 Poster: A snowHead
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So after quite a few winter holidays in The Alps we have opted for a summer holiday in Morzine this year. Off for two weeks in July after deciding to give the beach holidays a miss. Time to get active!!!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Check if any local glaciers will be open, and if driving take some ski gear for a few days of essential treatment 
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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I generally prefer the Alps in the summer - with the exception of not being able to ski of course.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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The Tour De France will be in the alps around 19th July.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Beach holidays would bore me senseless.
Beware the Mutzig @ Bar Robbo. I swear they go to your head twice as quickly when it's sunny.
Alps this month... MTBing or walking? Can't decide. Might depend on how much left over snow there is.
Scottish Alps in July.
Giving MTBing in Morzine a miss this year.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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The summer is when I really have a full time job in the Alps - I am guiding the Tour du Mont Blanc...9 times! Between trips I'll try and snatch a few days of MTBing and maybe a ski day or 2 if I'm lucky.
Beware only visit Chamonix if you are doing something specific, otherwise Morzine is much nicer, Cham is just way too popular.
For Skiing Les Diablerets is your closest and Saas Fe and Zermatt both have plenty of skiing.]
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Beach holidays would bore me senseless.
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I have had some lovely beach holidays, well not actually on the beach but wind surfing, dinghy sailing and learning to sucba dive. Not boring at all.
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Agreed. It's a terrible waste of a beach to just sit on it and read a book.....
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Relax as hard as you like 
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Morzine is great in the summer, probably been more times in summer than winter. No point taking ski gear, it's too far to any skiing and there's enough other stuff to do anyway. Take bikes instead, you don't have to be into the hardcore downhill stuff, there's easier stuff too.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Idris, when do you start your first TMB ?
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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I love Morzine in the summer. I've been MTBing many times over the past 10 years but never thought to take skis.
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You know it makes sense.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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@albob, they are deceptive. good VFM in terms of %ABV per € 
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Poster: A snowHead
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I really enjoy the Austrian Alps (Lechtaler, Arlberg and Bregenzerwald) in summer almost as much as winter, the mountainbiking and hiking is fantastic, the air super-clean and the food/ drink just great. I cant even think of being on a beach or round a busy pool anymore laid amongst hoards of sun-bathers. We typically do something active then if its a sunny day crash around a quiet pool or mountain lake surrounded by mountains and take in a well earned beer or 2......its brilliant! This summer I'm going to get up at 2am and do the photography sunrise thing from the top of a peak, its been on my list for a while, its on for this summer, bought myself a new tripod!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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The Alps are also wonderful in late spring and autumn - and much quieter, of course, and with less chance of being mown down by mountain bikers when out for a walk. In fact, the only time I wouldn't bother is from early November until the lifts open..... Which isn't long at all.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@pam w,
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and with less chance of being mown down by mountain bikers when out for a walk
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Most responsible mountain-bikers use a bell in my experience, its also a pet-hate of mine though how many people out walking dawdle about taking up the full width of bridleways where bikes have as much right to be there as walkers.....and then give us dirty looks and mutterings when we ask them to let us by!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I cycle on a lot of shared paths, and I agree. It's infuriating - especially the groups with dogs on those long expandable leads. However, bikers descending steep, narrow, shared paths are scary, when you know they really can't stop (or at least, that's how it appears to me; maybe they can stop on a sixpence). One has little option but to leap into the undergrowth as they pass.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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If you want to walk in the Alps try to avoid the skiing areas. There is so much nice nature away from the skiing resorts.
And you do run the risk of being run down by a bike.
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@Hyst, In France VTTs are banned in the national parks which include the Vanoise National Park which is very accessible from many ski resorts. The nearby nature reserves such as the Grande Sassiere also ban VTT. I gather the Mercantour National Park even bans walking sticks in its boundaries.
Even outside of the park I prefer to go to places where bikes cannot get to.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| Quote: |
In France VTTs are banned in the national parks
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I didn't know that. Sounds reasonable. Thing is, I do quite a lot of walks which are immediately out of my door - and that IS in a ski resort. When out in the Alps I try to use the car as little as possible - for personal and environmental reasons but I really should explore some of the national parks.
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| mountainaddict wrote: |
As a regular & seasoned mountainbiker, you have my absolute sympathy pam w. The types you describe are the ones who give our beloved sport a bad name - disgraceful really...  |
Indeed. See also the road cyclists that jump red lights.
Mind you an equally annoying thing is when people insist on walking along the bike specific trails at some trail centres. I've been on some very quick rides before (along what should be a one way system) and had to hammer the brakes on for some numpty walking towards me.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@alangibson73, you`ll love it. Summer in Morzine is my absolute favourite time of year. Loads going on and hopefully the weather will be kind to us again!
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| brock wrote: |
| @Idris, when do you start your first TMB ? |
16th June
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@Idris, are there different durations for the tour depending on the composition of the group?
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You know it makes sense.
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@Idris, I've done it one, and I'd love to do it several times a summer. Do you work for one company, several, or just yourself? Do you have an International Mountain Leader qualification, or French equivalent?
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| pam w wrote: |
| @Idris, are there different durations for the tour depending on the composition of the group? |
The tour op I'm working for (GAdventures) does a 10 day TMB of which 7 days are walking - this is a cut down version of the TMB, taking a bus in Switzerland and not walking much in the Chamonix Valley.
