 Poster: A snowHead
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Intermediates view of Morzine/Avoriaz area
Hello. Just back from a week in Morzine. My preferred choice of lift up was Les Prodains. Take the cable car up and then it’s a short ski down to the lifts. I took Lac Intrets and then enjoyed the 2 blues from the top back down as my warm up – Bleue d’Arare and Stade d’Arare. Part way down one of them a red runs off that is also fine.
Warmed up, I went back up the same lift and took the Bleue du Lac off to the right down to Le Fornet lift. Again, any of the runs from Le Fornet, les Choucas are good. Chavanette was a nice run, taking you back down to the Chavanette chair but also a button if the queue is long (button was always quiet). At the top of Chavanette you can take the chair down over the Swiss Wall (not for the faint hearted, moguls the size of a small adult!). Personally, I wouldn’t bother trying to have lunch at the restaurant at the top here, thought it was pretty rubbish. So, down the chair over the Wall and take the blue down to Ripaille 1 & 2, the two drag lifts. Either a T bar or button (both long) take you back up to 2 lovely wide confidence building blues. Turn right at the top and take this one down first and then come back up and turn left and do this one (the map shows them both on the right but the lifts go between them). Nearing the bottom when coming down veer off to the right and go under a small tunnel and follow the blue down to the Marmottes restaurant on the right. This area on the map is called L’Echeruse. Lunch here is definitely worth stopping for either on the terrace in the sun or snug inside. From here you can either take the blue down to the Crosets reds or do as I did. Go back up the drag and take the short shelf run along in front of you to the top of the red Grand Paradis. It may seem a bit steep at the top, but this is pretty much the worst bit. Follow the run down. You will encounter a couple of narrow steep bits which a bit of side sliping/snowplough will deal with and then you are on the most beautiful tree-lined gentle run, all the way down to a 6 man chair which whizzes you back up into the system. I then took the blue down to Les Crosets and the Mossettes chair back up to Abrocotine and lovely long blue (the red Le Cases is easy and cuts the corner of the blue off). Also the red runs Mossettes at Les Crosets off the Mossettes chair are lovely, wide and again confidence building.
For further afield, take the take the Mossettes Express from Les Brocheaux and pick up the Tovassiere blue (round to the right hand side of the restaurant at the top) it starts off as a red but only for a short bit and is fine. The Tovassiere is a gentle run all the way down to Morgins. Take Le Foilleuse chair up. The Plan Joyeux red back down to it was pretty horrible, narrow and scraped, but the other side looks ok. Back up Le Foilleuse take the red La Chaux, (not steep) which takes you down to the U Yeu Tsale restaurant, a 200 yr old chalet. Great food and just a short hop to the La Chaux chair. It’s a bit of a wiggle to get back into the system here and I can’t remember how I did it, but did get lost along the way!
Getting back to Les Prodains we took either Brocheaux, Prolays or Linderets lift up after stopping off at the Abrocotine restaurant which is lovely and does great coffee and cakes. From the top of the chairs you ski down towards Avoriaz village and approaching the main part, keep to the right and go under a tunnel, a little way on (skiing under a chairlift) this will bring you out by Les Prodains cable. Best way down is to go straight on and take the Crot blue run down (a nice home run). This run finishes opposite Neige Roc hotel which is good for an après drink before taking the bus back.
I took the Super Morzine. From Avoriaz take the Proclou blue down from the lifts and you will come to Seraussaix chair and then onto the blues all the way down to Super Morzine bubble. I found this very slushy/chopped up at end of the day and nowhere near as nice as Crot down to Les Prodains.
Linga. Made up of reds and blacks. The reds here are pretty steep in bits. No blues. Best avoided if nervous intermediate.
The blue/red from Chaux Fluerie lift and the blue down to Ardent parking are all good.
I hope this helps someone. Sorry if I’ve got something wrong as it’s all from memory and a crumpled piste map! However, personally for me, as an improving intermediate, this holiday did my confidence the world of good and I was very happy with all of it. I’ll definitely return.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Beverley, glad you had such a good time; thanks for detailed report. 
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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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Beverley, Great memory! Sounds like you enjoyed it!
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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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Beverley, I thoroughly enjoyed the skiing around Avoriaz too. Although you describe the routes far better than I ever could. I also enjoyed the many creparies (sp.) 
