TECHNICAL AND PHYSICAL
LEVELS GUIDE

Please read these guidelines carefully.

They will help you choose the right trip for you and enjoy your holidays according to your own level and desires.

At ALPSSMOUNTAINBIKE, we want to make sure you are booked onto the trip that will suit you best and where you will have the experience of a lifetime.

With a long experience as alpine mountain bike guides, we are able to point you to the right tour by asking you a few questions about your technical and physical abilities.
Currently, there is no international norm about trail rating, that is why we have worked on our own « Physical and Technical level guide » according to our experience and what you can expect to find on the alpine terrain.

The Alps are a particular place, we are in the old continent where ALL THE TRAILS ARE HIKING TRAILS built over the last hundreds years mainly by farmers and the people who used to move and trade livestock, food and goods all over the alpine range. It means that the trails ARE NOT PREPARED for mountain biking, they are not shaped, there are no berms in the corners or man made jumps or artificial obstacles ( except in dedicated places like bike parks or resorts).
They require some hike-a-bike uphill on some places as they are not designed for riding uphill and downhill as they can be in the USA, Australia, UK, NZ, Canada for example. They can even involve some short section of hike-a-bike on the way down.

Riding in the Alps is definitely an experience and a challenge !!

Our customers come from ALL OVER THE WORLD to live this experience and we are the expert in guiding and coaching on this type of terrain as we are locals and born here, around Chamonix-Mont-Blanc !!
And it seems this experience is very addictive according to the amount of returning clients we have have years after years

WARNING : Each trip’s ability level is the minimum level required for that trip.





INTERMEDIATE

Physically
  • You are an active person.
  • You exercise regularly low intensity at least twice a week.
  • You are able to cope with a 3-4 hours non stop effort a day at a gentle aerobic pace such as walking or cycling for 2-4 consecutive days.

Technically
  • you can ride on easy rolling singletrack and double jeep tracks.
  • you can manage your speed
  • you can manage your balance
  • you can change gear and and manage the braking on easy terrain


INTERMEDIATE +

Physically
  • You ride 2-3 times a week for 1h30 non stop minimum (road or mtb).
  • You can ride at aerobic pace with short anaerobic sections without excessive fatigue.
  • You are able to cycle 4-5 hours per day.
  • You are able to climb 800 meters vertical ascent ( 2400 feet) a day for 3-5 days and can push or carry your bike uphill or downhill on short sections( few meters).
  • You like to challenge yourself

Technically
  • You can manage your balance uphill and downhill on loose gravels, rocks and roots.
  • You feel confident in riding singletrack with few roots and rocks, on dry or wet terrain.
  • You can ride short rock garden of 30 meters.
  • You feel confident riding downhill for about 20 minutes non stop.
  • You able able to go up and down a step of about 20 centimeters.
  • You can handle switchbacks.
  • You can ride with a little exposure at times and would like to improve your skills.


ADVANCED

Physically
  • You are a mtb fan and ride 3-4 times a week at least for 2 hours non stop or more.
  • You can ride at intense pace for short periods (15 minutes)
  • You are able to cope with longer anaerobic efforts( 3-5 minutes).
  • You are comfortable with cycling more than 5 hours at steady pace per day.
  • you are able to climb 1 hour non stop.
  • you do not mind riding in rain if it occurs.
  • you are able to climb more than 1000 meters (3000 feet).
    • vertical ascent a day over 5 days including hike-a-bike sections ( more than 10 minutes).

Technically
  • You are experienced and have ridden in a lot different situations ( dust, gravels, rocks, roots, mud, slippery terrain) and different types of singletracks.
  • You can go down a drop above 30 centimeters (about 1 foot).
  • You rarely walk uphill or downhill.
  • You are not afraid of steep singletracks uphill and downhill
  • You like the technical challenge and you would like to improve your skills.
  • You can cope with tight corners while downhill with rock and roots.
  • You can ride along a technical descent for at least 30 minutes.
  • You are confident in riding with little exposure.


ADVANCED +

Physically
  • You ride 4 times or more a week for 2 hours or more.
  • You able able to cycle long distance rides (more than 60 kms) and have a serious aerobic base to cope with long efforts.
  • You can sustain long anaerobic efforts (7-10 minutes) several times a day.
  • You are able to climb more than 1400 meters vertical ascent (4200 feet) a day over 6 days.
  • You may have raced, got prepared and trained for mtb events.
  • You can climb for more than 1h30 non stop.
  • You do not mind riding in rain if it occurs.
  • You can push or carry your bike on long sections.
    • uphill in technical trails( more than 20 minutes).

Technically
  • You have several years of riding experience on all types of terrain.
  • You like the challenge and enjoy riding narrow technical singletracks.
  • You can tackle any type of technical terrain : root garden, rock garden, drops above 30 centimeters (1 foot), logs, off camber …
  • You love and search for tight corners.
  • You are able to climb technical trails with roots, steps, rocks...
  • You are not afraid to do little jumps for fun while going downhill.
  • You are confident in any condition, terrain and exposure.


EXPERT

Physically
  • You are a machine
  • Your nickname is Nino Shurter.
  • You can ride more than 27 hours a day at race speed.
  • The guys of Tour de France are just amateurs for you.
  • You cycle uphill faster than a motorbike and have bear thighs.
  • Please pass your way , you are going to make our guides look bad. Thank you!

Technically
  • You are supernatural.
  • Your nickname is Loic Bruni.
  • You come from another planet.
  • You can follow up an Ibex on your bike ,talk about philosophy with it while knitting a pair a woolen socks for your grand mother.
  • You fly downhill over rocks and drop off doing 55 tricks still unnamed in one single jump.
  • Please pass you way , we are just humans!!