There a many different variations of the TMB, to walk the whole loop with no buses at a comfortable pace is 10 days walking, almost all the tour operators do slightly different versions, a lot of these are more down to which accommodation they've booked rather than anything else - if you are booking a lot you need to think 15 months ahead, or you won't get what you want.
I am only restricted by where I am staying, I can make up how I get between those point depending on the group.
Gadventures also run a 7 day sightseeing trip with 4 days of hiking, I'm running 2 of these, to relax between TMB's
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Chamcham wrote: |
| @Idris, I've done it one, and I'd love to do it several times a summer. Do you work for one company, several, or just yourself? Do you have an International Mountain Leader qualification, or French equivalent? |
Last summer I worked for 4 different companies, some easier to work for than others, when one of the better ones offered me a whole summers work and my choice of dates I said yes - so one this summer.
I have the IML from the UK system - both the final exam weeks - one winter one summer were done here in France and my winter training was in Norway. I also have a French Carte Pro.
The French Accompagnateur en montagne is their version of the IML and is very similar in what it teaches you, but the way they go about it is quite different.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Idris, Thanks. I'm beginning the process of ML, then IML. I presume you need to be living locally to get the work. Would there be any chance of signing up while living in the UK, then flying out to do a few weeks in a row?
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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A couple of weekends ago, in the midst of crap UK weather, we pulled the trigger on 2 weeks in Mayrhofen in July. Really looking forward to it. Hoping for some heat to go along with the stunning scenery. Oh, and if we hire bike we'll do our best not to run anyone over with them.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@Ravelin, You'll love it - walking in the mountains is fantastic. You should get some sunny weather, but be prepared for rain too.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| Chamcham wrote: |
| @Idris, Thanks. I'm beginning the process of ML, then IML. I presume you need to be living locally to get the work. Would there be any chance of signing up while living in the UK, then flying out to do a few weeks in a row? |
Loads of TMB work available, 40% + of IML do just that, fly out do 2-3 trips then back. Just beware there is a reason why certain tour operators have no returning staff and struggle even to get newly qualified inexperienced leaders 
Don't take up any European work until you are fully qualified and don't touch France without a Carte Pro or LPS, a fair number of folks got into trouble last summer believing if they were offered a job by an established company everything must be legit!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Idris, Thanks for the advice - it's a medium term plan rather than short term, probably 3-5 years, and I wouldn't do it without the appropriate paperwork.
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Hey @Idris, fellow IML here! No TMB for me though, I mostly do my own thing, 99% of it on a mountain bike!
Did do a bike TMB in early October a couple of years ago... that was awesome!
In reply to @pam w's comment above - generally speaking, a decent rider on a modern bike CAN stop on a six-pence. For me, this is one of the biggest causes of conflict between bikes and walkers - walkers getting upset as they feel they've had to "leap out of the way" and riders being completely bemused at what the fuss is all about.
The solution, of course, is politeness and respect on both sides - riders slowing down well in advance of passing walkers, even though it might not be "necessary" to do so and walkers not making a fuss about having to step 6" out of their way to allow a bike to pass.
It all gets very difficult on crowded, honeypot trails though. I wouldn't want to do the TMB on a bike in July/August. No fun at all.
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@stevomcd, We were passed by a few groups of bikers on the TMB. It was June-July, there were only two of us, usually 5-6 of them. We stepped to one side of the trail and smiled. They smiled, waved and said thank you in whichever language came into their minds at the time. As you say, politeness and respect. On the other hand, if there was a large group of cyclists every 10 minutes, I can see it would be an irritation.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| Quote: |
For me, this is one of the biggest causes of conflict between bikes and walkers - walkers getting upset as they feel they've had to "leap out of the way" and riders being completely bemused at what the fuss is all about.
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Because I'm an unskilled cyclist and would be terrified by some of the tracks round my way, I probably overestimate the difficulty of their stopping. On narrow tracks winding round rocks and trees and on quite a steep gradient it is sometimes difficult walking down, let alone cycling, even with poles. That's largely because of the surface underfoot - gravelly/dusty/uneven/tree roots. Even on the flat, on a wide track with nobody about, I'm wary of braking on gravelly/dusty surfaces. I used to ride a (small) motorbike and those were the surfaces which had me off twice. I wasn't very good at that, either. 
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| pam w wrote: |
| Because I'm an unskilled cyclist and would be terrified by some of the tracks round my way, I probably overestimate the difficulty of their stopping. |
I think this is common. I once had a woman yell at me to stop when I was cycling on a canal towpath. I hammered on the brakes and it turned out that her dogs were on the path up ahead of me. I could see them and had plenty of time to slow down and get by them with no hassle, instead I ended up stopped 20 yards short of where they were and querying why she'd stop me. Her bemused answer was "well, er...you weregoing fast and...."
She didn't to come up with much more of a valid reason so I rode on.
Although to be fair I think that cyclists also underestimate stopping and how fast they're travelling in comparison to walkers, it's one of the reasons I tend to avoid shared paths now. All that's in the UK though, I've unfortunately not had the fun of riding in the Alps.
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