26 members of Wales UOTC assembled on a pleasant Friday afternoon excited at the prospect of mountain biking in the French Alps and all looking forward to the 20 hour road trip to the Le Biot, our base for the trip.
On arrival at Chalet Hugo the following day we had a few hours to get to know the area, sort out kit and equipment and settle down into our accommodation. Our first dinner in France eaten, we all settled down in readiness for the week’s activities.
Day one in Morzine saw a latish start with mountain bikes being collected from the hire location and routes confirmed. A gondola and chairlift to Avoriaz gave us easy access to some easier trails on which to develop our skills and confidence before moving on to the trails which would become our home for the following week.
Basing our activities around Morzine and Les Gets we were able to ride a variety of blue XC trails with some progressing to easier reds. Many sections of the 80km Tour Du Port Du Soleil trail were ridden and everyone got to see the best of what the Alps can offer.
On a few occasions some of us were grateful for our helmets and pads but all we all developed our confidence were certainly riding a lot better than when we arrived in France.
We woke up on our last day in the Alps to heavy rain but were all eager for one last ride so made use of the firmer trails in Les Gets before conducting some well needed maintanance on the bikes.
Driving back we all had chance to reminisce about the highlights of the trip, many of which seemed to involve students “stacking”. Certainly the buzz was about going back next year to do the trails we’d missed – perhaps all summed up by one student who fedback
“absolutely amazing……. The trip has improved my riding skills and has definitely inspired me to go on more mountain bike trails. I Ioved that we got to use full suspension bikes that I would otherwise never be able to afford!”
Dragon Morzine will be repeated next year but the legacy of this trip is the interest generated in all forms of mountain biking – cross country, enduro and bike packing with UOTC members eager to develop their skills across the different disciplines. The support provided by the Ulysses Trust was key to the success of Dragon Morzine and those who took part are very appreciative of that support.
Maj Steve Morgan
Exped Leader Ex Dragon Morzine
