Chamonix mountain biking holiday in France
| country: | France |
| location: | Chamonix |
| departures: | 2010: 2 Jun, 26 Jun, 4 Sep, 11 Sep |
| price: | From €475 - €675 (7 days) excluding flights. Price depends on departure date |
| more info: | Price includes: catered accommodation (with breakfast, packed lunch, and healthy 3 course evening meal), airport transfers, guided mountain biking and vehicle support. This trip can also be tailor made with departure dates and activities flexible and customized to suit you and your budget starting from €20 per person per night self catered, in studio accommodation, to €95 per person per night, in one of our luxury chalets. |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
the amazing things you'll be doing
Come and experience some of the most exhilarating - and beautiful - mountain bike trails in the world!
Self catered accommodation or fully inclusive courses including a qualified biking guide for 5 days of the week who will take you to all the hot spots that the valley has to offer. The fun will begin on the Sunday with a warm up ride, followed by 4 days during the week. Our expert biking guide will plan a week of epic riding according to your desires and abilities – downhill or cross country, mellow or super technical, let us show you the best of what Chamonix has to offer on a bike.
Wednesday will be a rest day to allow your body to recuperate and to give you a chance to explore Chamonix as a town. There are plenty alternative activities - from cooling swims in the mountain lakes to tree hoping on the aerial adventure parks. In addition to long weekend and week long mountain bike camps, we also offer self catered accommodation for riders who prefer to do their own thing. Optional add-ons include minibus support, trips to ride other resorts, in house massage, physiotherapy or yoga sessions, helping with buying or renting kit and more...
Optional extras include trips to the Porte de Soleil, in house massage, physiotherapy, fitness and biomechanical assessments, core strength training and yoga/pilates sessions.
This trip can also be tailor made with departure dates and activities flexible and customized to suit you and your budget starting from €20 per person per night self catered, in studio accommodation, to €95 per person per night, in one of our luxury chalets.
Self catered accommodation or fully inclusive courses including a qualified biking guide for 5 days of the week who will take you to all the hot spots that the valley has to offer. The fun will begin on the Sunday with a warm up ride, followed by 4 days during the week. Our expert biking guide will plan a week of epic riding according to your desires and abilities – downhill or cross country, mellow or super technical, let us show you the best of what Chamonix has to offer on a bike.
Wednesday will be a rest day to allow your body to recuperate and to give you a chance to explore Chamonix as a town. There are plenty alternative activities - from cooling swims in the mountain lakes to tree hoping on the aerial adventure parks. In addition to long weekend and week long mountain bike camps, we also offer self catered accommodation for riders who prefer to do their own thing. Optional add-ons include minibus support, trips to ride other resorts, in house massage, physiotherapy or yoga sessions, helping with buying or renting kit and more...
Optional extras include trips to the Porte de Soleil, in house massage, physiotherapy, fitness and biomechanical assessments, core strength training and yoga/pilates sessions.
This trip can also be tailor made with departure dates and activities flexible and customized to suit you and your budget starting from €20 per person per night self catered, in studio accommodation, to €95 per person per night, in one of our luxury chalets.
day-by-day itinerary
This itinerary is just an idea - in reality it’s totally flexible and geared to what you’re looking to achieve from the week.
| Day 1: | One of our team will meet you on arrival in Chamonix Mont Blanc and help you get settled in to your gorgeous chalet accommodation. A delicious and healthy breakfast buffet and packed lunch are provided every day, using local ingredients - making your stay as hassle-free as possible. Our team will run through your week’s plan, then the rest of the day is yours to settle in. Take the opportunity to absorb the stunning Mont Blanc views from the garden of the Chalet before heading out to explore. Turn your legs over with a short bike ride or jog, set up your equipment, or enjoy a walk around the local shops, before meeting your guide and fellow biking guests over a delicious freshly made dinner. |
| Day 2: | After a hearty breakfast in your luxury Chalet, you will meet your guide for day 1 of the Chamonix trails. Easing you softly in the terrain that the valley has to offer, you will more than likely start off the week with an introduction to the famous ‘balcons’. A maze of trails circling the valley, with unlimited options, cut offs, side tracks, jumps, steeps and mellows. Make sure you keep up with your guide - or you could be peddling for a while longer than planned!! Return to the HQ for debrief session, plan the next day’s adventures, and most importantly soak those aching muscles in the chalet’s hot tub. Dinner back at the ranch, a few glasses of wine, possibly a few tales of tricky trails, and ‘au lit’! |
| Day 3: | Day 2 on the bike: Time to start exploring! Your guide will liaise with the group throughout the week as to what everyone feels comfortable with and the hopes and aspirations of all involved. One of the beauties of Chamonix is its location and the easy access to Swizerland and Italy. Day 2 on the bike often sees groups head up to the Col de Balme for an epic descent into Switzerland (don’t forget your passport!!!) For those that are feeling strong, the trail carries on through charming Swiss scenery down to the town of Martigny. There is however always an opt out possibility! We stay close to the mountain train route so there are plenty of bail out options if your legs have had enough. Back at the Chalet for dinner, bike cleaning, and indulging in the few tons of Swiss chocolate you’ve picked up en route! |
