A LEGAL HIGH

On the French and Italian border, the 'Great Needle of Rock' tempts brave souls with the rush of Europe's loftiest rideable descent

- James Vincent

"C'est Fou!"

Maybe it was the bemused expression on the hiker's face that sealed the deal, or maybe it was the simple fact that we were somewhere around 3,000m above sea level, I had a bike on my back and was grinning like an idiot. Either way, there was no mistaking the meaning behind her comment, even with my basic grasp of French; "You're mad!".

To be fair to her, she had a point. The trail, if you could call it that, was beyond chunky. To a non-mountain biker it looked impossible. Heck, I reckon most mountain bikers would think twice before attempting it. But our guide, Deviate's Ben Jones, claimed it was 99% rideable with such confidence that we were inclined to believe him.

Our challenge for the day was summiting the Aiguille de la Grande Sassière, literally translated as the Great Needle of Rock. This vast mountain of rock sits in a commanding position overlooking Val-d'Isère and Tignes at the head of the Tarentaise Valley, in the Savoie region of France. We were drawn to it for the simple fact that it's considered the highest rideable peak in Europe without having to tripod through snow or engage the use of ropes or other mountaineering equipment. The summit is a lofty 3,751m (12,306ft) above sea level. That's several hundred metres higher than the combined heights of Ben Nevis, Snowdon and Skiddaw. Or more precisely, 852.5 double decker buses stacked on top of each other. I've never been that high outside of an aeroplane, let alone carried a bike to the top and attempted to ride it back down.