Maxi training - bouncing on a big bag of air!

Ah ha! The best laugh of trip so far - I'll save that for a little while. Went to try and find these elusive trails in Val Thorens - using the map I figured an obvious trail was in the next village down the valley (infamous Les Menuires) - and using the lifts on the other side of the valley I could get close to lift station at 2100m (Val Thorens is at 2300m, so this lift would take me back to where I needed to be. I managed to find part of the maxi course on the way down - basically a very rocky footpath, lots of little climbs to catch you out, followed by rutted grass, then a mahoosive gap jump over a stream, then to the lift station (this was closed) - so I pressed on downhill to Les Menuires, and picked up the lift for the obvious trail. At the top, I helped some French kids out with the lend of a pump, then they showed me the trail - pretty nice, singletrack most of the way down - the kids could ride it pretty well and did a fair job of showing me up LOL. Anyhow at the bottom I asked them where the lifts were on the other side (my trip back up the mountain) - anyway, turns out (and is stated on the piste map, so my fault for not looking) that they weren't running today :( Boo 250m vertical road climb. In the scortching heat. Tres Bon? Non!

Made it back to the lift station eventually (after about an hour) and dragged my sorry ass for a burger, then a play on the bike park. Its actually bigger than I gave it credit for, lots of "modules" or features in English, wall-rides, ladder drops, table-tops etc.

But the most fun comes at the bottom, the BIG AIR BAG! I started on the little ramp on the right, but that was too easy, not enough BIG AIR - so I went to the big kicker after 2 goes. It sure kicks you up into the air, although how anyone has anytime to do tricks whilst up there will never know.... Heres some helmet cam stills of the carnage....

These are the ramps

The approach.... The take off...

The flight....

The aftermath....

Suffice to say I was laughing my head off everytime I landed - it was really a good time and got a level of mojo back.

I had also spotted another bit of the maxi route, nice singletrack, with a few wooden features, so rode that to the lift station.

Proper training tomorrow, I think the lift to 3000m and also the lift from the finish will be open so less chance of getting stuck. So far, there are only 146 entrants (my race number is 123) - so I think there will be only one wave for the main races on Sunday (there appear to be 2 races on Sunday for some reason, I guess because its a relatively short course, 15km, 1200m vertical drop)