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Mountain Biking in Morzine

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Introduction

Morzine is known as the spiritual home of Mountain Biking in the Alps. Offering riders, of all abilities, an endless supply of trails and terrains, unrivalled scenery, and access to the outdoor playground that is the Portes du Soleil. Morzine has become a hugely sought-after summer destination over the past few decades.

PORTES DU SOLEIL MTB IN NUMBERS

50 downhill tracks

14 local-area downhill tracks

21 cable-cars and lifts

600km marked MTB trails

25 mountain biking schools

20 MTB shops & rental outlets

100's of unofficial / unmarked trails

80+ days of lifts in operation

LE PLENEY DOWNHILL TRAILS (MORZINE)

Le Pleney has four official downhill trails ranging from Blue to Black, and also gives you access to Les Gets.

PISTE D A'TRAY:

With forgiving wide, smooth and somewhat rooty tracks, Piste D A’tray is a Blue run that’s perfect to getting used to the Le Pleney terrain. It offers a few pull-over points, for anyone who might need to take a breather, or to look out at the amazing views of Morzine village.

Beginner

839 m

-109 m

avg. 5 mins

THE FAMILY TRAIL:

A nice mixture of roots, berms and forest paths, The Family Trail is a Blue that is a little more challenging than Piste D A’tray. Tight and narrow forest tracks are combined with flat open clearings, allowing you to dictate your own pace. Perfect for beginners, with enough trills for all riders.

Beginner

3.8km

-488 m

avg. 14 mins

THE ROOTS:

Smoother than its name suggests — even in its forest-based lower section — The Roots is one of Morzine’s most spectacular routes. Criss-crossing underneath the Le Pleney chairlift, before narrowing and descending into the forest. Classed as a Red run, it’s definitely one for more technically advanced riders. Sending you straight down the heart of the mountain and back to Morzine, expect lots of fast-paced, scenic action.

Intermediate

2.1 km

-482 m

avg. 7 mins

LE NOIR DE MORZINE:

A Black downhill run that throws the kitchen sink at you; berms, gap, bridge, tabletop jumps, roots, drops, tunnels, forest paths and open-pasture gravel tracks. Le Noir de Morzine is not for faint-hearted, and definitely only for more experienced riders.

Expert

2.5 km

-283 m

avg. 9 mins

Super Morzine Downhill Trails

The Super Morzine chairlift is on the opposite valley from Le Pleney, directly across Morzine village. It also gives you access to Avoriaz and Châtel.

TUTTI FRUTTI:

Morzine’s most popular trail, Tutti Frutti can be very busy during the middle of the summer. The run takes you from the top of the chairlift down to the lift station. While there are no gap jumps, a few tabletops are ideal for learning on. The lines are smooth and gravel/root-free with tall, forgiving berms.

Beginner

1.7 km

-212 m

avg. 6 mins

DA TRAIL:

Starting off in the forest with a series of technical, rooty turns that lead to two big tabletop jumps, Da Trail is one of Super Morzine’s original runs. Deceptively steep throughout, and with harsh gravel on either side of the mainline, it’s a run that’s not to be taken lightly. Ideal for those looking for a fast singletrack with a decent mix of roots, jumps and berms.

Intermediate

908 m

-136 m

avg. 3.5 mins

HATTOCK:

Once an unofficial route that was only known by locals and insiders, Hattock has gone on to be one of the Portes du Soleil’s most cherished Black runs. With a huge variety of line choices and an abundance of rough, root paths mixed with a great selection of gap and road jumps, Hattock is a tech fan’s dream.

Expert

1 km

-216 m

avg. 10 mins

About Les Gets Resort

Les Gets has an impressive history of Mountain Biking, having hosted several MTB World Cups in the late ’90s and early 2000s as well as the MTB World Championships in 2004. Les Gets also hosted the Crankworx Festival in the summers of 2016, ’17 and ’18.

Here’s a list of our favourite downhill runs in Les Gets.

LES GETS CHAIRLIFTS

Les Gets Mountain Bike trails are spread across three areas: Chavannes, Nauchets and Mont Chéry.

