Susan Greenwood gets downhill and dirty on a women-only mountain bike course in the French Alps

When it rains in Morzine it really means business. Locals probably don’t even have a word for “damp” in a vocabulary dominated by “torrential”, “downpour” and “total washout”. With nose pressed up against the misty window of the Kariboo cafe in neighbouring Les Gets, I survey the scene, latte in hand, and savour the smug satisfaction of being dry.

Strange, then, that two minutes later I find myself being hustled back on to my mountain bike and urged towards the chairlift. Rain doesn’t stop play, informs Jo Petterson, one of the pro downhill mountain bikers on hand for this week of female-only riding, it just means you get muddy. That’ll be why it’s called Dirtgirls, then.

The French Alps has long been a summer playground for mountain bikers, and the vast Portes du Soleil area is rightly regarded as the European epicentre of the sport. On the French side, along with Morzine and Les Gets, it encompasses the popular ski resorts of Avoriaz and Chatel, while also taking in the Swiss towns of Champéry, Morgins and Champoussin. The terrain is steep, the views – you’re near Mont Blanc – predictably humbling and the mountain biking little short of legendary.

Being a woman mountain biker can be quite challenging because you are pretty much guaranteed to be in the minority. Which makes arriving at Dirtgirls’ base for the week, Chalet Snion in the centre of Morzine, something of a revelation. Women outnumber men. The toilet seat is down. Conversation isn’t about the worst injury anyone has ever sustained and whether a video of the crash is on YouTube.

The women seated around the dinner table range from a jewellery designer to a chef, and while sizing me up for one of her fleet of Santa Cruz dual-suspension bikes, Dirtgirls’ creator, Sara Burdon, comments on my highlights. Camaraderie is established almost immediately. Gosh, I think as I trundle off to bed, ditching the testosterone and riding with girls is so much fun.

It’s not a sentiment I share the next day as I am unceremoniously spat off a corner on the infamous Pleney downhill track. At 3,300m long, with over 500m of vertical descent, it is a man-made lesson in facing your fears. Fionn Griffiths, the 2006 world downhill champion, decides it’s time for some cornering instruction. Seeking out a little-used track, she gets to work. And gradually, as the heavens open, the penny drops. Through a combination of patient demonstration and practice we start turning at speed against a backdrop of steaming mountains.

The Portes du Soleil marks out its mountain bike trails like its ski runs – head for a black and you had better have your wits about you. And like skiing, riding uphill is made a whole lot easier with the use of 13 bike-happy chairlifts. The bikes simply hang on the side and, after swaying rather precariously for the duration, are unhooked by lift attendants at the summit.

After the assault on the Pleney track we decide to ride some of the blue runs leading off the Les Chavannes lift in Les Gets. By now the mud is deep, the tree runs quite tight and the roots slippery. It is the sort of terrain I would usually try to avoid – even, shock horror, claiming my inferior strength as a reason I can’t ride it properly. This is not an option when you’ve watched four other women sail through the obstacles with style. It’s not really surprising I end up wrapped around a tree; that I get up for another go is.

By now the scenery is beginning to work its magic. Banked turns and a twisting single track pull us out on to sweeping open mountainside, giving us time to catch our breath before diving back into the fray, trails looping and plunging across the terrain like roller coasters. The coaches are constantly at our heels, offering advice to make us go faster, honing our style and providing support for shaky nerves.

My nerves are calming down by the time I’m on my second beer in the Crépu bar. Judging by the amount of mud on the floor, it’s a popular spot with Morzine’s mountain bikers. And there are a lot of them. While most ski resorts become ghost towns during the “off” season, Morzine is positively buzzing. Before dinner I head to the heated Olympic-sized outdoor pool and manage a length before cramp sets in. But thankfully nothing more arduous is planned for the evening than a three-course meal at the chalet, during which a fight erupts over who gets to eat the extra banoffee pie. Clearly “diet” is not a word female mountain bikers have much time for – nor is it one Sara at Dirtgirls factors into her menus.

The next day we are split into groups according to where we want to ride and – to put it bluntly – how good we are. High on my achievements the day before, I decide to follow Fionn and Jo to Chatel for some more lessons on the blue runs. A man flies over our heads across the valley attached to a zip wire confirming the dawning realisation that mountain bikers are not the only adrenalin junkies attracted here during the summer.

Halfway down we stop off at Chez Babette, a restaurant that has embraced fairy lights with enthusiasm and which, during the winter, you can ski into before being wrapped in faux fur blankets. We scramble up a scree slope and fill the doorway with helmets, pads and mud. Babette, the world’s most effervescent hostess, loves it. Refuelled, we drop down the valley, riding tiny bridges across rushing alpine rivers, the temperature falling every time we get close to them. I’m pretty sure the high five was invented for the end of a Portes du Soleil mountain bike run.

Back on the chairlift, bike swinging companiably to my right, I hear a rumble of thunder as clouds roll in. This time I know better than to think I’ll stay dry.

More fun for the girls on two wheels

Forest Freeride, Powys, Wales

These weekend courses in the Llanbrynmair forest are aimed at those with some experience of mountain biking who want to progress to the next level. They cover confidence at speed and the all-important cornering technique. Accommodation and bike hire can be arranged. The next course is 22-23 August, price £110.

• 01650 521301; forestfreeride.co.uk

Whistler Bike Park, Canada

This is where mountain biking gets serious. If you love life on full suspension, you will have to make the trip to Whistler at some point. Luckily Monday and Wednesday nights are women-only sessions, where females of all abilities can learn from experienced riders, guides and pros. If you want to push your riding, this is the place to be. A lift ticket plus the services of a guide costs from $27 (£15) a night until 7 September. Nights run from 6pm to 8pm.

• 00 1 604 904 8134; whistlerbike.com

Over the Bars Camp, Snowmass, Colorado

With pro riders and ex-racers on hand as instructors, your chances of going over the bars are pretty minimal. This five-day camp is aimed at intermediates and advanced riders, and spends two days honing fast downhill skills. But it also indulges your girly side with yoga and massage sessions. Prices from $1,200 (£729). The next camp is in June 2010.

• 00 1 208 709 8141; womensmountainbikecamp.com

Highlands and Islands Adventures, Cairngorms

As well as running women-only skills days in the Cairngorms, using the expertise of local rider Cat Shearer, Highlands and Islands will tailor any itinerary to remove the testosterone and add a bit of girly luxury. Prices and dates vary.

• 01463 239716; handiadventures.co.uk

• The next Dirtgirls (020 8123 5654; flowmtb.com) course runs from 15-22 August, and costs €800, including accommodation, breakfast and dinner, lift pass and transfers from Geneva