Why Morzine is your best bet for a snowy fun-filled ski holiday

If you were to ask skiers and boarders what the most important question they want to know when booking a winter holiday, it would be whether the winter holiday resort has a good snow record.

That’s a very understandable question, if you are going to invest your hard earned cash on a winter sports holiday. Let’s face it, snow is an integral part of the trip, so who doesn’t want to choose high altitude over slightly lower resorts, in the pursuit of perfect snow conditions?

How many people check snow reports daily before their trip and agonise over whether they have chosen a resort that’s going to deliver the snow they need? Yes I can see you nodding!

However, choosing a snow-sure resort doesn’t always ensure a wonderful winter holiday. There is so much more to consider than go high or stay home.

What No One Tells You About High Altitude Resorts

There are many advantages in choosing high altitude resorts for that peace of mind factor. However there are certain downsides, which aren’t always apparent when doing your research, so please give them some thought.

• At high altitude, you are a captive audience and many of these resorts can be much more expensive for both the holiday itself and in the actual resort, such as Zermatt in Switzerland.
• When you are skiing at altitude, the pistes can be extremely cold and bleak. The runs are unprotected from snowstorms so make sure you are prepared for more severe conditions. e.g Obergurgl in Austria and Val Thorens in the 3 Valleys of France. At Les Deux Alps, new snow is often blown away due to exposure, which can be very frustrating.
• People like tree runs! They enjoy the scenery and the added protection that the tree-lined runs provide. When you are at a super high altitude there are no trees and the big wide baron motorway pistes can often be intimidating for beginners.
• The infrastructure such as chairlifts and cable cars can be prone to being closed due to high winds early in the season. Believe me, there is nothing worse than having lots of snow but not able to get to it. e.g. Cervinia in Italy. Grand Montet which is part of the Chamonix ski area in France, is often on wind hold!
• Sadly high altitude ski areas can be quite bleak and featureless. You end up skiing or boarding in a big bowl rather than through more pretty winding forest tracks. e.g Hintertux in Austria.
• Sometimes high altitude resorts can lack soul and the choice of other activities to experience in resort can be reduced due to their location. e.g Tignes in France
• Some resorts are purpose built so don’t have historic buildings and authenticity which can add to the winter holiday experience. e.g Flaine in France, although some people might actually like this particular resort for its retro styling.

Ski Smart: Ski Near High Altitude but Stay Medium Altitude

So what do you do? What choice do you make when searching for the ideal ski resort?

What’s the secret to being in a cool resort that isn’t just about temperature, but the whole winter holiday experience?

My advice is simple.

You don’t have to stay high altitude to ski or board at high altitude. Enjoy the best of both worlds by combining all the advantages of high altitude with those of a medium altitude resort, in one brilliant winter holiday.

Don’t compromise – choose resorts that offer everything you want. Make sure you choose near high altitude areas, which offer super fast gondolas up to the high level pistes at 1800 – 2000 m and above.

Dip into the higher runs as and when you want, but don’t commit to being there all the time and enjoy the tree runs!

Choose a resort which has lots of other activities (Morzine is perfect for this with a jam-packed schedule of activities and events throughout the season!)

Medium Altitude Resorts Near High Altitude Pistes: What to Look For.

Once you start researching, you will find that there are several medium altitude resorts which boast proximity to high altitude ski areas.

A word of advice – do your research thoroughly and double check the following details:-

• How close the medium altitude resort is to the higher altitude ski area.
• How often the ski buses run or whether your chalet host will drive you and collect you at different times of the day. (Morzine has an excellent, free ski bus network providing a regular and fast service to all of the major lift stations. We also offer flexible shuttle service from our chalets which are not within walking distance of the pistes.)
• Duration of the mountain ascent. Sometimes this part of the journey can be lengthy – a cable car, chairlift, another chairlift. Go for a high speed lift network that has plenty of investment annually! (It’s less than 6 minutes to get to the super-high, snow-sure resort of Avoriaz from Morzine.)
• Whether the high altitude ski area is connected to the medium altitude resort or if another ski pass is required. (The Portes du Soleil is one of the cheaper large resort passes available, covering 12 different resorts of varying altitude).
• Find out the size of the ski area to make sure that it’s big enough for what you want. (Morzine is part of the Portes du Soleil which is arguably the biggest ski area in the world with over 650km of marked pistes.)
• Check on the amount of south facing slopes as these will be the first to suffer with lack of snow due to snow melt. (The Portes du Soleil has numerous slopes on all aspects.)
• Establish the types of accommodation available. Does what you want exist in the location you are looking at?
• Are there snow-making facilities, as this can be the make or break of a good base and a good ski season.

How Does Morzine Compare As a Medium Altitude Resort?

Here are some interesting facts about Morzine and why it’s a wonderful choice as a medium altitude resort.

• Morzine is directly linked to Avoriaz which has one of the best snow records in France. The resort enjoys an average of a whopping 8m of snow per season. The humidity building from Lake Geneva hitting the cold front surrounding Mont Blanc makes our northerly resort a dumping ground for snow.
• Morzine has invested in state of the art snow-making facilities to create a good base for the whole season, with the flexibility to top up on these slopes if necessary.
• Morzine is very excited about a new lift system which will make the links between Morzine and Avoriaz even more efficient. It will connect the centre of Morzine direct to the higher slopes of Avoriaz in 2019 adjoining the already new super fast high speed Prodains telecabine. (You can already get to Avoriaz from Morzine in 6 minutes, even before these improvements.)
• Morzine has many north facing slopes which remain more protected even when the sun shines.
• Morzine is centrally located within the vast Portes du Soleil ski area which boasts 650km of pisted runs. There is a great variety of choice for both boarders and skiers.
• Morzine is great for beginners, with a mixture of runs allowing everyone to progress at their own pace, in a safe environment
• Morzine is good for intermediates and advanced skiers, with masses of more challenging slopes and accessible off-piste terrain
• Morzine also offers multiple snow-parks, snow-cross areas and the world famous Stash area

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Resorts that guarantee snow don’t always guarantee fun. Don’t miss out on an authentic ski or boarding holiday by thinking that high altitude is the only choice.