MTB Ability Assessor

Morzine and the Portes du Soleil. Europe's most varied and vast bike park. Everything is here, jumps, roots, steeps, rocks, fast, technical, berms, you name it, you'll find it in one of the resorts connected by this incredible lift system.

You can find something for every technical ability around the Portes du Soleil. Numerous World Cups, National and International events such as Crankworx and IXS Cups boast a vast array of purpose built downhill tracks. Huge jumps lines crafted by the likes of Nico Vink in Chatel, aswell as cleverly designed greens and blue runs around the sloped of Super Morzine. That doesn't even count the huge number of hidden trails dotted around the mountains, or the marked, and not so easy to find enduro routes. It's a paradise.

Finale Ligure is quite simply one of the best places to ride an all mountain bike. The key to how much you will enjoy it is defining your idea of all mountain. Here, the trails are hard. These are mountain bike trails made from the mountains and the features upon them, namely, rocks. This is a bike park unlike any other, with it's long descents over a vast array of terrain, it's physically and technically challenging even for athletes at the top of their game.

The Aosta Valley is vast. You could spend a lifetime riding here and still not conquer everything. If you step out of the safety net of the bike parks, it's frankly mind-boggling how much there is. From the natural bike park, gnarly single track in La Thuile, host to the Enduro World Series on multiple occasions, to the high alpine peaks of the surrounding Aosta Valley and Pila's epic backcountry ridgelines, Aosta has the spirit of adventure covered.

Ability and Fitness levels

Skills and Technical

1 - Casual

You're comfortable on smooth, flattish singletrack. You’d pause if there were a rock in the trail and the a drop over 2 feet tall is a big challenge. A set of brake pads is likely to last a days riding over steep terrain. You couldn't stop on the trail without putting a foot down straight away.

2 - Weekend Warrior

You are all about charging, you taste the dirt more often than you’d like to admit, but it’s worth it to bring a grin to your face. You’ll happily take on table tops, even attempt a short double. Small rock gardens of 2 - 5 metres in length are intimidating but you’ll try. You can handle modest roots and off camber terrain but it takes a couple of attempts to feel confident.

3 - Dedicated

You’ve developed skills on the bike that give you confidence in most situations. Drops over 4 foot, technical rock or root sections over 5 metres in length and rooty, steep sections of trail may need a look before riding, but you’re happy to hit them. Jumping and being in the air is comfortable. You have good knowledge of your body position on the bike and are comfortable shifting your weight about to get the bike moving should you find yourself in a tricky situation.

4 - Semi Pro

You relish slow, technical trails as much as fast. The feeling you get when you nail a section of rocks and roots is “I could nail that way faster”. You can handle jumps of most sizes and shapes, throwing some style in there aswell. You are centered and solid on the bike over rough terrain, in corners you don’t have to tell yourself to keep your eyes up.

5 - Pro

You see lines at speed others can’t see standing still, and you have the skills to ride them. You can track stand, manual, wheelie and hop your way around anything on the trail at any speed. You rarely see a section of trail you’ve looked at and thought, maybe tomorrow. The bike is an extension of your body and it does whatever you tell it to. Riding a bike is completely natural to you, you’re that mate everyone talks about, the local hero.

Fitness

1 - Casual

Your idea of a big ride is a couple of hours in the local bike park on a Sunday afternoon, with a can of energy drink to get back to the top. The granny ring is your best friend, E-bikes look like a way easier option but just aren’t cool enough. Your hands blister at the sight of a braking bump.

2 - Weekend Warrior

You love a good shred, but don’t have the time or energy to ride anymore than afew hours on the weekend, when you go out, you work up a sweat in no time but you don’t care, you give 100%. Your hands and arms would get tired under repeated rough terrain but it’s still worth it.

3 - Dedicated

You’d be able to ride most of the day, pedalling up a local trail centre to get to the descents if there’s no space on the uplift. You’ll finish the day tired but you could do it all again tomorrow. Your palms have the start of tell tale callouses of someone who loves to ride whenever they can.

4 - Semi Pro

Not only do you ride pretty much everywhere, you actively train to get fitter for riding. The uplift being a luxury you only take so you can push more laps. Road bike to work, gym when you can for strength. The idea of an epic pedal fills you with joy. Determination and dedication to the shred is all that’s on your mind and the challenge of descending non-stop for 20 minutes over rough terrain only makes you wish the trail wouldn’t end.

5 - Pro

Up or down, it will take nothing to stop you. We’re talking Greg Minnaar levels of fitness. It doesn’t mean you don’t tire out, you just don’t care, pain isn’t in your vocabulary, you compete with Nino Schurter on Strava.

Riding Style

All Natural

From Single track to ridgelines, roots to rocks you are happy riding all types of terrain mostly keeping two wheels on the dirt.

Full Enduro

You love technical riding, going up is good, coming down is better. Natural jumps, gaps, and transfers are all good.

Jibber / Bike park

Man-made berms, gaps, drops, ladders and everything in between that are found in most bike parks. You’d be popping and styling your way down everything.

Spirit of Adventure

You’re all about adventure, happy riding any kind of terrain, endless descents, hike a bike or technical climbs it's all in a day's work.