Verbier mountain bike technical leader course Blog 2010

The FINAL Week!!!! This was quite a strange feeling as the time had passed so quickly as we had all had such a great time but it was not over yet by a long shot as this was not only the final week but also exam week so preparation was everything as none of us wanted to spend 6 weeks in the alps having the time of our lives only to miss out of the main qualification at the end. Our nights on this week were mainly spent collating all the trails and maps we had used in order to build the a log book which was required for the exam. This was to be used as proof that we had actually completed the desired amount of trail rides. As if 6 weeks in the alps was not enough LOL. Well Exam day was upon us and by this time we were ready for anything and, and........Wait for it!!! We all PASSED with flying colours which felt amazing! The perfect end to what can only described as a life changing experience!!!

PHOTO MARK ABRAHAM

We continued exploring the almost endless network of trails to be found in the Verbier area, Downhill! :-) and Uphill! :-( By this point everbodies riding was becoming better by the minute and our physical and mental fitness were improving everyday due to spending time riding in the beutiful scenery and training at an altitude of often in excess of 2000mtrs above sea level (Roughly twice as high as the highest peak in the UK). This was very handy as we were beginning our First Aid course which was run by Flora from Elements First Aid. She was an excellent teacher and helped Mark, Rob and Myself pass with flying colours which set us up perfectly to deal with most emergency scenarios in an Outdoor environment.

PHOTO MARK ABRAHAM

Things were starting heat up and we were all begining to feel more comfortable on the Big Mountain Terrain. After a week and half of constant nagging Mark was on his big bike and had been persuaded into using Flat pedals instead of clipped pedals that only seemed to be causing a problem on the steep terrain common in the Verbier area (Love it!) After he was converted he instantly felt more comfortable and his riding improved 10 fold, "Rob the Wreckage" was in full swing and I was fast becoming the in house bike mechanic in the Chalet / Bike Emporium.

PHOTO MARK ABRAHAM