| Day 4: | By now there is no doubt that you’ll be feeling the effects of two full days on a bike. We therefore give you the option of a day out of the saddle, to spend as you wish. There’s plenty to do in the valley during the summer months, from swimming in the fresh water lakes, to sailing to 3800m in the famous Aiguille de Midi lift (a must for any visitor to Chamonix). Of course, those hard core amongst the group may well decide to keep peddling, in which case you’re free to explore the trails in your own time. Those that on the other hand are aching, may well appreciate a full body massage by our in house massage team - or a bit of Yoga to realign your muscles and chill your mind? |
| Day 5: | Back to the grindstone … After a day’s rest you should be raring to go which is why we’ve earmarked today for the week’s biggy! A circuit of the Chamonix valley, from Les Houches to Brevent - and all in the most environmentally friendly manner possible - that means no lifts up the mountain, and no transport between resorts! Of course the amount of uphill is optional. We can plan the routes the night before, depending on how far you want to go and how much up your legs can handle. Don’t forget the more you can slog uphill, the more down you get to enjoy afterwards, and the better the beer tastes at the end of the day! |
| Day 6: | Last day on the bike!! Group decision as to what will be tackled - maybe more down hill - maybe a bit of cross? Maybe a trip to Verbier, Les Gets or Morzine for some action elsewhere … And then back to the HQ for a final dinner with the team! |
| Day 7: | Your final brekkie at the chalet before packing up and heading home, fitter, more relaxed, envigorated, and with the taste of all things extreme fresh in your mind. We look forward to hearing what new places you go on to visit, and to seeing you again soon for a winter snow sports adventure. |
small group adventure holiday
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends its good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as seeing new places. how this holiday makes a difference
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Environment
Our biking holiday takes place in a stunning mountain environment, below Europe’s highest peak – Mont Blanc, where all the team live and play. The untouched beauty of our adventure sports playground is its biggest attraction, and keeping it that way is one of our main priorities! We stay well clear of natural reserves and only bike on paths that are set aside for mountain bikers. We're passionate about sharing our amazing mountain world with as many people as possible, in an environmentally sustainable manner. Our biking holidays consist mainly of leg power, and we only use vehicle transport where absolutely necessary. We are a small team, offering a 100% personal service, and are dedicated to sharing our love for the sports and environment around us. As a company, we recycle, reuse, and actively promote the environmentally friendly option in terms of transport and travel around the valley. We support the Chamonix tourist office’s campaign for an ‘eco-friendly’ town. We run shared minibuses, use natural cleaning products (vinegar, baking soda etc), and run an almost entirely paper free office. We encourage all our guests to think about the environmental impact of their actions during their stay, providing information about the local ecology, encouraging minimal use of water and heating, and offering easy access to recycling facilities, free public transport, and environmentally friendly methods of transport – pedal power, foot, and even parapente! Our biking holidays leave no scar or litter on the environment. We keep our biking camps to small groups (of 8 or less) which helps maximise your experience, and minimise the impact on the environment. Community We are committed to maintaining a social responsibility to the community in which we live. Chamonix is a diverse and multicultural ‘melting pot’ of nationalities – all drawn to the mountain Mecca that is the Mont Blanc range. Our company is fully integrated into the French community we live in. Our team of staff are all fluent French speakers, and our Mountain Biking guides are local lads who are passionate about riding, but also passionate about and proud of their home. We have both a French and an English company, and we work closely with a network of trusted local suppliers, personal trainers, masseurs, yoga and pilates instructors and physiotherapists. We are proud to be part of an exciting and developing community that is growing and changing constantly, but we also recognise the importance of maintaining and supporting the local heritage and history of where we choose to live and run our business. We are active members in the Chamonix Business Forum – dedicated to Chamonix’s environmental development as a whole. Together as a network of holiday companies and suppliers we can achieve so much more than just one small business, to protect our fragile environment and continue to promote our beautiful town in a sustainable and environmentally sympathetic way. Our aim is to grow slowly, sustainably, and in the most environmentally conscious way we can. At every step of our company development, we consider not only the economic viability, but also the environmental viability – we want to keep our mountains the way they are for the rest of our company’s life, but also for our children and grandchildren to enjoy as we have. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |