Day 22 – ADH – Pain in more ways
We moved into our apartment in “Le Musiadiere” in ADH. Sleeps 10, there will be 6 of us. Sweet.
Rode all day today – Gazs’ first taste of Mega Life. We did the blue under the first lift a few times, a real confidence booster, lots of tables, a step up, 2 ladder drops – how fast can you go?
Then onto the Mega qualifying – thanks to a guy called Dave (whose friend was in Grenoble hospital having not minor surgery on his wrist. Another one bites the dust – get well soon son) for leading us down this rock strewn, multiple line yet no line horror business of a trail. We did about 10% of it – Gaz wanted his mum, I wondered how the hell I got down all this in 40mins or so last year. Phew.
Anyhow, Dave left us to get his mate, we hit up the lower section of the qualifying route. Can you say switchback? How about steep switchback? And pain? Lots of pain. This trail will make your intrails your extrails. Got down to Oz (eventually) and saw the new bottom section of the downhill track, looked like a mahoosive 4X track. We gawped a while.
Lunch in Oz, and up the Alpette lift heading for the top of the qualifier. Damn the telepherique upto the top isn’t open til 2pm. Yet there is a tantalising red down to Vaujany, where we can pick up the telepherique that meets the one we wanted. That leaves at 2:05pm. Its 1:40pm. We head off down this trail, that turns out to be a steep fireroad with lots of drainage ditches, scare a few hikers, get momentarily lost, climb out of the valley we just descended into, then down the road to Vaujany. Got there with 3 minutes to spare. Schweeeet.
Also trying to jump the fun box at the ADH bike park. Should be good in the race :)
After our mountain fun, we decided to head down to Bourg D’Oisons for some supermache action. The boys are coming (Glenn, Ian, Ant and Jonny) and we needed beer. We headed off amongst the most stupid bike riders I have ever seen. There fellows had been riding, on tarmac mind, since 7am, it was now 5pm. It’s a race called “La Marmotte” – the finish, in a way that is not kind, is the famous 21 switchbacks into ADH, 10 miles of uphill. Wobbly legs where plenty. We erected a sign “Eat my Diesel Fumes Roadie” in the back of the van (not really) and headed down to Bourg. Beer was cheap, as was the glimpse of the first full moon of the holiday. I bet Neil Armstrong never got a better look. We shopped, drove to Bourg and got a beer. We mowed down roadies on the way back. I am not saying I hate roadies, but why ride up a big hill on the road? (when there are lifts) – big sense of personal achievement my arse, these guys where in bits. I am sure they love it (didn’t look like it) but not for me. No way. Saying roady-ing is like mountain biking is like saying Formula One is like “On the Buses”. Same number of wheels. Same idiot driver at the controls. Fatter tyres, fatter riders. But where is the fun? Ask yourself that sunshine.
In usual form, we managed to convince the police that our apartment was in fact up this road (the same road that the stupid road riders where slowly pedalling up – it was closed to traffic) - I cleared the dead marmottes from my wheels, we unloaded, parked up and waited for the rest of them…
They arrived at around 1am – after traversing most of the villages up to ADH. Don’t rely on Garmin in car GPS folks!
Oh yeah good news, Tom and Jenny are coming over to taste the madness that is alps riding – in August and at Morzine – rock on!
We moved into our apartment in “Le Musiadiere” in ADH. Sleeps 10, there will be 6 of us. Sweet.
Rode all day today – Gazs’ first taste of Mega Life. We did the blue under the first lift a few times, a real confidence booster, lots of tables, a step up, 2 ladder drops – how fast can you go?
Then onto the Mega qualifying – thanks to a guy called Dave (whose friend was in Grenoble hospital having not minor surgery on his wrist. Another one bites the dust – get well soon son) for leading us down this rock strewn, multiple line yet no line horror business of a trail. We did about 10% of it – Gaz wanted his mum, I wondered how the hell I got down all this in 40mins or so last year. Phew.
Anyhow, Dave left us to get his mate, we hit up the lower section of the qualifying route. Can you say switchback? How about steep switchback? And pain? Lots of pain. This trail will make your intrails your extrails. Got down to Oz (eventually) and saw the new bottom section of the downhill track, looked like a mahoosive 4X track. We gawped a while.
Lunch in Oz, and up the Alpette lift heading for the top of the qualifier. Damn the telepherique upto the top isn’t open til 2pm. Yet there is a tantalising red down to Vaujany, where we can pick up the telepherique that meets the one we wanted. That leaves at 2:05pm. Its 1:40pm. We head off down this trail, that turns out to be a steep fireroad with lots of drainage ditches, scare a few hikers, get momentarily lost, climb out of the valley we just descended into, then down the road to Vaujany. Got there with 3 minutes to spare. Schweeeet.
Also trying to jump the fun box at the ADH bike park. Should be good in the race :)After our mountain fun, we decided to head down to Bourg D’Oisons for some supermache action. The boys are coming (Glenn, Ian, Ant and Jonny) and we needed beer. We headed off amongst the most stupid bike riders I have ever seen. There fellows had been riding, on tarmac mind, since 7am, it was now 5pm. It’s a race called “La Marmotte” – the finish, in a way that is not kind, is the famous 21 switchbacks into ADH, 10 miles of uphill. Wobbly legs where plenty. We erected a sign “Eat my Diesel Fumes Roadie” in the back of the van (not really) and headed down to Bourg. Beer was cheap, as was the glimpse of the first full moon of the holiday. I bet Neil Armstrong never got a better look. We shopped, drove to Bourg and got a beer. We mowed down roadies on the way back. I am not saying I hate roadies, but why ride up a big hill on the road? (when there are lifts) – big sense of personal achievement my arse, these guys where in bits. I am sure they love it (didn’t look like it) but not for me. No way. Saying roady-ing is like mountain biking is like saying Formula One is like “On the Buses”. Same number of wheels. Same idiot driver at the controls. Fatter tyres, fatter riders. But where is the fun? Ask yourself that sunshine.In usual form, we managed to convince the police that our apartment was in fact up this road (the same road that the stupid road riders where slowly pedalling up – it was closed to traffic) - I cleared the dead marmottes from my wheels, we unloaded, parked up and waited for the rest of them…
They arrived at around 1am – after traversing most of the villages up to ADH. Don’t rely on Garmin in car GPS folks!
Oh yeah good news, Tom and Jenny are coming over to taste the madness that is alps riding – in August and at Morzine – rock on!
1 comment:
Less of the 'madness' please. Oh, and mention of rocks. Need more on beautiful alpine meadows, gently meadering trails, grazing cattle, etc. Jen already talking about bringing plenty of reading material.
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