The videos..........

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Report..........

 

Nine months in the making, MTBBerkhamsted's first en masse foreign adventure could have gone so horribly wrong on so many levels. And, given the scene that greeted the roadtrip party on arrival in Chatel, it seemed to have already done so without a pedal being turned in anger.

 

 

With the fliers arriving six hours ahead of the drivers and left with nothing to do but drink the two chalets housing the airborne division were like something out of a zoo. In fact, now I'm back I should have a word with Whipsnade and tell them if they need a new attraction for the safari park all they need is an enclosure, some slabs of Kronenberg and 20-odd bored MTBBerkhamsteders and soon enough they'll have a field of savage beasts rutting, chewing windscreen wipers and swinging off the vegetation.

 

 

The question was no longer could MTBBerko's plucky crew survive Chatel but more could Chatel survive MTBBerko? Never before has this tranquil Alpine town witnessed such a focused display of athletic dedication, an absence of bikes meaning the Passportes 'it's a marathon, not a sprint' ethos was simply applied to consuming fizzy French beer rather than riding.

 

 

Bikes dumped we fled to the grown-ups' chalet further up the road and drew breath. Would anyone make it out riding tomorrow? How on earth were they going to find the necessary coordination to build their bikes, let alone ride them?

 

 

Incredibly a full contingent made it to Pre-La-Joux lift station the following morning, keen as mustard and ready to hit the trails. There were a few nervous faces on the way up the two lifts to the very top of the Chatel bike park and our first encounter with Alpine riding - the green-graded Panoramic trail. After a couple of runs confidence was up to tackle the first of the blues, Dean discovering in dramatic style that jumps with red flags on them denote a gap that must be cleared. Or fallen into, should they tackled with insufficient speed. Barely an hour into the trip we had our closest shave award nailed!

 

 

As the day progressed the group divided as folk explored their comfort zones and made the most of having a big choice of graded trails on which to learn the ropes. Richly deserved beers in the Tunnel Bar brought the day to a close, each party repairing to their chalets buzzing.

 

 

Saturday was a chance to further hone skills, a party heading to nearby Morgins for some proper x-treme DH action before returning to the park, hungry for the Passportes to start proper.

 

 

If we were going to hit the whole loop an early start was going to be needed, the oiks from down the road cheating and missing the first loop from Chatel to Morgins completely while our smaller group hit the first lift at 8am amid cool morning air and beneath a clear sky that promised baking heat later in the day.

 

 

 

With the goal of catching the main group we pressed on, the sun rising as we cleared the Morgins lift for a stunning view of the Dents Du Midi and Mont Blanc just behind. Breathtaking scenery and easy trails made for rapid progress into Switzerland and towards Champery, the more hardcore red-graded option a slippery, chin on the saddle steep slither over roots, wet rocks and Alpine meadow. Up and over back to Les Crosets the long lift to Lindarets brought us closer to those ahead but once there we learned why R3rd hadn't been at the pre-arranged meeting spot - he'd only been choppered off the hill having had a nasty fall on one of the high-speed gravel descents. As if he wasn't having a bad enough day already the first thing he saw on coming round was Neil, who then promptly dropped him while 'helping' to load the stretcher into the chopper. Get well soon Richard. And Claudia too.

 

 

With the gap narrowing all the time we finally caught Jeremy and Pierre in Morzine, the rest of the party not far ahead and already tasting the beers at the Tunnel Bar in a larger, Alpine version of the Wednesday night charge to the Riser. Finally on the last lift of the day we were all reunited, sunburnt, bruised, tired but chuffed as hell to have made it round. Casualties included Brennan, retired halfway round and Paul, whose earlier injury meant road riding was the only option. Bad luck fellas - next time, eh.

 

 

 

Battered bikes and bodies limped back into Chatel, Dave's wheel self destructing just a mile from home but all riders making it home in the end to well deserved and much anticipated fizzy beers.

Perhaps one too many for our Ben who, well, did a Ben and having survived the whole Passportes managed to crash … riding back from the pub.

 

 

 

 All in all though a brilliant effort by all concerned. Here's to Passportes 2012!

 

Dan

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Below is Rich 4th , who looks as though he may be up for the `Crash of the Year` award !!

 

 

For more photos of the weekend click here

 

The route we took on the Sunday.......