 Poster: A snowHead
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So after three or four threads planning and discussing this, with very many thanks to several of you who gave great tips for my first time in the area (heck, first time skiing in the Alps for 25 years?!), I decided to write up a single trip report to pay it forward. You’ll see my comments on prices and behaviors also as I’m used to Andorra and Canada.
Was told I'm going to Geneva to work 18-20 Dec. Decided to grab 2-3 days after so would like a short transfer, not too pricey, red runs mainly. PDS looks good, I think Morzine/Les Gets should do me, but I read that they're barely open at that time and Avoriaz may be a safer bet.
Flight was Easyjet so the challenge was on to take hand luggage only (I don’t own ski boots), and that included three shirts for meetings! Public sector so multiple suits not required. Got away with it but carried my helmet on the plane as otherwise it made my 40L rucksack too long. Others had their hand luggage put in the hold on the very full flight but not me.
I found a room at the Hotel Igloo in central Morzine, Fri night - Tue morning. Tourist office got me a price 10% cheaper than Booking.com, about €570 for 4 nights including breakfast, tax etc. Booked Skiidy Gonzales transfer. Got to the airport early after my meetings, a bit of confusion, but eventually made contact and was taken to my hotel by the driver. 1.5 hours transfer but frankly traffic was mad around the airport (Friday night before Christmas I’m guessing). Roads notably narrower steeper and twistier than the Trans Canada Highway and even the main road out of Andorra La Vella to Pas and France! Igloo hotel small but welcoming, and a surprisingly nice room I thought. There had been a picture of a single bed tucked in a corner but this is a double with balcony with view, very nice for my purposes.
Rain and low cloud this morning in Morzine. Perfectly respectable breakfast. I found I’d forgotten to pack thermal legs, and a usb charger socket. Decided to risk the former with just my Rossignol trousers. I reasoned that, as its raining, that means it can’t be that cold.
Tourist office couldn’t offer me any discount on pass or kit but Igloo voucher got me 10% off the 3 day full PdS pass which I bought (€135) as Morzine/LG area was looking dodgy with the rain, and that discounted price for 3 days was much the same as Avoriaz who do not sell more than a 2 day pass for just that sector. Igloo voucher also got me 25% off ski hire at intersport by SuperMorzine gondola entrance. I can store kit there end of day so no walking 300m to hotel in ski boots. I got Blizzard Rawhide (by lunchtime I decided either they or I am not great). Wasn’t impressed, I was asking for wide or all-mountain and they were offering 76mm width. They had to look around for the 82mm Rawhide.
Up SuperMorzine and Proclou, snow above 1300m but very cloudy in Avoriaz generally. Stayed in the trees around Lindarets and Prolays, and eventually played a bit in the Stash which I must say is fun. Couldn’t go higher, Lechere lift still closed. Went for a coffee and Snickers, 7 euros something. Visibility rubbish outside trees, not nice for first day in strange resort. I notice French / these lifties don’t bother brushing snow off the chairs so I risked getting a cold bum as it melted en route: when I turned round to brush the chair first, someone nearly took my head off, wow those bars come down fast in France. Thank heavens for my helmet  Lunch at Lindarets - €25 for a warm lasagne and Minute Maid juice. Sun came out around 2pm and I went up Lechere and I guess Mossette - though it didn’t have that name, I got a bit lost maybe - to more or less Pointe de Mossette. There’s a nice lift there called Cases which isn’t marked on my paper map (ha, which now I see is 18-19). Lovely bowl that, some foot-deep snow around the sides of the piste. I started to remember my bumps technique for the lumps thrown up, didn’t seem to remember my deep snow technique though!
Eventually as the sun was starting to fall, and cloud coming back in, I made my way back down, up Brochaux, down Crete (gorgeous views in the low sun and my damn low battery phone died twice due to cold), then down Proclou and Zore following signs back to the Super Morzine gondola. The bottom of Zore had brown bits and was getting slushy. Back home, bought some snacks and crucially a usb plug to recharge my phone.
I’m part of a WhatsApp group with some sociable snowheads in PdS but with the thick cloud, some lift closures and them being Chatelois, I haven’t managed to meet yet.
Forecast is saying heavy snow for the remaining two days of this trip, but still probably rain in Morzine. Looking at temps I’ll probably head for Avoriaz tomorrow, playing by ear, and save LG for Monday when it’s colder.
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Wed 25-12-19 13:26; edited 2 times in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Orange200, Great TR, thanks for sharing.
You've got some exciting weather for your trip.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@Orange200, glad you’re having fun. Tbh, with today’s weather, I’d be hanging around the trees in Lindarets or below Avoriaz towards Prodains.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Thanks folks! UANN, that’s what I did again today, but I felt I got something out of it:
Day 2
Woke from 8 hours’ uninterrupted sleep. Wow, haven’t had that for some months. Mountain air and exercise!
