Summer 2017 Events in Les Deux Alpes
One new & one familiar event taking place in summer
Details have just been announced for two events this summer – one familiar and one brand new. The 2 Alpes Outdoor Festival on 24th-25th June will be followed by the eighteenth edition of the Mountain of Hell mountain bike race the weekend after
The new Outdoor Festival will open the summer season on 24th and 25th June 2017, with a chance to try out the principal sports on offer here in the summer. These include summer skiing and snowboarding, all styles of mountain biking, parapenting, trail running, hill walking, golf, and more. There will be competitions in skiing, snowboarding, mountain biking, parapenting and golf, plus a slackline distance record attempt, guest-stars in various activities, outdoor brands in attendance, concerts and a family zone.
Less than a week later, the second big event of the summer will kick off on Friday 30th June and run over three days. As always, the Mountain of Hell final on the Sunday will at 3400 metres start on the glacier and finish two and a half vertical kilometres below in the village of Venosc. Riders will have Friday for training and Saturday for qualification before the main event on day three. The qualification day will only be used to determine the start order as all competitors will get to ride on the final day.
The route changes from year to year to add interest, but the mass start down the ski pistes and the final descent down the footpath to Venosc are always included. There is usually a section riding through a bar as the riders pass through the resort, which is great for the spectators. Each year’s race has a different theme, and this year the Rocky films have been chosen. Hopefully they won't be expecting people to ride in boxing gloves! There are 700 places in the race, and registration is open from 1st March 2017. Read Ellie Mahoney’s review of last year’s Mountain of Hell.
Alongside the main race a children's race was introduced last year, titled the Mountain of Kids. This is open to children aged 9 to 14 and runs from 2600 metres at la Toura down to a finish in Les Deux Alpes town centre. Another new addition for this year is the Old Mountain of Hell – a competition which will assemble former stars of mountain biking for a race down a special course.
Make sure you check back here regularly to stay up-to-date as more events are added to the summer calendar. In the meantime, enjoy the snow.
Read more from Ian on his website.
