Where to Ski And Snowboard -

On yer bike ... in La Plagne

1st August 2011, by Ice and Fire

Downhill on two wheels ... La Plagne [(c) Ice and Fire]

Ice and Fire (aka Heather and Andy) joined us as bloggers last season, reporting on their first winter as chalet hosts in Les Coches (La Plagne). But there’s plenty going on in summer too … and Andy reports from the saddle: mountain biking is becoming a more popular attraction in the French resorts.

What’s it like in summer? It’s a question our guests ask all the time, who for the most part only get to see these stunning mountains when they are covered in the white stuff.

My answer is nearly always the same: most of us that live here came for the skiing and snowboarding but stay because of the summers.

My main passion in summer is mountain biking. Over the last few years this sport has really taken off in the Paradiski area, and it is now very popular with the locals and tourists. Les Arcs and La Plagne have 16 lifts open from the beginning of July to the end of August. It is mountain biking heaven! All of the lifts, except the Aigulle Rouge, have bike attachments or spacious cabins for an assisted ride to the top. There are dozens of marked bike trails, with signs all along the routes and gradings in the same way as ski pistes. There are maps showing what lifts are open and when.

If you are thinking, “I don’t think I could manage that; it sounds a bit extreme” well you could not be further from the truth, there is everything from flat footpaths that run along the river to steep and seriously difficult downhill with lots in between. There are plenty of practice areas where you can hone your skills before heading out and, just as in the winter, there are schools that have dashing sophisticated instructors to teach everyone from beginners to experts. It’s not true about them all being goat herders in the summer!

It is also easy to rent some really good bikes, so you don’t need to bring one out with you; but if you are really into your biking and want to bring one then most of the holiday companies have facilities for washing, repairs and drying your clothes.

As you can probably tell I am quite passionate about the riding around here in the summer. It is a very different experience from the skiing. Even if you are a complete beginner it is easy to escape to a quiet little trail or take a picnic in the backpack and just disappear for the whole day. Some of the routes even have overnight stays in mountain refuges. Les Arcs has a really good website dedicated to the mountain biking called: Bike Park Les Arcs

We have decided to start a summer holiday side to Ice and Fire for next year; it is in it’s early stages and we are planning to use our chalet Campanules in Les Coches as it is perfectly placed next to the Vanoise express.

For more information on summer in Les Coches, check out: Ice and Fire Summer

---

---

Back to all blogs