Dammit's holidays in the Scottish Borders, featuring mountain bikes

I'd like to go to the PDS this summer, maybe based in Morzine. I really enjoy riding in that area and there's a huge variety to choose from - from flattish fire-road stuff to -35% average downhill and everything in between.

It occurred to me to see if anyone else fancied joining me (I'm thinking late May, or around that time), and if so we can look to book a chalet and maybe share the transport.

If anyone is interested please say so and we can look to flesh this out over the next few months.

I am of course hoping that vaccination programs allow this - it may be that we're all still locked in our homes come summer, but a man can hope.

In 2020 the lifts were open between June 27th to September 6th, obviously hard to say what the season will be this year but I've emailed them asking.

https://en.portesdusoleil.com/activities/summer/bikeparks.html

Looks like June 18th to the 4th of September. I'm wondering about July in order to allow for vaccination time.

https://www.bikemorzine.com/morzinemountainbikeholidays-934340.html

If no one else fancies it I'll cheerfully book myself a small chalet, but this org can provide some fairly high occupancy ones.

I'm potentially interested. I'll almost definitely be staying with my friend in Aigle at some point this summer if I can but might be persuaded into 2nd trip or at least a meet-up, the PDS is super close.

Let's hope the French start taking their vaccines and their case rates stop increasing....

I’d be up for this.

Could probably persuade @Dogs

I will be taking a staggeringly comprehensive toolkit and (highly specific) spare parts, see my "why Magura, why?" tribulations for background.

Any ballpark on costs? For sharing transport especially. I'd be interested if it doesn't clash with some other July stuff.

Not entirely sure, as I don't know yet what would be available. Our Brexist element have potentially ruined the channel tunnel so it might be a ferry, for e.g.

What I did last time was take the Chunnel, then drive around halfway, stayed at a recommended-on-here hotel, then drove the rest of the way the next day. I think I could probably do the whole thing in a day without having a sense of humour failure, but not 100% on that.

The car will likely drink quite a lot of fuel, most especially with bikes on the roof, so I'd estimate around £400 on petrol and around £80 on tolls. Another £450 on Chunnel tickets, plus meals when on the road - around a grand?

Yeah I’m interested and pretty easy really. I've also got 8 weeks leave this year.

Just give me a prod once you've got an idea of what going on.

I guess that's not too bad split four ways. Does the rack take that many bikes?

That said, London to Geneva looks very doable by train.

I'd love to try Champery by train from London (via Paris, Lausanne and Aigle), get the gondola up from outside the little train station and then ride to the accommodation. Luggage might be a ballache though.

London to Geneva

Have done good chunk of this. Pay Eurostar to carry bikes and hide bikes in bin bags on french trains.

I guess that's not too bad split four ways. Does the rack take that many bikes?

Three, I would think.

The other option might be that I could collect people from Geneva, which I suspect would be much faster and cheaper

I'm interested and would likely drive

I'm interested, if that is OK?

France - we love le Tour but hate bikes on our trains.

c'est sadly vrai

Recent vaccine/Covid news is, I think, making this look less likely - but we can only play the cards that we are dealt.

I was thinking July, as June strikes me as a little too close to the current moment and all that entails from a Covid perspective, and August is in my experience prone to (quite dramatic) thunder storms. Thoughts?

And scanning through the new Covid legislation they've now banned (in law) international travel, until (at least) the end of June. So we're not going earlier than 1st of July, and maybe not then.

I've been over the August bank holiday a couple of times to and the weather has been great. Anecdotes are not statistics etc etc however

It's a roll of the dice, and I'm happy to do so - I was out riding in Morzine when it was pissing down and still had fun. Sunny periods make the trails roll a bit faster and reduce the laundry bill though.

I'd tentatively be interested in this pending a lot of variables.
I really wanted to go last summer but didnt manage it for obvious reasons. This year could be possible. I'm not in London but would be good going with other people.

Some issues being I'm in Scotland and don't have a bike rack. Logistics might be tricky.
But I have an XC90 with lots of seats and could potentially get a bike rack or put my bike into a roof box.

But if I thought there was a chance I could make it then I absolutely would.

Right, some details - take a look and then, if you think you'd like to come, lets start to get a list together.

Self catering availability:

CHALET DARBON :sleeps up to 15 guests, outside garden/bbq area, private secure garage/workshop, private use of the whole chalet, 5 mins walk into centre of Morzine
Available for 2 consecutive weeks of your choice between : Available for Saturday to Saturday bookings from Saturday 19th June through to Saturday 24th July @ £1650 per week for the whole chalet plus £500 refundable security deposit.

APARTMENT DU BOURG / SLEMISH ; Sleeps up to 8 guests, private apartment with basement secure bike storage/ workshop, very central location
Available for 2 consecutive weeks, Saturday 19th June to Saturday 26th June and Saturday 26th June to Saturday 3rd July @ £750 per week plus £200 refundable security deposit

APARTMENT DU BOURG / WHITE EAGLE; Sleeps up to 10 guests, private apartment with basement secure bike storage / workshop, very central location
Available for 7 nights: Friday 18th June to Friday 25th June @ £850 and Saturday 17th July to Saturday 24th July @ £850. plus £200 refundable security deposit..

APARTMENT DU BOURG / DONARD : Sleeps up to 5 guests , private apartment with basement secure bike storage/ workshop, very central location
Available Saturday 19th June to Saturday 26th June, 7 nights @ £550 plus £200 refundable security deposit.

AIGLON PRIVATE APARTMENTS: Private luxury apartments with en suite bathrooms, secure bike storage/workshop , outside bbq area, 5 mins walk to centre of Morzine
Apt 9/ 3 x twin bedrooms plus double pull out sofa sleeps 6 / 8 Available 12 nights .
Saturday 19th June to Thursday 1st July @ £2650 plus £440 refundable security deposit

Apt 5 and Apt 11, both 3 x twin bedroom apartments, plus double pull out sofa, sleep 6/8
Tuesday 6th July to Tuesday 13th July 7 nights @ £1850 plus £440 refundable security deposit

Apt 12 3 x twin bedrooms, 1 x single bedroom , plus double pull out sofa sleeps 7/9
Saturday 17th July to Saturday 24th July @ £1750 plus £440 refundable security deposit

Bed and Breakfast Accommodation

HOTEL L'AUBERGADE Bed and cooked breakfast. Very central location, lively bar, terrace, in house restaurant, 2 mins from main Pleney lift. Secure bike garage/workshop
£100 per twin en suite room per night. Twin Rooms available to accommodate 2 - 10 guests from Friday 18th June onwards .

HIDEOUT HOSTEL; Bed and breakfast. Lively bar, in house restaurant, Central location, 2 mins from bars, restaurants, 2 mins roll to Super Morzine lift, secure bike garage/ workshop.
Available for 13 nights from Friday 18th June to Thursday 1st July
6 person dorm room available @ £38 per person per night
3 bed room available @ £49 per person per night

Apparently they can happily sort out airport transfers @ £35 each way per person including bike box/bag

My preference would be self catering.

Tip your transfer drivers. Cheers. :)