If you thought getting on a ski lift was difficult with skis, poles and boots, try it with a 20kg mountain bike on your shoulder, a helmet on your head, knee and elbow pads.
The scene is strangely familiar: queuing up to go through the barrier with a lift pass in hand, standing in line with bent legs and a stuck-out bum before the lift comes and scoops you up and away. Only this time the snow has melted and the Alps have transformed from a brilliant white to a lush green.
In the summee, Europe's biggest mountain range takes on a whole new identity. Nature lovers and thrill seekers return to the mountains, only this time leaving their skis and snowboards behind in favour of hiking boots and mountain bikes.
Having skied in Morzine before, I was surprised to see how different it looked without the snow, like a person you've met before but just can't quite place. The hour-and-a-half drive from Geneva airport means the journey from Ireland is reasonable in a day. Morzine buzzes nearly as much during the summer season as it does in winter, making it a great destination for an active summer holiday.
It's a mountain biker's paradise. Morzine and the nearby resort of Les Gets are in the heart of one of the world's biggest mountain biking routes, The Portes du Soleil. This is the name for an area that links 12 resorts in France and Switzerland. It offers a vast network of chairlifts and cable cars equipped to take skiers in winter and mountain bikers in summer.
There are 650 kilometres of sign-posted bike paths, five bike parks and plenty of downhill runs. The downhill mountain biking tracks are graded just like ski runs: green, blue, red, and black for the very brave. The concept is simple: get the lift up and cycle down. Some of the trails are on existing ski slopes but most of them are dug especially for mountain biking.
Narrow single tracks wind down the mountain and through forests. These bends are referred to as 'berms' in mountain bike-speak and are tricky to manoeuvre when going at speed. The turns are so sharp that the wheels end up riding horizontally on the side of the dirt track. Another term that added to my mountain bike vocabulary was riding in 'north shore style'. This refers to elevated trails made of interconnecting bridges and logs.
Morzine and Les Gets have plenty of north shores and bike parks. At the latter you can marvel through the gaps in your fingers at the advanced bikers doing jumps that see them fly through the air for up to six metres at a time. When you get a good run, and find yourself navigating the berms and whizzing down the mountain at speed, it's magical.
Downhill biking is a sport for the adrenaline junkie and not for the fainthearted. I found this out on a blue slope when I skidded on some tree roots and hit the brakes too hard. I went over the handlebars and landed on my knee. Much to my embarrassment, our guide called the rescue service, which then brought me to the medical centre where I received five stitches. Emergency mountain rescue is a free service in the summer months, unlike winter, when you are charged. I could have got the ski lift back to town but how could I refuse help from three handsome French Firemen?
Injury or no injury, the following day started with our guide Marco ordering us to lower ourselves 45 metres from a bridge to the bottom of a canyon. It was a baptism of fire into canyoning, where the object is to travel the canyon using different methods like walking, swimming, abseiling and jumping. We descended into the gorge following the river downwards. We abseiled down waterfalls of 25 metres, jumped from cliffs into narrow rock pools and lay on our back as we let the mountain rivers propel us through natural toboggans. I had the most difficulty with the jumps and had plenty of moments of attempting to jump before cowering backwards, pleading with Marco to show me another way down.
The next day there were some more white knuckle moments as we bounded over the rapids of the River Dranse in a rubber boat. Just like Marco, our white water rafting guide Frankie took no prisoners. One of our group joked before we set off: "I can't swim." Frankie replied in a deadpan manner: "This is your problem, not mine." I believed him.
After the obligatory capsizing of the boat, Frankie showed his knowledge of the river, ordering us to "paddle left, paddle right", avoiding the rocks and safely taking us through grade four rapids. The French attitude to adventure sports is different to what I've seen in other countries. Unlike Ireland, Australia and America, not once did I sign a waiver form and the safety talks were basic. But it all seems to work well with little incident, and with excellent back up from the emergency services.
The Adventure Park in Les Gets is a good example of this. In its 10 years in operation the most serious incident has involved a child with a broken arm. After a safety talk, both adults and children are largely left to their own devices to navigate through high ropes, zip lines, giant steps and Tarzan ropes. There are supervisors of the course, but the onus is on the individual to remain safe. Perhaps a more mature attitude to adventure sports.
But if you or your kids don't want to explore the biking track, rivers or canyons there is still plenty to keep you occupied in the village. The multi-pass card for the whole Portes du Soleil area can be bought for just €1 per day. This gives access to pedestrians for all the lifts, so you can hike between France and Switzerland if you like. The card also gives admission to many of Morzine's sports facilities such as an outdoor Olympic-size pool, ice-rink and tennis courts.
A, dare I say, relaxing way to finish off the holiday was to fly over Morzine in a paraglide. From the sky I got a great view of the mountain town nestled perfectly in a valley. Another attractive feature of Morzine is that it's a working French town, not a propose-built ski resort. And unlike other French resorts it has no high-rise hotel blocks.
During my stay in Morzine I had flashbacks of Queenstown in New Zealand. Both towns buzz with holidaymakers milling around about to do one adventure activity or another. Now that I'm back to real life in Ireland I'm having difficulty waking up in the morning with out my daily adrenaline hit. A cup of coffee just doesn't cut it.
Deirdre Mullins
Keep an eye on www.rte.ie/travel in a few weeks when Deirdre Mullins will profile summer time in The Three Valley area of the French Alps.
Aer Lingus operates flights to Lyon and Geneva all year round: www.aerlingus.com.
For more on Les Gets: www.lesgets.com
For more on Morzine: www.morzine-avoriaz.com
For more information on visiting France and its mountains: www.franceguide.com and http://ete.france-montagnes.com/
Deirdre Mullins was a guest of the France Tourism Development Agency.
Gear Review
The Salomon Explorer boot is perfect for summer hiking in the Alps. The fabric and leather construction make the boot both lightweight and breathable. The boot also has a Gore Tex lining which means it is fully waterproof. The sole unit has great grip on all terrain and offers the perfect combination of shock absorbance and comfort. This boot has a snug fit, great arch and ankle support, making it a great choice for a ramble in the Alps, or along the Wicklow Way.
Available for €149 in Great Outdoors, Dublin or online: www.greatoutdoors.ie
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