The French resort Morzine is often named as the largest bike park in Europe. Facts and figures are certainly impressive, because the place consists of such legendary places as: Les Gets, Chatel, Avoriaz, Le Pleney or Champery. Together all of this places offer over 600 km of bike trails served by 25 lifts. However, does this size and popularity come with quality ride? Is a week of time enough to get to know such an extensive network of trails? During the trip we have collected so much French impressions and materials that the report from the spot will be divided into 3 parts. Today I invite you to the first part dedicated to our stay in the city of Morzine and ride at the Avoriaz bike park.
Portes du Soleil – France and Switzerland
The town of Morzine is located in the heart of the French Alps, close to the Swiss border. Its lower part lies in a deep valley, at an altitude of about 1,000 m above sea level, and the upper part, Avoriaz, at 1,800 m above sea level. Together they create the largest resort in the area and it is the heart of the Portes du Soleil region. In winter, it brings together a total of 12 different resorts, which are operated by 208 lifts combined into one masive system of ski slopes. In summer, these areas are dominated by bikers who can use the entire network of bike trails in places such as Les Gets, Le Pleney, Avoriaz, Chatel, Les Crosets, Champery and Morgins with one pass. The last three are located in Switzerland.
Morzine – The city
I went to Morzine with my wife. The city was our starting point for exploring the region and its possibilities. Thanks to its middle location between Les Gets and Chatel it allows easy access to most of bike trails. With the help of lifts and connecting routes, you can easily get to Chatel and to Swiss resorts by bike and without driving the car. The city itself offers absolutely everything you need during your holiday. There are shops, restaurants, bars, accommodation of various standards, a swimming pool and many other attractions. When it comes to biking topics, you will find here a lot of well-stocked bike shops, bike mechanics, bike rentals, and even the European headquarters of the Santa Cruz bikes with a room dedicated to the Syndicate team. Straight from the city center two different lifts start towards the bike parks Avoriaz/Chatel/Switzerland or Le Pleney/Les Gets. In short, Morzine it’s the perfect base from which You can explore the Portes du Soleil region by bike.
Morzine – Our trip
It was our first trip to this region and to France in general, so everything was new for us. We went to Morzine from Poland by car. We divided the long road from Warsaw into 2 days of driving, so that we could also see something while passing through Switzerland. In Morzine, we stayed in an apartment located on the main street and less than a kilometer from the very center of city and the gondola lifts. We spent a little over a week there, trying to see as much as possible. I had a 6-day bike pass for the entire Portes du Soleil region. My wife at that time explored the area by hiking and trail running. We supplemented our activities with scenic trips around the area. Our visit was at the last week of August. It was still the high summer season, but in reality there were no excessive crowds or queues to the lifts. We hit the incredible heat wave in France and during the first 6 days of our stay, the temperatures even high in the mountains exceeded 40 degrees during the day. The first single drops of rain fell only on the last day of the ride. The sky was mostly sunny, only occasionally covered with a few clouds. Below is a short video summarizing the entire trip.
Super Morzine – Avoriaz Bike Park
Asking friends who had already ridden in the Morzine region, I tried to verify where to go on the first day to warm up and get acquainted with the french trails. The choice quickly fell on Avoriaz Bike Park. It is one of the largest of Portes du Soleil bike parks and includes 18 trails of varying difficulty, serviced by 5 lifts. From our apartment in Morzine, I just needed to pedal for couple minutes to the Super Morzine gondola and a moment later I found myself at the Zore lift, along which the most popular trails of this bike park are located.
