Do we have a thread yet?
After a couple of years away my leg is just about fixed so we're off to Les Gets for the last fortnight in August. Yes, I know that there will be braking bumps the size of houses and potentially torrential rain but I really don't care. Chalet is booked- Yippee!!
I'm there from the 26th July to the 9th of August. First week with mates so riding every day. Second week with Mrs and Junior so sneaky runs after family time.
I'll be on this bike...
Feel free to give me a nudge if you see me.
I'll be there with the family from 26th July until 2nd Aug - should be out on the bike every day.
I'll look out for the bike @sharkattack. I'll be there an a (I think) fairly unusual Deviate Claymore in dark green. 
We went 2nd week in September in 2023 and the trails were in premium condition, not much in the way of braking bumps
There from 5th -19th Aug after some racing first and a trip to Andorra
We’re out the first week of August. Managed to palm the kids off on the grandparents (5 days with my parents and 5 with the in-laws) so this will be our first real trip back since before my wife got pregnant.
We’ve got e-bikes this year, but will probably just be riding all the normal stuff.
10th to the 17th of August for me. I'll be the one guy in the lift queue with an open face helmet.
14th to 21st June for me. First time there and.looking forward to it
Further to my above post, we are flying into Geneva. What's the best way of getting from the airport to Morzine? There's two of us and we were thinking about the train.
The last time I looked there wasn't a train. There's quite a few transfer services though. When Mrs A last visited in February she used Alpybus.
I’ll be there late June, can’t remember exact dates. If flying to Geneva I’ve used both Alpybus and Skiidy Gonzales for transfers.
Further to my above post, we are flying into Geneva. What's the best way of getting from the airport to Morzine? There's two of us and we were thinking about the train.
Train to Thonon and then a bus up to Morzine is easy enough if you're not too late in the evening; obviously a bit trickier if you're lugging bike boxes. Train from the airport will have at least one and maybe two changes. Thonon bus station is 100m from the train station.
For direct transfers, there's Skiidy Gonzalez, AlpyBus, and many other companies, although mid-June is quite early in the season, so some companies might not have shared transfers available.
Or just hire a car and then you can easily get to Morgins, Samoens, Bernex etc for a bit of variety
23-29th July
Will be on a Cotic Jeht in light blue (which always draws comments from non uk riders) so say hi if you see me.
Interested to see how things evolve with the proposed no freeride on Pleney ruling. It has the potential to really change the dynamic of Morzine.
I don't know how they would ever manage to police Pleney. When they shut down Super M off piste there were only a couple of options so it was easy for them to catch people and threaten with having passes confiscated if caught again. Pleney must have 100+ variations of off piste trails.
If they do somehow shut it down, it seriously restricts the good riding actually in Morzine, and will add to the queues and traffic elsewhere.
It was on the Morzine Source facebook but I can't find the post now. Plans in place to restrict off piste riding on Pleney.
Hi All
I'm out in Morzine from July 2nd for about 9 ish day's with the family, I'll be riding a specialized status 160. Unfortunately my normal riding Oppo is unable to attend this year so if anyone wants to meet up, send me a message. 52yr old South Wales rider, likes flow and steeps sh1t @ jumping.
Cheers DB
that's pants news about Pleney. I'll be out in Morzine and Chatel 9th-23rd with Family but will clearly have bike with me.
was meant to be there in late July with the family, but managed to break my leg and it wont be fixed in time, so managed to get the holiday company to defer it to 2026.
Enjoy it out there all!
3 weeks today hurrah for 4 days riding! Seems like green is the new black from this thread, I'll be on my new green Banshee Spitfire.
I'll be over in Les Gets for a week from the 11th July with a few less techy friends. I should have a couple of free afternoons - is there anywhere that does steeps tutoring?
Edit - or does anyone know any of the easier steeps to get into?
I saw something on FB (I think) that said Les Gets has a no Shotgun seat policy this year. Not sure if it’s true, or which lifts/areas it affects though.
I was hoping to use a Shotgun for a few runs this year. It'll be the last chance as he's getting too big for it.
I knew they weren't allowed on all lifts but it would be nice to know which ones in advance.
I do have quite a specific question regarding GVA and Morzine. Mrs Weeksy is flying in and me and the boy and GF are driving from Spain to Morzine. If i go and pick her up, do i need a Vignette ? Just trying to work out whether it's better for me to drive and collect her or whether we use a Skiidy Ginzales or other company to bring her back from the airport into Morz.
