Chamonix "training camp" 9 - 13 June

View from the chalet
Day 1

Relativity

Everything is relative. Relative fit. Relative fast. Relative steep. The question is, relative to what. Today I had to compare myself to some seasoned bikers.
Off for our first ride at 10.30am, cracking up at 11am already, wondering why ever I decided to do something like this. The hill up to the Argentiere GLacier was super steep and I couldn’t get enough oxygen into my lungs as I was trying to keep up with the others. 2 guides with awesome skills (Ben Fogle lookalike Ed and Chris), 3 Geordies, "Positive Pressure" Kev, Paul and Mark, and 2 scousers, "Kamikazee" Neil and Paul, all with calf strength that makes Arnie blush.
Once I followed Rick’s advice to go my own pace things settled down. Great biking, open flowing forest trails on the Northern Valley side. Awesome scenery and weather for sun factor 20. Biere du Mont Blanc blanche on Chamonix's main square in the Bar Nationale afterwards. All well again.

Well earned beers in Bar Nationale

Day 2

“The weather will be like this till Monday!”

Says Piff (short for Epiphany, what a name…she works in the chalet). Scorgio.

Busies in the morning

Great start to the day, windy downhills down to the valley of Servoz, then up a mountain, 700 meters altitude in under 1 hour (I think....). I slowly ground my way up, at the back of the pack but not trying to keep up with them and I made it without too much pain or getting seriously out of breath. Hm, progress to yesterday then !
Lunch break with a view

After lunch and expensive coffees it was all downhill to Chedde, mostly singletrack, over lots of roots and rocky stuff, great fun. And best of all, I was not limping behind. Nice.
Back to Les Bossons on the train. Well, some went on to Bar Nationale for beers. Yes, Rick and I.

Waiting to be fed

Day 3

Downhill day widda boss


Positve or negative pressure - that's the question

Cable cars and a wee mountain train, no uphills. Says company boss Phil in the morning. Well, they always have to put one of those ups in, which make your eyes bulge out, ‘just those 4 serpentines’ but oh was it worth it !
We started off down to Les Houches, took the 'frique up to La Chalette. First downhill off the day, technical and steep but brilliant.

Ed in action

On the 'frique again back up and over to the other route, Chemin de Rocher – part of which was 3 miles exhilarating singletrack downhill in one go. The smell of boiling break pads and the burning sensation in your forearms on a windy, rocky, rooty trail thru the woods….awesome, everbody was buzzing with excitement! Some more downhill with tricky switchbacks, Kamikazee Neil's end was nigh ….back up with the wee tramway and on the trail from the morning again. Home, beers, happy.

Some wounds to compare today then, one over the handle bars each between me and Rick and on the 3rd run I tangoed with the bike just having stopped avoiding a fall only to loose balance towards the valley side….

Injuries

Ah well, not as bad as Neil who shot straight out off the path missing the switchback, downwards vertically, bashed his leg big time but what really hacked him off was that he bent his frame. Day finished for him unfortunately.

Kamikazee Neil and his broken bike


Day 4

Piff was wrong

The weather didn't hold, big storms, so we packed the bikes (well, Rick packed and I helped...) and went up the Aguillere du Midi as the storms subsided...what a place !
Aguillere du Midi
(Andrea)