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Portes du Soleil (Col de Cou, Morzine, & Les Gets) long+epic (35 posts)
|  Portes du Soleil (Col de Cou, Morzine, & Les Gets) long+epic | Ripzalot
Aug 4, 2003 7:19 AM | | We had a three day weekend due to National Day here in Switzerland - yay for Switzerland!
With such nice weather, it was a perfect weekend for riding. I took the opportunity to explore
beyond my regular trails and push it over to the far side of the resort. My goal is to cover the
entire resort region by the end of the season, and now I just may have a chance to get it done.
Friday, I did the Col de Cou ride (light blue), along with my normal rides in Les Crosets, Champery,
and Les Lindarets. Saturday, I pushed it and rode down to Morzine (orange) along with my normal rides
again. Sunday was the double epic, which I did an early jaunt over to Les Gets (dark purple) and spent
the day riding there and Morzine. Awesome!
Break out the the Old Milwaukee coz it don't get no better than this!
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| Col de Cou | Ripzalot
Aug 4, 2003 7:20 AM | | (light blue trail on the main map)
Got a tip from another biker on a nice ride through the Col de Cou. This is on the border of Switzerland
and France. About a 45 min. climb up and then another 45 min. ride down to Morzine. The climb up is rated
a black run - rocky and steep - consisting of a fire road mostly. I gave up and shuttled about 2/3rds of
the way up. Once at the top, the views are stunning (as usual around here). The descent into France was
fantastic - lots of singletrack, technical rocky sections, and open trails. Long ride!
The goal - the Col de Cou summit at 1921m.
On the way up on the Swiss side
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Down the Vallee de la Manche on the French side. A 1000m descent down into Morzine.
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View of the Col de Cou from the Swiss side
View of the Swiss side from the top of the Col de Cou
View of the French side from the top of the Col de Cou
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| Les Crosets to Morzine | Ripzalot
Aug 4, 2003 7:22 AM | | (light purple trail on the main map)
Descending down to Les Lindarets. Here's your full-on high speed downhill run.
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Threadin the cows...
Uh-Oh! Rider down...
Les Lindarets has this nasty "goats everywhere" theme.
Leaving Les Lindarets - wide open ski pistes
Into the trees
Lac de Montriand
Back in the trees
Through a quaint little village with quaint little houses
Rounding the bend to Morzine
Looking down the valley from Les Lindarets (crappy stitch, sorry)
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| the hills are alive.... | .......nm
Aug 4, 2003 7:24 AM | | |
| Very nice, Ripzalot, just as usual. Thanks for sharing (nm) | michigantammy
Aug 4, 2003 8:38 AM | | |
| I must have missed your reply... | michigantammy
Aug 4, 2003 9:53 AM | | Sometimes, I don't get much time to read or even "ring" in.
Anyway, my initial plan was to do a 10 day trip, mainly around Madrid and Barcelona in late May, but had to cancel due to the war was going on at the time.
I'm still looking into another trip there, perharps next spring, if it's possible. We might go to Paris to visit some relatives also. If we do that then I'd prefer to go during the TdF instead. We'll have to see.
Thanks for asking and for leting me live vicariously :),through all your beautiful photos and stories.
Happy Trails!
Tammy |
| Ah well | Ripzalot
Aug 4, 2003 11:19 AM | | Next year then! The TdF would be pretty cool to see too. I think I'll have to make an effort to see it next year too. I had hoped to get out of here and see some more of Europe but at this rate it ain't gonna happen anytime soon (and that's a good thing!). |
| Morzine | Ripzalot
Aug 4, 2003 7:24 AM | | (orange trail on main map)
Seems like the farther I get away from my home base, the better the trails get here (isn't that usually
the case?). Arriving in Morzine, I find the mountains to be mellower, less rocks, less steep, less deadly, MORE FUN!
Not only that but a very well manicured downhill course setup, through the trees even.
Suspension bridge over to Morzine
Top of Morzine (Le Pleney)
Nice views over Morzine
Ahhhh, the motherload! 560m vertical descent, 3250m long.
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Return home via Avoriaz
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| Les Gets | Ripzalot
Aug 4, 2003 7:26 AM | | (dark purple trails on main map)
As I mentioned before, the farther away you get from home base, the better the trails seems to be.
Les Gets is no exception. One mountain/valley father away than Morzine, Les Gets has the sweetest trails.
Lots of nicely maintained hard pack downhill track, jumps, bumps, backed turns, open downhill tracks.
Schweeet.
Golf or bike?
