Chalet Chardon, Les Gets, Portes du Soleil

The Ski-ing:

Ski Out, Ski In:

(For larger versions of this picture, click here for 66K or 300K versions)

The chalet’s location is a perfect combination of amenity and (ski-ing) convenience. A level walk of around 150m (usually possible wearing your skis) brings you to a (ski-able) path leading down across the piste to the bottom of the six-man chair (the former 4-man chair, upgraded for 03/04!) and bubble, which are the main lifts up from the village to the Chavannes area. (See pink "Ski Out" path on map above.) At the end of the day, there is a choice of routes back to the vicinity of the school, which lies just off the edge of a blue piste. In normal snow conditions, it is possible to ski down the side of the road from the school, right to the front door of the chalet! (See the red "Ski In" path on map above.)

Local Ski-ing:

(To see the Les Gets/Morzine piste map, showing the position of Chalet Chardon, click here for a low-resolution copy (44k) or here for a high-resolution copy (200K)

The local ski-ing on the Les Gets/Morzine ski-pass consists of around 50 lifts and 80 pistes, mostly graded Blue and Red, with eight Black runs. Altitudes range from 1000m to just over 2000m. Lifts are modern (no T-bars!!), with one totally new, and two upgraded 6-man chairs for the 03/04 season. The ski-ing is largely below the tree-line, and is interesting and varied, with many spectacular views of Mt Blanc. Ideally suited to intermediate skiers, Les Gets is also excellent for beginners and progressing skiers. It is very easy for a group of mixed ability to ski together, with many restaurants, for instance, accessible for beginners or non-skiers to meet up with their more experienced friends. We believe the area covered by this local pass will satisfy the typical intermediate recreational skier on a week’s holiday, without needing to venture further. A 6-day Adult pass is Euro128 (approx £85) in the 03/04 season. Ski passes can be pre-booked on-line: Full Les Gets/Morzine ski-pass price list.

However, for the keen skier, the Portes du Soleil ski-pass gives unlimited access to 650km of pistes and over 220 lifts. The links into this vast area can be made entirely on skis, or by driving round to some of the other resorts; Ardent, the "back door" access into Avoriaz and Chatel, is 20mins drive, or about 11/2hrs on skis. It takes under 2hr on skis to reach the Swiss border at the top of the Mossette chair, 2280m. A 6-day Portes du Soleil ski-pass is Euro 171 (£approx £120) in the 03/04 season. Full Portes Du Soleil ski-pass price list. (If this link fails, navigate to it via the root Portes du Soleil Website)

Don’t be put off by the relatively low altitude of the ski-ing in Les Gets and the Portes du Soleil. The track record for ski-able snow is much better than in many of the higher, supposedly "snow-sure" resorts. There are several reasons for this. Firstly, the base under the piste is grass, not rocks, so a few cm of snow is enough to ski on without ruining your skis. Secondly, there are now snow-makers covering most of the main lower slopes. And thirdly, the piste management is superb.

There are plenty of mountain restaurants, mostly small and family run, offering good table-served food at reasonable prices.

There are several ski-schools with English-speaking instructors, including the British Alpine Ski-School.