The Ski Blog

Why wait all summer for the mountains? Plan a biking trip now.

It's that time of year when the days shorten, the temperature drops and you realise it's only two or three months until your annual trip to the mountains, right?

But where have you been for the last six months? The mountains you long for each winter are there the whole year round and, if you've never visited in the summer, you have been seriously missing out. Don't spend your time from May to October dreaming of the Alps, Dolomites or Rockies when you can experience them amid the beauty of green meadows and sparkling lakes instead of snow and ice.

If you love the excitement of skiing or snowboarding, the best way to enjoy the slopes during the warm snowless months is clear: mountain biking. Skiing, boarding and biking share a similar buzz, and all three let you pick a route down the mountain to suit your appetite for excitement. Challenging gradients or easy cruising – it's up to you.

And like just like the après-ski of a winter holiday, there's no better way to reflect on a day's biking adventures than over a meal and a couple of beers with friends.

If you have concerns about your level of off-road cycling skill or about the necessary equipment for Alpine cycling you needn't worry. Many ski shops become well-equipped bike hire shops in the summer and ski instructors can often be found offering their services as bike guides once the snow has melted.

But why talk about this now? This may seem entirely the wrong time of year to be oiling the chain and pumping up the tyres as the snow starts to fall. Well, yes, but now is the time to start planning a week in the mountains for next summer. That way, when you fly home from this winter’s alpine excursion, you can smugly remember that it will be only a few short months before you head out for some clear mountain air once more.

So where to go? The choice of summer alpine destinations is no less overwhelming than the question of where to ski or snowboard.

Here are just three I have ridden and loved:

Verbier, Swiss Alps

The beautiful bowl that surrounds the Swiss resort of Verbier is criss-crossed with singletrack trails that swoop down and around the hillside. Flower-filled meadows, icy streams and small furry mammals are all part of this Alpine paradise. All levels of mountain biking are on your doorstep, but intermediates find Verbier a particularly rewarding arena for improving skills and taking on new challenges.

    

Verbier Bike Park features several impressive downhill mountain biking routes, though a wider network of trails may also be shared with walkers. Verbier’s mid-mountain location, with lifts and trails stretching both up into the hills and down into the valley, means that, much like a day of skiing, trails can be picked off for multiple short rides, with frequent refreshment stops in the resort centre.

Longer rides that traverse the higher slopes are also worthwhile, and the new resort of Tzoumaz is just a lift ride away in the next valley, welcoming bikers with its freshly built downhill routes.

Good for:

• Intermediate riding
• Convenient resort layout
• Frequent short rides

Not so good:

• Expensive eating and drinking
• Can get busy

Chamonix, French Alps

The grand-père of the Alpine resorts, Chamonix in the summertime is a fabulous green valley flanked by dazzling blue glaciers reaching down from the giddy heights of Mont Blanc.

For mountain biking beginners, the riverside trails of the valley lead from Les Houches, through Chamonix town, up to Argentiere and toward the Swiss border. Keener riders can explore some of the Alps’ most dramatic landscape using the lifts to gain altitude before following challenging trails leading from the snowy ridges back down to valley level.

   

Chamonix is not perfect for everyone. Intermediate mountain bikers may feel caught between the easy riding of the valley and vertigo-inducing lift-accessed descents.

The town’s authorities have a self-confessed ambivalence toward bikers, tailoring the valley's infrastructure toward walkers and climbers. During the peak summer season, when the lifts re-open for a couple of months, a defined network of sanctioned routes is enforced. Riding 'off piste' is frowned upon and bikers have been known to receive fines for infringements.

But despite a few limitations, the Chamonix valley remains one of the Alps’ best summer biking destinations, especially if you'd like to mix your holiday cycling with other activities like walking, paragliding or rafting. The arrival of Chamonix Bike Park also suggests promising new developments for mountain biking.
 