Avoriaz Bike Park – Zore / Super Morzine – Blue Trails
The Super Morzine Zone includes trails along the Zore chairlift. The terrain here is a relatively gently sloping mountain ridge, which the builders and shapers made good use of by creating a network of flow trails. I started my adventure with French trails with those marked in blue color. So Cap Canaveral and Tutti Frutti were my first choice. Both are twisted flow lines with plenty of table jumps and options to take off from the ground. The trails are smooth and very good for warming up, to get the flow. But by the popularity of these two main trails, there were bumps on some sections. Coming here, especially closer to the end of a season I already knew that they will be here, so it was no surprise. Shaping crews tried to fix some parts of the trails but it was so dry and dusty at that time, that it was hard do bring the propper shape. All in all it wasn’t that bad and definitely all the trails been ridable. Of the two blue trails at Zore, Cap Canaveral was in better condition and I could do a propper warm up on it. In its middle section there is also an option to go for the short air-line with larger jumps called La Grosse Berth.
Avoriaz Bike Park – Zore / Super Morzine – Red and Black Trails
After the warm-up on the blue variants, it was time for the trails marked as red. While Racines Carree somehow did not charm me, I loved the Da Trail variant. Tight and technical, but sometimes also fast descent with great profiled turns mixed with some roots sections and a few small transfers. A great ride that quickly rise my appetite for more. I had yet to check Hattock trail marked as black. It turned out to be my absolute favorite when it comes to Avoriaz Bike Park. The route is a mix of large flights with a nice DH style segments thru the roots. There’s a little bit of everything here, from tight corners, through interesting jump sections, to steep and technical traverses. Good fun from start to finish. After unlocking all the obstacles on Hattock, I decided that I need to cool down for a while and it is a good moment to go and explore other zones of Bike Park Avoriaz.
Avoriaz Bike Park – Seraussaix – Stand High Patrol
From the upper station of the Zore lift, you can quickly reach other zones of the Avoriaz bike park. I could immediately go down the green variant, but I decided that I prefer to pedal a few meters and ride up to the blue trail called Stand High Patrol. After a few meeters on it, I realized that this was not such some simple touring or connector variant. If you let go of the brakes, you can have very good fun on various jumps and turns. There is even a wooden drop or an interesting step-up on the way. I think some bike parks could classify this trail as red, although of course all obstacles could be simply ridden thru or detoured. You can see that there are fewer bikers here than in the Zore / Super Morzine zone and the trail was in much better condition than the previous blue flow trails. The Stand High Patrol variant surprised me very positively and encouraged me to explore further zones of Avoriaz bike park. So I took the Proclou ski lift towards the Lindarets area.
Avoriaz Bike Park – Lindarets – Bleue des Brochaux
From the upper station of the Proclou ski lift there are beautiful views of the entire Avoriaz and the Alpine valley of Lindarets. I decided to explore further and went for a ride into the valley along the blue Bleue des Brochaux trail. This flowtrail showed a slightly more high-alpine single trail character. There were more rocks on the way . The views was amazing, but ride not as smooth as on the earlier descent. So I decided it was time for something more difficult.
Avoriaz Bike Park – Lindarets – Coupe De France
The red trail: Cabane Aux Gardes was closed at the time, so I chose the black one: Coupe De France. As I can guess from the name, a downhill competition for the French Cup was held here in the past. This is an interesting downhill trail that offers both faster sections but also steep descents with some interesting rock sections. Definitely this trail is more technical than the ones I’ve ridden before. Due to steeper terrain, the nature of this trail is completely different than, for example, Hattock. A very nice addition and one of the most interesting trails in the area, in a slightly more natural style than those at Zore / Super Morzine area. Once I descended to the bottom of the valley again, I decided to look out to the edge of the Chatel bike park and to the last zone of the Avoriaz bike park with the Chaux Fleurie lift.
Avoriaz Bike Park – Lindarets – Chesery
The ridge, which is located at the upper station of the Chaux Fleurie lift, is the border of the Avoriaz and Chatel bike parks. On the first day, I did not went to the other side of the mountain, thinking that later I will do a separate day of riding at Chatel bike park. So I started slowly heading back towards Morzine along Chesery trail. This is another flowtrail marked in blue. This may not be the smoothest or most airy route in the bike park, but it leads through incredibly picturesque meadows and pastures. The ride is very pleasant, although unfortunately this variant does not reach the bottom of the valley and the entire lower part has to be ride down by a gentle gravel road. Once I reached the bottom, it was time to head back towards the Super Morzine area. On the way, however, I had to pass through the Proclou zone.
