Pass Portes 2024 – Event that marks begining of bike season in the Alps

In 2024 season we returned to the Portes du Soleil region, which is mainly known as the area of largest bike park in Europe. This is where such legendary places as Chatel, Les Gets, Champery and others are located, connected by a whole network of bike trails. This time we came here at the end of June to take part in the official opening of the summer season. Pass’Portes du Soleil is a three-day event during which participants from almost 30 countries travel on MTB, e-MTB or gravel bikes, ride on specially marked routes that show the potential of places on the French-Swiss border. Find out why you should come to this event in the coming years!

Pass’Portes du Soleil – what is all about?

Let’s start by explaining exactly what the Pass’Portes du Soleil event is all about. It is a sign of the opening of the full summer season in the Portes du Soleil region. It is from this event that all bike parks and cable cars starts to operate daily, both on the French and Swiss sides of the border. In 2024, it took place between June 28 and 30, so it included Friday, Saturday and Sunday. During the event, participants can go thru marked routes in four different ways: by MTB, E-MTB, gravel bike or on foot. It is not a race, but simply an event to present this amazing area and show us what it has to offer. There was also a short trip with attractions for the younger participants, called Pass Portes Kids. Each group had its own loop marked in the terrain. To give you the opportunity to explore the entire vast Alpine region bordering France and Switzerland, the trips were supported by lifts. They allowed us to overcome most of the climbs, giving us the opportunity to continue on traverses, ridges, but mostly pleasant descents. There were also food stops for all participants. They could try local specialties – cheese, chocolate and other delicacies. But that’s not all.

The MTB Exhibition also took place in Chatel, during which exhibitors from various bicycle companies presented their products. There was also an opportunity to test bikes of various brands. However, the biggest attraction were the shows of the famous trail rider, Danny MacAskill, as part of his Drop and Roll Tour. For two days you could admire the stunts that Danny and his team did on their bikes, give them a high five and take photos. Pass’Portes du Soleil is therefore not only an event that aims to show the potential of this cross-border region, but also to integrate the people from different places. This is a kind of beginning of the Alpine biking season. The event is organized every year, and we had the opportunity to participate in the 20th (!) anniversary edition.

Three days full of activities

Pass Portes du Soleil is not a competition, there is no time measurement. It’s simply about spending good time outdoors and showing the possibilities offered by the great network of routes and bike trails in the Portes du Soleil region. Each group has its own route to follow, but there are no checkpoints at which we have to appear. These are simply variants of the loops proposed by the organizers, which we, as participants, can freely modify. Along each route there are food stops where we can try local delicacies, with each region serving its own speciality. I had the opportunity to check two different variants of Pass Portes. I mainly focused on the classic MTB variant, but on the last day of the event I decided to take also the E-Pass Portes trip intended for E-bikes.

Pass Portes MTB – Classic mountain bike variant

Pass Portes MTB, it was from this classic bike variant that the entire event was created 20 years ago. The route planned for 2024 passed through all the resorts of the region. On the French side: Morzine, Les Gets, Avoriaz, Montriond and Chatel, and on the Swiss side: Morgins, Champery and Les Crosets. In total, there are 80 km of bike trails to ride with a total of 5,700 meters of elevation to ride down. Climbing is done mainly by the use of 13 different lifts, but there is still about 720 meters of elevation gain along the entire route to climb on your own. The starting points for Pass Portes MTB are the centers of every resort in the region. To relieve the crowd, there is no one common start for everyone. This is a huge event, attended by a total of almost 8,500 people in 2024. On the days of the event, in order for everything to go smoothly, the operation of all ski lifts and cable cars is extended and you can start your adventure with Pass Portes MTB as early as 7:30 a.m. The lifts are working until 6 p.m., and if for some reason someone couldn’t make it, special buses with bike trailers ran between the main resorts after 7 p.m.

My Pass Portes MTB 2024: Chatel – Morgins

Taking into account the extended hours and the main climbs taken care of by lifts, I initially thought that I would be able to do the entire grand loop in one day. On Friday, I arrived in Chatel very early, and I started here my adventure with the Pass Portes MTB route. However, it quickly turned out that the promised beautiful weather attracted quite a crowd and unfortunately I had to wait in line in the morning. Fortunately, Portes du Soleil crew perfected the transport of bikers here and, despite the long queue, everything went smoothly. From the Super Chatel gondola, I had to pedal up to the border with Switzerland. Then by some incredibly scenic singletracks, coneected with short asphalt and gravel parts, I’ve descended to Morgins. We circled around the town itself along interesting forest single trails and went straight to the gondola lift of the Morgins Bike Park, which is new for this season.

