist (or 2)….. First, at the Tramway du Mont-Blanc, bikes are only authorised on the first and last tram of the day during low season, and first and last 3 trams during July & August (and at other times if there’s space and you’re nice to the lift staff). Second, the old “Cham’sport” lift pass is no more, replaced with the 17euro “bike pass”, which sounds great, but unfortunately this pass only gives you access to the Charamillon & Autannes lifts at Le Tour (ie, the front 2 lifts, NOT Vallorcine) and the Prarion lift at Les Houches (ie, NOT Bellevue, which is closed due to fire damage anyway, and the Tramway du Mont Blanc) and nowhere else. If you want to ride any of Brevent, Flegere, back of Les Houches, Grand Montets, you’ll have to stump up for the Mont-Blanc Multipass at 54euro. Or live here and have a season pass. Or push. Your choice.

In better news, it looks like the railway is actually going to open on the 29^th of June, it’s been announced on the local radio and everything, so fingers crossed that evening riding is about to get a lot easier, as well as getting back from the various routes off Le Tour and Les Houches.

Enough of the future, what of the now? This week we’ve been mostly riding the lifts, Les Houches, Brevent & Flegere. The trails are still fairly quiet and there’re not too many walkers around so it’s been good to make the most of it, ride some classics and do a wee bit of exploring. The photo’s can do the talking though.

Get out there and make the most of it before the bike ban kicks in at the end of the month!

27/06/2013
Getting cold feet

It certainly ain’t summer any more, but there are still lifts turning and the trails aren’t (always) covered in snow, so there’s still riding getting done.

Folk have mostly been taking advantage of the Brevent lift being open for two weeks. However with the snow line going up and down from somewhere near the top of the lift at 2000m to just above town, the trails around Servoz and down to Le Fayet have also been getting hit, especially since a group of local riders have started work on an excellent new freeride trail near Lac Vert. The mix of rain and snow has put an end to the wonderful dry trails of the last few months, but away from the rockier trails (such as, err, Brevent) the dirt is pretty grippy and the mud washes off! This hasn’t stopped local riders looking further afield to find dust, with groups heading off to Aosta for van shuttle riding and others even off to Morocco.

I’ve had a few runs on Brevent since the last update, including checking out Sentier des Gardes which, as Oliver said, is now much improved with only about 5 trees still down and once again worth the effort. There was also first tracks in a few inches of snow on Le Charlanon and watching the scariest crash of the season when Lorne went over the edge on Plan des Chablettes and ragdolled down the hill for 25 meters…

With the local meteo forecasting as much as 50cm of snow at 2500m overnight and frequent snow showers during Sunday, Jan, Robbie & I headed up Brevent for what we figured would be the last time today. First lap we dropped down the 4×4 track into the main Brevent couloir and discovered that the rocks were pretty slippy and a river was running down large sections of the track. Not wanting to finish the season with injury, we walked a couple of sections that are normally ridden. Before long we were at the junction choosing whether to ride Sentier des Gardes or Plan des Chablettes when, mid photograph, we heard a jet plane pass overhead. Only, it didn’t sound quite right and looking up towards ENSA couloir saw a plume of rising dust. At first it looked like a small snow avalanche, however as the sound of falling rocks got louder, we decided to scarper fast into the safety of the trees on Plan des Chablettes. Looking back we could see and hear rocks bouncing down the main funnel line over the path to Sentier des Gardes and towards town. A rude reminder that in Chamonix, even the biking has objective danger!

The rest of the trail went without incident, though also a bit slippier than usual which kept speeds down a bit till we got back to the lift station. With the PGHM helicopter now circling the Brevent couloir we decided to give that a miss and went up for a lap of Le Charlanon instead. The initial technical singletrack traverse looked fairly clear of snow, but we still decided that it would be a better idea to descend on the 4×4 tracks towards Col Cornu and then push (or ride in Jan’s case) back up to the start of the descent.

This route was livened up by some off piste excursions off the 4×4 track and into the snow, culminating in a megavalanche stylee blat straight down the hill, ensuring fun, swearing and baltic feet & shins for all.

Once onto the trail the snow had pretty much melted away and it seemed as good a track as any to end the summers uplift before the winter. If you’ve not ridden it, make the effort next year, it’s a great ride.

Eventually we ended up in Le Praz at the old north shore trails behind the Rabbit on the Roof workshop. The north shore’s been dismantled but the dirt jumps still remain which gave a last bit of variety to the day, though I doubt any of us will be entering crankworx at L2A next year.

So, an eventful but good day to finish the big descents on for the season, hopefully with more to do lower down. We’ll see.

10/11/2012
Brevent

This weeks riding has been brought to you by the word Brevent!

First off, if you don’t live in the valley and are looking for a wee conditions update to decide whether to make the drive over or not, check the webcams. The snow line is wandering up and down the mountain and, if the forecast is correct, will continue to do so for the next few days.

