What a week. Myself and a large contingent of UK mountain-bikers headed off on the annual pilgrimage to the hallowed hills of Les Gets and the summer playground of the Portes de Soleil.

Les Gets in the summer turns into a biking Mecca. With numerous gondolas, a wealth of downhill courses and winding singletrack, the options for downhillers and cross country riders are huge. Les Gets is home to the Mont Chery world cup downhill course, and just ten minutes roll down the road is the Morzine Avalanche Cup course.

For the more adventurous there are many randonnees hopping over into Switzerland, including the fantastic B1 downhill course in Les Crosets.

These high quality courses will test your skill (and bike) to the limits. It started to become a routine thing to spend an hour each evening fixing the bikes!

The weather for the week was ridiculously hot. We measured 42 degrees in one gondola, not very nice in body armour, but all was forgotten once we got moving.

Evening entertainment in Les Gets was slightly lower key than the winter, the town having a much more laidback atmosphere (or everyone had heatstroke). The exception was Bastille Day madness and impressive firework display. The other evenings' activities were somewhat more eclectic including chainsaw sculpture, and a french-reggae band.

The mainstay was Bar Bush (ask for the Chinese Grappa), with excursions to the Irish bar, Bar Bowling and the infamous Igloo.


[Report from Rich Gardiner - check out his site at www.ridefree.org.uk]

BTW, can anyone identify the 3" evil bug below? It was holed up in a friend's full-face helmet and got a little agitated when we disturbed it… scary.

Mail this page to a friend
What do you think? Tell us in the Chat Room