Overall, the Portes du Soleil has the potential to be a fantastic destination, however two things stop it from fulfilling its potential. Number one: Altitude. The highest point of the area is directly above Avoriaz and stands at a meager 2466 meters and the lowest point comes in at around 800 meters. This is a real shame because the terrain is diverse enough to please almost everyone except the hardcore extreme skiers and boarders. Which brings me to point number two: Getting around the area. On the face of it, the Portes du Soleil is one complete system which is easy to get around, allowing you to travel vast distances with ease. The reality of this however is an entirely different matter. It can be particularly difficult to get from one region to another, especially traveling across Morzine. You’ll quite often have to walk or get a free bus to get yourselves to the next lift, although this is not a particular problem unless you plan on doing a lot of touring. 

The area directly behind Avoriaz

         The best way to appreciate the area is to pick a region and spend all day there, so that you get the most out of it and than move onto another area the next day. If you’ve got a car this will be easier as it’s quicker to drive to certain parts of the Portes du Soleil than use the lifts to travel. Don’t let either of these two factors put you off going though, just be aware of them, especially if you’re booking an early season trip. Personally speaking I’d go back to Avoriaz in a second, but I’d never book a trip there in advance, simply because of the altitude. Having said that, the area does get a LOT of snow on a regular basis and is hugely popular with a lot of people that I’ve spoken to.

         The lift system is quite good as long as you stop in one place for the whole day or don’t move too much. The whole of the Portes du Soleil comprises of 212 lifts with 117 draglifts, 81 chairlifts, 10 gondolas and 4 cable cars providing a total capacity of 235,828 people per hour. There are a lot of drag lifts, but it’s easy to get around without having to use them too much because most of them seem to be in the lesser used areas. A word of warning: if the snow is bad at lower elevations, the lift queues in and around Avoriaz can be HUGE, as everyone from the whole Portes du Soleil converges on Avoriaz. It’s really easy to get over to the Swiss side of the resort, and the management has devised several different touring itineries to guide people of different standards around the area. These are all reasonably well marked, however it can get slightly confusing in places as well as slightly surreal when you have to spend all day following gigantic rabbit symbols. The tours are a good idea though, as they allow beginners and intermediates to see a lot more of the area without fear of getting lost, or ending up somewhere they shouldn’t. Aside from the lift map, a separate booklet is available with details of all the times needed to get from one place to another which should hopefully get you back to the correct place by the time the lifts close.

Avoriaz viewed from a distance. Check out the size of that lift queue

Mountain restaurants are plentiful, again some are better then others depending on your tastes and budget. Some of the best mountain restaurants I’ve ever been in are in the Portes du Soleil actually. There are some really good après ski drinking bars close to town as well. Piste grooming (if that’s your thing) is comprehensive and goes on in the middle of the night in the village which can be a bit confusing when you’re staggering home from the pub and see a snowcat coming toward you. In general the piste grading seemed very good and consistent, so you know what you’re going to get.

The area is split into 4 major areas, Morzine/Avoriaz, Les Gets, Les Crosets and Chatel as well as a number of smaller villages. There are accommodations available in most/all of the villages, however the major places that people choose are Avoriaz and Morzine, and to a lesser extent, Les Gets. Ski schools and guiding companies are available; however the number of guiding companies isn’t huge, presumable due to the close proximity of the resort to Chamonix. The tourist information office in the village was very helpful and they can even arrange heliskiing trips which is available here.

Some of the most bizarre buildings I've ever seen

         As for the best areas for off piste skiing and boarding, I’ve constructed this list from my own experience and with the help of a few friends (I can’t testify to the greatness of them all personally I’m afraid). Finding good areas can be confusing as the piste map isn’t the most functional thing in the world (lifts are given different prefixes, depending on the type of lift). The TS Chamossiere lift around Morzine/Les Gets has some good terrain as does the Mont Chery back bowl above Les Gets. If you’re around Avoriaz, check out The Wall, the steepest run in Europe and the black runs around TS Combe du Machon as well as the runs around Fornet and the 3 lifts out the back of Avoriaz. The TSD Mossettes and TS Chauz Fleurie will also provide you with some decent terrain if you hike out from the lifts a bit. In the Chatel area the best places are Lingo, the Super Chatel area and the runs around Le Cret and Cret Benl. In Les Crosets the small hike off TK Ripaille is worth the effort as is the bowl between TS Grand Conche and TS des Mosettes. The hike off the top of the TS Pointe de l’Au is good (stay high and left in the bowl for some good terrain and trees).

Dr Alice Holt, another satisfied Avoriaz customer

         All in all, I liked it a lot. It’s a cool place with weird buildings, some good terrain and has a good feel to it. There a decent mix of different nationalities which gives the village a very laid back European feel. Yes, I think it’s fair to say I’ve developed a bit of a soft spot for Avoriaz.