Walking down Rue Joesph Vallot in the centre of Chamonix you bump into legends. I’ve seen the spiky top of Greg Plake, Seth Morrison, Neil McNab, Scot Jurek and Kilian Jornet, none of which are mountain bikers.

Chamonix is not Morzine. The locals call Morzine, "une montagne pour les vaches" (a mountain for cows). Chamonix is often sensationally referred to as “the death sport capital of the world”. On the surface it’s much the same as any ski town but out in the backcounty it’s different. Most resorts in the USA would have big warning signs. In the UK they would have fenced the whole place off.

High season in Chamonix centre, eating a Richards ice cream it’s easy to miss the constant buzz of the PGHM or Sécurité Civile helicopters heading up to over 4000m to rescue another person in trouble.

You can jump on a lift or train and be whisked up to 3 or 4000m no problem. From that point it gets difficult. There is a little gate up at the Aiguille du Midi that you exit to the Vallee Blanche, a very long, unmarked double black ski run. It’s basically says once you go through this gate you are on your own. Good luck. Backcountry is where it’s at for the skiers, boarders and climbers and there’s a lot. Skiers and boarders needs some climbing skills as some of the routes look like the Verbier Xtreme.

Mountain biking takes a back seat but that’s not to say it’s not there. It’s been here for years. I’ve been riding the marked routes in the valley for 12 years, the downhill track at Flégère or up the valley at Vallorcine or down the valley at Les Houches are only a few years old and seem more of a way to keep the downhillers off the hiking trails. It’s not Whistler by any stretch. There are of course some sweet trails, some superb singletrack and a lot of it sick and steep. You can find yourself climbing down a ladder with your bike. A favourite ride, Le Merlet, the first section is a steep set of steps and a tiny singletrack littered with rocks and drops and a sign that says “Don’t stay in the couloir”. A massive drop to nothing on your right means walking this bit is often sensible. A Leatt brace is not going to help you here.

Most of the trails are not super tech death though, although a mountain biker did die recently falling off the Petit Balcon Nord, a trail most people riding the valley use. This is very unusual. The big loop of the valley uses the Petit Balcon Sud and Petit Balcon Nord, some of which is off limits in July and August when local laws mean mountain bikes are limited to marked routes. It’s a great loop with lots of climbing and descending and a real variety of trails. Stunning views most of the way. Ride it in spring or autumn.

You can use the lifts to ride the downhill track on Flégère or find alternative routes down outside of July and August. Take the lift up to Logan for some nice descents and switchbacks. Le Tour has some ok trails and you can access Vallorcines steep downhill track. There’s a bit of a bike park going on at Les Houches off the Bellevue cable car but the commune just isn’t into it like other resorts. You can see why, it’s busy enough, although they are always keen to get you on a lift. Not always as keen to help you with directions once you are at the top though.

Chamonix’s local trails are great but as a base for exploring other areas it’s fantastic. Through the tunnel to Italy in 25 minutes, an hour over Col du Forclaz and you have all the riding in the Swiss Valais or Vaud. Less than an hour to the Portes du Soleil resorts. An hour to Les Arcs. I ride all the local trails and then do day trips to new or old places.

Chamonix has a buzz, a vibe, hidden to the day tripper and my god there are a lot, but it’s there under the surface. Looking at the faces in town you can see people are here for serious purposes. I’ve seen wingsuits fly into the valley, pull chutes and land just over the river. I’ve watched avalanche debris crash down onto the Grand Balcon Nord while walking up the river. I’ve seen boulders the size of trucks crash down into the forest while standing in the main car park. I’ve stood next to cracking seracs. I’ve flown through the Aiguelles in a helicopter that couple of years later crash landed on the Argentiere Glacier. I’ve been told to ‘catch the doctor’ by a Gendarme as he was winched down from their helicopter onto a 1m wide trail with a 600m drop on one side. So many stories. Chamonix feels like living, because you are so close to death.