Good for:

• Amazing landscape
• Beginner mountain biking
• Expert riding
• Walking, climbing and other Alpine pursuits
• Excellent dining and bar scene

Not so good:

• Intermediate riding
• Limited route map
• Lifts limited to peak season

Whistler, British Columbia, Canada

When you arrive in Whistler, you instantly realise that Canadians take mountain biking very seriously. Whistler in the summertime is certainly not a ski resort simply making do until the snow comes – it's a full-on mountain biking playground where the whole infrastructure has been  designed to make off-roading huge amounts of fun.

In Whistler Bike Park, chairlifts are equipped to ferry bikes with ease, and ski hire shops become sources of serious mountain bikes and accessories. Whistler is a popular spot for some of the world's best riders, and has featured on some amazing mountain biking films like The Collective and Roam.

   

The easy, efficient lift system helps bikers access a superb array of world class trails. Graded green, blue, black and double-diamond routes encourage you to advance your skills and surprise yourself with wooden ramps, see-saws and other new challenges.

Whistler isn't all about gravity-assisted riding, however. The packed trail map includes a range of stunning cross-country routes, from the fun trails of Lost Lake to the epic excursion known as Comfortably Numb.

Good for:

• The breathtaking British Columbia landscape
• Efficient infrastructure
• Some of the world's best trails
• Combining with visits to British Columbia's wild interior, and/or some time in Vancouver

Not so good:

• 10 hour flight from UK to Vancouver
• Depending on your tastes, Whistler resort feels like Disneyland, whatever the time of year!
• Evening dining and entertainment can lack variety

Clive Andrews has worked as a mountain bike guide in the Alps. He does things with bikes, photos, words and the web.

Summer scenes from the mountains

We know we're always banging on about how great the mountains are in summer. Well in case you don't believe us, this week's post is a photo blog with some of the latest photos from alpine areas.

Summer has really started now in most places, festvals, fireworks, music, cheese-eating - lots of things to do to enjoy the local colour and flavour. The traditions and heritage of the Alps becomes much more in evidence during the summer season when people have the time to relax and enjoy their surroundings.

The photos below chronicle the early summer in Haute Savoie. Enjoy! And if you have any alpine photos you'd like to share please let us know.

View of the Pointe Percee, les Aravis, taken from Flaine, Grand Massif.

 

 

A traditional mountain restaurant in Megeve, on the walk up to Mont d'Arbois.

 

Some great golf courses with the most impressive views can be found in the Alps.

 

 

The gentiane - just one of the gorgeous mountain flowers that bloom in alpine meadows in the early summer.

 

Early summer is when the waterfalls are at their fullest, with the meltwater from the winter snow.

French VAT cut - eating out really is getting cheaper!

As we already mentioned way back in May, the rate of restaurant VAT in France has been cut to 5.5% since July 1st. French restaurants are now obliged to pass on this reduction to the customer and accordingly have to reduce the price of up to a dozen items on their menu.

CD HQ has heard of at least 2 establishments who have made the change. Aux Petits Oignons in Les Carroz, which reopens this week for the summer season, has lowered the the price on nine dishes, including a 1 euro reduction on the plat du jour, and 4 euros off on two off their Savoyard specialities. The restaurant is also hosting a special jazz dinner on the 14th July, and has a kids eat free offer during the week - where a children's menu is free when the Menu Carte is purchased by an accompanying adult.

Bar le National in St Jean D'Aulps, near Morzine, has also made a splash with the announcement that "Bar le National has reduced prices on ALL PIZZAS....permanently!!!" The bar also has Ben & Jerry's and fresh salads at a cheaper price.

So that's great news. If you know of anywhere else that deserves a mention let us know!

Summer seasons in the mountains - it's all up and running!

As July begins pretty much all the mountain resorts in Europe are opening up, dusting off the lifts and gearing up for the summer season. So head to the Alps or Pyrenees now and you'll be pretty certain that the summer activities will be in full swing.

Whilst the lower resorts, below 1200m, will have been able to start opening lifts, swimming pools, golf courses and other facilities during June, the higher places will have been ensuring that everything's good to go for this month.

July and August can be busy for most resorts.