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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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Beverley, cracking report... Is Linga the red down to the bubble high above super-chatel where the kids do their ski racing? what a run - as you say pretty steep in places!
We were there last year and had to down ride the chair and the bubble back to morzine as the queues at Prodains were stupid - you had it lucky this year....
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Beverley, Thanks for your report - it really is a wonderful area and I'm so glad you enjoyed and it
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Beverley, great report brought back memories of last year
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red 27, yes looking at the piste map, Linga is indeed that red run. We didn't get over that... but will be sure to next time I visit the PDS.
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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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Beverley, or anyone else for that matter - just got back from 4 nights in Avoriaz. Had a brill time except for about an hour! Myself (was an intermediate 20 years ago but the bottle has gone a bit) and my son (about 12 days skiing under his belt) found ourself at the top of the Le Fornet by mistake! Wanting to get back to Avoriaz as it was getting late I decided to go down the Marmotte as Le Fornet just seemed to go back to the lift of same name. Well I took one look at the Marmotte and it didn't look like a prepared slope let alone a blue so started to walk back the top of the lift to take the other run. Noone seemed to be venturing down the Marmotte anyway which added to my suspicions. Anyway 2 lots of 2 people did go down it and both said it was a blue so we bit the bullet and went down what appeared to be a tunnel or if you like 6 foot moguls!!. My son went over straight away and all I could see was this happening all the way down if the 1st 5 metres were anything to go by. I took my skis off to try and walk up - big mistake sinking to my knees. After a lot of effort got them back on again and about 30 minutes and 2 stone lighter got back to the other blue run which incidently took us back to Avoriaz anyway. So the question - is the Marmotte actually a run; is it a blue run; was it just crap for the 1st 50 meteres and then a breeze? Incidentally le Fornet was more like a red to my son (to me in places as well!) and we took ages getting down that as well.
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red 27, Linga is a bus ride away from Super Chatel. Super Chatel is the start of the links to Morgins and the other Swiss resorts, from Linga the links go towards Avoriaz.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Beverley, fantastic report and really well done. I'll be looking at this for my adventures end of this month. Cheers
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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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dandtd, just looked at last years Avoriaz map and Marmotte is a blue but is marked as snowcross - unpisted but secure, didn;t do it last year looked great but as the only time I was up there total whiteout and couldn't see the entrance to it so gave it a miss! Hope this answers your question.
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Beverley, that was a great read, I skiied there for years and it brings back some great memories. Actually, I miss the PdS and want to go back 
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You know it makes sense.
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dandtd, is marmotte the one that goes right under the chairlift?
David@traxvax, that's the one - cracker!
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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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Glad it was helpful! As our chalet was so lovely and run by a couple of very hospitable Kiwis, we didn't really venture out very much. However, I loved the Boudha bar, particularly the cosy sofas so you could relax, drink, chat and people watch. Some good music was played there. The one I didn't get excited about was Bar Robinson - sitting surrounded by a table of smelly borders drinking Mutzig (which was pretty tasteless) wasn't my idea of fun. Give me a Leffe anytime. Ok, maybe I'm missing a point here?!
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Poster: A snowHead
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red 27, IIRC Marmotte is to the right as you come up the chair while the canyon is under it: similar but red rather than blue and it follows a series of natural halfpipes: good fun.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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stevew, ah so that's what snowcross means. as i said it looked more like a tunnel through 5/6 ft moguls to me. there didn't seem to be any blue poles to suggest you were in the right area either
red 27, the one that goes under the lift is the Fornet which although wide enough was a bit on the steep side for my lad. the marmotte was further over to the right and didn't look like a run at all
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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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| Swirly wrote: |
| red 27, IIRC Marmotte is to the right as you come up the chair while the canyon is under it: similar but red rather than blue and it follows a series of natural halfpipes: good fun. |
yes indeed - that's the one, natural halfpipes, I didn't fancy it at all when I was there and Marmotte as you both say, further over to the right, was closed - this was last Jan - not much snow.
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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 for all the info Beverley, really helpful as Mrs Boris is off to Morzine for a few days next week with a friend and is a bit worried about where to ski.
Of course I am not at all bothered that I'm not going 
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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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Sounds good. I'm so looking forwards to going now. Only 1 week to go.
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