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Mountain Biking Chamonix France |
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. The Petit Balcon which encircles the floor of the valley is the rote of choice for the less experienced biker - a good day out when you add a picnic and some retail therapy. The trail begins at the northeast end of town next to the parapente landing field and follows the flat but scenic Bois du Bouchet to the jumps of La Norvège. The French name for Mountain Bike trails is "Velos Tout Terrain" (VTT). Chamonix has recognised the increase in mountain bike activity and is actually encouraging the sport. Signposts for designated "VTT routes" are quite clear and shown on local maps. Le Mont Blanc Massif is now a center of excellence for Mountain biking. There are however some restrictions during the "high season" between 1st July and 31st August on some of the walking trails. Biking Grades... The mountain bike routes are graded in colours like ski runs and marked with numbers. The green route indicates "Parcours tres facile", very easy trails along four-wheel-drive tracks and "Foyer de ski de fond", tracks that are used for cross country skiing in the winter. These routes start from the centre of Chamonix and can be used as an off-road route to reach the harder trails. The blue route indicates "Parcour facile", easy trails along wide tracks incorporating gentle uphill. The red route indicates "Parcours difficile", difficult trails along thin paths. Be warned some sections of the red routes are very difficult. The black route indicates "Parcours tres difficile", very difficult steep up hill struggles giving access to the telepherique stations. For those who don't like hard up hill routes, cable cars can be taken on many of them allowing you to experience extreme, "full breaks all the time" descents. Chalet Wildfire - Mountain Biking... We have number of Mountain Bikes for the use of our guests but these domestic quality and only suitable for the occasional rider and definitely not suitable for the serious high mountain trails. The forest trails start just along the lane from Chalet Wildfire and from the chalet you can access the whole valley. |
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Bed and Breakfast Chamonix, Chamonix Chalet Mont Blanc France — Summer and Winter skiing in the Chamonix valley Bed and Breakfast. B&B or Half Board In summer we present a great chalet experience in Chamonix Mont Blanc with options of Bed and Breakfast or Half Board (breakfast and £ course dinner with wine). Chalet Wildfire located in Chamonix Mont Blanc near the Bosson Glacier. The Bosson chair lift is open in high summer for access to the glacier and walking trails. The Chamonix walking and biking trails start just a few steps form our door.. We do have a number of Mountain bikes available for use by our guests. Apart from the trails that start near the chalet the whole valley is accessible with easy access to walking, climbing, mountain biking or even horse riding trails. Unlike most alpine towns Chamonix comes alive in summer and has an almost Mediterranean climate and atmosphere. Chalets in Chamonix - Chalet accommodation in the French Alps is a fantastic accommodation option compared to a normal hotel or chamber d' hote, or pension. This is because you are not just confined to your room or public areas. In chalet Wild fire you have full access to the whole chalet in including lounge and extensive gardens with large pool, pool side bar and BBQ. Chalet Wildfire has all en-suite rooms with private bathrooms. We have a resident chef and host. Travel—getting there... Use easyJet or BMIBABY or Jet2 to fly to Geneva. You are then just 55 minutes from Chamonix and Chalet Wildfire. The Chamonix Valley offers a tremendous verity of leisure activities and a brilliant night life. Chamonix is one of the few alpine towns with it’s own Casino. Enjoy, paragliding, golf, and tennis against the backdrop of Mont Blanc Chamonix. Mountain Biking
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Seriously extreme biking or easy peasy - your choice! |
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It sounds so very good - but taking the ski lift and riding down is not always the easy option... With 3772 meters of vertical rise Chamonix offers a tremendous variety of biking opportunities For steep and deep the best riding is off the top of many gondolas in the valley. Six lift stations surround the village and access to any of them is just a few minutes ride from the town center. Bikes go free! Trails descend in all directions and offer a wide variety of riding. There are easy trails like the Grand Balcon Sud between Brévent and Flégère that are perfect for those looking for some excitement but who might not have as much experience as required for the more extreme routes. Don’t forget The name for mountain bikers riding without a helmet is… Organ donors! So Insurance and good gear is not just recommended it is absolutely essential. There are miles and miles of steep, technical single track to satisfy the needs of even the most hardcore bikers. |
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Col de Balme - A nice day out for the family... A popular hiking and riding path with locals but not as many 'day tourists' seem to realize it exists. You start at the Le Tour parking lot (the last village at the head of the Chamonix valley) which is a ski station in winter. To get to it, go towards Argentiere (follow signs at all the roundabouts) and pass Argentiere and turn off to the right for Le Tour. Pass through Montroc-Le Planet. The road ends at the parking lot in Le Tour. Starting in mid June the lifts start to run again. You can either bike up to the top or can take the ski lift (past the mid station to the top) up this more gentle hill. The top is called the Col de Balme at 2200m of altitude. This is the border with Switzerland and there is a small restaurant up here run by a very old couple. They serve simple lunches and accept Euros or Swiss Francs. You can also bring a picnic lunch and enjoy the beautiful views of the whole Chamonix Valley and Switzerland from here. Also several Swiss hiking trails start here and traverse the area and have gorgeous views as well. For example, you can hike to Trient (Switzerland) and the Col de la Forclaz (Switzerland) quite easily from here. Note that it can get windy on the top of the Col so unless it is a very hot day, a light jacket might be advised. There is an easy trail for mountain bikes—its very wide and easier to negotiate than some of the steeper mountain bike trails in Chamonix. |