Morgins – Champousin – Champery

In Morgins we had to queue for a while again. However, I quickly forgot about it, because lift took me straight to an amazing viewpoint of the snow-capped Swiss peaks. Another scenic single track combined with pleasant gravel roads took me to Champousin. There was first food stop form me, which had everything needed for a short rest. Rostis Valaisans as a local delicacy, plus cheeses, cold meats, baguettes, chocolates, almonds, juices, water, isotonic drinks, beer and much more. Pass Portes participants have all this included in the price of their participation. Only beer is limited to 3 per day. From Champousin, the next lift took me to a scenic ridge with a beautiful traversing single track. It required some strength on the uphills but difintely worth the effort. Then the route went by gravel and asphalt roads to Champery town. But to make things more interesting, bikers who wanted more demanding trail could choose the official Pass Portes DH variant, which was one of the local bike park trails. Of course, I chose the more interesting descent and rode by the Sundance trail which was demanding but really cool.

Champery – Les Crosets – Lindarets

In Champery, there was another food stop. Here the Raclette specialty was served. Even though I wasn’t hungry after the last stop, I couldn’t ignore the specially melted local cheese with potatoes. Already then I knew that propably I will give up on rushing ahead and do the entire loop in one day. The whole event encourages You to relax, and not to hurry to much. It is more focused on enjoying the views and trying local delicacies, rather than just riding for more kilometers. There was also definitely no point in taking 2 large water bottles and a supply of energy bars. Everything You need is one the way. The cable car at Champery, which is an attraction itself, took me straight to the Les Crosets bike park. There you could again go down the easy, gravel road or bike park DH variant. I of course went thru nice Les Crosets trail. Then the next lift took us to the mountain pass towards France. From there I took a very scenic and long single trail down straight to the Les Lindarets valley.

Lindarets – Avoriaz – Chatel

In the Les Lindarets valley, another food stop was placed. I decided that I was too full to try the local Tartiflette and after some drink I took the ski lift towards Avoriaz. Unfortunately, it turned out that on the earlier descent I rode a bit to hard on the rocks and I’ve cut the rear tire. The sealant tried to deal with it, but the air was slowly leaking out all the time. This spoiled a bit the fun in the well-shaped berms of the Avoriaz bike park. Fortunately, a pump and tools are available at each lift. However, I definitely decided that I would not make a full Pass Portes MTB loop that day, but will turn back to Chatel at this point. Especially since at 6 p.m. I had to be ready at starting point for the next attraction of Pass Portes 2024, the Sigma Night Ride. On the way to Chatel, I had to ride mostly nice floew trails of the Avoriaz and Chatel bike parks, and then traverse the gravel road back to my starting point at town of Chatel. My first day on the Pass Portes MTB Loop covered over 71 km of distance and almost 4,000 meters of elevation, including the lifts.

Chatel – Night Ride by Sigma

Night ride, was an additional activity during the Pass Portes 2024 festival. It was sponsored by Sigma, which also provided lighting for the descent in the dark. Initially, I was wondering why the meeting took place already at 6 p.m., when at this time of year it didn’t get dark until after 9:30 p.m. The Super Chatel gondola took us up quickly above the city. There, at the upper station, we had snacks, a barbecue and beer. After more local delicacies, there was dessert and it was good that we still had a some time to digest it all. When it finally got dark, our group of over 30 people started down the scenic traversing trail towards the illuminated town of Chatel. Amazing atmosphere and an interesting route that positively surprised. I expected rather easy gravel roads, but it was a very pleasant single trail with a few technical and steep moments. We finished the 6 km descent, well after 10 p.m. All in all, it was a very ambitious day, full of good riding, amazing views and… food.

Les Gets – Morzine – Avoriaz – Morzine – Les Gets

The next day of course I wanted to complete the entire MTB Pass Portes route. This time I started from Les Gets, where that day my wife was also setting off on her variant of the walking Pass Portes Pedestre variant. From the main lift at Les Gets, Pass Portes MTB followed a nice link trail towards Morzine. A pleasant, very long bike park style descent took me straight to the city center, where another food stop was set up. Here you could try amazing chocolate fondue. To complete the Pass Portes MTB route, I took the Super Morzine and Zore lifts to the trails of the Avoriaz bike park. In the upper part I chose the DH variant again, and went on the “Da Trail” route, which is one of my favorites here. Then Pass Portes marked route took a long and very varied descent to the valley and then back to Morzine. The last stage on the Pass Portes MTB course for me was to ride up by the Le Pleney gondola and ride down the connector trail back to the town of Les Gets. There, of course, was held another food stop with a grilled sausages and beer. A perfect finish to my ride at the Pass Portes MTB course.

