Post by Mary on July 29, 2022
The trails are dry and dusty all across Europe and North America this season. We don’t think we’ve ever seen our local trails this dry before. It’s certainly been a scorching start to the summer but at least up in the mountains you get some cooler air, a breeze and even the odd patch of snow to take the edge of the heat.
So far this summer Jamie has interspersed his guiding with testing out the second half of our Summit to Sea route from Chamonix all the way down to the Mediterranean sea. The first half is our Chamonix to Briancon route that he rode bike-packing style with our photographer friend, Soren. The second half is a completely new route that heads down through the Southern French Alps, crosses over into Italy and then back into France to finish at Menton on the shores of the Mediterranean. We’ll be adding the Summit to Sea trip to the website this autumn and it is available for booking in 2023. Contact us if you’re interested. The trip can be ridden in two halves, as Chamonix to Briancon and then Briancon to Menton. Both are classic week-long trips with 5 or 6 days of riding. They can be combined into a trip of 10 days of riding with the option of a rest/explorer day at the mid-point in Briancon and a rest and recuperation day by the sea at the end. That’s a 14 day trip including arrival and departure days.
Jamie has just set off for Briancon for the second time this summer but with a group this time. We launched our Chamonix to Briancon trip just before the pandemic hit so this is actually only Jamie’s second time guiding on the route. He’s got some new trails to try out with the guests and will be seeking out more improvements as they ride. Jamie considers each of our routes to be a work in progress. Trail conditions and landscapes are in a constant state of flux. Especially in a mountain environment. Our routes have to be adapted to these changes and of course Jamie is perpetually on the lookout for enhancement opportunities!
Next we have a series of three Chamonix to Zermatt trips with groups from Brazil, the US, Germany and the UK. It feels so good to be welcoming back riders from across the world after 2 years of relative isolation.
We still have 1 week available at the end of this season from 21st-28th September. It’s late in the season but still suitable for point-to-point trips including the Tour du Mont Blanc and the Eiger Tour and centre-based riding including our Alpine Enduro and Alpine Singletrack trips. Contact us if you’re still looking for a trip this season.
Stay cool and enjoy the summer of cycling!