Every year I try to do an epic ride or road trip and this year we opted for the PassPortes du Soleil. A mountain bike festival and ride spectacular based in the Portes du Soleil region of France and just over an hours drive to Geneva airport.
The event takes place over a long weekend starting on Friday morning and finishing Sunday night, there's a bike show with latest 2008 ranges or bikes and gear plus parties and of course miles of great riding. Best still the event marks the official opening of the ski lifts so the mountains are more accessible to all, even lazy riders like us can get to the higher trails without a mammoth effort. That said any mountain goats who like a challenge won't be disappointed.
There are 3 official PassPorte du Soleil mtb rides to choose from, but if like us you liked the look of a refreshment stop followed by a mountain restaurant so much that you skipped a stage then nobody will mind. Although one of our riding pals didn't agree and continued alone (well alone with the 100's of other friendly riders that is). We had opted to do the Intermediate trek, 50km of riding including 7 ski-lifts and 4000m of total downhill, there was some climbing, a total altitude gain of 160m. To combat hunger pangs we fed at 3 refreshment points, one of which was close to lovely wooded mountain hut restaurant that tempted us for wine and desert and a lounge in the sunshine. To save on time we opted out of the optional extra uphill climb of 180m and instead headed back on route once the cheese and wine had settled.
Only at the refreshment stops did we see loads of people, out on the trails there were small groups of riders congregating mostly at the lift stations and a few riders on the trails that we passed, everyone wearing huge smiles. All nationalities were represented and plenty of female riders too, we met several from the UK riding everything from full on XC lightweight hardtails to DH rigs and all the body armour and trimmings. There is no uniform or requirements for bikes of clothing for the Passporte du Soleil, if you're happy focussing on the climbs and smooth sections them a pair of gloves and helmet might be all the protection you want, or if you want to rip it up on the singletrack descents or technical sections then body armour might come in handy. Anything from knee pads pulled out of a backpack to full chest, arm and leg armour is acceptable and just goes to show how riders interperet the challenge of riding in the mountains.
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Les Gets also hosted a bike show to coincide with the event, with 39 exhibitors and 85 brands. Demo bikes could be taken out for free. The Portes du Soleil region is trying hard to push women's mountain biking - not only were there a bunch of girls-only demo bikes, but professional riders Marielle Saner (Bikepark.ch), Celine Gros (Morzine) and Floriane Pugin (Chatel/Mountain Cycle) led women's rides over the weekend.
The Pass'Portes is a unique event. The best way to describe it is as a downhill enduro - the bulk of the climbing is handled by lifts, although there are still a couple of significant hauls by bike. Want an idea of the scale of the Pass'Portes du Soleil? Cast your eye over these handy stats:
- 1 helicopter
- 5 refreshment stands
- 9 resorts
- 12 lifts
- 15 nationalities
- 20 motorbike marshals
- 25 firemen
- 25 mountain rescuers
- 30 junior riders
- 75 km of riding
- 180 kg of dried fruit
- 227 women riders
- 230 kg of ham
- 230 kg of potatoes
- 270 kg of cheese
- 280 kg of chocolate
- 300 marshals
- 400 litres of Rivella
- 600 litres of French beer
- 650 kg of bananas
- 830 kg of oranges
- 1,100 litres of Coke
- 1,600 first-timers
- 3,000 bottles of Swiss beer
- 3,000 bottles of Evian
- 3,200 riders
Whichever way you look at it, that's a big gig. Like the sound of it? The 2008 Pass'Portes du Soleil will be held on 27-29 June 2008. Head to www.passportesdusoleil.com for more details.
Fuzzy_felt
