Feature: Hotel La Vallée
Any of you who have done our Swiss Cloudraker trip in the past 15 years would know Hotel La Vallée and owners Jean-Marc and Patricia Pellessier and their amazing hospitality. Their small property built in 1893 that has been in the family for three generations has become our home-base in Europe, and a launch site for some of the best rides in the Alps from the Val de Bagnes, up and over to the Aosta Valley, to the foot of Mont Blanc and down the Rhone Valley and deeper into the Valais. From epic shuttles to the top of the Mauvoisin dam (on the day we ride up and over to Italy and Aosta), to the flaming meat potence dish and all-you-can-eat raclette at the restaurant, to building bikes in their underground garage-cave, big challenging rides from the door and late-night wine-soaked drives back from the Italian side…the Hotel La Vallée has been an important part of our Swiss bike trips.
Exclusive to our groups, we enjoy local raclette cooked over an open fire at the Pellissier’s mountain retreat. Way down below over Jean-Marc’s left shoulder is the village of Lourtier and the hotel. Photo: Mattias Fredriksson
In the mid-2000’s we ran DH-specific trips with BC guides Joe Schwartz, Wade Simmons and Stephen Matthews at the helm. This photo is from the slopes near Verbier.
Le Chable-based rider Ludo May and Stephen Matthews gazing out over the Val de Bagnes before dropping into the La Vallée Express trail that ends on the door-step of the hotel.
Dropping down from the Pierre Avoi with the Mont Blanc massif in the background. France, Italy and Switzerland in view!
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