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Getting to Les Gets from Morzine requires a bit of a traverse/uphill climb through the forest.
Start of the downhill course in Les Gets (Chavannes side)
Ahhh.. the second motherload! 255m vertical descent, 1300m long.
The ""pressure cooker" lifts. These bubbles have little ventilation, and with full armor on, can be quite hot in the summer sun.
Across the valley to Mont Chery (World Championships Downhill course)
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Up to the top of Mont Chery
View from Mont Chery
The third motherload!!! 620m vertical descent. 3800m long.
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Finish up into Les Gets
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| Avoriaz to Les Lindarets | Ripzalot
Aug 4, 2003 7:28 AM | | (light green trail on main map)
To get back to Switzerland, I had to take a lift + bus up from Morzine to Avoriaz. Once in Avoriaz,
there is a nice trail back to Les Lindarets. Mostly wide trail with lots of bumps and rocky sections
(not too bad) which winds its way down into Les Lindarets. Good way to wrap up a hard day's ride.
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| Les Crosets to Champery | Ripzalot
Aug 4, 2003 7:30 AM | | (dark blue trail on main map)
Here's the finish to my days. I park in Les Crosets, so I bike down to Champery, take the lift back up,
then bike back down to Les Crosets.
Some Swiss entertainment in Champery
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| SPEED......... | PhoenixKen
Aug 4, 2003 12:13 PM | | how fast are you going on those steeps? That riding is the EXACT OPPOSITE fo what we do here! Looks like fun. |
| I couldn't tell ya | Ripzalot
Aug 4, 2003 10:56 PM | | Coz I'm constantly trying to slow down and keep it in control. It's my first season at downhill, just trying to keep from killing myself this year! :) |
| Awesome. Scrambling for passport ------> | Hollywood
Aug 4, 2003 1:17 PM | | beautiful posts! Keep 'em coming.
HW in SoCal |
| Holy cow | pedalAZ
Aug 4, 2003 3:47 PM | | Where did those 3 dudes on the left in the last pic get those monster spokes? I'd like to see the wheelset those go on.
Great post, Rip. |
| Yoddlers do it in harmony. | Gavin
Aug 5, 2003 4:15 AM | | Must've just missed you - we rode past these guys singing on our way to the bar on Friday. Better luck next time.
I'll post my shots in a couple of days... |
| I'll remember next time | Ripzalot
Aug 5, 2003 6:26 AM | | Otherwise I'll really be embarrassed! It'll be cool to see some other pics too. |
| Dude, you live in mountain biking HEAVEN!! | Choncy
Aug 4, 2003 10:59 AM | | I don't think there is anywhere here in the states that can match it. You are one damn lucky dude! |
| I'd like a second opinion | Ripzalot
Aug 4, 2003 11:26 AM | | Coz from the number of hits my posts get, it doesn't seem there is much interest. It's funny (and maybe a little sad) that such a gorgeous place is getting overlooked by so many. I wonder what it is....I just don't get it. Maybe folks just want to see their own backyards mostly. I dunno. I'm just a caveman. Their world frightens me.... |
| You the man, I'll send my son with the 319 | Brown Teeth
Aug 4, 2003 11:42 AM | | to pick you up! Nice shots thanks for the great shots. If you're ever in central California lets ride! |
| then go for a swim | Brown Teeth
Aug 4, 2003 11:45 AM | | Looks like you are trail blazing some nice counryside, enjoy it! |
| I think its a couple things... | Choncy
Aug 4, 2003 12:11 PM | | You are halfway around the world and therefore post on here at a time when there are not many people on-line. And then your post rolls down the page before too many people can see it.
Secondly, your photos are beautiful, but also make for one bandwidth intensive thread. I can load the whole thread and see all the pics no problem, but a few times I sent it to a friend and it locked his wimpy computer up.
I say keep up the good work. I have been to a few places here in the states, but none come close to what you've got over there. Euro's tend to be more into mountain biking anyways. |
| 12 hours later... | Ripzalot
Aug 4, 2003 11:22 PM | | Yeah, I'm very aware of this coz I can't ever seem to get a conversation going! I'm usually posting during your night, and then you're replying during mine. I'm rarely online at the same time as y'all, and when I am, I'm cursed with dialup access.
I've learned over the year(s) to break up my pics posts into separate replies because of the bandwidth problem. I've locked myself up plenty times with the dreaded "view all".
I really have no clue other than from this board what's going on back home. I've never mountain biked until I moved over here (5 years ago, biking 2 now). Someday I'll get back home and do some biking to compare/contrast with. |
| Here's one: | Pete.
