Les Gets
The skiing in Les Get can be divided into 2 areas; The Les Gets /Morzine area and The Portes du Soleil.
There are 2 types of ski passes available and we would advise if you are a beginner skier or intermediate skier you only need a local Morzine /Les Gets pass as there is a huge amount of skiing here for most people to cover in a week. Should you want to ski long and hard and maximise the whole area then you can ski farther afield and get a full Portes du Soleil pass that covers France and Switzerland !
In Les Gets, skiers will firstly set off from the heart of the village and head for Chavannes area for tree-lined slopes and snow meadows with sumptuous views and panoramas to take your breath away. Whether you're an advanced skier or a beginner, in Les Gets you'll have all the fun you could ever want, and all space you need, to let your skis run and run.
The Les Gets and Morzine Area has
- 120km marked pistes
- 8 black slopes
- 27 red slopes
- 20 blue slopes
- 5 green slopes
18km of marked cross-country & snowshoeing trails
The Portes du Soleil - One of the biggest ski areas in the World!
The Portes du Soleil has been one of the biggest players in world skiing for the last 40 years, with 12 linked resorts either side of the French-Swiss border just an hour from Geneva: Abondance, Avoriaz, Châtel, La Chapelle d'Abondance, Les Gets,Montriond, Morzine-Avoriaz, St Jean d'Aulps, Champéry, Morgins, Torgon, Val-d'Illiez - Les Crosets - Champoussin.
This genuine Natural Powder Reserve at the heart of the Alps offers skiers unspoilt surroundings, mountain lifts that keep a low profile amid snowbound forests, pistes that wind their way through snow meadows, spruces and mountain chalets that have stood the test of time. The Portes du Soleil ski area is nothing less than a massive winter playground for powder hounds.
The ski area enjoys exceptionally good snowfall from mid-November to the end of April, with an average of 8m of powder every year.
- 650km marked ski pistes
- Over 280 pistes
- Across 2 Countries
- 201 ski lifts
- 12 resorts
- 26 black run
- 105 red runs
- 112 blue runs
- 37 green runs
- 9 snow parks
- 694 snow cannons guaranteeing snow all season
- 89 Slopeside restaurants
To summarise the skiing weve given a brief decsription on the local area . It is easily possible to ski from Les Gets over to Avoriaz and also to ski all around the whole Portes du Soleil circuit, which is a fantastic days skiing and well worth doing with Jane or Robert or Heather as your guides they know exactly where to go and you wont need to get a map out all day!
Chavannes Plateau
This will be the first place you venture and is known as the Chavannes Plateau of Les Gets. It is totally safe for children and a milestone for beginners. It is a key meeting point for all ski schools and from here you can easily access other areas of Les Gets, ski down to the village, or across to Morzine and follow the links into the Portes Du Soleil area. There are several restaurants and bars, and non skiers can meet here as well. A huge plateau with fenced off beginner area, leading to a wonderful tree lined piste back to the village and a whole area especially designed for children known as The Grand Cry territory. It has a
- Magic Carpet nursery area
- Nursery slopes - first drag lift
- The "Grand Cry" - Children only Indian run
- Green (easy), Blue, and Red runs
- Super wide pistes
- Total coverage by snow cannon
- The famous "Yeti" bar / restaurant
- Several other restaurants
The Grand Cry Territory in Les Gets is a ski and play area themed on native American Indians. It features two slopes with raised bends and a series of bumps. There are friendly 'native-entertainers' who offer to face-paint all young visitors and a Wigwam with traditional games and music.
The Bowl Ski Area or Ranfoilly.
The wonderful "Bowl" area is accessed by a fairly easy blue run from the chavannes sector. This area has 5 lifts offering all grades of skiing including "Choucas" - the easiest run in Les Gets, to the "Ranfoilly" runs at 1850m. The beauty is that all runs end at the same place, suiting groups of mixed availability. For the more experienced there is plenty of predictable "off piste" skiing to be discovered between the trees ! Our favorite run here is The Tulipe a long red cruisy run!
The bowl area will be found quite quickly, but take time to explore the area to find the best bits!
- 5 lifts from one place
- All grades of ski runs
- 2 challenging blacks
- The best lunchtime stop at Rossetaz for amazing pizzas or sandwiches.
- Incredible best view of Mt Blanc
- Great off piste
- 2 competition pistes
Chamossiere
Chamossiere for the more advanced there is a diffcult red and a fab black and good off piste. The new lift is located on the Nyon sector set between Les Gets and Morzine and is 2002 metres high, it has fantastic views of the mountain ranges.
