Les Gets and the Portes du Soleil ski area are a must-do for any serious skier. The sheer size and variety of the skiing is quite unbelievable, and makes it popular with those returning year after year. The variety also works very well for families and groups of mixed abilities, where all members of the party can easily find the right type of skiing just for them. This is one of the strongest points for the Portes du Soleil, if you have a group of mixed abilities and are wondering where to take them then the Portes du Soleil and Les Gets skiing could be worth considering.
You can get a lift pass to ski Les Gets & Morzine (the local area), recommended for beginners and lower-intermediates, or a lift pass for the full Portes du Soleil area, recommended for higher intermediates and above.
The Portes du Soleil is the name for 14 interconnected ski resorts spanning the French-Swiss border, Les Gets being one these resorts. It also includes Morzine, Avoriaz, Chatel, Morgins & Les Crosets just to name a few!
In the local Les Gets ski area you'll find beginner's areas (including a section of the mountain for children only!) mixed in with the intermediate's cruising ground - a wonderful mixture of blues and easy reds all winding their way through the rolling terrain.
There's enough for a day or two's serious leg working too, as further back in Les Gets' ski area you'll find Chamossière and Point de Nyon, two challenging mountains with reds and blacks to really get the heart pumping.
The village of Les Gets altitude is 1172 meters. You will find the height of the mountains surrounding Les Gets in the table below. You will find the the height of the surrounding resorts such as Morzine and Avoriaz.
Location | Altitude | Resort | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Les Gets Village | 1172 meters | Les Gets | |
Le Ranfoilly Summit | 1824 meters | Les Gets | |
Mont Chery Summit | 1826 meters | Les Gets | Les Gets highest point |
La Rosta Summit | 1665 meters | Les Gets | |
Morzine Village | 1000 meters | Morzine | |
Pointe Du Nyon Summit | 2019 meters | Morzine | Morzine highest point |
Chamossier Summit | 2002 meters | Morzine | |
Pleney Area | 1505 meters | Morzine | |
Avoriaz Village | 1800 meters | Avoriaz | |
Pointe De Mossette | 2277 meters | Avoriaz | Avoriaz highest point |
Fornet | 2250 meters | Avoriaz | |
Les Hauts Forts | 2466 meters | Avoriaz | Portes Du Soleil Highest point |
St Jean d'Aulps Village | 950 meters | St Jean d'Aulps | |
Col De Graydon | 1800 meters | St Jean d'Aulps | St Jean d'Aulps highest point |
Partial opening: Saturday 14th December 2024 (depending on snow conditions)
The lifts officially open full time for the season on Saturday 21st December 2024 in Les Gets.
Ski lifts in Les Gets will close on Sunday 6th April 2025. Mont Chery and some other lifts may close earlier depending on snow conditions. Skiing in Avoriaz (10 - 15 mins away & part of the same ski area) is still available after this date. Please get in touch to ask us about late-season skiing.
As always all the above is snow-dependent and could change.
Ski lifts in Les Gets open at 09:00 each day through out the season.
Ski lifts in Les Gets close anywhere between 16:10 to 17:30 depending on the lift and the time of year.
Les Gets and its close neighbour Morzine are often thought of together. Morzine is in the valley next door. The combined ski area of the two makes up our local area lift pass. At 120kms of pistes, this has enough terrain for beginners through to lower intermediates. It could be divided into 5-6 main areas. It is great for groups of mixed abilities, as advanced skiers can tackle the full portes du soleil. Also, it is ideal area for Families, Beginners and Intermediates
You can see the major ski areas and also the top stations of all the major lifts. Les Gets is in red and Morzine is in blue. Please note this only shows the "Local Area" ski areas which are covered by the local area ski pass.
This is the first section of the ski mountain you come to as you come up the lifts; the main way out and way home. There are two major lifts servicing this area, a high speed 6 man chair and a bubble lift. This is your starting point, it's where the ski schools meet and beginners take their first tentative slides down the mountain! There is also Le Grand Cry, an area just for children. This is all themed around trappers and Indians, and has 2 drag lifts.
Snowboarder tip: On the Chavannes side of Les Gets you will find the new snowpark, miniboarder area and the Deborah Anthonioz boardercross run.
The Good:
The run home is a surprisingly good run and is quiet during the middle of the day.
The Bad:
Everyone used this as the way out in the morning and way back at the end of the day, so the main run back to the village can be busy and mogulled at the end of the day.
