Hello, my name is Angeline, and I wanted to share my mountain biking adventure with you: the Electric cheese tour. Being a fan of cheese and mountains, I thought this could be the perfect opportunity to combine the two.
I’ve been mountain biking for a few years, but I recently discovered electric mountain biking. And I can tell you that it is really enjoyable to ride the trails without feeling your legs burn too much from the effort.
A meeting is set with an Oxygene instructor to go and discover the summits and visit a mountain pasture to taste some cheese.
The group set off from Chaudanne in Meribel. After a few reminders on how to properly use our bikes, Victor, our instructor, takes us on the first trails. As you can imagine, there will be some climbing involved! And this is where the magic of the electric bike comes into play. I shift gears and put on “Tour” assistance so I can enjoy the climb without too much effort. This gives me time to take in the tree-lined scenery of the Meribel valley.
We ride on varied paths, alternating between woodland trails and wider forest tracks. A small bridge allows us to cross a lively river. A short detour along the water lets us cool off and lower our temperature. Mottaret awaits us: we have to resume our ascent (easy with the electric bike!).
Once at the top, we head towards Tueda Lake via a “flat,” peaceful forest path!
And then, how can I put it: WOW!! We follow a white track, and after a few meters, we arrive at Tueda Lake. The view is breathtaking! The mountains and the Vanoise national park unfold before my eyes. Our instructor stops to let us take pictures and enjoy the scenery.
He then shows us the alpine farm we are going to visit. The path is easy and flat, which I don’t mind at all.
When we arrive, we are welcomed by the owners with smiles as wide as the mountains! We park our electric bikes, and then we dive into the captivating history of this mountain pasture, enjoying delightful anecdotes. Next, we head to the cheese-making workshop, where they make beaufort cheese!
As soon as I enter, my nostrils are filled with the smell of cheese. The owner explains the entire process from A to Z (without revealing all their secrets). I learnt a lot of interesting things, especially the difference between winter, summer, and alpine beaufort cheese.
Now, after this lesson, it’s time to get down to the tasting.
We head outside to sit around a wooden table where beaufort cheese and fresh bread await us. A treat for the taste buds! And for the eyes, as our tasting takes place against the magnificent backdrop of the mountains.
After this well-deserved break, it’s time to continue our electric mountain bike ride. It’s a perfect opportunity to discover the joys of the mountains, riding through magnificent landscapes, crossing small streams, and taking the time to enjoy ourselves.
Then, we start the long descent that will take us back to our starting point at Chaudanne.
Our instructor takes the opportunity to take us through some single tracks to vary the experience and test the riding capabilities of our electric bikes.
Great fun!
The outing comes to an end. A quick wash for our bikes, and we’re done.
I had a great time mountain biking and discovering new things. The instructor adapted to each of us. And the cheese! Hmmm, my taste buds are still tingling.
I hope my story has made you want to try the adventure. See you in Meribel, Megeve, or Val d’Isere for an Electric cheese tour.