The black run "Creux" is long and often left unpisted soon becoming a serious bump run. There is also some fantastic off piste here, but take note of the conditions advertised on the boards. This black returns to the chamossiere lift or you can take 2 other reds to get you back to the nyon sector.
The red run called Arbis is a red/black, it winds back down the mountain and is very long, a total of 35 markers. The run is normally pisted but it does have excellent off piste areas, but again watch for notices of conditions. Arbis finally finishes on the easy Choucas slope which is a blue run. It joins at the Blanchots fast food bar which does serves the best Vin chaud in the area.
Mont Chery
Known as the Locals Mountain and easy to see why. You can easily ski all whole day up there with a huge variety of skiing.Mont Chery has something for everyone, and being located on the other side of the village is often deserted! It is our favourite ski area with amazing off piste - amazing runs and a snow park and an amazing restaurant The Grande Ourse owned and run By The Cornish Venning family who also open the restaurant at night for evening dining where you can arrive by snow cat.
The mountain has:
- 1 Blue
- 4 Reds
- 4 Blacks.........and heaps of off piste.
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The Nyon Sector
The Nyon sector is a range of Red, Blues, a black and a green that is situated half way between the resort of Morzine and Les Gets.
Pointe De Nyon lift reaches to the height of 2019m the highest peak in Les Gets, from here on a clear day it has the most fantastic views of Lake Geneva. The red run down called Aigle rouge has over 1000m of vertical drop. There is also amazing of piste off here in good snow conditions. The lift has a halfway get off point and the lift attendants often make ice carvings of animals in the snow which are well worth a visit. At the bottom there is a boarder cross and the large Sports bar over looking the park. Pull up a deck chair and enjoy the sun or eat in the large restaurant.
The Nyon sector has a total of eleven runs, the blues are nice gentle runs taking you into the village of Morzine.
Avoriaz and access to the huge Portes du Soleil
A huge ski area in the Portes Du Soleil with a total of 43 lifts including 3 snowparks. From here you can ski into Switzerland visiting other resorts of Chatel, Les Crozet,Champery, Champoussin. You can get to Avoriaz by car or ski or free bus. There are 2 huge carparks one at Prodain a 10 minute drive from Les Gets or Ardent which is approx. 20 minutes from Les Gets. Skiing is more fun but it depends on the fitness of the skier. We often ski into Morzine and hop on the free bus that goes every 15 minutes to Prodain. We can be in Avoriaz within the hour by ski. We have never ventured further than Avoriaz itself, as we feel there is more than enough skiing to be had in Les Gets, Morzine and Avoriaz.
Avoriaz has strange architecture as the buildings are built to blend into the mountains and it's hard to make them out from a distance, but they do look strange close up. The town is vehicle free, you will see horse drawn carts with sledges ferrying people around or you can ski through the village to get to the local bars and restaurants. The highest lift is 2346m, it can be alot colder and windier than Les Gets, so wrap up warm even if it's sunny in Les Gets.
There is plenty for everyone but Avoriaz is often busy and you are more likely to have small queues at the lifts it's then we realise how spoilt we are in Les Gets. It's well worth a visit just to see the expanse of mountains and ski runs, the views are spectacular and it seems to go on forever and ever. There are plenty of blue, reds, blacks and endless off piste. It has the down hill run the Coupe De Monde which is a fantastic long black that just goes on and on.
Ski The Portes du Circuit! A must for very good fast skiers !
Every good skier should do the circuit if only for the views ! The ski is easy, but long fast blues and reds, a bit of poling and often a small bus ride but well worth it for the lunch in Switzerland and the astounding views of the The Dents du Midi mountains.
You can ski from Les Gets but its better to go by minibus to Ardent at Avoriaz and leave from there. taking the telecabine up to Lindaret then the chair to Linga to ski the Linga area to Chatel. From Chatel you ski to Morgin taking in Torgon where there is some interesting sections and off piste if time allows. the day is not complete without a lunch in the chocolate box red shuttered restaurant in Morgins then its up out of Morgins crossing the whole mountain to Les Crosets with a variety of good old Swiss T bars but splendid views to take in The Infamous Swiss Wall , you can go up and down it by lift if you want as its a kilometre of big black moguls and not for the faint hearted ! Continuing on into The Fornet Bowl and back to Avoriaz and a last vin chaud on the run down back to the minibus exhausted ! A fabulous not to be missed day !
You can go clock wise or anti clockwise it doesnt matter but you will ski something like 80 to 100 km that day so you need to be fit !!
Snow boarding in Les Gets and The Portes du Soleil
So you've come on holiday with a group of skiers and you are a boarder what is there for you ?
Well the choice is HUGE!!
