2002 Alpine trip

The lads trip to the Alps this year had to be in two separate parts because of staffing the shop so Si and Liz were the first to get away with the VW van and all the sports toys.

First destination was the Three Valleys area (Courchevel, Meribel, Val Thorens) where the plan was to mainly mountain bike but get some paragliding and climbing done too. The weather had other ideas and because of the rain, mountain biking was the only viable option. Luckily the area is rocky and drains well so the routes both XC and downhill were superb.

Kipping in the van for 5 nights with the rain beating down on the roof was not so superb so a retreat was organised to old mates Ali and Allen's chalet in St. Jean de Sixt near La Clusaz for rest and recuperation. The weather there was fantastic so Liz rode part of the Tour de France route a couple of days in advance of when the peleton came through and Si did a cracking Via Ferratta in Thones and flew on the Aravis amongst some other British pilots who were out with the legendary Bob Drury of Himalayan fame. He's a top bloke and runs paragliding XC courses both in the Alps and in adventurous location throughout the world. See the Last Resort website for contact details and ace accommodation.

The middle Saturday was crystal clear and perfect for climbing Pointe Percee on the Aravis. If you want a great days scrambling then this is it at just over 9000 feet.

Second week was spent in Les Gets with Paul, Jane and Tom Braithwaite where the plan was to do as much mountain bike downhilling as possible before Garry and Kathryn arrived and Si and Liz left to go home. Everyone stayed at the Boomerang Hotel which is legendary amongst the mountain bike scene and also provides a superb base for walking and climbing. The booking was made through our friends at Ride On in Rawtenstall who provide a full package for mountain bikers including maintenance and trail advice. Also many thanks have to go to the incomparable Jean Michel and his staff at the Boomerang for their amazing hospitality and friendliness.

Great weather made possible loads of downhilling and paragliding usually followed by shedloads of cold Fosters and much tinkering with hydraulic brakes and straightening of bent components for the next day's crazyness. Here's an aerial shot of the hotel that Si took from the air one morning.

As Si and Liz left, Garry and Kathryn arrived to join the Braithwaites for their second week. After a scorching hot start and loads of good racing (and crashes!) the weather turned really nasty and stayed that way for virtually two weeks. The only comfort Garry is drawing is that at least he wasn't in Prague! The conditions for riding got really grim so if you're speaking to Garry in the shop and want to stay the right side of him then don't mention any fantastic holidays in the sun! He'll probably rip your Loyalty Card up...!!!

Our sympathies go out to anyone else who was unlucky enough to suffer the fickle conditions as it made most activities difficult if not impossible. Let's hope we all get more done next year... And if you're wondering where Garry's photo's are the answer is simple... ...there just aren't any!