SSN Spends Three days in the Portes du Soleil — Europe's most spectacular cross-border ski playground

On the 27th of January, Snow Sports News embarked on a three-day visit to the vast winter sports playground that is the Portes du Soleil. Arriving at a surprisingly quiet Geneva airport (well, it was a Tuesday morning during term time), we were whisked up to Morzine by the entertaining Lionel Trombert taxi service. Just 1 hour and 30 minutes from Geneva, Les Gets, and the connecting resort of Morzine, is the entrance way from the French side, to one of the world’s largest and most varied ski areas. Spanning 12 linked resorts across the French/Swiss border, this ‘Gateway to the Sun’ boasts over 600 kilometres of marked pistes and attracts skiers, snowboarders, and winter enthusiasts from around the globe.

The excellent Mélanie Prevost, responsible for marketing and press communication for the Portes du Soleil, had arranged for a quick check-in for a one-night stay at the 4-star Hotel Le Petit Dru, followed by a swift, but welcome bite, at Le Colibri, before heading to the slopes for an afternoon getting to know the ski area comprising Les Gets and Morzine. Movement kindly provided skis and poles; however, there was little opportunity to test the Sequence 104 on anything other than the good piste conditions due to time constraints and the lack of fresh snow.

Ex-France downhill ski team member, Chrys Felisaz, was our guide and did a great job covering as much of the area as possible, stopping off at a couple of local landmarks, and keeping us royally entertained with her enthusiasm and anecdotes. Le Pas de L’Aigle (the eagles pass), at an altitude of 2019 metres, is a site worth taking in for those of you who don’t suffer from vertigo. The 15-metre glass footbridge, attached to the mountain, provides a unique viewing point. Standing 350 meters above the ground, offering a 360° panoramic and breathtaking view between Mont Blanc and Lake Geneva, access is via the Pointe de Nyon chairlift.

Not far from this viewing point is Les Aigles du Léman based at Le Plateau de Nyon. Nestled at an altitude of 1500 m, in front of the Pointe de Nyon restaurant, lies over 100 aviaries where nearly 400 birds of more than 80 species find ideal conditions for their protection and reproduction. Among them is the world's largest aviary for birds of prey, offering a unique encounter with eagles, buzzards, vulture falcons, and owls.

The afternoon ski finished at the foot of the Pleney lift, where après ski was taken at Le Tremplin. Originally dating back to the 1930’s, the then family home was opened to skiers when the Pleney cable car first opened. Thus began après ski in Morzine. Throughout the 1940’s and 1960’s, the Hotel Le Tremblin was extended and modernized, but it was with new owners in 2010 that the venue really took off, introducing live music, DJs, and après-ski parties on the famous terrace.

In 2022, Le Tremplin was purchased by the Timpson Group, which includes the Flock Inns and over two thousand branches and pods across the UK and Ireland, providing key cutting, watch repairing, engraving, dry cleaning, and photo processing, making it the UK’s largest service retailer. Achieving the prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise in 2019, the Timpson Group is renowned for providing employment for ex-offenders and demonstrating trust, kindness, inclusion, loyalty, and generosity, making for a perfect recipe for excellent customer service.

Anyone visiting Le Tremplin since its complete re-launch this winter will see the evidence for themselves. Major renovation work began in 2023, and the bar, restaurant, and café on the first floor are now complete, as well as the luxurious first floor seating area and balcony with views over the Pleney piste, the outside terrace, and the innovative cable car bar. It is truly a place not to be missed, serving excellent food, whether it be for lunch or dinner, and with après ski DJ’s starting at 3.30 pm each day and live music at 4.30 pm, there is no excuse not to have a fun time. Entrance to the washrooms can either be by the traditional stairway or via a slide and prepare yourself for the disco lights and music once you get into the booths.

Dinner was taken at Les Halles by Le Crépu, a fresh new restaurant in the heart of Morzine. Offering superb quality, home-cooked cuisine, the restaurant has a varied menu based on fresh, local produce and caters for all food requirements. An excellent bar provides craft beers, selected wines, and house cocktails. The speciality coffees deserve a mention, as does the atmosphere and first-class service. Well worth a visit.