You’ll find most of the Les Gets runs at the top of the Chavannes chairlift. Located in the centre of the village — next to the Les Gets Bike Park (on your left-hand side if you enter Les Gets on the main road from Morzine). Chavannes also gives you access to the Nauchets lift.

If you prefer things a little more on the quiet side, there is also the Mont Chéry lift.

Chavannes Downhill Trails

The main chairlift in Les Gets is the Chavannes Express. If this is your first time in Les Gets, this should be your first port of call. Chavannes Express gives you access to a number of trails that bring you back down to the lift, onto the Nauchets Express lift, or directly back to Morzine.

TOMAWAK

Once you come off the Chavannes Express, there’s a small path looping right. This takes you straight to the start of Tomawak (often mistakenly called Tomahawk). Featuring a great mixture of large berms, floaty jumps and wide, smooth paths, it’s very popular with both beginners and more advanced riders — looking for a quick warm-up.

Beginner

867 m

-82 m

avg. 2 mins

ROUE LIBRE

One of the most technical Reds in Portes du Soleil, Roue Libre is a run that gets better each time you ride it. By knowing what line to take, it can be suitable for anyone — from beginner to pro. While pretty speedy throughout, you are usually met with three options at each major junction, the third of these is pretty much invisible until you’ve gone down a few times. The other two options are decided by your riding ability and/or your level of sanity.

Intermediate

2.9 km

-399 m

avg. 11 mins

LE CANYON

One of the original runs of Chavannes, Le Canyon is about as natural as you can get. Extremely rooty and narrow, and covered by a thick canopy of trees, the run looks like something out of a Game of Thrones episode. The mainline runs through the middle of the trail. There are alternate lines, offering more jumps and elevation. But, whichever line you take, Le Canyon is a bone-shaker that demands respect.

Expert

905 km

-164 m

avg. 5.5 mins

Nauchets Downhill Trails

Taking the Chavannes Express further uphill brings you to the trails of Nauchets. There trails tighter and a little rougher, under wheel, than Chavannes… with seemingly endless berms.

L'ENCAPE

A suspension-tester; L’Encape is a bumpy and rough run, especially when dry. Tight turns and large bumps are woven together with some challenging gap jumps, most of which have flat sidetracks (known as chicken lines). The lower section of L’Encape was remodelled for the summer of 2020. It now features larger berms, combined with a few hips and walls and a technical switchback section towards the end.

Intermediate

1.5 km

-253m

avg. 6 mins

Mont Chéry Downhill Trails

The Mont Chéry lift is on the opposite side of Les Gets village from Chavannes. Featuring some steep, technical trails. There are only two marked runs on Mont Chéry, though you can find a few more off the beaten track (extremely steep and only advisable for advanced riders).

DANS L'GAZ

A Black run that demands your full concentration. Dans l’Gaz starts off sketchy; a rooty series of tight turns opening into a loose gravel series of tight turns, and it doesn’t get any easier. Double gap jumps that demand pin-point lines, and dizzyingly fast switchbacks lead you out of the forest and onto a mellow, smooth path back to the village.

Expert

2 km

-350m

avg. 9.5 mins

Prodains (Avoriaz) Downhill Trails

The runs of Avoriaz can be accessed via the Super Morzine lift, or you can take the Prodains lift — from the small hamlet of Les Prodains, about a six-minute drive east of Morzine.

The trails here are generally quieter than in Morzine and Les Gets, and are ideal for beginners who are looking to get to grips with their bike before letting loose on the busier tracks. Avoriaz village is designed to be car-free, so it is ideal to cruise around without worrying about traffic.

CAP CANAVERAL

A very popular “flowy” Blue run, Cap Canaveral is the ideal track for getting used to jumps and berms. The first half of the mainline is relatively gravel and root-free, while the second half takes you into the forest and is a little rougher. Cap Canaveral also features the notorious “Grosse Berth” jump, which has a by-pass if you’re not feeling it.

