Ski chalet Grand Massif. Self catered ski chalet Grand Massif to rent for family ski holiday in Grand Massif resorts Morillon Flaine Samoens.

Self catered ski chalet to rent for self catering family skiing holiday in Grand Massif.

Information about the Grand Massif ski resorts of Morillon, Flaine and Samoens in the French Alps, and things to do.

 

Self catered ski chalet to rent in Grand Massif family ski resorts of Morillon, Flaine, Samoens, French Alps for ski ing, snow boarding, cross country skiing, snow shoe walking, hot air ballooning, winter paragliding, winter  archery, dog sleigh rides, horse and carriage rides and other winter family activity holidays.

Sleeps 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 or 10. 4 bedrooms. 

email: sally@chaletlavalentine.com  

Tel / Fax 00 44 (0) 13 25 37 83 19


  
  
  
  


View from the ski chalet to Samoens and Morillon ski slopes, the Grand Massif ski area in the French Alps winter 2008.


Information comparing Samoens and Morillon ski resorts, the Grand Massif.


Samoens part of the Grand Massif and only 2 km from our self catered chalet, is a beautiful “Village Historique” in the French Alps. Samoens is the only ski resort in the French Alps awarded that title. Samoens is larger than Morillon with more shops to look around in the evening (boutique type tourist shops, book shops etc). However it is not possible to ski from the Samoens ski slopes directly back to the village. The ski lift into the Grand Massif ski circuit, is slightly out of town, on the edge of the resort with a large free car park. Samoens centre has many surviving medieval buildings and a medieval church in the village centre and is surrounded by attractive ski chalets. There are a variety of restaurants in Samoens some of which are Michelin rated. Samoens also has a museum and botanical gardens, which were planted over 100 years ago, open nearly all year round.


Morillon  (0.5 km from our ski chalet) is the smaller of the 2 main villages in this part of the Giffre valley which feed into the Grand Massif ski circuit. Morillon ski resort has none of the high rise over development that can be associated with a ski resort and maintains the atmosphere of a genuine french village in the Haute Savoie. Morillon has a 16th century church and old chalets and farmhouses along the main street along with a pharmacy, village supermarket, tabac, boulangerie, ski and bike hire shops, clothes shops and estate agents. There are a variety of popular restaurants in Morillon, within a 5 to 10 minute walk of the chalet, and an excellent restaurant 2 km above the chalet in Verchaix village. There is a bubble lift with a free car park, from the ski resort, close to the shops, up to the ski area. Morillon ski hill arguably has better skiing than the Samoens ski plateau with runs directly back to the bubble lift in Morillon village. If the links into the Grand Massif are shut because of high winter winds, there is a greater variety of more sheltered skiing above the village of Morillon than Samoens.

Skiing.                                                                                                                       Morillon slopes after fresh snow

There is excellent skiing on the north facing ski slopes above Morillon, where the snow remains good (often better
than Flaine) even in poor ski seasons. There are a variety of ski runs through the trees, ski chalets covered in snow, friendly mountain cafés and restaurants. Marvel is a long green/blue ski run sheltered by the trees from the top of the Morillon ski slopes to Morillon Les Esserts. There is also an excellent ski run back to the village, past ski chalets directly down to the telecabine which can then take you back up. There is easy access from the Morillon ski slopes into the Grand Massif ski circuit. For 2009/2010 season the ski area in Flaine is open from 12.12.09 to 25.4.10. The Grand Massif (Morillon telecabine access into the Grand Massif circuit and all the links) is open partially for the weekend 12 - 13.12.09 and then fully from 18.12.10 to 18.4.10. www.grand-massif.com


To get to the ski slopes you can drive, take the bus or walk. It is a one minute drive to the ski lifts. There is a large free car park adjacent to the ski lifts. The road outside the ski chalet is always one of the first to be cleared if there is a heavy snowfall, so you should always be able to get to and from the chalet whatever the weather. There are plenty of snow shovels in the garage to clear the drive.


