Portes du Soleil snow forecast

Skiing in Portes du Soleil

The Portes du Soleil is one of the largest lift-linked ski areas in the world, a circuit of a dozen resorts strung across the Franco-Swiss border between Lake Geneva and Mont Blanc. The resorts quote more than 600 km of marked pistes, although independent measurement puts the true figure nearer 430 km; either way, it is far more than most skiers cover in a week. Skiing runs from about 930 m at Abondance up to roughly 2,460 m, which makes this a relatively low domain by Alpine standards. That shapes how it skis: the valley villages and lower links can be thin or slushy in a mild spell, while the higher terrain around Avoriaz holds snow better.

Avoriaz, at about 1,800 m, is the high, car-free, ski-in ski-out hub and the usual choice for snow and freestyle terrain. Morzine sits down at 1,000 m and connects to the Avoriaz side by the Super Morzine gondola and to Les Gets by the Pléney gondola; Les Gets has a reputation for gentle, family-friendly slopes. Châtel links into the circuit further north, and Champéry, below the Dents du Midi, is the gateway to the Swiss sectors.

The season usually runs from mid-December to mid-April, with snow quality late in the season best at altitude. Geneva is the gateway airport, and the French resorts are a short drive from the motorway at Cluses.