Raining heavily in the morning. Needed an umbrella to walk 250m to the lift! Swapped my skis for Nordica Navigator, 179, 85 wide, anticipating all the new snow up top. Rental price goes up too  I think €92 instead of 70-something for three days. Rain turning to snow about 1400m. Avi 3. Looked at the empty Zore as I went over it, wondered about going straight back down to enjoy the fresh, then saw a couple of people and guessed it was only an inch or two on top of bashed.
Down the Stash trying my new skis; predictably much smoother but more work to turn, so I had to bounce through turns in the deeper snow. Up Leclere heading for fresh up top but top lifts were closed. As I turned back I heard a boom. Ok I thought, I can wait! Back down under Leclere playing in the 6 inch deep sides; lovely. After a leisurely coffee, and almost getting blown back up the run at the top of Prolapse lift (what is it? Prolaxys? Prolays), I went up and down the Stash practicing jump turns in the trees and around the soft moguls forming from the boarders playing Visibility pretty bad all morning with constant snow, plus wind in the exposed areas, but for my first trip for nearly two years, and perhaps no more this winter, I am bloody minded to make the most of it.
Eventually into Refuge des Brochaux for a tasty tartiflette lunch, my first ever. When I asked for sparkling water, amused to be offered San Pelligrino. What happened to the famous French pride and protectionism?! Attention pour la prochaine grève ici! Also amused to see the translation of Faux Filet on the menu as Sirloin Steak. Hay that can’t be right! Final price €25 for tasty tartiflette, 500ml SanPel and an espresso with tasty chocolate truffle. Much better than yesterday. Sad that I couldn’t sit and let lunch digest, they were rammed.
Went up Chaux Fleurie, which was warning about possible piste closures due to strong winds. I’d already mentioned to the Chatelois WhatsApp Group that the lift the other side was closed, so even if I could get down, I wouldn’t be able to get back up again. As they predicted, got to the top and the piste down towards Chatel was closed. Wasn’t impressed by the run back down so went back to my usual. At the top of Lechere, found a French guy with a monoski. He said it was 30 years old, and there are couple of companies (only) still making them. Later I stopped to help a mother with her bawling child (maybe 6, 7 years old). Did that yesterday also. Isn’t it funny with kids (or is it my face?); they lie there screaming in pain and frustration, not listening to a word mum says, but when I come up and offer help, they immediately shut up, get up, and ski off. I guess the parents are grateful!
I’m regaining my confidence and starting to attempt things I know I could do after tuition a couple of years ago. (I know as the notes are still in my phone!) Jump turns, a few Steep N Deeps with aforementioned turns to get down, faster turns among the semi-mogullled trees to stay in control, and I’ve been pinging off some jumps too - nothing that would impress an eight year old, but its all about confidence and having fun.
Yesterday I quit at 3.15, tired and worried about the impending dark. Today I only noticed the time at 4pm and still had the energy and enthusiasm to keep going! Didn’t want to risk getting late back to Morzine, though, so joined the surprisingly large queue up Prolapse to start the journey back. Arrived back 4-ish and there was even a remnant of blue sky visible over one side!
Today’s observations: a couple of lifties did try to brush my seat before I sat down, and Every Single Lift Seat has a kiddie blocker bar between the legs. In Andorra these are usually only on one or two seats of a six-chair, here they seem to be obligatory, so a lot more chance for one’s thigh or worse to be trapped as the chair takes off.
Showered, went out in the returned rain, wandered around the gift shops to appease the family, home by 8.
Last edited by You need to Login to know who's really who. on Wed 25-12-19 13:20; edited 1 time in total
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Raining again tonight is it? That's disappointing...
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Enjoying the report from a first timer. Pleased you’re finding a few positives amongst the dodgy weather.
Brocheaux one of the best lunch spots so glad you found it.
Looks like we won’t see you in person but come back if you get a chance
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Thanks! It’s nice to have commentary on your exploits even if I can’t get over that Wall!
Oh yes; (Austrian accent) I’ll be back...
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Day 3
Ah, couldn’t last could it? Woke up at 4am, stayed awake until 6. Then woke up at 7.30 with a headache and nausea that hung around until 3pm. But it was nice to look out of the window at 4.30am and see all the white roofs - the Snow Queen visits Morzine town at last! By 5, 5.30 the booms had started, and when I eventually struggled up to the top of Pleney by 10.15, it was showing Avi 4. Plenty of new snow all around.
