Portes du Soleil Ski Area

From Avoriaz you can connect onto the Portes du Soleil loop – a circuit that will take you through seven resorts crossing into Switzerland and back. Comprised of blue and red pistes, this ski circuit is a wonderful day out for higher intermediates or advanced skiers. If you like to explore the surrounding mountains as you ski and get a taste of other ski resorts, then this loop is a must on your ski chalet holiday.

After Avoriaz you have a choice – you can ski into the Plaine Dranse area of Chatel, or over the Swiss boarder into Les Crosets. Either way you will be on the loop of the Portes du Soleil, a whole system of blues and reds that link village to village. There’s one notable exception to the blues and reds on this ski circuit – the infamous Swiss Wall! For the brave, the foolish, or both, you can tackle this infamous off-piste run from Avoriaz to Les Crosets, though there are plenty of far more gentle options too. By reputation as one of the hardest mogul runs in Europe, the Swiss Wall ski run is a thigh-punisher without equal. It’s long, steep and the moguls can be huge. It’s a great challenge for the advanced skier and certainly one to tick off the “I’ve done that” list. There’s a chair lift down over the ski run which makes a great viewing gallery for those fancying an easier way down. Please do note though that the conditions on the Swiss Wall can vary wildly – I’ve skiied it with small moguls of soft fresh snow, a pure pleasure. I’ve also skiied it with head-high moguls of ice, so it’s not to be undertaken lightly!

However you decide to enter Les Crosets, you are now skiing in Switzerland. After Les Crosets you move further into Swizerland and what feels further back in time too. Smaller, quieter and more relaxed, the Swiss side of the Portes du Soleil ski area feels about 20 years behind the French side. Quiet runs through forests and old fashioned lifts (including some T-bars, which can mostly be avoided), it provides great variety to this ski area. You’ll end up in a Swiss resort called Morgins, which if you have the time, has a lovely old church with a huge arrange of bells outside it which is great to hear if you are passing a the right time. From then you climb back up to the French border and ski into the area of Chatel called Super-Chatel. The quieter and more old fashioned end of the French skiing, it has some hidden gems of quiet lifts and great off-piste skiing.

From Chatel’s Plaine Dranse area you head up into Avoriaz then it’s just the question of skiing down to Morzine and back into Les Gets! The full circuit makes quite the day out skiing, though it’s very much a full day so you’d want to head off early and with plenty of enthusiasm to do the full lap!

Some of our favorite skiing in the Portes du Soleil is the Pre la Joux/ Plaine Dranse area of Chatel. Situated next door to Avoriaz it has some wonderful high altitude skiing. Fast blues and reds, with great high speed lifts, it’s a pleasure to spend the whole day cruising up and down all the different pistes it has to offer. My favourite run has to be the red piste from the top of Tete de Linga that goes all the way down into La Linga ski village itself, a wonderful and varied run that’s wide and quick throughout, and always leaves a big smile on my face, and a painful burn in my thighs!

I hope this has given you a taste of the Portes du Soleil skiing. It really is so large and varied – this has hardly scratched the surface of what this wonderful ski area has to offer.