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The objective of this Saturday was to test the capabilities of the new nuclear moped to facilitate and accelerate the approaches to my photo missions. It’s not so much the pure pleasure or sport aspect of the mountain bike outing that is sought after but a nice and quick way to bring my camera bag and its photographer to a spot. I stay reasonable on the bag, a body, 2 not light lenses, a tripod (useless that day and heavy), a down jacket, a jacket, something to snack on and the accessories: the weight adds up quickly anyway.
In my sights, the Grande Moucherolle and its 2284m, because it is already splendid from the top and then because who says summit in the middle of a ski area says numerous access trails compatible with VTTAE. And out of season, the gondola is closed, which changes the atmosphere up there quite a bit. I therefore leave Glovettes in Villard de Lans, following the said tracks. If the cardio indicates that the effort is far from zero, we cannot deny that the Turbo mode of the bike works wonders.
First step point at Moucherolle lakereached in 29 minutes… Not bad for 800 m of D+. It’s stunning.
I then continue towards the pass of the 2 Sisters (more technical). This is the end of the VTTAE part, the rest will be done on foot to the summit of the Grande Moucherolle.
Using the bike lock in the mountains : I hang the bike at the side of the path on a limestone locker (useful for these large blocks), not so much for fear of having it stolen from me at 2000m altitude but more to prevent possible hikers from asking the question (or are worried) and decide to return it to the lost property. The lock is symbolic (no question of charging) and long to be able to hang around a tree or a block. I’m seriously thinking of writing a little note for the next time explaining that neither the bike nor the owner are lost or abandoned.
The final climb on the Grande Moucherolleon foot obviously, is as always a bit technical and impressive, and complicated by ice. Please be careful, falling is prohibited. I ended up meeting around ten people on the final route, including one who was a little distressed (but everything ended well).
That evening, I did not push the vice of waiting for the sunset, moderately confident in my abilities to get back down safely using the headlamp, mainly due to my random sense of balance on 2 wheels, the camera bag in the back not helping. Next time.
The descent is necessarily quick, I stay wisely on the track, for the reasons mentioned above. I take the opportunity to identify the places in the perspective of the autumn colors which will not be too long.
With : when time is limited, the possibilities offered by VTTAE are still extraordinary. The contract is more than fulfilled for this Photo scenario. It goes uphill but be careful it doesn’t go everywhere (well I don’t go everywhere) so it requires more preparation than a hiking/trail outing, especially with a machine weighing around 25 kilos. And above all, it’s certainly effective but not only that: eMTB riding is a lot of fun, with or without a camera bag on the back. And it remains a good physical activity of medium intensity, even with assistance.
Technical assessment:
- 20 kilometers
- 1258 m of D+ (including 200 on foot)
- Consumption: 59% of the battery, with maximum assistance on this outing (that was the goal). There’s a way to do a looooooong outing before you’re flat.
Ski quality : 3/5
Weather report : No snow expected in Villard de Lans. Today and tomorrow the sky will be overcast. The temperature varies between 9 and 17°C. Check the Villard de Lans weather forecast for the full report.