[ When they shut down Super M off piste there were only a couple of options so it was easy for them to catch people and threaten with having passes confiscated if caught again. Pleney must have 100+ variations of off piste trails.
Was this last year? Was it the trails from the bottom of Da trail and Hattock? I only ask as these were favourites a couple years back the last time I was there.
I watched a little video from one of the local companies (atlasrideco) about the off-piste issue. Apparantly (depsite what i said), it's not as bad as all seems, but there are some restrictions and the locals are trying to work with them.
@weeksy - yes, vignette needed, as you'll need to cross into Switzerland for the very last bit to the airport. It's £35-ish.
They make those things impossible to remove (and potentially move to another vehicle), so we'll be getting one in a month, when we head to Verbier for a week, before a fortnight in Morzine.
They make those things impossible to remove (and potentially move to another vehicle)
I imagine there's a possible trick involving invisiframe tape or similar.
do i need a Vignette ?
I've done this a couple of times and never bought a vignette, didn't think it was worth it to goa few k's into Switzerland and then back out. Not been caught so far.
You don't need a vignette if you go through Geneva rather than down the motorway.
I picked my lot up last year and to be honest it was a full day out for me. They're getting the bus this year, I'll be out riding that day!
Transfer is worth every penny.
Depends where you're going. I worked a few seasons in the Alps, spending a fair bit of that picking up clients from GVA, then heading back into France with them. The Swiss border guards are more checking for vignettes than anything else - they'll wave you over if they don't see one. We used to try to switch them around, especially if a van broke down, and we had to cover that with a rented one - it sometimes worked.
I hate to be a bummer but I've already heard reports from mates that bike theft is absolutely rampant in Morzine/Les Gets/ Samoens.
I heard that an entire towbar bike rack was removed from a car with a grinder and carried away because the bikes were locked onto the rack. This means that they're not just snatching and grabbing easy targets. My rack is staying at home again this year!
Take a lock and use it. When my bike is in the car boot it has a Kryptonite chain threaded through the frame and wheels and black sheet thrown over everything. It's invisible through the tinted windows. In the chalet I always make my bike the most difficult to get to and double up on chains and D-locks.
The bikes are insured but I'd still be gutted if my current dream bike went missing on a riding holiday.
We're are in Les Gets amnd Morzine for two weeks early August.
My son wants to take the DH bikes, but I think it might suit enduro more - but we don't get to ride the DH bikes as much as he'd like at home and he sees this as two weeks of riding them... I've never been to LG/Morzine, presume there's easily enough for DH bikes only (with maybe one or two days hiring enduro bikes to do a couple of the stunning looking bigger rides)?
To be fair to him, in the same position last year when we went to Les2Alpes we took DH bikes and never regretted it.
Im nto convinced there's enough just in LEs GEts/Morzine for out and out DH - you can head over Chatel really easily from Morzine and get some laps in there too. All of the trails are very much enduro bike capable and arguably you'd get a better experience.
A note on the Vignette and CH motorways - it’s now all digital, https://via.admin.ch/shop/config/evignette
I suspect this makes it harder to squeak through without the sticker, as its number plate recognition based.
My son wants to take the DH bikes, but I think it might suit enduro more - but we don't get to ride the DH bikes as much as he'd like at home and he sees this as two weeks of riding them... I've never been to LG/Morzine, presume there's easily enough for DH bikes only (with maybe one or two days hiring enduro bikes to do a couple of the stunning looking bigger rides)?
including the interconnected regions of champery, chatel, morgins all on the PDS lift pass its the biggest interconnected bike park in europe or possibly world. If there is any (non racing) reason for owning a DH bike its for a 2 week morzine trip!
Just take the DH bikes, or at least let Junior take his. You'll get more use in a week over there than a full season in the UK.
There's tonnes of stuff on Pleney and loads of cheeky trails between there and Les Gets which drop out onto the road. It's one of the best places in Europe to ride a DH bike and that's without touching any official trails. Mt Chery in Les Gets is good then add in Morgin, Chatel, Lindarets etc. plenty of stuff for a big bike.
It's pedalling the thing around town and between lifts that's the problem.
100% DH bike.
Im nto convinced there's enough just in LEs GEts/Morzine for out and out DH
🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣
There’s plenty of DH to ride in Les Gets Morzine and Chatel. Let him fill his boots.
if your enduro bike is really good and your DH bike is older then take your enduro bike. I reckon most modern enduro bikes are better than old DH bikes nowadays. But if you have a decent DH bike then ride that. Have a proper DH holiday. Loads to ride out there
Thanks all, appreciate all the replies. Easy decision then… 🙂
Anyone been out there yet and can report if there's any new trails to report? I last went two years ago. Know about the new Red opened last year from near the top of Seraussaix, anything else worth seeking out?
We are just back. The whole 'freeride exclusion zone' issue is somewhat overblown. We had a meeting with various official types and the reasons for restricting off piste on the Pleney side are pretty understandable when you realise lots of the unnoficial trails were dropping straight into the road between Les Gets and Morzine - other reasons are environmental where tracks have turned into raging channels of water triggering mud slides also it's tricky in these areas to get rescue access when you bin it. There's still loads of other options. Oh and Freeride = Off-Piste riding rather than any ban on a particular genre of bikes. We spent 5 days riding loads of stuff no where near the exclusion zones - we just had to ride a lttle further. If you just want off piste trails right off a lift then you may be dissapointed that you now have to ride a bit to find some (Heavens to Betsy!).
How are the exclusion zones designated and policed ?
lots a very small percentage of the unnoficial trails were dropping straight into the road between Les Gets and Morzine
Question about the Passportes Du Soleil route - a few of us were eyeing up the Sunday for this but in typically unorganised fashion we've missed the entry date.
If we were to join the route unofficially does anyone know it the standard lift pass covers you for the lifts they open specially for the PPDS? Or are the lifties looking for your entry number-wrist band and likely to say "non"?
I've admittedly lost interest in Morzine with all the off-piste closures and the rework to pleney black. They really were the defining feature of the place for my group. For machined bike park trails there's much better places in the alps that aren't savaged with braking bumps. The ease and access to the off-piste tracks was what made the place so good and losing ~80% of the pleney tracks after the supermorzine side was shut down a couple years back sucks. Currently Finalie or Les Arcs being discussed instead.
Just sorting last couple of bits for this weekend, including lift pass.
Seems you can add insurance via liftpass with Snowrisk. Is this a reasonable option versus a third party like Yellow Jersey? Price seems more attractive but little in the way of reviews or discussion here.
I'm not saying that I'm counting the days....but it's 23 days until I leave work and drive to Morzine in the Dadwagon GTi. (I might have an empty passenger seat if anyone wants to chip in for petrol)
There's currently weather warnings in place for extreme temperatures and thunderstorms. Videos show absolutely bone dry trails in danger of crumbling to dust.
Hopefully it cools down a bit. I also hope we get at least one day of torrential rain because bombing down Pleney in the mud is amazing.
30 days and counting for us. First proper MTB holiday without the kids and the wife is champing at the bit for DH runs and peace.
Just back - Was very dusty everywhere on Linderet, Chatel and Super morzine side, but whilst looking like killer front wheel wash out material actually had loads of grip. In the woods on the Les Gets side had a bit more residual moisture and made for lovely riding. Biggest let down was that one of my favourite lift-accessed but natural rides from the top of Mossettes (the section after the climb from Lac Vert down to join the built the blue under Chaux Flourie when hit hard and fast) has been flattened and ruined. Literally they've taken a double track grader to it...WTF!
Enjoyable fwe days (I'm still rubbish at jumps though).
I finish work in 3h then it's holiday time.. fly over on the 26th. Can't wait.
Weather is looking decidedly mixed. Sunday - Tuesday look stormy but then lovely after that. Fingers crossed that it's not too grim. I remember everything getting VERY slippery when it gets wet.
I'm looking forward to some mixed conditions. It's brutal riding in the sun all day and the marbly dust is fast but sketchy. It's much more enjoyable with a bit of moisture. Or pissing rain, doesn't bother me!
I'm finishing work today and starting a slow drive down tomorrow. I'll be there midday Saturday but mates arrive late in the evening so might not ride until Sunday. I'll still get at least 7 full days before the family arrive.
Got some new toys on the bike to try out. 155mm cranks and a wobbly chainring...
Rear tyre is on it's last legs. Hoping to pick up a DH casing replacement from somewhere.