How’s the riding been the last few days? After the snow down to the valley last weekend, it took a few days for it to be worth heading up with a bike, but my Tuesday the skies were blue, the temperature crisp, and tracks were appearing on the ground again.

Umpteen laps of the main descent down the fall-line (Plan des Chablettes) have been logged. Unfortunately my preferred entry where you ride up the hill for a couple of hundred meters from the lift station, past the parapont take off field and drop in on excellent techy singletrack is still a bit too snowy to be worthwhile. Instead better to descend under the gondola station and beneath the gondola cables onto the 4×4 track which, though boring, clears of snow much quicker and gets you onto the amazing lower half.

There’s been some small landslips on the lower section, but it’s still 100% rideable if you’ve got the confidence, and once in the trees the riding is some of Chamonix’s finest. I even finally plucked up the courage to air the rock drop just after the start of the trees, the rock lip giving more “kick” than I thought, and Lorne too, hence the missing head!

Generally the paths have been clearing on most aspects, but even down to village height snow has been hanging on in shady N.E. aspects and ice forming near streams, so watch out when exploring….

After Oliver commented on a previous post about the Sentier des Gardes path now being clear again, I headed up on Thursday to check it out. Unfortunately as I went up, the snow started coming down and by the time I got out the lift station conditions were pretty grim.

Instead I decided to loose height quickly on the 4×4 path down past the Col Cornu chairlift and onto the home run. A couple of switchbacks down you’ll see a wee path diving off to the right, and it’s definitely worth following! There’s a few short sections where it’s easier to get off and carry round rocks and trees, but mostly it’s fast flowing singletrack all the way back to the Brevent base station. The trees were holding back the worst of the snow, and the extra moisture on the ground gave the trail amazing grip in the corners. what’s more the miserable weather seemed to be dissuading folk from going for a walk, so there was no-one else to slow up for. It really can be worth heading up, no matter the weather.

02/11/2012
Mixed conditions

It’s not been a great few days on the bike, but what’s the saying, “a bad day on the bike is better than a good day in the office”? Something like that.

First off, Robbie, Lorne & I headed up to the Chalet du Glacier des Bossons for one of my favourite wee tracks in the valley which, for one reason and another, I’d not had a chance to ride this year.

Arriving at the top of the chairlift, having been enthusing about the descent all way up the road and firetrack climb, there was a “Danger” sign and a fence blocking the path, which didn’t bode well. After once again failing to ride the super-tech entrance we discovered why.

The track had been well and truly hammered by the spring Fohen storm and there were trees down all over. At first I thought it could make a nice project and a few days work with a saw could clear it into a cracking VTT track hidden from walkers, but by about 1/2 way down there’s just too much damage.

To finish it off, the final section now has logging work! The riding between fallen trees was still good, but not worth the hassle. to cap it off I had a comedy over the bars in thick leaves at the end of the trail which left me undamaged but with some expensive dings on the bike. Ho hum.

Brevent re-opened on Saturday, which is good news for encouraging laziness, unfortunately winter also made an appearance and by Saturday evening the snow was lying on the ground in town.

Still keen to get out and do something, I went for a short spin in the snow. The loop up on forestry roads by the Mont Blanc tunnel access road and down past the Cascade du Dard is one of the great little loops around Chamonix perfect for when you’ve only got an hour or so, or just don’t want your toes to get too cold (does anyone make a weatherproof pair of skate shoes?).

I always find the worst part of going riding in less than perfect weather is actually getting out the door, and sure enough 5 minutes in I’d got used to the temperature and was enjoying spinning along without overheating and looking about at the valley in it’s first snows for the winter.

The forestry roads which let you avoid the main road up to the Mont Blanc tunnel aren’t continuous but even with a few short sprachels between paths you can ride almost all the way up, keeping the feet out of the snow!

As for the descent, apart from one short section after the bridge at the top, it’s a pretty mellow bit of singletrack without too much rock or root tech. Helpful with an inch or 2 of snow on the ground. Bit of a lack of photos as it was a little chilly to be hanging using the self timer, and it was nice just to be out in the peace and quiet that comes with a covering of snow.

The forecast is for warmer temps during the week, so there should be a return to normal service soon.

28/10/2012
Sentier des gardes-gardee par des arbres….

I’d kinda thought that all the damage from Aprils fohen storm had been chainsawed out the way so, with a couple hours before work this morning, decided I’d have a quick blast down the Sentier des Gardes track from Brevent.

I’d not been down there this summer, and hadn’t spoken to anyone else who has, but wasn’t expecting any problems….

…..It’s not been cleared since the storm, there’s trees across the track throughout which really kills the flow, and some sections have got very interesting if you out-brake yourself into them! Plenty of other tracks to go at at least.

10/09/2012