Les Gets for Skiing & Snowboarding

Ski Areas in Morzine & the Portes du Soleil

The Portes du Soleil ski area is vast with 650km of piste and offers something for everyone. Comprising 14 resorts over France and Switzerland, the lift system of 209 lifts allows skiers and borders to freely enjoy this winter adventure park.

Les Gets Ski Area

Les Gets immediate ski area offers two lifts, the Chavannes Express and the t�l�cabine des Chavannes. The latter services the beginner area above the Chavannes offering the wide but not so gentle gradient of Bruy�re and the Gentiane. Many more runs are available over in the Chavannes bowl serviced by five lifts; Nauchets Express, TS Mouille au Chat, Ranfoilly Express, TS Rosta and Grains d�Or Express. There are multiple blues, reds and blacks in the bowl offering something for every level of experience and ability. All the runs converge on the lifts at the centre of the bowl making this the perfect area to spend the day, or longer, with a mixed ability group.

Les Gets/Mont Chery is a little visited freestanding mountain opposite the Chavannes side of the resort. In the depths of winter it is possible to ski across the road at the bottom of the Chavannes, adjacent to the excellent Bar Bush watering hole, and skate over to the bottom of the TC du Mont Chery. From the resulting Mont Blanc view point at the top of the t�l�cabine two chair lifts offer access to the mainly red runs dropping down the face of Mont Chery; TS de la Pointe and TS Grande Ourse. A drag lift TK de Super Chery sees very little use and for those not averse to this mode of transport is a more than acceptable way to access the top of the mountain. This aspect of Mont Chery is south facing and does, later in the season, become slushy quicker than other aspects.

TS Grande Ourse leads to the Freestyle district, basically a well featured park area with a boarder cross course adjacent. The red Lievre run leads to the TS des Planeys, an old school slatted lift but well worth the visit. This aspect of the mountain is more in the shade and will maintain the snow condition on sunny days later in the season. The black Bouquetin run is very demanding initially as you leave the top of the Grande Ourse lift, characterized by a steep drop in and big moguls. The run eases and then gives way to a narrower but steepening section merging with the bottom of the Lievre near the foot of the Planeys lift.

TS de la Pointe decants to the Mont Chery ridge line and offers access to two black mogul runs; Chevreuil and Mouflon, leading to the Encrenaz. Both runs are north facing and maintain their condition well free from the day long affects of the sunlight experience of the opposite side of Mont Chery. For the less experienced skier the Marmottes red is a wide but initially steep run (although this section can be avoided by a narrow run on a slacker gradient) giving way to a more civilized gradient near the bottom merging with the blacks right at the foot of the TS Chery Nord.

Possibly two of the best runs are the retour options back into Les Gets from the top of the t�l�cabine; black Gazelle and red Chamois. Both are a little more dependent on conditions than the runs higher up as they lose a little temperature as a function of altitude and require sufficient snow to cross the access road on a couple of occasions. They are however both excellent runs and usually available most of the season.

Morzine & Les Gets Piste Map

last updated 6-Feb-2008

Steep & Deep Runs in Les Gets

Over in Les Gets or more precisely the Chavannes bowl the two black runs Yeti and Myrtilles nearly always sport some pretty severe moguls on steeper gradient. For something a little steadier to work on the technique try under the lift line of the Nauchets Express to the skiers� right of Ambresalles.

Mont Chery above Les Gets has a couple of steep long mogul runs down the back of the mountain to Encrenaz; Mouflon and Chevreuil.

last updated 6-Feb-2008

Off Piste Skiing in Les Gets

Les Gets� best area for off piste is the Chavannes bowl sitting under the peaks of Le Ranfoilly and La Rosta. The five lifts servicing this area offers multiple off piste tracks between the abundance of red, blue and black runs in the bowl. The off piste options are clear from the lift but the area is big and does take a little while to become fully tracked out. Once the more open spaces have been used up you�ll need to go exploring in the trees but don�t worry as there is little chance of getting too lost, all routes lead back to the lifts.

Descend off the Ranfoilly peak drop into the small bowl to the skiers� right before you get as far as joining the blue Gentiane piste. The bowl funnels tighter between the trees but offers multiple lines eventually depositing you on the Tetras red run and onward to the Choucas leading to the Grand Pre for a retour Morzine.

last updated 6-Feb-2008

Les Gets in Bad Weather

Above Les Gets the off piste run under the lift line of the TC des Chavannes provides a number of lines and surprisingly for such straightforward access (no hiking) takes a fair time to become overly tracked. Although not so demanding in its self, less experienced member of your group can opt for the on piste option and instead take in the bottom half of the Gentiane blue or the only slightly more demanding Orchis red run, all of the runs reconvene at the bottom of the t�l�cabine known colloquially as the red egg for obvious reasons. The other plus is rather than being exposed to the elements on the neighboring Chavannes Express the bubble car allows you to keep warm in between runs - save the former for sunshine days.

Still within the Les Gets ski area but a little further form resort is the Chavannes bowl. This large ski area offers multiple lifts emanating from the same point and multiple runs; blue, red, black and off piste, all converging on the same lift area. To reach the Chavannes bowl you�ll need to brave the long Chavannes Express lift but this is a much better option than the TC des Chavannes followed by the TS de la Croix which decants to the same place, the latter lift vies with the Belvedere at the Pl�ney for slowest lift in the world and is not the place to be sitting in a snow storm. Upon emerging from the Chavannes Express take the Violettes blue all the way down to the centre of the lift system. This, like all the runs in the area offers lots of little cut-throughs off to the sides of the piste near the trees to gain the contrast required in white out conditions. And failing that much adventure, the edges of the piste offer up multiple little kickers and drop offs to keep you entertained.

To really get up close and personal with the trees in the Chavannes bowl use the TS Rosta, Grains d�Or Express and the Ranfoilly Express to spy out the off piste cut-throughs accessed directly from the end of the lifts or a little way down the pisted runs. For the less experienced the latter are all tree lined and are a good way of getting into un-groomed areas down the edge of the piste without getting to far afield or too tight into the trees where making that turn is compulsory not optional. Your friends can get together at the lifts gathered at the bottom of the bowl, emanating like spokes from a wheel hub, making it difficult to permanently lose anyone from your party.

Another option for this ski area would be to drop down to the Perri�res Express on the M�l�ze red and explore the cut-throughs and edges down to this relatively unused piste. Mostly people park at the bottom of the express lift for the day and do not ski the home run and its little off piste off shoots until it�s time for home meaning if your there earlier in the day there is a good chance you�ll have the place almost to yourself.

last updated 29-Jan-2008