RIDING HIGH

Aiguille de la Grand Sassière is a monster of a mountain, sitting on the French/Italian border not far from Val d’Isere. Virtually hidden from view from the valley below, the trail from its 3,752m peak is believed to be the highest singletrack descent in Europe, accessible only via a five-hour hike-a-bike over loose, rocky terrain with glaciers to one side and precipitous exposure to the other. Those who ride the Sass usually start this gruelling ascent from a car park at 2,300m and return via a steep, loose, technical descent. This is what I did back in 2011, while working for BikeVillage Holidays near Bourg St Maurice, run by my mate Sam, on one of the staff’s regular ‘Savage Wednesdays’. But this smash and grab approach has never sat well with me. Bourg sits 3,000m below the summit, so why not commit properly to the mountain and ride it from the valley floor?

This summer presented the chance to go back, and I was keen to see if I was up to the challenge. I’d also been tasked with putting MET’s latest Parachute MCR convertible helmet to the test, and this seemed the perfect opportunity. I certainly didn’t want to wear a bulky DH full-face on the long climb, yet I knew I’d appreciate the extra protection of a chin bar on the way back down. The plan was set – Sam and I would finish the regular guest ride on Friday afternoon, grab our big bags and pedal from Bourg that evening, escaping the heatwave that was enveloping Europe in 35°C-plus temperatures.

The idea was that we’d hit the car park in