 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Hi, PhillipStanton,
Mr M and I went to Morzine/Avoriaz last year and we're going back with the family in March. Our accomodation was in Morzine and Montiond but we skied only Avoriaz.
I'm an Intermediate and I loved Chavanette sector. Abricotine is a lovely pictuesque blue run to find your feet, but when you feel more confident you can take the red alternative, Les Cases.
Abricotine also gives access to the Cubore lift which leads to some good off-piste terrain. If you continue down Abricotine to Les Brocheaux there are some nice restaurants to stop off at.
Mr M, who is an expert, liked the Combette black which follows a ridge that you can drop off onto the off-piste area.
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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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Thanks marmalade.
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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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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Ski School
I had excellent tuition from BASS. 3 days x 2 hours, intermediate improver. Had a few lightbulb moments, only 3 in the group and felt it was value for money.
Where to ski - Intermediate
The best bit to ski if you are staying in Les Gets or Morzine is to head over to Mont Chery. It's the other side of Les Gets to Morzine so is usually lovely and quiet with some belting runs that you can carve some big fat arcs in 
Staying there
To find chalet accomodation particularly in Morzine use the "solutions room" on chalets direct website as most of the Morzine chalet operators are on here. You post what you want - ie. dates, numbers etc and they come back to you with what they've got.
Eating
And when in Morzine you have to have a crepe from the little on street stand as you go down the road to the village square from the Pleney lift. It has a red and white canopy. FABULOUS.
Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Thu 29-11-07 0:14; edited 1 time in total
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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doctor_eeyore - nice one 
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Ski School:
I used the ESF for afternoon 'Competition Class' lessons. Excellent fun, trying out new terrain, off-piste and moguls, and of course some gate training. Eric, my instructor has reasonable English and was very enthusiastic.
Best Intermediate Run:
Meleze, a red leading down to the roadside in Les Gets. A great start to the run as you drop down a sweeping right hand bend around some trees (you can cut the corner by going through them of course). After the bend it cuts back to the left onto a virtually straight run. It's a decent length to get some speed up and is rollers all the way down (great if you want a bit of air). At the base is a solitary lift and a big open area in which you find no-one. It's a great run to make you feel like a big time racer, especially as you sweep around the trees at the beginning and come to a grandstand stop from speed at the bottom - gorgeous.
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Thx skisimon.
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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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Might it be sensible for Avoriaz, Morzine, Les Gets and Chatel to have their own wiki page, Les Crozets / Champery / Morgins etc to share one, all linked to / from a Portes du Soleil page?
And I've given some thought as to a 'template' for resort wiki pages; Is there already a thread on this? (runs off to find it....)
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Under "getting there" would be handy to have the best ways to get to Avoriaz from Les Gets by either car (Ardent), bus (to morzine then get super morzine, or bus up to Avoriaz). Someone else probably knows the bus stops better than me, but one certainly goes between Chery Bubble and Morzine Tourist Info.
Or by chairlift and preferred method of sliding (2-3 chairs, 2-3 reds/blues between Pleney and Les Gets village?)
For Lessons... I learned with Tim Scott (URL escapes me) before he went independent. Excellent service, and flexible, and other guys in the chalet even managed to schedule private lessons during the week (although it was January quiet period, and lessons were 1 hour or so sneaked in between class lessons). I think he limits class size to 6 max? same as BASS, so you get better 1-1 tuition than 12 people snaking around the mountain.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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doctor_eeyore, someone put a placeholder in for Morzine (no page/content).
tough one though. pages for Les Gets, Morzine, Avoriaz, Chatel and Portes du Soleil could be the way forward (means some duplication for Les Gets/Morzine and Morzine/Avoriaz, due to the geographical nature of Morzine), but the wonder of Wiki is the cross-linking.
PdS page handy to connect it all together, and maybe even drop in a recommended itinerary for the PdS loop.
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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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Within the Wiki, go to Resorts - France, then most resorts are already there, with a link to a placeholder. Just click the Les Gets or Morzine or village of your choice which is in Red, and edit. May also need to add link in the Resort page (Morzine is already there in Red). If it appears in blue then someone has created a page for that village.
So it seems the decision about individual pages for each village rather than a combined one for PdS has mostly been made already. Makes sense not to change this.
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You know it makes sense.
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Thanks guys.
Individual pages with a PDS overarching page may well be the way to go.
I thought that if we gather some base stuff together then I'll have a go at formatting (happy for someone else to take the lead on this) and then we can go for "normal wiki rules"...
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Arriving at Avoriaz.
