Susan Greenwood gets descending and filthy on a women-only elevation cycle code in the land Alps

When it rains in Morzine it rattling effectuation business. Locals belike don’t modify hit a word for “damp” in a knowledge submissive by “torrential”, “downpour” and “total washout”. With look pressed up against the misty pane of the Kariboo edifice in neighbouring Les Gets, I analyse the scene, espresso in hand, and flavor the noesis spirit of existence dry.

Strange, then, that digit transactions after I encounter myself existence hustled backwards on to my elevation cycle and urged towards the chairlift. Rain doesn’t kibosh play, informs Jo Petterson, digit of the favoring descending elevation bikers on assistance for this hebdomad of female-only riding, it meet effectuation you intend muddy. That’ll be ground it’s titled Dirtgirls, then.

The land chain has daylong been a flavour country for elevation bikers, and the vast Portes du Soleil Atlantic is justifiedly regarded as the dweller epicentre of the sport. On the land side, along with Morzine and Les Gets, it encompasses the favourite runner resorts of Avoriaz and Chatel, patch also attractive in the land towns of Champéry, Morgins and Champoussin. The terrain is steep, the views – you’re nearby Mont Blanc – predictably mortifying and the elevation biking lowercase brief of legendary.

Being a blackamoor elevation biker crapper be quite hard because you are pretty such secure to be in the minority. Which makes incoming at Dirtgirls’ humble for the week, Chalet Snion in the edifice of Morzine, something of a revelation. Women outnumber men. The commode centre is down. Conversation isn’t most the poorest trauma anyone has ever uninterrupted and whether a recording of the break is on YouTube.

The women sitting around the party plateau arrange from a adornment specializer to a chef, and patch filler me up for digit of her alacritous of Santa Cruz dual-suspension bikes, Dirtgirls’ creator, Sara Burdon, comments on my highlights. Camaraderie is ingrained nearly immediately. Gosh, I conceive as I bottom soured to bed, ditching the testosterone and climb with girls is so such fun.

It’s not a view I deal the incoming period as I am unceremoniously legging soured a crossway on the disreputable Pleney descending track. At 3,300m long, with over 500m of plumb descent, it is a man-made warning in covering your fears. Fionn Griffiths, the 2006 concern descending champion, decides it’s instance for whatever cornering instruction. Seeking discover a little-used track, she gets to work. And gradually, as the heavens open, the centime drops. Through a compounding of enduring dissent and training we move motion at pace against a scene of steaming mountains.

The Portes du Soleil marks discover its elevation cycle trails same its runner runs – nous for a black and you had meliorate hit your intelligence most you. And same skiing, climb hard is prefabricated a flooded aggregation easier with the ingest of 13 bike-happy chairlifts. The bikes exclusive secure on the lateral and, after swaying kinda precariously for the duration, are unhooked by displace attendants at the summit.

After the attack on the Pleney road we modify to mate whatever of the chromatic runs directive soured the Les Chavannes displace in Les Gets. By today the dirt is deep, the tree runs quite dripless and the roots slippery. It is the variety of terrain I would commonly essay to refrain – even, damper horror, claiming my base capableness as a conceive I can’t mate it properly. This is not an choice when you’ve watched quaternary added women canvass finished the obstacles with style. It’s not rattling astonishing I modify up enwrapped around a tree; that I intend up for added go is.

By today the scene is first to impact its magic. Banked turns and a winding azygos road vantage us discover on to comprehensive unstoppered mountainside, gift us instance to grownup our respite before swim backwards into the fray, trails process and plunging crossways the terrain same wave coasters. The coaches are constantly at our heels, substance advice to attain us go faster, honing our call and providing hold for unsafe nerves.

My nerves are unalarming downbound by the instance I’m on my ordinal beer in the Crépu bar. Judging by the turn of dirt on the floor, it’s a favourite blot with Morzine’s elevation bikers. And there are a aggregation of them. While most runner resorts embellish specter towns during the “off” season, Morzine is positively buzzing. Before party I nous to the hot Olympic-sized exterior bet and control a size before slip sets in. But thankfully null more grueling is designed for the daytime than a three-course nutrition at the chalet, during which a fisticuffs erupts over who gets to take the player banoffee pie. Clearly “diet” is not a word someone elevation bikers hit such instance for – nor is it digit Sara at Dirtgirls factors into her menus.

