Mega Avalanche and
Snowboarding

France

Mega Avalanche

Dificulty

High

Hospitality

Price

Adrenaline level

high

Fitness required

very high

Overall Satisfaction

Snowboarding

Dificulty

high

Hospitality

Price

Adrenaline level

high

Fitness required

high

Overall Satisfaction

Mega Avalanche

Mega Avalanche was definitely the most exhausting and challenging mountain biking race that I have done in my life. The start is in Huez (3330m above sea level) and ends in Allemond (702m). The vertical drop is over 2600 meters and the race is over 20 kilometres long. What can be intriguing that the top part is through the snow. Falls, broken bikes or bones and crashing into each other happens quite often in a top section so full face helmet and body armour strongly advised. You start in a waves of 200 riders and the race in 2013 had the total of 2000 riders from over 30 countries.

You can clearly see I was on a budget there, sleeping in a tent and wearing pink glasses that cost me £1. When I have crashed falling steep rocky hill like on a picture, the spectators have taken my bike back on a track and helped me out to keep on going. They also shouted loud “Alle’ Alle” (Go! Go! in French) that encouraged me so much. Every little helps some might say but to me it was a big one. Also down the track I still remember crazy American spectator shouting “I love your glasses dude”! It put even more confidence and an extra smile on my face. To me it was a fight, not a race. A fight with: a very heavy bike that was broken and had to fix it half way through, with my skills and experience that were much lower at the time, also confidence in my own abilities. At the end of the race I have felt the most exhausted in my entire life and it still stays this way until today unless I decide to take part in it again with a lot more skills and abilities than in 2010. After the race I was lying on the concrete for 15 minutes before I could even drink anything because I was so exhausted and pumped with adrenaline. It was also my first and last time that I have cried after the race so happy to finish it and overcome all the problems on the way.

Although it seemed like I didn’t have much I felt like I owned everything, I owned the world. That is how you make the memories that stay for life. Mega Avalanche is one of those races that have to be completed if you want to feel truly a mountain biker (along with visiting Whistler, BC, Canada; in my next blog).

Why is it fun? Because I have seen riders crossing the finish line with bikes broken in half on their shoulders or rear “mech” hanging out like a broken limb. They still wanted to finish the race. I have had my own crashes in qualifiers that latter caused that in a main event I couldn’t change gears when racing. I had to borrow spares from an English fellow that was camping with me just to take part in a main event. It was a challenge to me back then, just to finish it and fight with my mind and abilities. Many have failed half way. I have finished it in over 2 hours when for the best ones it takes less then 1 hour. I was so happy and proud of myself that I have managed to make it to the bottom in one piece. My best race so far and I hope to do it again one day.

Mega Avalanche – Alpe d’Huez

The area of Alpe d’Huez have a variety of other tracks such as enduro, downhill or single tracks. At the bottom there was also small slopestyle cabin where you can practice some drops. I can bet that the area has improved much more as I have raced there 10 years ago and the place is just perfect to live in as during summer you can ride bikes and during winter go snowboarding. Can’t be better than that. Extreme sports all year round at your local spot.

Alpe d’Huez is also used in the Tour de France road cycle race and it is one of the hardest ascent in the race.

More information about Megavalanche and forms to register for the race at : https://www.ucc-sportevent.com/en/megavalanche-alpe-dhuez-en/

Snowboarding

Chamonix Valley and Les Grands Montets is one my top snowboarding places in the world. Variety of black and red runs starting at 3275 meters above the sea level that offer breathtaking views of the towns on the bottom of the valley. We have managed to find a lot of natural features that can be used as jumps. Rocks or cliffs that have enough snow on it are perfect for a session of your life.

Snow park provides a lot of fun especially that jumps can easily reach the size of a two storey semi detached house. Even if you choose one line it has a few different types of jumps and angles so the variety of high, long or transfer jumps is pretty good.

In Chamonix I have been several times and a last one was in 2015 and definitely planing to go there again. In 2009 we were just learners and we were crashing very often but because we were young and fearless we also tried big stuff. Nowadays we can put some style into jumps and they aren’t as chaotic as then.

What I loved about Chamonix and Les Grands Montets that on one occasion in 2009 or 2010 I believe we were able to watch an extreme show. At around 3000 meters we watched wingsuiters and para-gliders jumping off the helicopter at altitude of around 8000 and passing us into the valley at around 700 meters. It was astonishing to see the tricks they performed and how fast and close to the ground they were. Some para-gliders actually kicked the sponsor flags, we were standing by, while descending. Later that night there was a big show including most of the extreme sports that were performed at the time. The after party was awesome with my mate crushing into the ice rink dressed in a gorilla suit. Maybe I should mention that it was during the hockey game of a local team. He even managed to open the event and run the raffle. Good and crazy times!