Avoriaz Bike Park – Proclou – Wallibi
The start of the Proclou zone is a short, very gentle descent that offers great views of the resort of Avoriaz and the massive mountains in the background. Then you have to ride a short distance through the resort area on asphalt and gravel to reach a gentle traverse that goes around the local golf course. After a short descent you reach the Wallibi and Goupil variants. I only took the first one, which is marked in red. That trail surprised me again with a different character. I would describe it as short but packed with obstacles. There are several jumps here, there are also a few North-shore style footbridges, and some non-obvious drops. It’s worth to try it.
Summary Bike Park Avoriaz
All of the mentioned above trails I’ve ridden in one day. All lifts and cable cars operate so efficiently here that even despite the Sunday crowds, queues for the Zore lift appeared only just before 12 p.m. However, everything went quickly and smoothly, so I could easily focus on the fun of riding and exploring. Some of the most popular flow trails were quite worn out and had some brake bumps on. But overall they weren’t bad, considering the weather and the date that was closer to the end of the season. The smallest amount of brake bumps was on the more difficult red and black trails. Some fragments have been freshly reshaped and in general it is clear that the shapers team has their hands full of work here. However, with this heat, full sun and lack of rain, all the patches quickly turned into loose sand. Previously, I also heard one opinion that Avoriaz is boring and it is better to spend more time on Chatel or Les Gets. In my opinion, however, it is a really interesting bike park with many different variants and I think everyone will find something nice for themselves here. My favorites here are Hattock and Da trail. In total, I did 14 descents that day, covered approximately 60 km and almost 5,000 meters of elevation. It was definitely a great introduction to riding in France and the one I remember very positively. It was also amazing to see more of the area and go further than the Zore lift area. It gave me a broader perspective on the whole place and its possibilities.
Infrastructure Avoriaz Bike Park
It is clear that the local bike parks have been operating for a long time and simply offer everything that bikers need to be happy. Fast lifts, a simple system for loading bikes onto the lift and smiling staff who respond quickly and help if necessary. They also retrieve bikes at the upper station. Traffic is going very smoothly. Marking of all of the trails and connections to lift is excellent. Almost every upper lift station has a small service area. There are available bike washers, and in Avoriaz there is also an airbag jump for those who want to practice new tricks. There are several pubs near the Zore ski lift, in Avoriaz and in the Lindarets valley where you can rest and eat or drink something. There are toilets at every ski lift station, where you could get cold water which was helpfull when the temperature was over 40 degrees.
Avoriaz Bike Park has its own “Avoriaz Up & Down” application on the smartphone where you will find current information on the operation of ski lifts and routes. An important element when exploring further areas is the storm risk indicator, which is located at the lower station of each lift. It should be taken into account that if a storm appears on the horizon, the staff may turn off the ski lifts and the return to Morzine may be difficult. During my visit, the risk was low, so I was free to use all transfers. As a complement to the bike park variants, there are also enduro/e-bike loops. There are also many marked trails available for hikers and trail runners. So many options to see and try that one week time isn’t enough to check them all.
Bike Pass Avoriaz Bike Park – Portes du Soleil
A one-day bike pass for the 2023 season costs EUR 35. Of course, multi-day options are also available. 6 days of riding costs EUR 180, and 13 days costs EUR 338. These are not very excessive amounts, considering that this pass entitles you to use all bike parks in the Portes du Soleil region on the French and Swiss sides of the border. Prices are not much higher than in Poland or the Czech single bike parks and definitely lower than, for example, in Leogang in Austria (approx. EUR 57/day). The prices shown are valid for prior online purchases. Directly at the checkout it is a few euros more. Interestingly, bike passes also allow entry on other cableways that operate during the summer season for tourists outside bike parks. So during a break from riding, you can take a trip on the lift leading to the peak and the Point de Nyon viewing platform, on the gondola in Chatel city, or on the Prodains cable car. Basicly is the only pass that You will need in this region.
