[Closed] rain in morzine

How long is a piece of string ? Its the mountains so weather is variable, we've had hailstones the size of 5p pieces. When it rains its biblical and the mud is extraordinary. It does drain quickly once the sun comes out.

There's a good chance you'll see some rain. I've been going to Les Contamines nearby every year for eight years and there's always some rain at some point. Sometimes you're lucky and have a week with nothing much more than an afternoon storm or two, and sometimes it can rain pretty solid for three days. It's also pretty cold up top, so take a good mix of gear and even if it's hot and sunny in the valley it pays to take a waterproof and a warmer layer with you if you can carry it. Enjoy the trails and the views, they are spectacular.

I've had weeks when it poured every single day, thankfully at least it stopped around lunchtime each day and the trails were dry by the time the lifts closed, and I've had weeks when it was bone dry all week. Neither is optimal really.

You'd be a fool to turn up only equipped for dry riding - it rains there awful lot.

Mountain weather, could be anything from snow to 35+ degrees. Prepare for it all and hope for endless dust.

Yes....or not....but probably....maybe, I think.

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If it does rain, then don't worry, it's still fun tankslapping your way down the hill and when (if) it stops, it'll be boners dry in a couple of hours.

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.....taken moments before a friendly Australian man hosed my ass.

[url= http://www.holiday-weather.com/morzine/averages/ ]Morzine Weather Averages [/url]

If you've not had to jetwash your backside before they will let you on the lift then you've not experienced Morzine.

We've been there 5times?

First time it poured, for weeks and stopped on the morning that we arrived. Then every evening there were beautiful electrical storms that we sat on the balcony and drank beer to silently admiring.

One year we were caught out mid descent and had to squat in the middle of the French DH waiting and watching. Beautiful, it's not cold after all.

Mostly though it's rained during the night then cleared by the am steaming off the tarmac and grass etc.

I've been on the long exposed wire lift over to Switzerland and suddenly it's sped right up as there's a storm closing in quick!

One day I was on my own between Switzerland and Avoriaz (top of Swiss DH?) and it opened up yet I didn't care.

Any days it does rain heavy just treat as a rest day.

Rain there is different IMO, it's warm and you ain't on a rare day off.

Enjoy, jealous of Manchester.

I've had some amazing runs in Morzine and Les Gets in torrential rain. As said it's warmer, it usually doesn't last and the trails are steep enough to keep the speed up. I've got some Maxxis Shorty's ready for Crankworx and hopefully I get some sloppy runs.

It's also amazing sitting on a balcony watching the thunderstorms. The last one I saw sounded like bombs going off. I've never seen a room full of grown men jump out of their skin.

If you've not had to jetwash your backside before they will let you on the lift then you've not experienced Morzine.

Joking aside OP its good to take a few chnages of socks / shorts as aside from the smell you'll never dry soaked kit in time for next days ride. Also take care as rocks and roots are lethal in Alps rain.

I was there for 3 weeks last year and it didn't rain once.

I've been in prior years where it's rained every day

It's a complete lottery

Get a helmet wetcap that way your visor+full face keeps you feeling dry?..

As I was once told by a pretty lift attendant in Les Gets:

"Make sure it is clean before you put it in......"

She was talking about my bike in the lift of course.

Morzine rain was the reason I owned a fox boil in the bag race jacket... They were 15 euro and worth every cent. Also take all your gloves, and probably buy some more

Take a clothes line/dozen pegs, saved me from having to put on wet kit more than once.

It's also pretty cold up top, so take a good mix of gear and even if it's hot and sunny in the valley it pays to take a waterproof and a warmer layer with you if you can carry it. Enjoy the trails and the views, they are spectacular.

This.

I have distinct memories of boarding open chairlifts in the Morzine / Les gets area, basking in sunshine with only a light top and body armour on, to then being pelted by snow, in dense fog, about 20 minutes into the journey! 😕

/aside, in the year where it rained nonstop in morzine and everyone cried about it on the internet, we were drowing in dust a wee bit further south. Point of this is, it's about 2 hours drive to Pila and La Thuile and they're basically in a different climate, on the other side of mont blonk. (other places exist, that's just one I know) if you're driving then you can just avoid rain sometimes, big mountains can mean big but localised weather.

As others have said "it's the mountains", I was in the pointy bits of Europe all summer in 2007 and got caught in massive thunderstorms in Garda, Slovenia and Provence.

Always worth keeping a proper waterproof and spare gloves in the bottom of your pack.

2 years ago in Courchevel in July it rained pretty much relentlessly for 3 days. Last year it only rained a bit while we were there. This week they have snow.

It's the mountains, the weather is variable. But it's also mid-France in July so the weather is generally good.

I've been there a few times:

2005 - it had rained the week before us but no rain our week and bone dry trails, temp was in the high 20's
2006 - thunderstorms in the evenings but bone dry trails all week, temp was in the high 20's
2014 - dry trails for one day then rained for a week and trails were unrideable, temp was in the mid-teens
2015 - bone dry all week, uncomfortably hot in body armour and full facer reaching 42 degrees for extended periods

you pays yer money and you takes yer choice.

Take a light rain jacket and plenty of clothes. if they don't get wet they will stink of sweat so you need multiple shorts, tops etc.

Still getting fresh snow above 2000m this week! The weather changes constantly so just be ready for anything!

Last time I was there it rained so heavily my tyres wouldn't turn due to the mud clog...I also caught hypothermia on one of the chair lifts and ended up with shingles 2 weeks later....

Its nice when its sunny but...

if you're driving then you can just avoid rain sometimes, big mountains can mean big but localised weather.

I've got some Maxxis Shorty's ready for Crankworx and hopefully I get some sloppy runs.

You'll find you'll really want Wet Screams when it gets proper wet over there.

Also, if you have a second pair of shoes - take them! No one enjoys cold, wet shoes in the morning

No one enjoys cold, wet shoes in the morning

I hate the feel of cold, wet shoes in the morning; feels like misery

@ddmonkey, indeed beautiful sunny trail pictures from Bike Verbier recently and the Bike Park showing new snow there this week !

@Northwind yes, what he says

This will be my sixth year in Morzine and it's only rained for half a day once,it's always the second week in July that we go. My friend went two year ago for the fortnight before us and it rained every day

The thunderstorms are all time, just amazing.

It rained early evening or at night when I was there.

The last time I went MTBing in Morzine was 2010. It rained every day. We were camping. It was a bit grim. Thankfully the sun came out on the last day, so we could bail out the foot of water that had accumulated in my tent in the dry. Bliss.

Definitely take some mud tyres.

My tip for coping with cold wet shoes on holiday: take loads of extra thick or woolly socks, so that you can put a pair on and walk round in your wet shoes for half an hour to absorb most of the moisture, then change into dry socks for your ride. Pointless if it's already tipping down though!

Vickypea, try using baby's nappies they are the best for soaking up moisture, just suff them in your shoes on the night after riding.

Take at least a front spare mud tyre. Pricey over there aren't they