E-Pass Portes MTB – E-Bike variant

In the classic Pass Portes MTB route it was also possible to ride an e-bike without any problems, and many people did it like this. However, in order to use the full potential of the E-bike, an alternative route was created. I found this to be a great opportunity because it takes participants, beyond the most known trails and bike parks. E-bike route shows slightly different and less known areas of the Portes du Soleil region. On the 3rd day of the event, thanks to the Morzine tourist organization, I was equipped with an electric Mondraker bike and set off for another ride.

Unfortunately, Sunday brought us rain and clouds. It rained all night and it did not encourage me to go out early in the morning. There were 3 different variants to choose from: 40, 60 or 106 km of distance. Like standard Pass Portes MTB, it was also partially supported by the lifts, but also there were uphills where the power of the e-bike came in handy. Along this route there are also set additional charging points. I decided on to go with the middle distance variant, and to start my E-MTB loop in Morzine. From there I quickly got to Les Gets. This part of the marked route was the same with the classic Pass Portes MTB variant. After getting to know with the mud and having a beer at the Les Gets food stop, I headed to the next part of E-Pass Portes MTB route.

Les Gets – Mont Cherry – Graydon

From Les Gets the E-MTB route took me via gondola lift to the area of ​​Mont Chery. The course did not go thru the very top, but circled the peak. First it went on gravel road, and then on a very interesting single track that descended to the Col de l’Encrenaz pass. From there, route climbed to the Col de la Basse pass, and descend along a nice path towards Les Praz. The conditions that day were very wet and demanding. It was difficult to brake on the steep slopes, but all in all it was great fun. The next descent was a very nice, build up trail towards Le Plan de Criou. I would love to come back here someday in dry conditions and with better visibility. After this interesting mix of gravel roads, paths and single trails, I reached the Graydon Valley and the charming small town where the food point was organized. Warm food and drinks definitely came in handy that day.

Graydon – Saint Jean d’Aulps – Lac de Montriond

After leaving Graydon, I had to climb through the ski resort on the slopes of La Grande Terche and then descended to the town of Saint Jean d’Aulps. In the valley, the E Pass Portes route avoided the main roads nicely and went thru nice single tracks along the river. These smaller paths took me to the town of Montriond from where I headed towards Lac De Montriond. The rain stopped and the clouds created, awesome view and an amazing atmosphere there. On the way, I passed several specially marked storm shelters, but fortunately I didn’t need to use them.

Lac de Montriond – Avoriaz – Morzine

From the lake I had to climb to the Les Lindarets valley. After a bit of a muddy uphill, I decided to go up by gondola. I reached Lindarets quite late, but the food stop still served everything I needed to gain some energy. From there I took the ski lift to Avoriaz. I had some fun on the Avoriaz bike park trails, and then went down the gravel road to the valley and single track along the river, to go back to Morzine. For the finish I had a delicious chocolate Fondue, which marked the end of my E-Pass Portes course. In total, that day I covered over 62 km of distance and over 2,800 meters of elevation. Wet and muddy, but smiling and happy that I could also see the less know places and trails of the Portes du Soleil region.

My impressions after Pass Portes MTB

Overall, the idea of ​​Pass’Portes du Soleil appeals to me strongly. Personally, I really like events that focus on exploration and are available not only to advanced riders or compettitive ones, but to all cyclists. There is no competition here and it is a typical event intended mostly to encourage people to get out and ride a bike. The vast majority of participants were simply groups of friends who covered the whole route together, enjoyed beautiful views and ate and drank local delicacies. Very similar, relaxed atmosphere to the Great Days Festival in Livigno or Trans Julius adventure in Slovenia. As I can see from the turnout, this convention works and even on those bad weather days, I could see a lot of people on bikes everywhere. After all, almost 8500 people from 30 different countries took part in this years 3-day event!

Undoubtedly, this event is an ideal moment to get to know the Portes du Soleil region. With Pass Portes You can visit its most beautiful and recognizable places and also ride and integrate with people from different countries. Even if you have never been to Portes du Soleil, you can go blindly and the event will show you the diversity of the region. If you already know the area, you may see or try something new, as every year there are some new trails or additions to the extensive trail network. Also if you have planned your stay in this area at a different time, you can simply go to the Pass Portes du Soleil website, download the GPS track from the route you are interested in. You can do it whenever you want, only without official food stops. I also had the opportunity to talk to other participants of Pass Portes MTB 2024 and for many of them it was already the 2nd, 5th or even 6th edition and they still have a lot of joy and fun from this event. Many people treat Pass Portes simply as a symbol of the beginning of the season in the high Alps. Also it is an ideal warm-up before typical bike park riding. I also used Pass Portes MTB as a warm up because it was just the beginning of my visit to the Portes du Soleil region. Soon on the 43ride website you will find fresh articles about every bike park located in this region.

