The fact that our three resorts aren’t afraid to invest in some serious developments and improvements each season cannot be disputed. There’s never been a better time to holiday, work or live in our valley, so here’s some tips to help you make the most of it.
Summer Snowboarding
Yes, you read that correctly. The Village des Enfants and Burton Snowboards have teamed up in Avoriaz to offer kids aged between 6 and 12 years the chance to learn to snowboard at Riglet Park – a synthetic piste with a variety of beginner features.
The Pleney Is Back
After a staggering amount of work and investment, the new Pleney bubble lift in Morzine now carries 900 bikes an hour (instead of 250 on the old lift!) from the centre of the resort to the top of the Pleney.
The Alpine Battle – Les Gets – 23rd & 24th August
What do you get when you cross a mountain bike endurance course, an orientation challenge and a race? The Alpine Battle, that’s what. Teams of two use a route map to pass through checkpoints across the local area over two days, with the aim of completing the route in the fastest possible time. GPS tracking ensures there’s no cheating! Find out more at www.lesgets.com/mtb/alpinebattle
New Bike trails in Avoriaz
This summer, for the first time, Le Tour chairlift from the centre of Avoriaz will be equipped to carry mountain bikes, giving you access to the Lindaret bowl, Mossette chair and Switzerland from the centre of the resort. There’ll also be a new pump track in the centre of Avoriaz.
Big Foot’s Café – Rue du Bourg, Morzine
The home of Morzine’s only curry house has a summer facelift and the new menu features burgers, salads, sandwiches, paninis, jacket potatoes, soups and a rather intriguing ‘Pie du Jour’ with chips and greens for a bargain €8.50.
Trail Running on Mont Chery
Trail running is set to become a big deal in Les Gets, with new signposted routes now available on Mont Chery, taking in forests and mountain pastures. There’s a green circuit of 5.7km and 250m of elevation, a blue circuit of 10.5km and 580m of climbing and a black circuit of 11.5km and 800km of ascent. All routes begin and finish at the top of the Mont Chery bubble.
Celine Gros Riding Academy
Female mountain bike supremo Celine Gros opens the doors on her first riding academy this summer, bringing with her 15 years of experience in national and international competition. Initiation, girls and progression groups are available, alongside training for competitions. Visit www.cg-ridingacademy.com for further information.
Les Gets Airline on Mont Chery – Opens 14th June
Accessed from the top of the Mt Chery bubble, the Gets Airline is 800m long, covers 113m vertical descent and joins onto the Dans l’Gaz track. It’s been built by Sebastien Giraldi, a shaper from Chatel Bikepark.
Four Elements Festival – 11th – 17th August
Celebrating Les Gets’ approach to sustainability and environmental awareness, this weeklong festival includes street shows, rockets, gliders, fire jugglers, kite flying and other family-friendly workshops for children of all ages.
Chalet Host Cookery Courses Extended
If our ‘work a winter’ article inspires you to do a season, SkiWeekends have added another round of September dates to their chalet host courses. Based in Morzine and priced at £545 per person (excluding flights), you’ll learn everything from cookery skills to menu planning and budgeting to customer service, improving your employment prospects infinitely! Find out more at skiweekends.com
Timed Avoriaz Ascents
French cycling legend Bernard Hinault cycled from Morzine to Avoriaz in just 33 minutes during the 1979 Tour de France and with Timtoo Timing you can now tackle the 14.1km, 860m ascent and pitch yourself against him. Collect your microchip from the Morzine Office de Tourisme, pass the timing post at the bottom and you’ll be able to view, share and rank your time when you get to the top.
New Super Morzine Features
There’ve been some serious improvements to the MTB trails at the top of the Super M for this summer, including a new blue downhill track, a new route from the Col de Joux Verte to the Zore chair, a new green track between the top of the Zore and the Lindarets bowl and a new track to the Zore chairlift.
Summer Video Park
Make your own mountain bike video for free at the mini jump park on the Gibannaz Plateau at the top of the Chavannes in Les Gets. Cameras record your run over loads of new modules and you can watch, download and social share your video at the bottom.
Spot Les Gets
Download a free hiking app for your smartphone that also includes puzzles, quizzes and challenges, which you can then enter into a competition to win a free holiday to Les Gets and other great prizes. The app features six hikes suitable for families of all ages and you can check your progress online too.
