Post by Mary on August 11, 2021
We always say that September is the perfect month for mountain biking in the Alps. We tend to get warm and stable weather conditions without the extreme heat of the summer months. The trails are generally quieter in September and most accommodation providers stay open until the end of the month. As travel restrictions have eased further, especially between France and the UK, September 2021 could be the perfect month for your alpine biking adventure.
We can run any of our trips from the 3rd of September onwards. September is usually the best time of year for our point-to-point trips because the winter snow has finally disappeared from the high cols and the first snows of the autumn haven’t yet arrived. Choose from Chamonix to Zermatt, Chamonix to Briancon, the Eiger Tour, the Tour of Monte Rosa or the Tour du Mont Blanc. September is also perfect for our Alpine Enduro trip as the lift systems in the Swiss Valais stay open until the end of the month and sometimes into early October. We can also run our Alpine Singletrack trips in the French Alps using a mixture of cable cars, van uplifts and good old-fashioned pedaling.
Jamie is just back from our only trip of 2021 so far, a Chamonix to Zermatt with a wonderful group of guests from the US. They had a fantastic time despite some challenging weather conditions mid-trip. All the accommodation had extra cleaning protocols and social distancing measures in place and the trip went just a smoothly as usual.
For the first time ever Jamie finished the trip in Zermatt with a helicopter ride up to the Rothorn (3,100m)where he and the group were dropped-off for a massive 2000m+ descent back into the Zermatt valley. I have a feeling it’s going to become a regular feature of this trip. In fact I already have a request from one of our regular groups to incorporate it into their planned trip for 2022.
Our American guests had a wonderful time. The group organiser, Mylissa, sent me this lovely message:
“Thanks you so much for all of your help in planning this trip. It has been fantastic! We loved everywhere we stayed, the food, the guiding and feel so grateful for your help in planning this. Jamie was born to be a guide. We hope to be back again!”
So if you’re worried that a trip in 2021 might not be as good as in other non-Covid years, I hope that Mylissa’s words will reassure you. We’re very much hoping to have some of you join us for some end of season riding this September. Contact Mary if you’re keen to ride this year or if you would like to make a pre-booking for 2022.