After a great night's sleep and an ample breakfast, we departed the superb Le Petit Dru, where prices range from €260 per night for a double room, and caught the free ski bus to Les Prodains express cable car for a morning ski in Avoriaz. We were met by Laury Eloy, public relations officer for Avoriaz and looking like a young Reece Witherspoon, who led us around some of the excellent ski terrain the area has to offer. Avoriaz is a car-free, high-altitude (1800m), ski resort offering excellent snow-sure skiing with convenient 100% ski-in/ski-out access. Thirty-five ski lifts servicing fifty-four pistes (8 Green, 27 Blue, 14 Red and 6 Black), with four snowparks, one boardercross and four snowcross, means there is more than enough for all levels.

Snow conditions were perfect, but visibility was not so great, which made skiing amongst the trees an excellent option. The Stash, a unique, eco-friendly snowpark designed by Jake Burton, is for freestyle and freeride enthusiasts, featuring wooden sculptures, rails, and obstacles and nestling among the trees of the Lindarets forest, was the perfect choice.

Lunch was taken at La Folie Douce in the heart of the resort. Those of you familiar with the high-tempo, champagne-swilling, music-blaring excesses that have become synonymous with the après-ski at some of the venues owned by the La Folie Douce chain, may be surprised by the sophisticated lunchtime cuisine and vibe we experienced. Lunch-time entertainment was provided by three female singers, who added a pleasant backdrop to the first-rate food and service. A place to be recommended, whether it be for a quiet lunch, or to party at the end of a day skiing.

At the top of the Chavenette lift, lies the border between France and Switzerland which is where we were to meet our third guide, Alizée Dubosson, a public relations officer for Les Dents du Midi. From here one is immediately faced with the world-famous Swiss Wall, a legendary, high-difficulty, ungroomed ski run on the French-Swiss border between Avoriaz, France and Les Crosets, Switzerland. Known for massive, 2-meter-high moguls and steep 76% to 90% gradients, it is ranked as one of the hardest ski runs in the world, often featuring an orange "too difficult" rating. Unfortunately, the poor visibility was not conducive to tackling this, and so alternative routes were taken instead.

Alizée made sure to cram as much into the afternoon as possible with visits to Les Crosets, Champoussin, Morgins and Le Corbeau, before making our way back to Champéry, where we were booked into the four-star hotel, Le White, for our remaining two nights.

Situated at the entrance to the village and with a beautiful panorama of the Dents du Midi, the hotel is just 1 minutes’ walk from Champéry Village train station and served by a free ski bus to the Champéry cable car. Fully renovated in a chic Alpine style, it has twenty-three rooms and two suites, a relaxation area with sauna and sensory shower, and its restaurant LE 42 serves local and traditional cuisine. Prices range from the very reasonable 108 CHF for a double room with breakfast.

That evening, dinner was taken at the newly refurbished and extremely impressive Le Centre restaurant in the heart of Champéry. Housed in an 18th-century chalet, the outer facade belies the modern interior, which offers fine cuisine that celebrates seasonal produce.

Le Centre features a café / bar area downstairs for a relaxing lunchtime snack or sharing dish, whilst upstairs lies a fine-dining restaurant. Michelin-star head chef, Antoine Gonnet, blends originality, authenticity, and attention to detail, both in service and in the presentation of dishes, making every meal a unique moment. The dining room blends tradition and modernity, with an intimate atmosphere that enhances the cuisine.

After a relaxing night's sleep and a hearty breakfast, we embarked on our final day on the slopes. Alizée was on hand again to guide us around the Swiss side of the Portes du Soleil, and a bluebird day allowed us to take in the scenery to its fullest extent. Starting at the top of the Champéry cable car, we dropped down to Les Crosets, before heading up to the Point Des Mossettes, where one could look back onto the French side and Avoriaz below.

Then via the Pointe de L’Au, we made our way across La Foilleuse, for the descent into Morgins. Here we took the free winter shuttle bus (Line 1), which runs continuously between the Morgins lift and the Le Corbeau lift, linking to the Torgon ski area. This five-minute shuttle ride operates only when these two lifts are open; however, if one is closed due to a lack of snow, the shuttle runs to the Gabelou chairlift in Châtel.

