Summer 2020 – The Alps, Post Apocalypse

Well that was an interesting way to wind up the winter season! At the time it seemed like the end of the world but here we are in June and, to be honest, things feel pretty much back to how they were before we heard the words COVID-19 and coronavirus.

Fort de la Platte

We are currently splitting our time between office work and riding bikes, exactly as we normally would at this time of year. We’ve run around ten uplift days already for local riders who were desperate to get out after lockdown. The trails are running sweet and everyone has been stoked to get out on bikes again. Tomorrow it’s local legend Vincent Pernin’s birthday so we’ll be out riding with a full crew. I’m sure there will be lots of skids and whooping!

The snow line is steadily retreating upwards. We plan to test out the epic Meribel ridge line trail next week and perhaps a quick run through of our Areches-Beaufort tour. The col’s are also slowly opening up. We camped at the summit of the Cormet de Roselend this week, which was looking very beautiful. The Col du Petit St. Bernard is clear virtually to the top. We understand they are just waiting for the Italian/French border to open before they clear the last section. Work is also underway on the Iseran.

Sunset, Cormet de Roselend

Bars and restaurants opened their doors this week. Naturally there are some new rules in place – maximum of ten per table and at least 1 metre between groups. When you go to the bar you need to put on a mask. Nothing that stops your enjoyment of a pint in the local with mates though! It certainly seemed to be working well in the Cherry Garden in Bourg this week. The Kozy is also due to open up tonight so that could get messy.

Hotels, campsites, lakes and beaches are also now open but with some social distancing rules. All seems set for a good summer season but of course, there are still a few stumbling blocks!

France is due to open its borders on the 15th June but will mirror any restrictions put in place by other countries. Currently the UK plans to implement a two week quarantine requirement for anyone entering the country after 8th June (why the government decided to do this now and not in March or April is open to debate elsewhere). France will mirror this, meaning any tourists entering France from the UK also have to quarantine for 14 days. So there’s that. Fingers crossed that pressure from the travel industry and other European countries see’s that plan binned fairly soon. It does seem slightly ridiculous when you consider that the UK registered more deaths from COVID-19 on Wednesday than the entire EU put together.

Flight schedules remain sporadic and unpredictable. Right now only a handful of flights come into Geneva daily. EasyJet is planning on running around 20% of its usual service through July and August so availability is there but very limited. The situation is constantly changing of course but airlines need time to get aircraft back into service and re-establish their timetables.

Geneva flight arrivals today!

Self driving is certainly a more appealing alternative right now but don’t forget the train is also a great option. At this time of year it is possible to get from London St. Pancras all the way to Bourg-St-Maurice in less than 9 hours with two changes. Alternatively, 5 and a half hours gets you from London to Lyon with just one change or in 7 hours with one change you could be in Chambery. We offer transfers from all three of these train stations (Lyon Part-Dieu, Chambery Challes-les-Eaux and Bourg Saint Maurice) to any resort in the Tarentaise

The bottom line is, we still have unpredictable times ahead and what seems ok right now might look very different a month from now. To take some of the nerves out of booking a trip to the Alps we are now offering risk free booking on any transfers between now and the 1st December. You can book now without needing to pay anything until ten days before you travel, so no worries about chasing refunds and reading small print.

Uplifting Scenes in the Tarentaise!

Summer here is set to be as fantastic as always. Val d’Isere’s Glacier du Pissaillas is actual opening up for skiing tomorrow – more details on that here. Les Arcs plans to open its lift system for mountain biking on the 4th July. The Enduro 2 (Enduro mountain bike racing in pairs) will still go ahead but now at the later date of 28th August. The Tour de France is set to pass through Bourg on the 17th of September and Tignes lifts are due to open for both skiing and mountain biking just two weeks from now, on the 20th June.

So if you can, get yourself out here and enjoy our great outdoors. Pedal up a col, ski down a glacier, raft down the Isere, climb a via ferratta, paraglide down the valley, sleep in a mountain refuge, mountain bike down some singletrack, swim in an alpine lake or just lie in the sunshine and listen to the cowbells!