The Tour de France kicks off this Saturday and will shortly be heading to the mountains of the Pyrenees, then later into Switzerland and Italy,

Across French resorts, July 14th will be marked by fireworks and celebrations.

Music festivals take place throughout the summer - the famous Montreux Jazz festival starts on Friday, and this year's line up includes Lily Allen, Black Eyed Peas, Bloc Party and veteran rocker Alice Cooper. Montreux goes on until 18th July and for the full line up visit the festival website.

For sports enthusiasts the annual Evian Masters, one of the premier events of the ladies pro circuit, takes place from 23-26th July - it's a great chance to see the top female golfers in the world in action.

Chamonix's International Climbing festival is from 11th-13th July, finishing up with a grand fireworks display and award ceremony on the evening of the 13th.

Some resorts are also keen to attract visitors with some super deals - Portes du Soleil resorts for example are offering a Multi-Pass for just 1€ a day, giving you access to lifts, swimming pools, tennis centres and much more, and is available in all resorts across the Portes du Soleil; Les Gets, Morzine, Chatel, Morgins for example.

And the weather forecast is good! It's looking like temperatures will be rising during this week and reaching the late 20's and early 30's.

So loads to do, breathtaking scenery, great weather, sunshine, fresh air - what's not to like! Take a look at summer holiday possibilities on Chalets Direct.

If you've got a special event happenign in your resort, please let us know about it so we can let everyone else know!

French restaurants getting cheaper?

If you skied in France over the winter you might still be reeling at the memory of a £6 pint, or steak-hache-frites on the mountain for four with a coke and little change from £100.

The strong Euro of course had a lot to do with making the experience more painful, but the 19.6% VAT rate, one of the highest in Europe, also played a part.

From July 1st however eating out in France should get cheaper. The government has cut the rate of restaurant VAT to 5.5% and is putting pressure on restauranteers to pass on the reduction to the consumer. The catering trade will have to produce a list of up to a dozen everyday items that will benefit from the full rate cut - which should include items such as the plat du jour, mineral water, basic starters and desserts, and coffee. “A customer should be able to order a meal which is entirely subject to the full VAT reduction,” said Hervé Novelli, the Trade Minister.

That's great news for skiers and snowboarders, especially families. Alcohol however will not be subject to the same rate cut.

The move is seen as an attempt to get people back into restaurants and eating out. As in the UK the catering trade has suffered from the economic downturn with a drop of between 20 - 50% in income between January and March this year, (source Times Online). The VAT cut doesn't mean that everything will be cheaper but it could mean that a standard plat du jour will be around 10% less than last year - so that's got to be step in the right direction.

Read more at the Times Online or on the Ski Club of GB website.

Chamonix does summer too!

We can honestly say that winter 2008-9 is now over. There are a few high glacial resorts where some lifts are still open, but apart from that most lift companies are hanging out the chairlifts to dry, switching off the cable cars and looking at what maintenance has to be done over the quiet inter-season weeks.

It won't be long before many alpine resorts are opening up again for the summer. Summer in the mountains is more relaxed than in the winter months but there is still loads to do and enjoy.

Enjoy the Views:

Take Chamonix - already a mecca for mountain lovers in the winter - the town takes on a different feel for summer, and a holiday there can be as relaxed or as active as you want it to be. Climbers, hikers and mountain bikers come to enjoy different ways of getting up and down the mountains, with something to suit all levels from the novice to the expert.

The major cable cars along the Chamonix Valley open up so you can get to the higher mountain trails more easily, and enjoy the breathtaking views before heading off to explore further afield. The view from the top of the Brevent cable car is possibly the best view of Mont Blanc you will ever get - take binoculars and you might even see a group of people heading for the summit of the highest mountain in western Europe.

The Flegere lift at Les Praz is a good starting point for a hike up to the Lac Blanc - again be prepared for spectacular views and some physical effort to get there. It's worth it - it is a very popular route and can get busy in the high season months of July and August.

