 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi
Currently researching a budget ski trip and am looking at a number of destinations.
How does Morzine compare with Alpe Huez & Le Deux Alpes? My impression is that the other resorts are more snowsure and have better skiing.
Thanks in advance!
David
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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When are you going? What are you looking for?
Morzine is part of the PDS and has fantastic skiing. Avoriaz and above is high and realativly snowsure. Morzine town is a good town, lots of accomodation choice although you may be out of town up up the hill for 'budget'. Short transfer, only 1h from Geneva.
L2A usually a good bet for budget. High but the upper area can be windy and very cold. Often people complain the skiing doesn't feel as big as the stated KM due ot the runs all kind of being in one line down the mountain. Town decent, lots of nightlife. Can be a bit chavy maybe.
ADH nice resort and nice town, lots of varied pistes linked together nicely. Aparently not so good late season due to aspect as gets a fair bit of sun.
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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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ADH nice resort and nice town, lots of varied pistes linked together nicely. Aparently not so good late season due to aspect as gets a fair bit of sun.
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Been there up to 19th April. Slightly restricted (no signal, signal de l'homme, auris) but the centre section was quite good.
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When are you going? What are you looking for?
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But thats the important question. I like ADH, skied it at christmas quite a few times. LDA for very early or very late season as the skiing might be restricted but will be sure to be OK. PDS mid season as its quite extensive.
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Haven't been to Morzine/PDS. I love ADH. If you like somewhere quiet with good lift connections then stay in Oz-en-Oisan. There are plenty of cheap apartments there. LDA I did a day at and didn't like it. That's not to say I couldn't enjoy myself if you bought me a lift pass and got me an apartment. But until I get tired of my favs I'm unlikely to go back.
Personally I wouldn't be concerned about the snowsuredness of either. I seem to recall Morzine can be a bit iffy but hopefully someone who has actually been can confirm.
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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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Agree with earlier post that ADH can be dodgy late due to aspect (south facing slopes do not hold the snow despite good altitude); L2A a good bet for late season as lots of skiing above 2000M (even if you take a lift down the last bit). I would not go to Morzine late.
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Never been to ADH - but between the other two, I'd choose Morzine/PdS every time.
On the 'snowsure' test, L2A wins - but personally, I'm not a big fan. Skiing is okay (nothing special) and the ratio of: time spent on lifts vs. actual skiing, seems poor in comparison to many of the other resorts I've been to. And, as others have said, the town isn't up to much either.
*ducks for cover as L2A fans/locals get ready to retaliate* 
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Morzine/pds. No contest.
Depending on time of year & level of skiing 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Dof, what time of year are you going? Morzine is pretty much guaranteed until the end of March, and in April you will almost certainly still have access to Avoriaz and the rest of PDS.
I'd go for Morzine over ADH, just nicer place to me with more going on, and access to a whole stack of skiing for all - one of the best afternoons skiing ever in a large bowl in Morzine in the sunshine just going round and round the same three or four runs.
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DT68, don''t encourage them! 
To be serious though, how 'good' a ski resort is, really is in the eye of the beholder. Maybe if the OP gives us a bit more info on what he/she looks for in a resort, we can help narrow the choices down.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Thanks all, very helpful advice.
We will make the trip either the first or second week in March.
What do I look for in a resort? Good choice of red runs and a lot of variety, a big ski area with the option to "explore" always appeals to me. Apre ski is not important, my last trip was to the three valleys and I get the sense that PDS has similar selling points?
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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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Dof, both those weeks are Paris school hols - might be a good time to look at somewhere in Austria or Italy?
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I'd agree with pam w. How about Austria or Italy? Cervinia with links to Switzerland?
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You know it makes sense.
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PDS, the terrain is great,
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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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Morzine hands down if you like rain.
For the southern alps, I prefer AdH over L2A in most respects.
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Poster: A snowHead
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albinomountainbadger, rain? Morzine? I have no idea what you are talking about.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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under a new name, it reminds one of home, I suppose...
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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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Paris school holidays! Yes, that makes me stop and think.
One of our alternatives is the Skiwelt and specifically Soll in Austira.
Any opinions, good or bad, on Soll?