Beginner

1.3 km

-144 m

avg. 6 mins

STAND HIGH PATROL

Dotted with Cattle grids and floaty jumps, Stand High Patrol keeps you on your toes with an array of elements. The opening section gets you rolling with some well-placed berms before opening out into a string of tabletop jumps, followed by a high bridge jump. The track stays wide and smooth throughout, with enough air and tight turns to keep all riders entertained.

Beginner

819 m

-69 m

avg. 3 mins

Châtel Bike Park Downhill Runs

Getting to Châtel from Morzine involves taking the Super Morzine to Avoriaz and then taking the Prodains chairlift, which drops you down into Châtel. Once you reach Châtel, head for Pré-la-Joux, here you’ll find The Mountain Bike Park and its world-famous trails.

PANORAMIC

A smooth Green, with nice flowing humps throughout. The path is narrow in places with steep drops off to the side. Dotted with some tight turns with forgiving, high berms. Easy to dictate your own pace. Stunning views throughout.

Novice

3.6 km

-353 m

avg. 8 mins

VINK LINE

A short but relentless Blue, the Vink Line is a non-stop downhill run dotted with massive jumps and huge berms. While the path is mostly smooth and wide, a steep mountain drop waits ominously over most turns. Enjoy the amazing views of Châtel at the top. As Vink only has one line, once you get going, stopping to take in the scenery is not an option.

Beginner

679 m

-119 m

avg. 1.5 mins

AIR VOLTAGE

As its name suggests, Air Voltage is all about jumps. While a pro can ride through it in around two minutes, for us mere mortals most of the time is spent stopping after each jump and gauging the next. There are a number of huge gap jumps, but it’s the bridge jumps that take Air Voltage to the next level. All jumps have by-passes and should only be attempted by experienced riders.

Expert

516 m

-121 m

avg. 13 mins

Liftpasses

To have access to the summer lift network in Morzine and the Portes du Soleil area, you’ll need to buy a lift pass. These are available to purchase online, at the lift pass stations, or through us (for no extra cost.)

For those planning a short stay at Heyday Chalet, or for whose working hours are not set in stone, you may be better off picking up a lift pass as you need, opting for a one- or a half-day pass whenever the mood takes you.

If you’re planning a longer stay, it would be worth thinking about picking up a full- or half-season pass. This allows you to freedom to get up and go as you please throughout the summer, and if you’re staying for over two weeks; works out cheaper in the long run.

LOCAL AREA

The local area lift pass gives you access to the Super Morzine and Avoriaz trails, Or the Le Plenty and Les Gets trails.

This is the ideal option for anyone who’s a beginner or is learning, on a short stay or just needs to stay relatively close to their workstation. A six-day local area lift pass cost around €100, while a season-long local area pass comes in at about €200.

FULL PORTES DU SOLEIL

A Full Area liftpass gives you access to the entire Portes du Soleil, and all of its 50 downhill tracks.

If you’re planning a longer stay with us and would like to go exploring further afield, this is the better option. You can expect to pay around €130 for a six-day full area pass, and around €300 for a season-long full area pass

Liftpass opening dates 2021

Resort/Chairlift	Opening Date	Closing Date
Morzine (Le Pleney)	June 18th	Sept 5th
Morzine (Super Morzine)	June 25th	Aug 29th
Les Gets (Chavannes)	June 18th	Sept 5th
Les Gets (Mont Chéry)	June 18th	Sept 5th
Avoriaz (Prodains)	July 4th	Aug 28th
Châtel (Pre La Joux)	June 25th	Sept 5th

Morzine MTB Bike Hire

Unless you’re travelling with your own gear, or you’re staying in Morzine long-term, it’s likely that’ll you’ll need to hire Mountain Biking equipment while you’re here. Luckily, during the summer Morzine is awash with local MTB hire shops. Whatever your riding level, they’ll be able to talk you through the most suitable options for you, from bike to helmet and from tires to body armour.