Festivals and Events:

However summertime in Chamonix isn't all about hard-core mountain sports. Throughout the summer the town puts on some great events to entertain its visitors.

Midsummer night on June 21st is usually the date for the Fete de la Musique, when the central square, Place Balmat, is the main venue for local bands and most of the bars will also have live music and djs.

July is the time for the climbing festival, when a giant climbing wall is erected and climbers from all over the world come to compete. Even if you've never climbed, and have no intention of doing it, it's an amazing show. It usually takes place over a few days leading up to July 13th and culminates in the grand final in the evening followed by fireworks, music and dancing.

In August, the busiest summer month, there are two big events. The Fete des Guides a traditional festival which celebrates and honours the high mountain guides. During the festival there is a huge sound and light show which takes place at the outdoor climbing wall at Les Gaillands, followed by a massive firework display. Then on the morning of the 15th August at the main church there is a ceremony attended by Chamonix mountain guides where the new guides are welcomed, the old are remembered and the ice axes are blessed.

The Ultra Trail, sponsored by the North Face:

Late August is Ultra Trail time! The North Face Ultra Trail is a mammoth cross country race around Mont Blanc, starting and finishing in Chamonix, and going into Italy and Switzerland. It's a gruelling round the clock trek for competitors covering 160km and around 9000 vertical metres. The time limit for completing the course is 45 hours and the record is 21 hours 6 minutes.

The send off on a Friday evening from the centre of Chamonix is quite amazing, with around two thousand people taking part. Throughout the weekend you can see runners coming along the finishing stretch down the Rue Joseph Vallot - stop and cheer them on.

Chamonix's got it all!

So there's plenty of choice of things to do on a summer trip to Chamonix. Sports facilties are good, swim and play tennis or golf with great views of Mont Blanc. Enjoy the shops, from upmarket designers to the latest and greatest in technical outdoors gear. Browse the weekly local market, with so much local colour and flavour you could be forgiven for thinking you're in a BBC learn French series!

For more details of the events and what there is to do in Chamonix take a look at chamonix.com. It's a great place for a short break or a longer stay - for accommodation see our Chamonix summer selection!

Tour de France 2009 - Alps, Pyrenees, Spain, Andorra, Switzerland, and Italy!

The 2009 Tour de France will kick off in Monaco on Saturday 4th July and over the following three weeks covers a total distance of 3500 km, crossing into Spain, Andorra, Switzerland and Italy.

This year's route includes 7 high mountain stages, including a climb on the penultimate day to Mont Ventoux at 1912m. It's the first time ever that a mountain stage has taken place the day before the ride to the Champs Elysees.

The Pyrenees:

The first entrance into the mountains on July 10th sees the competitors starting from Barcelona and finishing at the ski resort of Arcalis in Andorra, a mighty climb up to 2240m. The next day's Pyrenean stage starts for the first time in the principality's capital, Andorra La Vella, and heads through the mountains to St Girons in the Ariege area.
(Find accommdation in the Pyrenees)

The Alps:

When the Tour gets to the Alps the first stop is Verbier, again a new stopping point for the event, although it has passed through several times before.

From Switzerland, the Tour then winds up through the Great St Bernard Pass (the highest peak of this year's event), down into the Aosta Valley in Italy, and then heads up through the Petit St Bernard pass back into France to finish that stage at Bourg St Maurice.

These two passes, one either side of Mont Blanc, have provided the two main routes across the Alps for centuries.

Once back in France, this year's Tour concentrates on the northern section of the French Alps and stage 17, on 22nd July, is a gruelling ride over 5 mountain passes.

Five peaks in one day: Starting at Bourg St Maurice, at 870m, the riders will head up to the Cormet de Roseland at 1968m and down into the village of Beaufort. Next peak is the Col des Saisies at 1650m, then down through Megeve to Sallanches on the valley floor. They head back up into the hills, taking the Les Carroz-Flaine road as far as Cote d'Araches (964m), then dipping back down again to Cluses.