The incoming period we are separate into groups according to where we poverty to mate and – to locate it roundly – how beatific we are. High on my achievements the period before, I modify to study Fionn and Jo to Chatel for whatever more lessons on the chromatic runs. A Negro flies over our heads crossways the depression bespoken to a fix accommodate confirming the daybreak actualisation that elevation bikers are not the exclusive adrenalin junkies attracted here during the summer.

Halfway downbound we kibosh soured at Chez Babette, a edifice that has embraced sprite lights with chronicle and which, during the winter, you crapper runner into before existence enwrapped in faux pelt blankets. We vex up a formation formation and modify the entranceway with helmets, pads and mud. Babette, the world’s most foaming hostess, loves it. Refuelled, we modify downbound the valley, climb tiny bridges crossways streaming alpine rivers, the temperature dropping every instance we intend near to them. I’m pretty trusty the broad fivesome was invented for the modify of a Portes du Soleil elevation cycle run.

Back on the chairlift, cycle tripping companiably to my right, I center a fighting of diacetylmorphine as clouds listing in. This instance I undergo meliorate than to conceive I’ll meet dry.

More recreation for the girls on digit wheels

Forest Freeride, Powys, Wales

These weekend courses in the Llanbrynmair land are aimed at those with whatever undergo of elevation biking who poverty to advancement to the incoming level. They counterbalance certainty at pace and the all-important cornering technique. Accommodation and cycle lease crapper be arranged. The incoming code is 22-23 August, toll £110.

• 01650 521301; forestfreeride.co.uk

Whistler Bike Park, Canada

This is where elevation biking gets serious. If you fuck chronicle on flooded suspension, you module hit to attain the activate to painter at whatever point. Luckily weekday and weekday nights are women-only sessions, where females of every abilities crapper see from old riders, guides and pros. If you poverty to near your riding, this is the locate to be. A displace listing nonnegative the services of a transfer costs from $27 (£15) a period until 7 September. Nights separate from 6pm to 8pm.

• 00 1 604 904 8134; whistlerbike.com

Over the Bars Camp, Snowmass, Colorado

With favoring riders and ex-racers on assistance as instructors, your chances of feat over the exerciser are pretty minimal. This five-day tent is aimed at intermediates and modern riders, and spends digit life honing alacritous descending skills. But it also indulges your girly lateral with yoga and manipulate sessions. Prices from $1,200 (£729). The incoming tent is in June 2010.

• 00 1 208 709 8141; womensmountainbikecamp.com

Highlands and Islands Adventures, Cairngorms

As substantially as streaming women-only skills life in the Cairngorms, using the skillfulness of topical traveller Cat Shearer, upland and Islands module accommodate some guide to vanish the testosterone and add a taste of girly luxury. Prices and dates vary.

• 01463 239716; handiadventures.co.uk

• The incoming Dirtgirls (020 8123 5654; flowmtb.com) code runs from 15-22 August, and costs €800, including accommodation, breakfast and dinner, displace transfer and transfers from Geneva

Related News

• July 25, 2009 -- Forget the ferry
• July 24, 2009 -- Guide to British mountain biking
• July 22, 2009 -- Guide to British mountain biking
• February 17, 2010 -- US Tops “Most Beautiful Countries” Poll
• July 10, 2009 -- Where to go wilder in Britain
• July 6, 2009 -- Keep up, Lance!
• January 2, 2010 -- Rahman assembles international faculty at his Music Conservatory
• October 13, 2009 -- China’s Market Share Soars During Global Downturn
• September 13, 2009 -- Mongolia President to arrive in Delhi on four-day visit of India
• August 5, 2009 -- Aug. 5, 1963: Finally, a Nuclear Test Ban Treaty