Biggest let down was that one of my favourite lift-accessed but natural rides from the top of Mossettes (the section after the climb from Lac Vert down to join the built the blue under Chaux Flourie when hit hard and fast) has been flattened and ruined. Literally they've taken a double track grader to it...WTF!
Was that the trail which sort of starts from the small lake with the small cafe/restaurant in the stone building by it? We didn't ride that this year.
Biggest let down was that one of my favourite lift-accessed but natural rides from the top of Mossettes (the section after the climb from Lac Vert down to join the built the blue under Chaux Flourie when hit hard and fast) has been flattened and ruined. Literally they've taken a double track grader to it...WTF!
Was that the trail which sort of starts from the small lake with the small cafe/restaurant in the stone building by it? We didn't ride that this year, shame if it is.
I've admittedly lost interest in Morzine with all the off-piste closures and the rework to pleney black. They really were the defining feature of the place for my group. For machined bike park trails there's much better places in the alps that aren't savaged with braking bumps.
I was speaking to the Les Gets park manager (he was the first responder) whilst waiting for the chopper to lift one of our group out of 'Canyon' (he's 'OK' relatively speaking). We discussed the work that had been done this year (more than previous I'd noticed) and he said that natural was being replaced with flow as that's what the masses want (don't think he was all for it).
Last year that trail from Lac Vert had a massive rain gully down the middle of a large part of it, so I can see why they done some 'maintenance' to it.
A few years Mrs Ambrose broke her pelvis on the Linderets blue when her front wheel went out on the slippery clay. Not good.
Trail conditions look absolutely prime
Was that the trail which sort of starts from the small lake with the small cafe/restaurant in the stone building by it? We didn't ride that this year, shame if it is.
Yes that's the one. often used on passportes du soleil.
Bit soggy today - it's been pissing it down non-stop since 6pm last night.. we're eying it up thinking of a trip out in waterproofs but stoke levels are low!
Some of those trails are treacherous! Nothing like Aberdeenshire or Inners soil that gets grippier with a bit of moisture in it.
Bit soggy today - it's been pissing it down non-stop since 6pm last night.. we're eying it up thinking of a trip out in waterproofs but stoke levels are low!
Some of those trails are treacherous! Nothing like Aberdeenshire or Inners soil that gets grippier with a bit of moisture in it.
Spare wheels with spikes mounted are the order of the day, can save a washout holiday (if you get really unlucky)
Rest of the week looks lovely so not despairing too much. Not many bikes out in the town today.. may introduce our friends to Bar Robinson and plan great things for tomorrow 😀
Rest of the week looks lovely so not despairing too much. Not many bikes out in the town today.. may introduce our friends to Bar Robinson and plan great things for tomorrow 😀
Yeah we're due next Tues and it's looking a little ropey, but in truth i'm not sure i'll be riding that much anyway, i need a bit of a holiday, especially if we have some complete insanity coming up.
Planning on doing abit more exploring this year, What's near the morzine area that's good for a DH bike? I've read mixed reviews about someons recently
A few thoughts, having just got back from 2 weeks in Morzine, preceded by a week around Verbier:
The Charniaz chair gives an easy way up to the top of Les Gets (via two 'magic carpets, a short climb then a blue)
Getting back to Morzine from Les Gets is still awful - almost everyone just batters down the main road, as the trail back is so boring (and slow), and with the old off-piste options down into town now off-limits, it's not great.
It's bizarre that the 'Lindarets Connection' is still there - basically descending 300m vertical on a ski piste to get back from Chatel, or even Mossettes. Yup, most of the singletrack down from the refuge has been flattened, but it was rubbish anyway (sorry).
Plenty of new stuff found though - it helps to get out walking/running and explore, which I did and found some ace new stuff.
Annecdotally, heard via friends that some folk were stung with 1,500 Euro fines and lift passes confiscated after being caught riding some of the closed off stuff under Super-Morzine.
Lift queues around Super-Morzine are still eye-wateringly bad most days, but avoidable if you just head up to Pleney or drive up to Ardent and get in that way.
That guide book mentioned above is a complete waste of money - most of the tracks that go over to Switzerland are now closed (signs in place), or use lifts that no longer run. Some good bits found using it, but found better stuff just exploring around.
Rest of the week looks lovely so not despairing too much. Not many bikes out in the town today.. may introduce our friends to Bar Robinson and plan great things for tomorrow
It dries up quick in the open with only the really dark bits taking a couple of days. A bit of rain is quite nice if it had got to that slippy dust stage.