The two final peaks on this ride are the Col de Romme followed by the daunting Col de la Colombiere, before finishing at Le Grand Bornand ski resort near La Clusaz.
(Find accommodation - Verbier, Megeve, La Clusaz)

Annecy Time Trial: Next stage is a 40km time trial around Lake Annecy. Annecy, the principal town of Haute Savoie, is mounting a major PR offensive in a bid to win the 2018 Winter Olmypics, so it promises to a be an action packed day with loads of atmosphere when the Tour de France rolls into town.

Lance Armstrong: At the time of writing it has not yet been confirmed whether Lance Armstrong will be competing in this year's Tour de France. The seven time winner is currently embroiled in a controversy over drugs test procedure which could well exclude him from the event - despite being the most tested ahtlete on the planet he has never tested positive. It will be a great shame for the event if he is not allowed to compete.

Tour Fever:

If you're in the mountains when the Tour de France comes through you will be part of one of the highlights of the summer. The Tour de France captures the imagination of French of all ages, and being part of it is a major accolade for the villages and towns chosen to be at the start or end of a stage. The excitement and atmosphere is almost palpable, and Tour fever can take hold of everyone.

So if you're planning a summer trip to the mountains remember that July is Tour de France month - why not come and experience the excitement for yourself! 

Get full details of the itinerary

Golf in the Mountains

The mountains may not be the automatic first choice for keen golfers but the choice of courses plus the spectacular scenery available should certainly put them on your “to do” list.

Have a look at your favourite ski resorts’ website to see what the summer activities are and you may surprised that probably not too far away from where you were skiing last winter there will be a golf course or two.

A ski resort’s summer programme can vary from adrenaline downhill mountain biking, white water rafting, extensive hiking, to more sedate pleasures such as music festivals, events celebrating local farming traditions, but amongst the activities on offer golf will usually be on the list. For a tourist-based economy, attracting visitors year round is important, so a summer clientele can be as important in many ways as a winter one. Getting golfers on board is a good strategy and many courses will offer good value for money.

Mountain golf courses have been designed in the most unlikely of places, on narrow plateaus overlooking the ski area, on ridges, in hollows, in valley areas – anywhere where they can fit 9 or 18 holes. Quite often the local topography will provide natural obstacles and challenges – no need for too many annoying bunkers when you’ve got a cliff face to hit the ball over instead.

The ingenuity of designers can be very much in evidence – and often a mountain course will double up as something else for the winter months.

The beautiful Chamonix course for example, sitting in the valley overlooked by Mont Blanc and the Aiguille du Midi, is part of the cross country ski area in the winter. And the golf course at Les Gets is part of the Portes du Soleil ski circuit – so you will be skiing over it in the winter!

The challenges of maintaining a course when for possibly half the year it may be buried under a few metres of snow require a lot of thought and planning – green keepers will have to think 6 months ahead at least, and will be at the mercy of the elements to a far greater extent than their counterparts elsewhere.

And what does an alpine golf course offer? Well part of it is the spectacular scenery.  Reaching the green to find a fabulous panorama below your feet that stretches for miles, plus the effort in getting to that green – it quite literally takes your breath away! Yes often there is a tad more physical effort involved!

There are some well known courses too – one of the most famous is the Evian Masters on the shores of Lake Geneva, with views across to Geneva and Lausanne. Just within an hour or two of Geneva there are several courses available, varying in difficulty but all will provide stunning views and a unique alpine feel about the place. Chamonix, Megeve, Les Gets,Talloires, Flaine, Evian and at Geneva itself to name just a few.

The flowers are the local mountain flowers, gentians, wild pansies, hardy rhododendron bushes, the odd edelweiss or two.

I’ve played on the high altitude course at 1900m in Flaine and even found a resident marmotte basking in the sun near the tee on hole number 6. Losing balls on an alpine course will mean that they are often lost forever – plunging into a gully where there is no way they will be recovered!

So next time you’re looking for a different golf destination maybe take a look at your favourite ski resort first – there may be a golfing gem just waiting for you to discover it.