It’s worth noting: In France, the bikes, at least in bike hire shops, have their breaks set to; Right Break = Back wheel and Left Brake = Front Wheel. This can be at best a little surprising, at worst extremely dangerous for those who are used to having them set the other way around. If this is the case, you can ask the hire shop to swap them around for you. Another one, that has caught us out a few times, is that bike gloves are sometimes just kept in a bucket somewhere in the shop, you can just take them and put them back as you please.

MTB RENTAL MORZINE

MTB BIKE HIRE

A friendly team of qualified technicians who specialise in bike rental, servicing and maintenance.

+33 (0)4 50 79 02 20

mtbrentalmorzine@gmail.com

mtb-rental-morzine.fr/

ALPES ATTITUDE

MTB BIKE HIRE

With the perfect balance between professionalism and friendliness, Alpes Attitude offers top brand rentals and great advice.

+33 4 50 92 95 13

alpesattitude@yahoo.fr

alpes-attitude-morzine.com

Crevasse Clothing

SKI CLOTHING HIRE

Crevasse Clothing has been providing up to date, stylish ski and snowboard clothing to customers for the last 11 years.

+33 4 50 79 22 95

alanshop-morzine@orange.fr

alanbike-morzine.com

TORICO MORZINE

MTB BIKE HIRE

Cutting-edge bike hire facilities with on-site workshop. Torico Morzine is a one-stop-shop for all your MTB needs in Morzine.

+33 6 52 95 79 97

hello@toricomorzine.com

toricomorzine.com

ALPINE SPORTS

MTB BIKE HIRE

Located in the heart of Morzine village, Alpine Sports is the perfect spot for sorting everything you’ll need on the trails.

+33 4 50 49 11 57

info@alpine-sports.eu

alpine-sports.eu

GO SPORT MONTAGNE

SKI CLOTHING HIRE

Go Sport Montagne dabbles in all things summer, from Mountaineering gear to MTb footwear, body armour and bikes.

+33 4 50 79 09 63

support@gosportmontagne.zendesk.com

gosportmontagne.com

STARTLINE MTB

MTB BIKE HIRE

Startline MTB is located in the Centre of Morzine, with the very latest stock of all MTB bikes, helmets and armour.

info@startlinemtb.com

startlinemtb.com/morzine/

Morzine MTB Guides and Schools

Whether you’re looking for an MTB-101 course, advice on moving to the next level or just some tips and tricks, Morzine has a number of Mountain Biking guides and schools that will set you on the right path.

BIKE ACADEMY

MTB BIKE SCHOOL

Offering classes for everyone, from beginners to advanced riders. Founded in 2006 and based in both Morzine and Les Gets.

+33 4 50 75 86 42

Contact Form

bike-academy.fr/en/

SYNERGIE MTB SCHOOL

MTB BIKE SCHOOL

Specialising in both trail biking and Enduro, Synergie MTB offers guidance from MTB pros has been based in Morzine since 2005.

+33 6 87 39 00 14

Contact Form

morzineski.fr/en/

EVOLUTION 2

MTB BIKE SCHOOL

Book and ride with qualified professionals, taking you on half-or full-day Downhill sessions or Enduro excursions.

+33 4 50 74 02 18

Contact Form

skischool.co.uk

STARTLINE MTB

MTB BIKE GUIDE

Their fully qualified instructors can teach you the basics of MTB riding, or taking you straight out to shred some advanced grade runs.

info@startlinemtb.com

startlinemtb.com/morzine/

BIKE MORZINE

MTB BIKE GUIDE

Bike Morzine offers both MTB guides for a half-or full-day, or MTB coaching for a two-hour session or a half-day.

Contact Form

bikemorzine.com

HEYDAY CHALET - COLIVING IN THE ALPS

The world has changed. Jobs which once had to be done at head office can now be done anywhere in the world. So where would you choose? When we started Heyday Chalet, we wanted to create a place for people to stay and work while enjoying the most incredible surroundings on earth. For us, that meant The Alps. It had to be a place where world-class skiing, snowboarding and MTB were right outside. Where an incredible day’s walking starts the second you open the door. Where you could go parapenting, hot-air ballooning, climbing or rafting — all before your lunchtime conference call. Welcome to Heyday Chalet.