Please read these guidelines carefully.
They will help you choose the right trip and enjoy your holidays at your level and preferences.
At
ALPSSMOUNTAINBIKE, we want to
ensure that you book the trip that best suits you and that you have the experience of a lifetime.
With extensive experience as alpine mountain bike guides, we can point you to the right tour by askinga few questions about your technical and physical abilities.
Currently, there is no international norm for trail rating, which is why we have developed our own « Physical and Technical level guide » based on our experience and what you can expect to find in alpine terrain.
The Alps are a distinct region. We are in the Old Continent, where
most trails are shared hiking paths built over the last few hundred years, mainly by farmers and people who moved and traded livestock, food, and goods across the alpine range.
This means that the trails
were NOT designed for mountain biking, there are no berms in the corners or manufactured jumps or artificial obstacles (except in dedicated places like bike parks or resorts)
They might include a short hike-a-bike sectionup hill and down hill.
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 experts 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 number of returning clients we have had year after year.
Don't hesitate to call or email us.
WARNING : Each trip’s ability level is the minimum level required for that trip.
Physically
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- You are an active person.
- You exercise regularly at low intensity at least twice a week.
- You can 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.
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Technically
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- 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
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Physically
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- You ride 2-3 times a week for 1h30 non stop minimum (road or mtb).
- You can ride at an aerobic pace with short anaerobic sections without excessive fatigue.
- You can cycle 4-5 hours per day.
- You can climb 800 meters of vertical ascent (2,400 feet) per day for 3-5 days, and you can push or carry your bike uphill or downhill on short sections (a few meters).
- You like to challenge yourself.
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Technically
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- You can manage your balance uphill and downhill on loose gravel, rocks, and roots.
- You feel confident riding singletrack with few roots and rocks, on both dry and wet terrain.
- You can ride the short rock garden of 30 meters.
- And you feel optimistic riding downhill for about 20 minutes nonstop.
- You can go up and down a step of about 20 centimeters.
- You can handle switchbacks.
- You can ride with some exposure, and you would like to improve your skills.
.
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Physically
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- You are an MTB fan and ride 3-4 times a week, for at least 2 hours nonstop or more.
- You are an MTB fan and ride 3-4 times a week, for at least 2 hours nonstop or more.
- You can ride at an intense pace for short periods (15 minutes)
- You are able to handle longer anaerobic efforts (3-5 minutes)
- You are comfortable with cycling more than 5 hours at a steady pace per day.
- You can climb for 1 hour nonstop
- You do not mind riding in the rain if it occurs
- You can climb more than 1000 meters (3000 feet)vertical ascent a day over 5 days, including hike-a-bike sections ( more than 10 minutes).
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Technically
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- You are experienced and have ridden in a wide range of conditions (dust, gravel, rocks, roots, mud, slippery terrain) and on various 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 enjoy technical challenges and want to improve your skills.
- You can cope with tight corners while going downhill with rocks and roots
- You can ride along a technical descent for at least 30 minutes
- You are confident in riding with little exposure.
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Physically
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- You ride 4 or more times per week for at least 2 hours.
- You're 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 can climb more than 1400 meters vertical ascent ( 4200 feet) a day for over days.
- You may have raced, prepared, and trained for MTB events.
- You can climb for more than 1h30 nonstop, you do not mind riding in the rain if it occurs.
- You can push or carry your bike on long sections uphill in technical trails( more than 20 minutes).
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Technically
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- You have several years of riding experience across a range of terrains.
- 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 tight corners and seek them out.
- You can climb technical trails with roots, steps, and rocks...
- You are not afraid to do little jumps for fun while going downhill.
- You are confident in any condition, terrain, and exposure.
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Physically
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- You are a machine
- Your nickname is Nino Shurter; you can ride more than 27 hours a day at race speed.
- The guys of the 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!
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Technically
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- You are supernatural.
- Your nickname is Loic Bruni.
- You come from another planet.
- You can follow up an Ibex on your bike, discuss philosophy with it, and knit a pair of woolen socks for your grandmother.
- You fly downhill over rocks and drop off, doing 55 tricks still unnamed in one single jump.
- Please pass your way; we are just humans.
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