These are the main lifts that come down into the centre of the village on the side side of the Les Gets Valley.
Lift Name | LIft Type | Area | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Chavannes | Gondola | Chavannes | The main lift in Les Gets |
Chavannes Express | Fast Chair Lift | Chavannes | Great to get to the summit quickly. |
Folliets Du Golf | Chair Lift | Chavannes | |
La Croix | Chair Lift | Chavannes | |
Boule De Gomme | Ski (drag) Lift | Chavannes | |
Grande Cry | Ski (drag) Lift | Chavannes | |
Mouille Au Roi | Ski (drag) Lift | Chavannes | |
Stade | Ski (drag) Lift | Chavannes | |
Tete Des Crets | Ski (drag) Lift | Chavannes | |
Vieux Chene | Ski (drag) Lift | Chavannes |
This is the beginners area accessed at the top of the Chavannes Gondola.
Lift Name | LIft Type | Area | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Tapis Chavannes | Magic Carpet | Mappy Beginners Area | Great for beginners |
Tapis Platais | Magic Carpet | Mappy Beginners Area | |
Fil Neige Ebauds | Pull Rope | Mappy Beginners Area | |
Telecorde Mouille Au Ble | Pull Rope | Mappy Beginners Area |
If you go up the Chavannes section, turn right then you'll hit the Les Gets Bowl. This is a wonderful bowl, 3 sides all full of a mixture of blues, reds, one black, glade skiing, trees, paths, bits of off pistes & 5 chair lifts all converging to a central point at the bottom. This is a great playground for intermediate skiers. A top insider tip for those who like a good meal at lunchtime is La Rosse'taz Restaurant (go up La Rosta chairlift, turn left then it'll be on your right).
One of our favourite runs in all of the Les Gets & Morzine ski area comes off the back of the bowl. This is a red run called Melezes which runs down to the Perrieres section of the village, and I would highly recommend it!
Lots of variety all in one place and gentle off piste skiing
Most ski schools teach here and so in the mornings it can be busy. It's a place to go first thing in the morning or mid afternoon.
These are the lifts on the eastern and western side of the Les Gets Bowl. The all meet at the base of the bowl.
Lift Name | LIft Type | Area | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Ranfoilly Express | Fast Chair Lift | Ranfoilly | Eastern side of the Les Gets Bowl |
Nauchets Express | Fast Chair Lift | Nauchets | Eastern side of the Les Gets Bowl |
Moulle Au Chat | Chair Lift | Nauchets | Eastern side of the Les Gets Bowl |
Grains D'or Express | Fast Chair Lift | La Rosta | Western side of the Les Gets Bowl |
Rosta | Chair Lift | La Rosta | Western side of the Les Gets Bowl |
Mont Chery, the hidden gem of the Portes du Soleil. This is an isolated ski hill which every skier who can do an easy red should try during their ski holiday. Les Gets is in the bottom of a valley; you have the main Chavannes side on one side of the village, and Mont Chery on the other. Mont Chery does not connect into any other slopes, and so it remains a quiet little isolated area.
It is mostly harder blues and reds, an ideal mountain for intermediates. In fresh snow it's truly wonderful, especially as the crowds head off elsewhere leaving Mont Chery for the locals and those in the know. Also the views from the mountain restaurants are some of the best you could imagine providing the perfect place to sit, relax and unwind. Sun-soaked terraces, Les Gets in the valley below and views to Mont Blanc above the distant ski area.
Snowboarder tip: Most areas of the Mont Chery side in Les Gets offer great riding for boarders and, depending on weather conditions, powdery runs and off piste areas. Through the middle on the Mont Chery you'll find the Grande Ourse restaurant. There is also a mini parallel slalom course, open to both skiers and boarders to practice your olympic timing.
Quiet, wonderful views, great hard blue / easy red conditions
It's south facing, so the run down to the village can be poor later on in season (you can get the lift down though).
These are the lifts on the North side of the Les Gets valley
Lift Name | LIft Type | Area | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Mont Chery | Gondola | Mont Chery | The main lift on Mont Chery |
Chery Nord | Chair Lift | Mont Chery | This takes you back up the north facing slopes of Mont Chery |
Grande Ourse | Chair Lift | Mont Chery | |
Planeys | Chair Lift | Mont Chery | |
Pointe | Chair Lift | Mont Chery | |
Super Chery | Ski (drag) Lift | Mont Chery |
This is the area which descends into the western end of the Village. It is mostly on north facing slopes.
