Verbier: Vertigo keeps us motivated

OEMag 26.09.2016

A trip should never start with a question… it should start with lots of them. Strangely, contradictions increase my desire for adventure. When I thought about travelling to Verbier, Switzerland, I never imagined I would touch ground in Autumn, when the weather becomes uncertain and the mountains become white; as skiing is really not my strongest skill. I also would not have imagined that it would be the best time to explore some of the best single tracks right in the middle of Europe. But I am soon to realize that there’s never a bad day in Verbier.

As a mountain biker I’m always searching for the next big adventure; all over the world. Ten years ago I did my first mountain bike trip when I was fourteen, to Portes du Soleil. Since then my hunger for new trails, countries and cultures grew. I define this passion as a personal fascination to break down boundaries and add another country to the bucket list; the bike is just the way I do it. When I arrive to Geneva airport with my ‘rides-way-better-than-me-friend’, Rui, I was excited about not crossing the border to France again, and staying for the first time in Switzerland.

We’d be sharing the Bike Verbier chalet with other guests, all from the United Kingdom, which directly translates into good times on the trails, lifts and pubs. “Is it your first time here?” – I ask one Steve, of the British; He smiles back at me and says, “Actually, it’s my eighth time”. “What the hell makes this guy come back to Verbier for eight years straight?!” I ask myself, after getting a bit off-guard with his response. “What keeps you coming back?” – he smiles again – “we’ll talk in the end of the week” – he says.

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