 Poster: A snowHead
|
Accommodation: Chalet Ellemo, Alpine Pursuits
We'd been to Les Gets in 2012, and therefore knew some of the slopes in this area already.
Over 10years of ski trips we have always had no more than a 100m walk to the lifts. This chalet is much further away from the lifts, but there is a skibus stop around 20m away (bus U or P) which is there every 10minutes.
We were concerned about a general lack of snow this year, and the village itself was clear, but there was sufficient snow on all the slopes (although the lowest runs back to the village got very slushy at the very ends of each day).
We hired skis from Beanies rough Ski Republic. These people are cheap for a reason, and that reason is that the kit is old. Not just 1 season old, but also very well worn (it even looks tatty). The screw holding the heel spring on my binding sheared off. Luckily I was at the top of the supermorzine bubble so could walk back to the shop. Unluckily it was midday and the shop was closed until 4:00pm. I lost half a day's skiing from that.
There was a fresh dump of snow on Saturday night, which was great. Wife and daughter had a couple of hours private lesson on Sunday with The Snow Institute (TSI) who were very good and gave them the jump-start to their week. Meanwhile I negotiated the reds and blacks of the Ranfolly bowl (the latter in knee-deep powder, which exposed the failings in my own technique).
Later days on the week had mostly clear blue skies, and the Portes du Soleil region is wonderful in good weather. Wednesday was a weird day for the weather. I went to Mont Chery and did the Reds and blacks in an absolute 'pea-souper' of low cloud. The blacks were heavily moguled, but you could only see 5m ahead. Tough work.
I did a version of the 'tour'. It is worth warning others that try this that they should plan a route, and know which villages they are going through. Some of the piste marking is non-existent. The route I took was quite a short one, longer routes are available.
From Avoriaz
Mossette blue - Mossette chair - Red then very long Blue to Morgins
That blue is very flat and I wouldn't recommend it to a Boarder. This route missed visiting Les Crosets and Champoussin, and had I known how quick I'd be I would have dropped into them.
You need to take a bus to cross Morgins, but there is no clear signage to say where. I just got on the first bus that came by and asked for 'Corbeau'. This part of the trip was really quiet with the slopes as quiet as anything I've seen outside of school holidays.
Up Corbeau chair,a short blue down, then up Culet button. Down La Combe and into Chatel. Another ski bus across to the other side of the village, and again, there is little or no signage to say where to go.
Up the Linga bubble and then the L'echo Alpin chair. Then down another long blue L'Itineraire to 'Plaine Dranse' and the Rochassons chair. Down the 'Grand Plan' blue into Les Lindarets and then up the Lindarets chair and we're back into Avoriaz.
I chose Blues over Reds because I promised my wife to be careful  (I was doing this route alone) but also because I wanted to see if it was likely to be within the skillset of my daughter. I think some of the necessary reds would be a little challenging for a nervous skier. It took 2hrs 50minutes and was 23miles long (including lifts). As a solo skier I could negotiate the lift queues a little quicker than a large group, but bear in mind that this was half-term week and you'll realise that longer routes (or even a double circuit) is eminently achievable during a day's skiing.
As for Morzine itself. I preferred it's central location to the PdS which allows one to choose either Avoriaz or Les Gets when you get up in the morning. The slushiness of the lower slopes in warmer weather is slightly disappointing, but the 'new' Pleney bubble is so quick that downloading on that is no hardship. In fact... There was seldom a queue to go UP in the morning either.
|
|
|
|
FAQ