One of our favourite red runs is here (Melezes).
Its a small Area.
These are the lifts accessed via the western end of the Les Gets valley.
Lift Name | LIft Type | Area | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Express Perriers | Fast Chair Lift | Perrieres | The main lift for people staying at the western end of Les Gets |
Turche | Ski (drag) Lift | Turche | The only privately owned lift left in Les Gets. (Yes your lift pass will still work on it) |
These are the two big mountains at the back of the ski area. Not for the faint-hearted, these provide challenging skiing in all conditions. There is some wonderful off-piste on these two mountains but please be warned they both are avalanche-prone, so please contact us to arrange guides if you are interested in the off-piste. This is also the best section of the Les Gets & Morzine area for challenging on-piste skiing.
The views from the top of Chamossière are some of the best in the Alps, on one side you can see the full Mt Blanc range and the other on a clear day you can see all the way down to lake Geneva. The red run leading off the top of Chamossière is probably my favourite run of this section, though please be warned this is at the harder end of the red run spectrum.
The Pointe De Nyon restaurant is always favourite and is worth a visit. It's also easily accessible even for lower-intermediate skiers.
Wonderful challenging on-piste and off-piste skiing
Avalanche-prone off piste - go with guides only!
This is the area including the ridge above Morzine and the runs down into Morzine itself. The runs here can provide some of the best skiing, but you have to pick your times and conditions to get the most out of them. Winding runs through the forest, lovely gradient for quick skiing with a good variety of wide open sections with smaller passages traversing the slopes.
It's north-facing and Morzine is the lowest part of the ski area. In good conditions these runs are wonderful, though the lack of sun can make the bottom hard packed or icy if it's been warm in the past. It's worth noting that the Morzine ski schools do most of their teaching around here, so it's a place to go either early morning or mid-afternoon to avoid the crowds.
Fast, winding blues & reds, interesting terrain.
Can be hard packed / icy, plus some parts can be busy when Morzine Ski School is in full swing.
Here are some videos which we feel capture the spirit of Les Gets. The first one gives an idea of what you can expect of the Les Gets resort, whether you're visiting in winter or summer. What better location for a family adventure than this? The second video depicts the types of experiences which are available to groups of skiers here in Les Gets: all you need is a group of willing skiers and a GoPro camera. The third video is a promotional video from the 2018-2019 season and the final one is an awesome video showcasing Les Gets in 7 days.
This is one of those questions that we get a lot, so we thought we'd throw our 2 pence worth in on the subject. Everyone has their own idea of their perfect ski holiday, so why not pick the time of year to match? Have a read through and if you've any questions about the timing of your chalet holiday please just get in touch. You can also have a look at our extensive Les Gets snow history section here.
Very quiet, very cheap, you take your chances with snow depth though. They often only do partial openings of the ski area being that it's so quiet. If you've a free week then keep an eye on the forecasts, if the snow's looking good in the French Alps then you can do a last minute booking to catch a wonderful bonus week at a great rate!
Christmas is normally much quieter than new year so if you've the choice of the two for your ski holidays then I'd say ski Christmas in Les Gets. They make a big effort here for Christmas skiing, with the whole village being that wonderful picture postcard alpine scene if you are looking for a magical family holiday it could be a week worth looking at.
My personal favourite time of year! It's the quietest of main season, the coldest (so best quality of snow) and also the cheapest of main season too. I can't find a downside myself.....
Best snow depth normally being mid-way through the season. Look out for school holidays though, half term is very busy as are the French school holidays. Again if you've the option to avoid the main half term time then I'd take it!
The days are lengthening, the sun shines (I can't promise that, but normally anyway!) A great time of year for those looking to explore. You can ski from valley to valley, village to village, enjoying the slopes and taking some time on a sun-bathed terrace of a mountain restaurant to enjoy the views. Ahhhhhhh. In my non-qualified opinion we often seem to get a big dump of snow in late March, I've had some of my best skiing then.
The end of season arrives. It's warm, it's sunny, and it's very relaxed. The ski resort is quiet, you have the run of the pistes. not a time of year for powder hounds or die hard skiers, the off-pistes is sticky and heavy unless we've a really cold snap and the pistes can go soft later on in the day. Popular time of year for those with young children learning to ski looking for the sun and warmth, and for those looking to relax in the alpine sun, do some skiing, some walking, some booking reading in the sun.....