Aug 4, 2003 1:29 PM | | The Alps are very beautiful and the backdrop for all of your pictures is quite stunning.
The impression that I get from your pictures is that much of the lift-served riding is on WIDE trails/roads however. Is technical singletrack scarce or are the trails above the tree line just wide because they've been there forever as service roads for the ski areas?
Don't get wrapped up in the hits. The numbers can be skewed if folks use the "view all" function. |
| The reason youre not getting so many veiws... | ThoughtfulPirate
Aug 4, 2003 2:55 PM | | Is that most ppl that arent regulars on the site scroll down looking for picture icons, you use the img src= so you dont get a picture icon. I have found 2 ways around this one is to put the last picture on each post into the quick box, the second is to put in http://gallery.consumerreview.com/webcrossing/images/whitePixel.jpg into the little pic box, this will show nothing, but it will put a pic icon on your post. I have checked it, my photo posts get 2-3 times the views if I do this or just do one pic per reply. |
| Good observations | Ripzalot
Aug 4, 2003 11:08 PM | | I have no trouble getting a beautiful shot (just point my camera in any direction). But yeah, singletrack is a little more rare than the wide "fire road" (ski pistes) that I'm normally following. Another problem is lack of bikers. I can go for hours and come across only a handfull of bikers. And usually they whizz by before I can get the camera out. So, most of pics end up being: scenice backdrop + wide fire road + empty. I've been trying to get bikers in as much as possible but sometimes the empty pics just look sooOO good.
For the most part, I just try to document my ride and provide somewhat of a guide for anyone who might be thinking about riding here. Sometimes, I get a little anal about getting every little trail section (and they change constantly) so I end up with a lot of filler pics. I need an editor.
Just wait till I hook up with a helmet cam - I'll bore you guys to tears! ;) |
| I think you're stuff is great..magical area/great skiing too(nm) | Ebo
Aug 4, 2003 3:34 PM | | |
| your (sp) | Ebo
Aug 4, 2003 7:31 PM | | |
| I'd like a second opinion | airwreck
Aug 4, 2003 4:01 PM | | I hear ya, I feel the same way when I post something and the hits aren't even near the off topic stuff. I also feel that I need to do my best to represent Maui, especially since our economy is tourist driven. So keep up the good work.
Doesn't it seem like your season is kind of short for riding? At least the higher stuff. I remember when I was there in the mid eighties and asking about trail riding and the attitude seemed to be that it was too steep. Lift service and suspension has solved that.
Your photos get me looking at my old slides from my trip, I'll have to get my slide scanner hooked back up so I can share a few classics with you, especially if I can find one of that area I was trying to identify. Or better yet if you ever make it this way I could torture you with a slide show.
Take care,
Eric |
| Season length | Ripzalot
Aug 5, 2003 6:22 AM | | I start biking in May and will probably finish up in September or October. Early and late in the season, I target the lower elevation resorts and then work my way up to the big ones for mid summer (like PDS). Mid October I can start snowboarding at some of the higher altitude resorts, so it's pretty much 6 months biking, then 6 months snowboarding. I can't complain about that!
I could easily be happy in Maui too! 12 months biking/windsurfing/surfing per year would be sweeeet! That's the only thing I miss about living here - the surfing. But for now the snowboarding fills that void.
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| Oh No, Keep posting 'em | Hjalti
Aug 5, 2003 7:35 AM | | It's my regular Monday fix. Don't look for quantity of hits, look for quality. I like to look at areas from all over and dream about riding there. Pics like yours make all the other chaff here on passion worth wading through.
H  |
| Your posts are a love/love thing for me.... | Mary Ann
Aug 5, 2003 2:12 PM | | I was going to say love/hate, because I get an enormous case of ENVY every time I read one. I actually tried not to look at this one--but couldn't keep away! ;-)
It's SOOOOOO beautiful where you are and I'm a downhiller at heart, I now have a new dream vacation desitation.
Don't stop. I won't hate you because your posts are beautiful.
Mary Ann |
| Scenic overload | Darren©
Aug 4, 2003 10:07 PM | | Just thought I would say I look for your posts. I however am not too much of a poster and only recently started to do so. I may not comment but I am looking and enjoying. I thank you for posting.
I loved the caption "Threadin Cows" |
| Threadin' cows | Ripzalot
Aug 4, 2003 11:32 PM | | Is more dangerous that one might think! I had one get spooked and launch off to the left into me and bounce me off her side. Fortunately, no contact with either horns or the other end! :) |
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