Morzine

Guess where I am staying

Chalet Eria: where Amani is staying.

Muddy Riding Kit

 

Hi My fello blog followers. The past week and a half in Morzine has been choice as, full of riding! In the dust, in the mud, and inbetween. I have brought myself a season pass so I am now set for a season of riding most days. The flat I am now based at is perfect and jus what we need, although it is rather small, and going to become very conjested with 8 of us here. Its so funny we are surrounded by big flash Chalets which makes ours standout like dogs balls. Look at the first Photo and guess which one we are staying in..... also we only get the top floors as below us is a cafe.

But I do feel like I am living the life, just waking up everymorning and knowing I can just go riding when ever and where ever I want and don't have to rely on anybody eles to drive me.

I mean a day in Reece's life these days consists of me waking up around 10-10.30 looking out the window to see what the weather is doing.. make the decision wether or not to wear my mud kit or causal kit out for the days riding. Then Shovel my Breakfast down fast as I can, as I am either amping and just want to get out and ride or I am usally running late and others are waiting around for me. It's mean as I can just roll to the base of the chair lift or gondola from where I live (Honestly one of the gondolas is about 30seconds ride.) and then the days riding begins!

The tracks are off the hook, theres anything you want, you just have to ask about to find them, bermed tracks, muddy tracks, root filled tracks, jump tracks, loomy tracks, XC tracks, steep tracks, rocky tracks just anything you can think of.

I have also found another fello Takaka rider, Amani from Wai Nui who is over here with a mate from West Port. They also have the life, they work in the flashest chalet but really their work is to put breakfast out in the morning clean up and then go riding all day! They have free accomadation, food, and get paid for that.. what a way to live. Since I found them I now spend most my time at there Chalet as it's so flash and I get FREE feeds. Look at their Chalet compeared to mine... (photos above) you will now understand why I am always there. We have been dabbleing in abit of Table tennis in our down time, I found that I have another hidden talent as I am rainning champ! Good times.

By the end of this week most of the kiwis will be here so the riding trains will begin! But the old event calendar starts getting busy from the end of July, as we are off to CrankWorx at Les 2 Alps, then either going to the mega or an IXS cup and then the next week after that its the 6^thround of the World Cup. After that excution I am hoping the chilled life in Morzine will begin again.

Mt Blonk in the clouds somwhere

Chur.

Wales



river leading into the falls

Trail ride on "the board walk track"

Bonjour everybody, I have now made it to Morzine France where I will based for the rest of the season.
The past week I have spent in Wales living it up with Dafydd and his parents. Full of trail riding, rain and AWESOME meals!
We left for Wales after the race on the sunday around about 10pm, pretty big job ino. But with racing driver Dafydd and co driver Reece... and several redbull we made it to his around about 4am. Driving back through Scotland we saw so many Deer on the roads, herds of them. Pretty dangous but an awesome sight, no need for a gun.. all you would need is a big set of bull bars and you would be away laughing.

Dafydd having a snack before the climb

Once in Wales the fun began, cooked breakfasts alround and Dafydd showed me around all the local trails. To my suprize the weather was fairly good (cloudy) not hot but the usual, untill the last couple of days which rained. The rain was welcomed though, because it alowed for some out of control trail riding! The photos I have up loaded are all from one of the trail rides we did "The Board walk", which was great riding in big open fields. FREERIDE. (reminded me of home, Birds clearing) The water fall was spectcular, aparently higher than Niagara falls... mind boggling stuff.
All in All was a great week, good catch up, and managed to get some good training in for the Mega Avalanche.

Just like to say a big thanks to Dafydd and his Whanau for putting up with me and keeping me well feed.
P.S To be honest i am not sure anybody lives in the UK though, when after a 90min flight you can be in Europe in 32degs and blue skys all around. No smog, dark loom/grey cloud that hangs about for days.




The falls




Fort William WC, round 3

My handle bars after qualifying

Road gap on WC track

 Hi everybody, hope winter is going great back in NZ, not to cold? Well the past week has been great, i have been competeing in the Fort William World cup. Leading up to qualifying i was feeling really good and just having so much fun on my  bike!  The Zerode G1 was on form and with some help from marshy, she was set up perfectly. Qualifying started off great being up 73rd overal at the 1st split and 4th out of the juniors. This was good as the track just suited me better and better as i got further down the hill, so all going well i should have qualifyed.. However abit of bad luck caused my weekend to come to a short end. As my handle bars snapping in half off a drop half way through the 2nd split causing me to crash off the track! I was really gutted, but am just thankful i didn't get injuried and very luckly it happened in a slower section of track.
At least i know i am up there and if i put a good run together i should qualify. Next Time!




First rocky section of WC track

I would like so say a huge thanks to Liam and his Whanau for looking after me and Ronnie and keeping us feed. Also cheers to all the local Fort William boys for showing us how things are done in Scottland, and big thanks to Alpine Bikes for putting up with us mulling out in the bike shop 24/7.. And helping with bike maintance. You are all Mad Dogs! Has been a choice few weeks.



I am now off to Wales with Dafydd for a week of trail riding and maybe some Downhill on the Athertons tracks. Amped as!
Dafydd says hi to all the fello Takaka riders, he will be back soon as.


Catch you up.

Big Mission in Fort William

Looking down on Fort William from Ben Nevis

Ben Nevis walking track  (ruthless)

 Fort William so far has been great, full of all kinds of activities and good times. I have done a couple of days of riding up the Fort William World Cup downhiil track. Such a choice track, just rough, rocks and huge jumps. I have been riding with some of the local boys, trying to get upto speed for the  up and coming race! Has been easy to get out of shape and loose as the top half is built out of gravel... which becomes wild in the dry.




We have also been dabbeling in some swims in the rivers around Fort William. The locals think its warm, it's really not... but refreshing after a days riding. They have been taking us to all the secret local spots too, I will try get some photos up later in the week. We have been jumping off water falls, bridges and swimming in caves. Insane times.

The Ben Nevis walking track soooo many rocks

One of the days when nothing was going on I decided to walk up Ben Nevis with my downhill bike, the highest Mt in the UK. And look what i got myself into, it was the roughest walking track i have ever walked hands down. It was rocks the whole way to the top, I pretty much had to carry my bike up the whole thing . Also having to stop every 100m and talk to the walkers as they wouldn't let me past, and then let them tell my how crazy I was ddn't help the situation. But all in all it was a good wee walk and an awesome ride down, my arms and feet were throbbing by the end. But good practise for the up and coming World Cup next week end.


Owell thats about it for now, untill next time. Laters.


Reece Potter





Looking out towards Sea (middle left of pic) from Ben Nevis