Thanks again
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I've been to ADH once at Easter (2009). It's a big ski area and as others have said, the southerly aspect will typically soften the lower level snow by late March/April but early March should be good. Excellent beginner's area right next to the car park (free when I was there). Unless you're very good, avoid "Le Tunnel" but the Sarenne (top to bottom) is doable by a decent red run skier.
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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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early March should be good.
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if you like lift queues.
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Plenty of opinion on the Skiwelt on here. This thread is just over the page, on Ellmau which is 2 villages up from Soll (Sheffau is between):
http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=97382
The OP is definitely written by a novice, Skiwelt is the easiest ski area I have been to. Was a while ago but I remember it as being the holiday that pushed me into going off piste to find some challenge. In terms of size, Soll-Going and back in a day is a reasonable ski for a group for a whole day, generally pushing on in the right direction, not worrying too much about making a mistake or taking a scenic diversion. I didn't go to Westendorf as it wasn't as well linked as I think it is now so there is probably another full day outing in the opposite direction. I went in January so can't tell you about March but they have extensive snowmaking facilities. The area is plenty big enough. Soll has the same bus situation as described at Ellmau. You can ski all the way back to town but then you have to scrum on the bus or do a 5min walk on a flattish pavement up to the Gondola. The alternative is leaving your stuff at the Gondola and doing the morning walk in better footwear. Soll itself is a wee village with a decent array of drinking places but minimal shops. It does (or did) have a great wellness centre with a nice pool and and indoor/outdoor hot tub that we used almost every day.
Morzine is a much bigger town, think a 10 min walk across and multiple ski buses with lots of stops. And the skiing is vast, comparable in extent to the 3Vs. The vertical isn't so much so feels like you travel even further. Some people don't seem to like this but I think the runs are mostly long enough. I There are more cul-de-sacs to travel into than in the 3Vs if that makes sense. At Supermorzine, Gondola, chair, blue, chair takes you to a choice of Avoriaz or Lindarets. Lindarets is a big bowl of reds with tree runs on 1 side. Another bowl, even bigger, of mainly reds is straight on, Plain Dranse etc. Eventually this ends at Linga, near Chatel. Alternatively head right for Mosettes and Switzerland. This takes you to another huge area of reds under the Swiss Wall black. At some point you must reach an end to the lifts but I've not got further. I read somewhere of a Morzine-Lindarets-Les Crosets-Champouisin-Morgins-Super Chatel-Torgon round trip to do the black there. I expect that was a first to last lift all day mission. Coming back through Avoriaz there are Blues galore and a few Blacks if you fancy taking a chairlift. I recall some consernation about getting the last lift home here and the piste map was useless, but 1 lift out of Avoriaz took us to another really long blue/red that ends at Prodains, a 10min bus ride from Morzine. So there are at least 3 days of circular tours barely covering the same ground (after the 1st 3 lifts), ending in a short bus ride back to Morzine. You could always do them in the opposite direction and get the bus 1st.
Then there is the Morzine-Les Gets side. From the top of Pleney you can access two big bowls plus the front of Pointe de Nyon. The runs are mainly reds, a few blues and a few blacks. Best cruising blue through the trees is Chamiaz, best red is Tulipe down to Ranfolly. Best view and black at Chamossiere. From the cols there are long runs down to each village. The other side of Les Gets is Mont Chery and has the best runs and view of the lot, steep reds and Blacks off the top, all the way back to the village. Les Gets is much smaller than Morzine and was easy to transit across when I was there. Might involve a small amount of walking later on. There is a navette for the lazy. On this side alone there is enough skiing for 3-4 days unless you don't like using the same lifts a few times.
I suspect Paris school holidays would have a bit of an effect on Morzine as it is so accessible.
They both have about 1000m vertical so shorter than average in the Alps but PDS is well over twice the size.
Haven't been to L2A or ADH but 1 of my friends on the Morzine trip has spent 1 week at L2A and about 35 weeks in Morzine! He is a snowboarder and they do have slightly different priorities though.
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Thanks everyone, some great advice on the thread
David
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FAQ
But didn't really enjoy the slopes... 2/6 days of the trip, the top sections were closed due to high winds (I understand this is not uncommon) and that doesn't really leave you with that much to do... esp if you are not comfortable on the black runs that take you home...
