Les Gets - Skiing for intermediate level skiers - Ski trip

The Ski Areas

Les Gets has two main ski areas, both are directly accessible from the town centre.

• Les Chavannes on the east side directly above the town, and next to it is the Les Gets bowl, so called due to the terrain.
• On the west side is Mont Chery, which is a smaller self-contained area, often quieter and good for all but real beginners.

The Photo above was taken on Mont Chery looking down on the Chavannes on the left and the bowl further over to the right. The piste map shows the Les Gets areas and how they are linked with the Morzine, from where you can connect to Avoriaz and the other resorts in the Portes du Soleil.

It is worth noticing that there is another access point to the Les Gets bowl via the Perrieres chairlift at the bottom of the town. Here you will find a good sized carpark, which is ideal if you are staying in one of the outlying hamlets and need to drive to a lift.

From the centre of town, take the Chavannes Express Chairlift. You will arrive at the top of a wide open piste that is perfect to spend your first hour remembering what to do! This gentle slope is great for gaining confidence, and there is a fun area for kids where they can follow the Indian trails.

From here you can then take the Gentiane blue run down to the bottom of the Chavannes Express, which starts just below the restaurants to the right of the chairlift. When you are back up to the top of the Chavannes Express, you can then head over to the Les Get Bowl, via the Violette blue run that starts just below and to the left. This gentle blue brings you out into the heart of the bowl, which offers great intermediate skiing (as seen in the photo opposite).

You will then have a choice of four lifts that radiate out to the edges of the bowl. It doesn’t matter which lift you take, as each offers blue and red runs back down to the same point. All of the blue runs are gentle and do not present any awkward bits for less experienced intermediates, whilst the reds are comfortable for good intermediates. There is certainly enough here to keep you going here for a few hours, during which you can enjoy one of the many good restaurants around the bowl.

Food on the Les Gets Slopes

For a quick and simple lunch, the Mouflon Restaurant (photo) at the top of La Rosta chairlift is ideal. This is a great place to be on a sunny day, as there are plenty of tables outside with spectacular views across Les Gets, the bowl and of Mont Blanc (photo below). They also have a quick order kiosk where you can get a variety of paninis and baguettes from €5.50.

Near to the Mouflon is La Rosse’taz, which offers a wider range of local dishes. On the other side of the bowl is Les Lhottys at the top of the Nauchets lift. This has a nice terrace area with lovely views looking west across Les Gets to Mont Chery.

Linking up with Morzine

When you have exhausted the skiing in the bowl, then why not head across to Morzine. Either take the blue from the top of the Nauchets Lift, this is just a long narrow and slow path, or ski across from the top of the Chavannes Express and down to the blue slope Bruyere to the Folliets chairlift. This takes you up to a plateau next to Vaffieu Restaurant, which is an area of the golf course in the summer. From here, follow the blue run to the top of Pleney, where you will have several blue and reds to take you down to Morzine. The Pleney gondola provides a quick route back up the mountain from which you get great views of the Morzine and of Avoriaz, which sits on top of the cliffs at the end of the valley.  

From the top of Pleney there are a number of intermediate runs and lifts that can take you across towards Nyon. Around the base of Nyon there are some nice intermediate runs back towards Morzine or to the bottom of the Charniaz Express, which you will need to take when returning to Les Gets.

Unless you are a good intermediate, avoid to take the chair lift to the top of Nyon, and stay away from Chamossiere, which offers more challenging red runs (no blues or easy reds in sight!).

Next you have Mont Chery on the other side of town with more challenging blue runs and wide open red runs. There is certainly enough here to keep you interested for at least half a day, but as most runs are shorter you will want to move on. Again, there are a number of good restaurants with great views of Mont Blanc, so don’t miss out on visiting Mont Chery. It is a great place to be when the weather is good, but probably avoid it if it is going to close in or is very windy, as the lifts are all older, slower and more exposed. It is a good place to be when the rest of the resort is busy, as it is generally quieter on Mont Chery.

After that, you have the rest of the Porte du Soliel, where you can find really good intermediate slopes up at Avoriaz, and across at Les Lindarets and Plaine Dranse valleys. There is enough to keep you wanting to come back to Les Gets for many more holidays. Why not try a summer holiday here too – the mountain biking is awesome!