ST JEAN D’AULPS

Grade: Medium – Difficult

Before we voyage out of Morzine and the Portes du Soleil I shall let you in on one final secret that lies within the hills between town and Lake Geneva. It’s time to get the map out:

Trace your finger along the page from Morzine, through Montriond and on to St Jean d’Aulps then move from the latter in a virtual ascent and you should come across La Grande Terche – a small ski area in winter set in a bowl of peaks. You may note the gondola that climbs steeply to one peak high above the valley. What you probably won’t realise is that in summer the gondola takes bikes and riders to the summit, albeit only on two days per week (Wednesday and Sunday). You can get here on your bike along the river from Morzine or from the back of Mont Chéry in Les Gets – which opens up many possibilities for almighty rides. Your standard Portes du Soleil pass covers this lift, as it has done for many years, yet the hillside has managed to be almost entirely overlooked by all visitors, in fact I don’t even know many locals that use it. Although admittedly not the best access for those with downhill bikes – perhaps the reason that the hill has lay dormant for so long – this lift opens up a number of possibilities for modern day enduro bikes.
I had the pleasure of exploring the area several years ago when I had a (very broken) wrist in a cast and only a borrowed cross country bike to ride. Foolish as I am, I figured that heading off into unknown territory would be better for my injury that to ‘risk’ the braking bumps of the Pléney in Morzine. Who knows where my thinking lay, but what I did learn was that there are some epic and also ferocious mountains nestled in–between Mont Chéry and St Jean d’Aulps. At least I was correct about the braking bumps though – not one to be seen for miles and miles and miles…
I won’t go into a huge amount of detail about the riding, it’s there waiting for those keen to get the map out and to go on a trail hunt. No trail is primed, groomed or even particularly accessible. Be prepared as these peaks can be dangerous – when the map tells you there is scree or rock slides, believe the map. This riding is about discovery, it’s for those who like a challenge, an adventure and an alternative view, so if that’s you then plan a route and gather some worthy secrets of your own.
Photographer Victor Lucas and vagrant bike bum/racer Alex Stock took the time to explore some of the available routes around the imposing mountains and found their own way down which you’ll see (from the photos) navigates barren slopes, descends lonely valleys and finishes with grace in one of the area’s finest traditional villages. I’ll let Victor’s photos do the explaining. If you like the looks of the peaks and the incredible view over to the lake at Montriond then get that map out.

Parking: Parking available at the foot of La Grande Terche lift if you’d rather not ride.
Lift Cost: Covered by Portes du Soleil pass.
Opening Hours: 10 am – 4.30 pm
Opening Dates: Wednesdays and Sundays in July and August.
Lift Altitude: 1800 metres.
Time from Morzine: 10 minutes driving. Riding time from Morzine is roughly 1hr.