From Morzine the ascent to Avoriaz is a significant climb involving umpteen hairpin corners. In heavy snow you will need snow chains. If there are no police you can probably manage in a 4x4 without chains (I have, in heavy snow), but be careful. Warning signs will indicate when chains are mandatory, usually just before one of many 'aire de chainage' - laybys for putting chains on.
As you get close to the resort, passing a bar on your right, then a few hundred yards where the road flattens out, you'll come to a large roundabout. Ignore the row of Pierre et Vacances check-in gates on your right (I suspect these are only manned in the summer, but no harm will befall you if you do go through them). Go straight across the roundabout (don't be tempted by the outdoor parking on the left), and then continue straight ahead for a while, eventually having to bear right into the Pierre et Vacances un/loading bay (also access to underground parking). You may be greeted by a marshall. Find a spare gap on the covered, perimeter boardwalk where you can unload your gear. This is where you need to do three things simultaneously (and don't get the idea this process will take just a couple of minutes).
1) Park your car - underground nearby, or back out to the roundabout and turn right for the outdoor one (10 minute walk back - prepare for walking on snow/ice/slush). You take a ticket and pay at the end of your stay.
2) Collect the keys to your apartment (from the nearby reception, or by hot-footing it to the appropriate reception building). If you're lucky, your apartment is close to where your keys are and you can simply go there directly. If you're unlucky you may need two taxi journeys.
3) Having obtained keys (or assured yourself you will collect them en route or after being dropped off), deliver yourselves and luggage to your apartment (or hotel). You can arrange a 'taxi' (caterpillar tracked vehicle) at the nearby P&V reception. You can also get horse drawn sleighs, but these can't take much in the way of luggage.
Some apartments (Falaise, Douchka, etc.) are actually in easy walking distance from the boardwalk. Green luggage sleds that take Euro coins are sometimes available at various places nearby.
If, instead of bearing right into the P&V covered boardwalk area, you went straight ahead on the left hand side of P&V reception you'd be driving directly into the car-less resort, and would soon realise the error of your ways (or too late - in the police station).
If you use the cheaper outdoor car park make sure you park neatly as a hefty snow plough will simply run down all the cars after each snowfall - you wouldn't want your submerged towbar clunked or something. Importantly, if visiting in a cold month like January, make sure your vehicle is winterproofed, e.g. to -30C. Think about carrying a small booster battery thingy, though a garage just outside the carpark will no doubt be able to visit you with jump leads. Oh, and when leaving the car park, clear your roof of snow. Some might think it's amusing to leave it on but the police don't and nor do other drivers when it falls off on a hairpin or the moment one hits 70mph on joining the motorway.
If you're staying with P&V/Maeva, you'll need to find the right reception building (if you haven't already been sorted out by reception at the boardwalk). This can depend upon what time you arrive. You then pay deposits, collect sheets/towels, TV remote controls, etc. You can pay a premium for these things to be pre-installed in the apartment. Sometimes it's done that way by default.
For departure the procedure is the reverse. Go to reception, pay your taxe de sejour, return your keys, TV remote, wait for an inspection check, collect your deposit, etc. They or you will telephone a taxi (number on the card the taxi driver gave you), and you and luggage will be picked up from your apartment and delivered to the boardwalk. You then trot off to pick up the car, pay the parking ticket (machines accept credit cards and cash), and if outside, remove 6 foot of snow, find it won't start and that you have a flat tyre, leaky radiator, etc.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Thanks crosbie.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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On mountain food recommendation: La Grande Ourse on Mont Chery. Good food, reasonable prices, comfortable place and great views.
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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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ok - Les Gets
getting there - normally drive, but have used http://www.skitransfers.com/ who were punctual, reasonable and comfortable
ski school - http://www.ecoledeski360.com/index.html both adults & children learnt with these guys, would recommend any of the instructors, still go back for refreshers. Reasonably priced lessons, good fun. English speaking not normally a problem, if that's required
best to eat - in village, great choice of restaurants with good atmosphere and without being ripped off. Le Flambeau, La Taniere, Le Boomerang (hog roast on a Friday, BOOK) and if you want something a little more special Le Pela, les Copeaux
on the mountain - as rob@rar said La Grande Ourse (Mont Chery) La Rosset'taz (top La Rosta lift) great views, great food, Le Wetset (Tulipe piste on Ranfolly)
Bars L'Ecurie (friendly, good atmosphere), Canadian Bar (atmosphere and moose!), Bar Bush (for sports fixtures I think)
Best runs (Tulipe down from Ranfolly, long varied wide red, great views, great fun) also Marmotte down back of Mont Chery. For gentle and pretty try Le Choucas down towards Troncs chair. Stop for delicious hot choc at Les Blanchots. Can also stop here on way down Arbis (Chamossiere), great tricky red 
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FAQ
s "wisdom" on this area into the wiki.