Snowboarding in Les Gets offers something for everyone. Right on your doorstep the terrain varies from the more challenging slopes of Mont Chery where the snowboard park is and Chamossiere where fantastic off-piste can be found to the long, wide, tree-lined slopes of Pleney . Theres an amazing border cross run on Chavannes especially built by Deborah Anthonioz the Olympic border cross medalist There is a small snowpark in the Nyon area and a larger park on Mont Chery which is generally quiet and often ridden by locals. For advanced snowboarders Avoriaz, along with its many snow parks including The Stash is easily accessible by board or by our minibuses that can take you direct on a morning all part of our Ski Blue Ridge service .During a weeks holiday you ought to visit Les Crosets and Chatel who also produce parks of a good and sometimes exceptional quality, at least by European standards.
TREE RIDING
If you are looking for some good tree riding, hit the open forests under the Prolays, Brocheaux and Lindarets lifts in Avoriaz, or, when there is enough snow, much of the lower runs in Champery in Switzerland. For backcountry riding, hire a guide to take you down into La Vallee de la Manche, the valley between the Avoriaz 1800 and the Morzine mountain masses. After a little hike from the top of Pointe de Nyon or from Col du Fornet, above Avoriaz 1800, the descent is remote and fresh tracks are easy to find. Either way, the beginning of the run is one big powder field, and the end finds you bouncing through open forests. Don’t go without prior preparations for a ride back waiting for you at the bottom of the run.
The Brocheaux Boarder slope in Brocheaux begins beneath the Express de Lindarets six-seater chair lift in the Lindarets bowl. The 800-meter course allows four boarders to race together down to the bottom of Cascade des Brocheaux.
The terrain on offer in Avoriaz is more than amazing and will suit every level and style of rider: trees, big cliff drops, powder bowls and easy, wide flats - it´s all here. The management are very positive in promoting snowboarding thus there is an abundance of good snowparks; 3 parks in Avoriaz alone and in addition to this there is the Burton Stash and a half-pipe right in the town. Avoriaz,
Most snowboarders will head to the wide-open snowfields above Avoriaz where there are three snowparks as well as halfpipes to keep riders very busy. The Chapel Snowpark, at the entrance of the resort, has specially adapted terrain, is to satisfy the freestyle desires of both snowboarders and skiers and is the place most people start before moving to the Arere Snowpark. The Arare Snowpark a.k.a. The Big Park, Avoriaz, on the Arare mountain between the 'Bleu de lacs' piste and the Arare piste, is more suited for the skilled skier and boarder. With the occasional blue jump this park has red and black poles everywhere.
SUPERPIPE IN AVORIAZ is 120 meters long and six meters high. Competitions are held here on a regular basis.
This Halfpipe is of International competition standard is found close to the top of the cable car “Telepherique des Prodains”.
The main structure of the Halfpipe has already been constructed with earth reducing the amount of snow needed to cover it. This means that we can,with the help of our snow cannons, create enough snow to open the Halfpipe in the beginning of the season.
The Super pipe is shaped nearly every day, except during snow fall.
Size: 120 meters
Height: 5.6 meters
Level: Confirmed
Drag lift: Teleski du surf.
SNOW PARKS
Avoriaz is home to the legendary Eurporean Burton “ The Stash” which is an amazing freestyle arena set in amongst the trees of Lindaret valley. There are 3 additional snow parks in Avoriaz alone , La Chapelle is ideal for beginners or intermediate riders or skiers whereas the Arare park is aimed at the more advanced . There is even an air bag to leap into!
For the pro-level riders that just want to see what can be done on skis or snowboards the nearby parks in Les Crosets and Chatel are also the places to visit . All of the parks contain jumps, hips, and rails and there is the occasional border cross course thrown in too .
General terrain
For people who prefer to be out on the mountain than in a park you will find amazing terrain for boarders and skiers .
Unique to The Portes du Soleil are Snow cross runs These are self-contained slopes that haven't been prepared by any piste-bashers. They provide skiers and snowboarders with all the sensations of being in powdery snow without the associated risks of being off-piste. They are avalanche controlled and have all hazards marked making a much safer alternative to going off piste. There are 4 such runs within the Avoriaz area, all graded as usual ranging from blue through to black.
For the more experienced skiers and boarders, there are masses of off-piste routes throughout the region although we would recommend hiring a fully qualified mountain guide before venturing anywhere off-piste
The Stash
Avoriaz has always succeeded in being creative when designing its slopes and snowparks.
This year, Avoriaz has brought to Europe a new generation of 100% natural snow playgrounds - A new concept in snowparks imported from the Californian resort of North Star, it was developed by Jake Burton himself, famous for his visions on the future of the snowboard.