Pass Portes MTB du Soleil – For who and what bike is needed?

The Pass Portes event is aimed at the largest possible group of people. The main MTB course leads along quite easy trails, but you must remember that this is mountain style riding and not all trails are smoothened flow trails. There are a few technical sections along the way, but anyone riding a mountain bike at natural style paths should be able to handle them with ease. The vast majority of trails are smoothened and prepared especiall for bikes. I saw many people riding the XC style hardtails, on the other hand I also saw a few downhill bikes. The best choice for Pass Portes MTB will definitely be a full suspension trail bike. You doesn’t need an enduro or other long travel to deal with easiest variants. Efficient gearing will definitely come in handy here, because even though most of the elevation gain is covered by lifts, sometimes you also need to make some effort to ride uphill. Especially on the route leading through the Swiss part of the region sometimes requires a lot of pedaling. A lot of people did the classic MTB loop on E-bikes, it is absolutely allowed and power-assisted bikes ale also allowed to transport on all of the lifts at Portes du Soleil region. If someone is still concerned about their technical skills, they can always choose the Pass Portes Gravel variant, which sticks to asphalt and gravel roads. For the youngest, a Pass Portes Kids variant has also been prepared. On the other hand, those advanced riders must think about Pass Portes MTB with cruising in mind rather than racing against the clock. The good news for those faster riders is that when riding the route through bike parks, you can always choose DH variants, and those trails can deliver a lot of fun.

Pass’Portes du Soleil – practical information

• Pass’Portes takes place at the beginning of the high summer season, on the French-Swiss border. The exact date of the event is announced in advance on the official website of the project. On the website you will also find route maps and all necessary information regarding the collection of packages, food stops, etc. The 2024 edition was the 20th edition in the history of this event.
• Participation in the event is subject to payment. Pass’Portes du Soleil MTB and ePass’Portes in 2024 cost was €68. This amount included: a starting number, a lift ticket for all day, the possibility to use all of the food stops with all local dishes, and also some gadgets from the region. Pass’Portes Pédestre costs €17. There was also a Pass’Portes Kids option: €30. It included practically the same as the MTB version, but there was also a day of riding with an instructor.
• Sigma Night Ride was an additional event at Pass Portes 2024. The cost was €10, and it covered renting the lights, barbecue and drinks at top station while waiting for sunset, and proffesional guidance on descent.
• If you are interested in the idea of ​​participating, it is worth signing up in advance. The numbers of participants must be limited at some days.
• The idea of ​​the event is that everyone completes the routes at their own pace. However, there is one requirement to start the trip between 7:30 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. (in the event of poor forecasts, e.g. probability of storms, the hours may be changed to earlier). The loops are designed so that they can be shortened or lengthened as desired. There are no checkpoints here, complete freedom of where to go, but main trail is in one way direction. I’ve divided Pass’Portes du Soleil MTB over two days (on the first day I did a classic MTB route and in the afternoon took part in a night ride with Chatel). On the third day, I went for e-bike variant. So it’s not a race, there’s no competition, it’s just good fun.
• Free buses were operated throughout the event. Firstly, as a backup for those who, for technical or fitness reasons, could not return to the starting point. Additionally, they connected the most important resorts, e.g. Morzine with Chatel. So you could not move the car to get from one place to another. Most of buses is runing with special bicycle trailers.
• The entire event is prepared at a high level. Each loop has its own, clear markings in different colourways. In addition to food points, there are also more first aid points, or special shelters designated in case of storm or rain. On the course I also saw a lot of service people on the trails, who are always willing to help. Despite the enormity of the project and its spread over a huge area, as the participant I feelt very well taken care of.

This article and materials were created in cooperation with tourist organizations of: Morzine, Chatel, Les Gets, Avoriaz and Region Dents du Midi. Thank you for your help, support, all recommendations and time spent with you!

More materials about Portes du Soleil region:

• 43ride: Morzine i Avoriaz Bike Park
• 43ride: Les Gets i Le Pleney
• 43ride: Chatel bike park
• 43ride: Champery and Les Crosets bike park
• 43ride: Morgins bike park
• Travel Blog Bałkany rudej (only in PL) – Chatel rowerowo, biegowo i kulinarnie
• Travel Blog Bałkany rudej (only in PL) – Jak zaplanować aktywny urlop w Morzine? Praktykalia!
• Travel Blog Bałkany rudej (only in PL) – Atrakcje Morzine i okolic – przyrodnicze cuda i punkty widokowe
• Travel Blog Bałkany rudej (only in PL) – Morzine aktywnie: jazda w bike parkach, bieganie, trekkingi