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

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

Looking down into Flaine from the ski slopes

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

                                                                                              

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

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.

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

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

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.   

                                                                                                                                                                                 NEXT>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>