It's just cleaning everything that gets a bit tedious.
GavinB's write-up makes me so glad I went to Tignes. Weather's bloody freezing today but should be good tomorrow.
Annecdotally, heard via friends that some folk were stung with 1,500 Euro fines and lift passes confiscated after being caught riding some of the closed off stuff under Super-Morzine
People have been having run-ins with the law there for at least 20 years. Some of the best trails in the area are/were on that part of the hill but, IIRC, a large part of the problem is that extraction is really hard when someone cripples themselves
Annecdotally, heard via friends that some folk were stung with 1,500 Euro fines and lift passes confiscated after being caught riding some of the closed off stuff under Super-Morzine
People have been having run-ins with the law there for at least 20 years. Some of the best trails in the area are/were on that part of the hill but, IIRC, a large part of the problem is that extraction is really hard when someone cripples themselves
The problem is this year, they have ramped it up to 11. There was a lot of folklore over occasional run ins, but this year they have been actively patrolling.
As someone who has on & off ridden there for 20 years now it’s been interesting to see it evolve - sadly not in a positive way. The absolute lack of trail building & maintenance is about the only constant over that period. Sadly in recent times, the development of the area is just endless jump lines of varying size.
We probably had the last week before the ‘tape’ went up properly. There was a little area on the Les Gets retour, but that was it, by the time we left, the hillside was basically taped from the retour, down to 10%.
Thankfully, we stayed with friends & know a lot of other spots to ride, but I can see the writing on the wall with their current approach.
There are endless hidden gems still, even more with e-bikes now. I think in a week I rode one official trail, and that was one too much.
@thegeneralist - how’s Tignes this year, we used to really like it there, much more chilled and quiet a few really nice long runs from the top down to Val D’Isere and pint in the Marmot in the evening
I'm thinking of a couple of arguably daft rides, last year my mate did his collar bone so I rode the Eeb up to Avoriaz, but I'm thinking this time I may pedal the Trek Fuel up instead. It kinda defeats the point of the gnar, but saves me £35 and I get to train as well.
I didn't have any way of getting up to Ardent one day (and had a plan involving heading over to find a nice few trails over in Switzerland, so was committed to Super-Morzine lift). Queue was too big early on, so headed for two runs over on Pleney, then headed to back to the Super Morzine lift at 11:05, spent 30 mins to get on, 10 mins on the lift, to then find the queue up at Zore was back around the back of the Super Morzine top station! 
**** that!
Anyone out here and would like to buy a 2 day non-consecutive adult bike pass? €55.
My son has done his scaphoid so we can claim for his unused days but my wife doesn’t want to ride anymore and they don’t do refunds (understandably).
Email me on my profile name with 76 at the end then hotmail.co.uk
I've been thinking about Morzine/Les Gets for a few days early season next summer when mini DBW #000001 has finished his GCSEs but none of the above is really making me want to go. Maybe Verbier/Aosta (again) is a better bet for stuff thats not flat out bike park trails??? When does the season start in the area? Assume its quiet still June???
Verbier doesn't open fully until early July, but before that the Medrans lift runs a few times per day. I've done it without the other lifts being open, but we did need some uplift help as well as good legs, as we then climbed back out from Vallon d'Arbi etc.
Morzine area makes loads of sense for bike park stuff (obvs), which is why we go there so that our boys can blat around all day long on the Pleney, Super Morzine, Chatel etc, but if you want singletrack, I'd go elsewhere, which is why we preceded it with a week in Verbier area.
I quite fancy riding Aosta area incl Cervinia/Zermatt, linking it with Verbier and then possibly over pass to La Rossiere and do a bit of riding around Tignes, plus anywhere else we can think of. (whether I can persuade my boys is another matter)
What about Tignes? It’s quieter and more chilled and there are some nice long trails all the way down to the bottom.
Anyone out here and would like to buy a 2 day non-consecutive adult bike pass? €55.
My son has done his scaphoid so we can claim for his unused days but my wife doesn’t want to ride anymore and they don’t do refunds (understandably).
Email me on my profile name with 76 at the end then hotmail.co.uk
Emailed @lister
In Morzine with the e-bikes and looking for some kind of longer loop we could do to give ourselves a break from park laps.
any recommendations?