Our ski chalet is only 150 yds from the ski bus stop at the post office, a copy of the timetable should either be in the chalet or else easily obtained from the Verchaix tourist office which is just across the road from the bus stop. You can also take the ski bus (free to ski pass holders) to the 2 high speed ski lifts from Samoens up to Samoens 1600. There is an excellent area for beginners and again access to the Grand Massif ski circuit.


In walking shoes it takes twelve minutes over the fields, or 15 - 20 minutes along the road to the télécabine in Morillon from where you can buy your Grand Massif ski lift pass. Add 5 to 10 minutes if you chose to walk in ski boots! Your walking shoes can be left in your ski hire shop when you go skiing.




Plan of the Grand Massif Ski Circuit


The Grand Massif ski area links 5 ski resorts, Samoens, Morillon, Sixt, Les Carroz and Flaine. It has 265km of ski pistes, 5km of artificial snow, a
summit of 2500m, 15 green, 53 blue, 51 red and 14 black  ski runs. The superb 14 km long ski run from Flaine to Sixt (Les Cascades) has fine views, no noise and no queues. At the base of the run a regular ski bus takes you back to the main ski circuit. For those who want a challenge try the “Combe de Gers” a fantastic black run in a wide open bowl. Click on the plan of the pistes to go to the Grand Massif website and download the piste map. For more photos of the skiing in the Grand Massif see WINTER PHOTOS


Looking down into Flaine from the ski slopes


There are around 90km of excellent cross country skiing available along the valley floor just yards from the Chalet. There is also cross country skiing at the top of Col Joux Plaine, where the snow is more durable and views spectacular.


Les Gets is only 20 minutes up the road by car. In 2007 you could ski the Portes du Soleil for one day on the ski lift pass bought for the Grand Massif. You could also go up the road through the Mont Blanc tunnel for a day’s skiing in Courmayer as an alternative to the Portes du Soleil on the Grand Massif ski pass. Check the grand massif website below for special season offers.


                                                                                                                    Top of Flaine late January

Ski the Vallée Blanche.                                                      

Ski the Vallée Blanche: 24 km of glacier ski-ing. Ski off piste or ski walk through the mountains for the day with experienced guides. Prices for the guide for the day start from around 70 € per person. The cable car up to L’Aiguelle du Midi is an additional 38€ or more. (When looking at the following websites be aware that the French versions often have more information on than the English versions.) For more details see

www.icicle-mountaineering.ltd.uk

www.tofski.com

www.samoens.com

www.guidesmontagnes.com

You can also climb glaciers and take guided tours across the mountains with www.guidemontagnes.com


Beginners, child care and ski-ing

The Morillon ski lift takes you to Morillon 1100, where ski school meets, and from where there is easy access into the Flaine and Grand Massif skiing circuits. At Morillon 1100 there are excellent facilities for beginners and a creche for those too young to ski. The child care should be booked early to avoid disappointment http://www.ot-morillon.fr/enfants/garderie.php. The “Village des Enfants” is for children from 6 months to 10 years and is set just below the ski chalets of Morillon 1100. It opens from 9 to 5. Alongside at the “Jardin des Neiges” children over 3 can play and learn supervised by French Ski School instructors. Children over 4 can have ski instruction.

                                                                                              

                                Ski School Morillon 1100

Ski School

If you want lessons in the school holidays (in France most of February seems to be school holidays) we recommend that you book your lessons prior to departure or immediately on arrival.

ESF (école ski français) - www.esfmorillon.com  or www.esfsamoens.com  ESF is the renowned standard method of learning to ski on the French slopes. If you book through the Samoens office you have to travel to Vercland for lessons.

ZigZag - www.zigzagski.com is an alternative to ESF for ski lessons. We have tried them and can recommend them. For chalet guests there is a 5% discount at Zig Zag.

Also 360ecoledeski are a reasonably priced alternative to ESF see www.ecoledeski360.com Both Zig Zag and 360ecoledeski offer teaching in smaller groups, so although it may appear to cost slightly more, you are probably going to learn faster.


The top of the Marvel run on the Morillon Hill

Ski Hire

There are 3 ski hire shops we have tried in Morillon.