After a pleasant ski in the sunshine and taking in the area of Le Morclan above Super Chatel, it was time for lunch. Alizée had picked out the Gite Alpage La Chaux perched on the side of the Chalet Neuf piste. Offering simple and authentic cuisine, everything is cooked on site with fresh, local, and seasonal produce.

A varied menu includes many specialities of the Dents du Midi region. Newly refurbished and now offering accommodation in two guest rooms during the summer months, this traditional farmhouse, built in 1871, oozes charm and character.

This was as far as we could go on the Swiss side of the Portes du Soleil without dropping into the French resorts of Chatel or La Chapelle d’Abondance. So, it was back via Morgins to ski the Champoussin area that we had by-passed earlier, before heading back into Les Crossets and then taking the cable car down to our base in Champéry. Sadly, it was the end of our skiing on this trip. A lot of ground covered and some great times experienced, but so much more to see and do, it leaves one wanting to book the next available trip back.

The evening meal was taken at L’Alta in the village centre, which turned out to be a perfect spot to relax and talk about all that we had achieved during our three days. The restaurant was buzzing and was clearly an extremely popular location. With the quality of the food, service, and the lively atmosphere, it was easy to see why so many people wanted to eat here.

After breakfast, we strolled across the road to the Champéry Village request train stop, where we boarded the Champéry- Monthey – Aigle train. With picturesque views along the way, this journey takes approximately one hour and connects at Aigle with a multitude of trains going to Geneva and Geneva Airport. The journey from Aigle to the airport takes around one hour and thirty minutes and skirts the northern shoreline of Lake Geneva, passing through such iconic places as Montreux and Lausanne. For travellers wishing to enter the Portes du Soleil on the Swiss side, this is a great option at a very reasonable price of around £60 for a return ticket.

Then it was back to Blighty with great memories and special thanks to Nadine Carle-Edgar, UK public relations for the Portes du Soleil, who organised the trip, and all the individuals mentioned above, who made it all possible.

Quick Info.

• Les Portes du Soleil will be open from 20 December 2025 to 12 April 2026. An adult day- pass costs €68.

12 ski resorts :

• France - Abondance, Avoriaz, Châtel, La Chapelle d’Abondance, Les Gets, Montriond, Morzine, Saint-Jean-d’Aulps

• Switzerland – Torgon, Val-d’Illiez – Champéry, Les Crosets – Champoussin, Morgins,

How to get there

• The closest airport is Geneva, and there are transfers to all the villages.

• Visitors can also come by train to Cluses or Thonon in France and get a bus or taxi to the resort.

• On the Swiss side, the village of Champéry is directly accessible by train, as it has its own train station.

Upcoming Events

• Rock the Pistes Festival (March 15–21, 2026): A week-long festival where major bands perform on stages built directly on the snow. Venues include Morzine, Chatel and Mogins. Your lift pass is your ticket.

• Snowboxx (March 14-21 2026): A massive music festival in Avoriaz featuring electronic music, forest parties, and igloo raves.

• Torchlight Descents: Nearly every week, the ESF instructors in Avoriaz perform a synchronized descent with torches, followed by fireworks and vin chaud (mulled wine) for the spectators.

Specialities of the region

The Cheese Holy Trinity –

Abondance: A semi-hard cheese from the valley of the same name. It has a nutty, complex flavour and is the star of the Berthoud (melted Abondance with garlic and white wine).

Reblochon: The essential ingredient for Tartiflette (potatoes, lardons, onions, and cream). Its name comes from the word reblocher, meaning to "pinch the cow's udder again"—a reference to 14th-century farmers who did a second secret milking to avoid taxes.

Tomme de Savoie: A milder, grey-rinded cheese perfect for a Planche Savoyarde (charcuterie board).

Unique Local Dishes

Crozets: Small, square buckwheat pasta. Often served as Croziflette (a tartiflette variant) or with Diots (savoyard sausages cooked in white wine).

Farcement: A strange and delightful traditional dish from the Arve valley that combines sweet and savory: potatoes, bacon, prunes, and raisins, all slow-cooked for hours.

Génépi: The ubiquitous herbal liqueur made from alpine wormwood. It is the traditional way to end any mountain meal—often served in a "mooing" cow-shaped glass.