Mountain biking ... and aching muscles!

Set off yesterday from the Farmhouse down to Morillon town to catch the lift up to the top of the mountain.  I was suitably clad in full-face helmet, body armour and shin pads so I looked like I knew what I was doing - my how looks are deceiving!

Although we cycled on green and blue runs (so in theory quite easy) I found I really had to concentrate on not falling off.  I didn't fall but I think that was because of my grip of death on the handlebars rather than any real skill!  Going downhill on a bike through mud and over bumps on the green ski piste Marvel was so completely different to skiing the same piste - it's quite amazing what bumps and trenches are hidden under the snow!

The views from the top of the mountains in the summertime are stunning and we took time out (phew) to have an ice-cream break at The Igloo restaurant where we chilled in deckchairs and absorbed the views - there's still a tiny bit of snow on the mountain tops, despite the blazing sun, and that forms a beautiful background to the lush greenery all around. 

The mountain sheep were grazing nearby and the tinkling of the bells around the necks made it feel quite like a scene from The Sound of Music!

We cycled off from Marvel down the mountain to our farmhouse stopping for a picnic lunch along the way to enjoy more of the views and the sunshine. 

It's a great route down to our front door and I'm so thrilled I tried it - there were quite a few narrow paths through the trees which made for interesting cycling but really improved my skills and gave me a bit of a rush....hmm, maybe I'll add downhill mountain biking to my list after all.