Neige et Montagne is nearest the lift run by two young lads who do a fantastic service of skis. They are possibly the best weather forecasters in the area. The shop is unfortunately too small to leave ski boots overnight, so you have to take them home with you. You can leave your walking shoes in the shop whilst you ski during the day. There is a 10% discount given to all chalet guests. www.neige-montagne.com phone no. 04 50 90 72 63.

Verneret Sports is next door to Neige et Montagne. This is run by a husband and wife who have 2 ski hire shops. He runs the ski hire and she runs a clothes shop closer to the centre of town. The ski hire   shop is large enough to leave outdoor shoes whilst skiing and all the hired gear overnight. They have a good website if you want to hire before you leave, though we have never had trouble hiring skis in the resort even in high season. www.morillon.twinner-sports.com  or phone 04 50 90 13 17.

Rolsports. Just a couple of shops up from the other two. Again large enough to leave unwanted gear either whilst skiing or overnight. See www.rolsports.fr or phone 04 50 90 17 95 or FAX 04 50 90 14 46.


Non skiing activities.

Snow shoe walking.
There are 60km of snow shoe walks throughout the wooded valley floor and this is a way the non skier can enjoy the mountain air and beauty of the mountains of the French Alps. There are 15 different signposted tracks to help you discover the valley. Itineraries are on sale at the tourist office, each with an illustration and a simplified map.


Several organisations offer guided walks. The école de ski in Morillon supervises half day walks every Tuesday and Thursday. 


Walking by the river Giffre near the chalet


Gustave Ljungars - Alp tracks does half and full day outings for adults and children. He is qualified and insured to take care of groups of children unaccompanied by their parents for snow shoe discovery tours and igloo building.

www.gustadventures.com/AlpTracks/

                                                                                                                                                                              The link back to Morillon from Flaine

Yannick Chassaing : Snow shoe guide. Every day walks with equipment included:   00 33 (0)6 08 86 87 72

Bureau des guides de la vallée du Haut Giffre : Day or half day walks every day:  00 33 (0)4 50 34 43 12

Rando Raquettes  www.ecolorado-rafting.com  00 33 (0)6 81 68 79 46


New from 2007, take a guided winter nature walk, to find local fauna and flora, with Suivez la trace. La Falconnière, 74340 Samoëns. Tel 06 18 63 67 08 or 06 80 87 52 79. www.suivez-la-trace.com or contact suivezlatrace@wandadoo.fr


There are also many walks kept clear for walking without snow shoes through the woods, past picturesque ski chalets, and along the river so everyone can enjoy the snow and mountain air of the French Alps.


Hot Air Balloons over Les Carroz

Paragliding is also popular in the winter as well as summer. You can see the French Alps from the air.

Pegase Air Samoens paragliding www.parapente-samoens.com     

Profeel in Morillon www.parapente-morillon.com      


Hot Air Ballooning

Les Carroz has a tradition of hot air ballooning.  There is a major event the Montgolfiades des Carroz every January and February. For more details see  www.lescarroz.com


Ice skating

There is an outdoor ice rink in Samoens. For more information on activities in Samoens see  www.samoens.com

There is an ecological ice rink at Lac Bleu in Morillon which is made of an ice substitute.


Dog pulled Sleigh rides and Horse pulled carriage rides (chiens de traîneaux and Promenades en caleche). 30 minutes in a dog pulled sleigh for 34€ adults, 17€ children. See http://www.samoens.com/france/DT1196093141/diaporama/Chiens-de-traineaux.html/typeid-8 For dog sleigh rides email syndicat.haut.giffre@wanadoo.fr or telephone 04 50 34 13 79


Horse pulled carriage rides in Samoens in February and first week March only. http://www.samoens.com/france/DT1196431324/page/Promenades-en-caleche.html (french language version of website only, not on english version).


For weather, webcams, snow reports in Morillon, Verchaix, Samoens, Flaine, Grand Massif, in the winter season see the next page.


We have links with www.abritel.fr see link

and www.internet-cottages.com for the link click on Morillon chalet at internet cottages for more information.   

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