Ski holidays in Avoriaz - France

At the start of the day everyone in Avoriaz piles out of their apartments and gets on to their skis - it's a surreal experience, rather like 'rush hour' in a town or city but everyone in ski gear and sliding. The place is so well designed that there's rarely a walk involved to reach a lift and, if the bottom of the lift you want to take is above you, you can just ski down to the bottom of the six-seater chair that runs through the village and get a lift up to the top first.

As you are in the centre of the Portes du Soleil you have a vast choice ahead of you every morning. This is in one respect the 'largest lift linked area in the world' with 650km (407 miles) of trails. On the other hand this claim isn't quite as solid as the other area that makes it - the Trois Vallées - which only claims 600km (375 miles) but does have it all totally linked, whereas at a few key points in the Portes du Soleil you may have to slip your skis off and hop on a bus to make a link. That's all rather petty though really, because the terrain is vast by any means of measuring it and the snow record is good, helped by the proximity of Lake Léman which seems to pull in some of the best and most regular snow in the region.

So the first choice of the day, if you want to bother deciding, is whether to stay local or perhaps take a tour.

Various routes (shown on a special 'Ski Links' trail map) are possible. Sign-posted 'Discovery Circuits' have also been introduced giving lift-served routes for different ability levels around the area which "steer you towards the least congested slopes" according to the promotional blurb. The major directions include the hop over the nearby border in to Switzerland and then on to Planachaux, Les Crosets, Champéry and Champoussin. Secondly you may choose to head down to the picturesque and wooded slopes above Morzine and Les Gets, or thirdly you can instead head down towards Chatel, with its own border link over to Swiss Torgon and then back over to La Chapelle. There are many variations and full day circuits can be put together.

Avoriaz is a good choice for all levels of skier. Beginners have wide sunny slopes right by the resort and, because of its altitude, the slopes are snowsure for the whole season. The ski schools are all highly thought of with the Ecole du Ski Français (ESF) and the International Ski School both operational in the resort. Intermediates have the best of all worlds with 240km (150 miles) of blue and red level trails in the local Avoriaz-Morzine sector alone. The tours to outlying sectors of the Portes du Soleil are perfectly achievable for intermediates of moderate ability (able to tackle reds) so it's a great place to try exploring. Experts have more than 20 black trails to choose around the domain including one of the Alps most famous - The Wall - a vast steep mogul field that is effectively the border with Switzerland. Most skiers coming from Avoriaz in to the Swiss sector take the chairlift down this slope. The Jean Vuarnet World Cup Downhill Run is also highly regarded.

The two main ski schools and the Free Ride School host full day off and on piste tours including ski touring with mountain hiking. These schools are also happy to teach the other sliding disciplines practised in Avoriaz, such as telemark, skwal, mono and carving. Cross country skiers have 47km of trails through some beautiful mountain and forest scenery.

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