Attracted by Avoriaz’s reputation as a snowboard centre, the professionalism of the teams here and the resort’s ability to designate an area reserved for the project, Burton chose Avoriaz as the only European resort capable of managing this ambitious project. Burton’s philosophy is to create an area in the middle of the forest that caters for a mixture of freeride and freestyle, whilst simultaneously transmitting messages about the environment.
Parents and children aspiring to ride together in this area whilst doing different forms of snowsports will find here a domain that is, by common consensus, ideal for shared fun. Riding the Stash means heading into the heart of nature but on secure terrain.
Situated in the middle of a large expanse of un-groomed snow it is ideal for trying out wide turns in powder snow. These slopes wind in and out of the trees in the Lindarets forest and are punctuated with hidden wooden obstacles all around the circuits that skiers stumble across when hurtling down a ‘secret passage’. You have to ski or snowboard down the same slope many times to discover all the concealed modules
3 slopes of varying levels join up half-way down and lead to a cabin hidden in the middle of pine trees, then separate again to snake their way along this beautiful forest’s hidden by-ways. The cabin is where messages are subtly spread - not forced down throats –about actions that can limit environmental damage
Avoriaz and Burton's goal is to make the Stash a reference point in Europe, targeting parents and children from intermediate to advanced level wishing to ride backcountry and freestyle together
This Park's features are made from wood ,actually all the features are made from wood, and just for a change there are also features made of wood covered with snow.
Shreddie is there to show you the way through the Stash and help you on the obstacles, so follow his advice.
There are 3 levels of difficulty within the STASH, these are classified by the number of Shreddie heads:
1 head : Easy
2 heads : Medium
3 heads : Difficult
So chose the right one for you.
The STASH park is built in cooperation with Burton Snowboards.
Access to the STASH is via the chairlift “Les Prolays” which is included in the “PARK and STASH” lift pass.
The Lil'Stash (Little Stash)is a Stash for Lil'riders. There is a Lil'cabin, Lil' benches made of wood and Lil' tree trunks to ride. The Kids now have their own place to discover or develop their riding on wooden obstacles and shred with their friends
The Burton Kid's Parkway is a colorful and kid friendly park, designed to be an interactive and fun facility for small shredders to learn park riding basics.
Small creatively designed features with colorful graphics and jumps providing little shredders the opportunity to learn freestyle snowboarding with safety and style. An interactive stop sign at the top of each feature line will require the kids to read about the up coming obstacles before pushing a button to receive a green light to “drop in”.
Additional park posting with “Trick Tips” and “Smart Style” (a cooperative effort to continue the proper use and progression of parks and mountain resorts) messaging will showcase a picture of the feature, all designed to educate and elevate freestyle snowboarding.
Place: La Falaise
Size: 400 meters long
Niveaux: Beginner
Drag lift: Téléski des Trashers
Included in the “Park and Stash” pass.
THE PSHOTT SNOWCROSSin the Fornet bowl takes you through a canyon that runs next to a steep face for a relaxed return via the Pas de Chavanette. This sloap is great fun full of humps and valleys.
Length: 2000m
This slope is served by the Fornet chairlift
A Halfpipe of International competition standard is found close to the top of the cable car “Telepherique des Prodains”.
The main structure of the Halfpipe has already been constructed with earth reducing the amount of snow needed to cover it. This means that we can,with the help of our snow cannons, create enough snow to open the Halfpipe in the beginning of the season.
The Super pipe is shaped nearly every day, except during snow fall.
Size: 120 meters
Height: 5.6 meters
Level: Confirmed
Drag lift: Teleski du surf.
Included in the “Park and Stash” pass.
The Big air bag can be found in the snow park “La Chapelle”. This Air bag allows riders of all levels, to learn and try new tricks safely before trying them on snow. You don't always need to land on your feet !This is a great way to learn.
Prices:
1 jump = 2 €
5 jumps = 10 €
10 jumps = 18 €
20 jumps = 35 €
Tickets can be bought at the lift pass office or at the top of the “big air bag”.
Snow board schools
All the Les Gets ski schools provide show board lessons both private and courses but there are specially sole dedicated snow boarding schools
Mint Snowboarding is the sole dedicated snowboard school in the Portes du Soleil and the Mint team are the only snowboard specific instructors & coaches working in Morzine, Avoriaz & Les Gets. As their skills lie in teaching we can get you riding and keep you progressing whatever your level and focus, from first time on snow to sailing out of the pipe. Mint Snowboard School offers private tuition, group sessions as well as snowboard camps so however you wish to learn… you’re at the right place! Visit http://www.mintsnowboarding.com/