I hadn’t got a Morzine map so most of the morning’s navigating was on a tiny corner of the PDS map I had... I think I went via some blues past the golf course and Bruyere to Les Gets centre, then somehow up Chavannes and down a red or two to where Nauchets and Ranfoilly lifts meet. First impressions? I did use the word ‘manicured’ though not sure if that’s fully correct. However the top of Morzine did seem to be gently rolling pistes, with carefully placed clumps of pine trees: I met fellow snowhead @Polo in the afternoon and he was telling me how in the summer it is all pasture and cows, very different to the angry rocks of Avoriaz, and it certainly seemed that way to me. Some blues a bit too flat though, perhaps as I didn’t know where I was going. I had a fair bit of poling to do today! But what a cruisey front side.
Up to Ranfoilly to say I’d done it, then down following signs to LG town centre, over the road and up to meet @Polo and his son at the top of Mont-Chery. I wasn’t as chirpy as yesterday but followed them down through the choppy stuff a foot deep before someone decided to take a short cut down a piste marked “closed”, so it hadn’t been bashed since I don’t know when. Knee deep and heavy. What can I say? All the Real Skiing I’d avoided in the morning with my dodgy head, I had to do in the afternoon following these guys! I’d just about got the correct technique as we hit the bottom and my thighs combusted quietly. Yes I know leaning back is not the right way to stop or steer in such conditions but the pre-frontal cortex was on sick leave and the reptilian brain took over. Anyway, they had to shoot off as power had failed back home - ha, I knew how home felt at that point - and I decided not to push my luck or body further (the notorious ‘just one more’) and made my way back to Morzine.
Glad I did, it took some time as I couldn’t work out the route across from Les Gets to Morzine, then all routes down by ski seemed to be closed (had been raining below 1300m on previous days remember) so I was re-routed back up Des Mouilles (it was scrapy down there) to join the Huge Queue at the top of the Pleney bubble at 4.15 and failing light.
Skis handed back, Christmas shopping quickly done, and that’s my 3-day introduction to the Morzine / Les Gets/ Avoriaz areas of Portes du Soleil. I could complain about the rubbish visibility, but it’s better than complaining about having no snow, as it could well have been before Christmas! I enjoyed it and would happily return.
Here’s looking forward to Skiidy picking me up at the appropriate time tomorrow morning. I was puzzled why they hadn’t messaged me about collection at GVA last Friday: they’ve sent 9 messages for the return journey so I’m sure it will all be fine.
As said at the top, thanks to everyone for their answering questions, to the WhatsApp group including @DJL and @snoozeboy even if I didn’t get to see you, and to @polo and son for taking a bit of time to show me a couple of fun runs and stretch my limits. I’ll do better next time, I promise!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@Orange200, nice write up....was fun to meet up for 2 runs, the red down the back of Chery Nord was chopped up, but plenty of lovely untracked snow on the sides. Then we did the 650m vertical down the front of MC to the village. Bottom half was hard work, but lifts are not meant to be taken down, so closed run or not, I was never getting back in the bubble. You didn't see MC at it's best, for starters there was no view to marvel at and the pistes were choppy bump fields. Didn't help that you weren't feeling olympic and the rental shop didn't have decent off-piste skis. Sorry I didn't direct you back towards an easy route to Morzine, had to rush back and release the parents from the dark cave that was my apt.
It was good for me to get out of the house....I'll flick thru the son's head cam footage and see if there are any nice shots. Safe trip home.
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As @polo, said a nice write up from a fresh view of the area @Orange200,
I think if you bring that much snow with you, your invite from the tourist office will be already in the post 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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...sadly no footage of Orange200 to share with the world, then again, not many of us manage to ski ahead of the 14yr old. And btw, pine trees aren't carefully placed anywhere....they cover all surfaces until they are cut down for important things like golf courses, resevoirs, and lifts.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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@Orange200, glad you enjoyed it even if conditions weren’t perfect. Next time try to get over to our patch and the Swiss side and St Jean d’Aulps. There are plenty more bits of the PDS to explore. Sorry we couldn’t catch up with you.
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@polo, not sure I’d want to see that footage, I know how bad I was at the time, if you published it here I’d be banned as a “all the keyboard and no idea” warrior!
What I have footage of is a clearly steaming helmet when I took it off in the bubble going back!
Thinking about all that deep snow, you must have loved it on the board. I was just trying to stay upright but looking back it was quite a dream, big fields of the deep stuff. No complaints from me about the short cut, you pushed me (or I pushed myself) and that’s how to advance.
I know your Christmas could be better but still I hope you have a good one.
Otherwise, to end the TR; Skiidy picked me up and dropped me off at GVA no problem, but I was amused to be sitting in the plane at 1240 and STILL getting messages telling me to be ready for pick up at 0930 - and then a few more as I landed, 18 in total! It seems these automated SMS systems aren’t yet perfect. Still better than nothing.
Back to Lisbon, where it is 18C, and on Christmas morning my family had a great indoor snowball fight with the 32 polyester fluffy snowballs I’d bought in Morzine; what a laugh
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