The Portes du Soleil brings together twelve resorts on both sides of the French–Swiss border, between the Chablais in Haute-Savoie and the Swiss canton of Valais: Avoriaz, Morzine, Les Gets, Châtel, Abondance, La Chapelle-d'Abondance, Montriond and Saint-Jean-d'Aulps on the French side; Champéry, Morgins, Torgon and Val-d'Illiez on the Swiss side. In summer the lifts carry bikes and link the whole area, making it one of the largest mountain bike areas in Europe.

The terrain

The area advertises more than 450 km of waymarked trails, graded from green to black, which you can link from one resort to the next while the lifts do most of the climbing. The riding alternates between alpine pasture trails and forest singletrack, and the paths can be technical and demanding: even with the chairlifts, you need good bike-handling skills and a decent level of fitness.

The big French–Swiss loop is about 80 km long and runs through Les Gets, Morzine, Avoriaz, Champéry and Châtel, among others. Thanks to around ten lifts, it involves only about 1,000 m of climbing for some 6,000 m of descent. You can join it from any resort on the loop.

Five bike parks

A single lift pass gives access to five bike parks:

  • Morzine (Pleney): right in the village, around ten trails, mostly blue and black, a skills area, and a link to Les Gets and Avoriaz via the Chevreuil blue trail.
  • Les Gets: open since 1992, with downhill and enduro trails.
  • Avoriaz: downhill, enduro and e-MTB trails for every level.
  • Châtel: at Pré-la-Joux, some twenty downhill trails of all levels, two slopestyle courses, a pump track and a kids' area.
  • Région Dents du Midi (Champéry, Les Crosets, Morgins): around ten downhill trails on the Swiss side, mostly red.

A bike patrol team maintains the trails every day. Helmets are compulsory.

E-MTB

Electric mountain bikes have their own network: 38 routes and about 450 km of waymarked trails, with around thirty free charging points spread across the resorts and "uphill flow" trails designed to make the climb as much fun as the descent.

Who is it for?

  • Beginners: the easy trails at Avoriaz or Châtel and the skills areas, such as the one in Morzine.
  • Experienced riders: the black trails at Morzine, Châtel or Champéry, and the full loop of the area in a single day.
  • E-MTB riders: the dedicated network lets you ride a long way without relying on the lifts.

Every year at the end of June, the Pass'Portes du Soleil opens the season: a big ride around the loop with feed stations, with options for mountain bikes, e-MTBs, gravel bikes and walkers.

Getting there

  • By air: Geneva airport is the nearest international airport.
  • By train, French side: from Geneva, the Léman Express runs to Thonon-les-Bains and to Cluses, from where buses go up to the resorts (Les Gets, for instance). Cluses is also served by TGV from Paris.
  • By train, Swiss side: Swiss Federal Railways (SBB/CFF) run to Aigle, where the AOMC cogwheel train climbs via Monthey up the Val d'Illiez to Champéry.

Practical information

  • Season: the first resorts open in late spring, and the whole area from late June to late August. Some lifts do not run every day: check the calendar before you set off, or you may have to pedal back up.
  • On site: around twenty rental shops hire out mountain bikes, including e-bikes, and some resorts, such as Châtel, have a bike-wash station.
  • Kit: in the bike parks, bring a full-face helmet and body protection; on the loop, make sure your brakes are in good condition for the long descents.

For other rides and events in the département, see Mountain biking in Haute-Savoie.

Useful links