Avoriaz Bike Park – How to get there
The easiest option to get to the Avoriaz bike park if you stay in Morzine is to simply ride your bike to the Super Morzine gondola. If you choose your accommodation somewhere further away and would like to have a car with spare things closer to the ski lifts, there are many options. Right in the center of Morzine there is a large free car park hidden in the valley. From there you can take the lift straight to the bottom station of the Super Morzine gondola. Another option is the free parking lot located near the lower station of the Zore ski lift. If you are closer to the Lindarets valley, you can leave your car at the lower station of the Ardent gondola. There are also free buses running within the region, and some of them are also adapted to transport bikers and their equipment.
Back to Morzine
After a whole day of riding, I returned by bike to our apartment in Morzine. In the late afternoon we went together for dinner. Morzine’s gastronomic offer is full. You will find here everything from exquisite restaurants serving fondue made from local cheeses, to burger and pizza bars. The cost of dinner for two people, depending on your tastes and whims, starts from EUR 40, but it is not a problem to exceed the amount of EUR 100. We quickly stopped being surprised that many of the visiting guests barbecued or cooked dinner on their own at the accommodation.
Morzine – Attractions, swimming pool and Lac de Montriond
Morzine as a resort is full of attractions for both children and adults. There is, for example, a summer bobsleigh track near the Le Pleney bike park. Considering the intense heat, the main attraction for us, apart from exploring the mountains, was escaping into the water. In centre of Morzine there is a complex of nice outdoor and indoor swimming pools. Entry costs EUR 6 per adult. Another option is a lake called Lac de Montriond, a few kilometers away. You can get there, for example, when returning from a ride in the Lindarets valley. There is a nice beach at its western end. On hot summer days, it was full of people on SUPs, kayaks and other water equipment, and the views around made a great experience. The perfect place for a regeneration after a day of intense riding.
Morzine and Avoriaz Bike Park – Summary
Morzine resort, the Avoriaz Bike Park and the surrounding area made a great impression on us from the first day. The city may not be as scenic as, for example, Livigno. However, using the excellent network of cable cars and lifts, you can easily get out to the surrounding Alpine peaks. The atmosphere of the place is also positive. In the last week of August, you could see that the city was alive, but there were no excessive crowds. When it comes to Avoriaz Bike Park and its trails, there is definitely no boredom here. Amazing network of various descents allows for great fun, and the location on such a huge area also adds a touch of exciting exploration gem. This is just the begining of the story from our Morzine trip. In the next articles, we will describe the other great bike parks of the Portes du Soleil region:. Les Gets, Le Pleney, Chatel, Les Crosets and Champery.
More articles and materials from us about Morzine area:
- 43ride – Morzine – Bikers paradise: Part 2 – Les Gets and Le Pleney
- 43ride – Morzine – Bikers paradise: Part 3 – Chatel, Les Crosets and Champery
- Travel Blog Bałkany rudej [PL] – Jak zaplanować aktywny urlop w Morzine? Praktykalia!
- Travel Blog Bałkany rudej [PL] – Atrakcje Morzine i okolic – przyrodnicze cuda i punkty widokowe
- Travel Blog Bałkany rudej [PL] – Morzine aktywnie: jazda w bike parkach, bieganie, trekkingi
This article was made in cooperation of 43RIDE with Rasoulution and Morzine-Avoriaz.
About Morzine i regionie Portes du Soleil
Bikepark Morzine, the largest network of bike trails in Europe and a combination of several legendary bike parks. One pass includes the famous trails of Les Gets, Chatel, Avoriaz, Le Pleney and Swiss Champery, and more. In total, bikers have at their disposal over 600 km of routes served by 25 ski lifts and cable cars. The resort of Morzine is the beating heart of the Portes du Soleil region in summer and true bikers paradise.
Oficiall website: morzine-avoriaz.com
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