Best Ski Runs in Morzine and Les Gets: Pistes for Every Level

The best ski runs in Morzine and Les Gets range from gentle tree-lined blues around Pleney and Les Chavannes to panoramic reds on Nyon, Chamossière and Mont Chéry. Beginners will find the easiest progression around Pleney and Les Gets; intermediates have an enormous choice of cruising terrain. At the same time, confident skiers can seek out steeper reds and blacks such as L’Aigle, L’Arbis and Les Creux.

All the runs in this guide are covered by the Morzine–Les Gets lift pass. The local area includes 120km of marked pistes across Pleney, Nyon, Chamossière, Les Chavannes, Ranfoilly, La Rosta, Les Perrières and Mont Chéry. You do not need the full Portes du Soleil pass to ski any of the routes featured below.

Table of Contents 

• Morzine and Les Gets ski runs at a glance
• Best ski runs in Morzine for beginners
• Best red ski runs in Morzine
• Best black ski runs in Morzine and Les Gets
• Best area for intermediate skiers & families
• Best pistes when visibility is poor or a clear day
• Three Morzine–Les Gets ski itineraries
• More Mountain staff picks: our favourite red and black runs
• Frequently asked questions

The best Morzine and Les Gets ski runs at a glance

Understanding the Morzine–Les Gets ski area

Although it is normally described as one local ski area, Morzine–Les Gets is made up of several sectors with different personalities.

Pleney rises directly above Morzine and provides the main link towards Les Gets. Its wooded slopes are home to beginner areas, flowing blue runs and several steeper descents back into town.

Continuing across the ridge brings you to Les Chavannes and the heart of the Les Gets ski area. This is classic intermediate territory, with an extensive network of blues and reds spreading towards Ranfoilly, La Rosta, Les Perrières and La Turche.

Nyon and Chamossière contain the local area’s highest and most challenging terrain. These mountains are better suited to confident intermediates and advanced skiers, although there are easier pistes around the lower Nyon plateau.

Mont Chéry sits on the opposite side of Les Gets village. It is not directly connected by piste to Les Chavannes, but it is well worth the short journey across the village. It tends to be quieter and offers excellent red and black pistes with some of the finest views in the area.

Best ski runs in Morzine for beginners

The Pleney beginner area

The beginner area at the top of the Pleney gondola is one of the most convenient places to learn to ski in Morzine. New skiers can practise using the magic carpet and beginner lifts without immediately committing to a long descent.

Its location at the top of the gondola is particularly useful. Beginners can reach the snow without having to ski down to Morzine at the end of the session; they can simply take the gondola back to the village.

This is the best place to start if you have never skied before. Once you can control your speed, link turns and use a lift confidently, you can begin exploring the easy pistes around the Pleney plateau.

Best for: first lessons, nervous beginners and young children.

Local tip: Do not assume that being able to ski around the beginner area means you are ready for every blue run on the piste map. Ask your instructor which route to try next, particularly if conditions are firm or visibility is poor.

Choucas in Les Gets

The Chavannes sector above Les Gets is another excellent area for beginners and improving skiers. Choucas provides a natural next step away from the nursery slopes, allowing beginners to practise on a longer marked run without heading immediately onto the more demanding terrain farther across the mountain.

The wider Chavannes area contains several accessible pistes, but it can become busy during ski-school hours. If you have some flexibility, returning later in the day can provide more space.

Best for: beginners ready to leave the nursery area.

Watch out for: faster skiers passing through the main Chavannes routes at busy times.

Reine des Prés and Renardière

Reine des Prés and Renardière provide further progression around Les Gets. They allow improving skiers to build confidence on longer slopes while remaining relatively close to the central Chavannes lifts.

These runs can feel noticeably different depending on the snow. A gentle blue piste on soft, grippy snow may feel much more challenging after heavy traffic or an overnight freeze.

Best for: improving beginners who can link turns and control their speed confidently.

Best blue ski runs in Morzine and Les Gets

Piste B: the best long blue into Morzine

Piste B is one of the most useful and enjoyable blue runs on the Morzine side. It descends for approximately three kilometres from the Pleney sector towards Morzine, winding through the trees before revealing views of the village below.

The piste is generally wide enough to make comfortable turns, although its character changes as you descend. It is a genuine journey rather than a short practice slope, making it a satisfying end to the day for skiers who are ready to ski back into Morzine.

Piste B can become busy and scraped later in the afternoon. Ski it earlier in the day if you want quieter snow, then decide whether conditions are still suitable before using it as your final descent. If you are tired, nervous or uncertain about the snow, there is no shame in taking the Pleney gondola down instead.

Best for: improving beginners and intermediates looking for a long, scenic descent.

Best time to ski it: morning or early afternoon.

Watch out for: busier and firmer snow towards the end of the day.

Les Granges: the best scenic blue through the trees

Les Granges forms part of the connection between Pleney and Nyon. It is a beautiful blue run that passes through snow-covered woodland and feels more like a journey across the mountain than a conventional lift-served lap.

Most of the piste is gentle, but it includes flatter sections. Skiers should carry enough speed into these areas where it is safe to do so. Snowboarders may find themselves skating if they slow down too much.

The combination of easy gradients, forest scenery and useful connections makes Les Granges one of the most memorable blue runs in the local area.

Best for: relaxed intermediates and improving skiers who enjoy scenic terrain.

Watch out for: flat sections, particularly after fresh or slow spring snow.

Tulipe: an intermediate favourite in the Ranfoilly bowl

The Ranfoilly and La Rosta bowl is one of the best places in the area for intermediate skiers. Several lifts converge in the same broad sector, making it easy to repeat favourite pistes or move between blues and reds.

Tulipe is a particularly enjoyable choice for skiers who like wide, flowing turns. It offers the sort of terrain on which you can settle into a rhythm without constantly stopping to navigate.

Because the bowl is popular with ski schools and families, the central pistes can become busy. Explore it early in the day, over lunchtime or later in the afternoon for a quieter experience.

Best for: intermediates who enjoy comfortable cruising.

Vorosses: a good progression run

Vorosses, towards the La Turche side, is a useful run for skiers who are becoming comfortable on blue pistes and want to explore beyond the busiest part of Les Chavannes. Its wooded setting also makes this side of the area worth considering when cloud or snowfall reduces visibility higher up.

Best for: improving skiers ready to cover more of the Les Gets area.

Best red ski runs in Morzine

L’Aigle: the best panoramic red on Nyon

L’Aigle descends from the Pointe de Nyon and is one of the signature red runs in Morzine. Before skiing it, take time to visit the Pas de l’Aigle viewpoint near the summit, where the panorama can extend from Lake Geneva to Mont Blanc on a clear day.

The piste itself is a long, winding descent from the exposed upper mountain towards the Nyon plateau. It provides a satisfying combination of views, varied turns and sustained red-run skiing.

L’Aigle is best suited to confident intermediates. It can feel substantially harder in poor visibility, strong winds or firm snow, so the colour on the piste map should not be the only factor in your decision.

Best for: confident intermediates looking for scenery and a sense of adventure.

Best conditions: clear weather with good visibility.

Watch out for: exposed upper sections and changing snow conditions.

L’Arbis: the best red on Chamossière

Chamossière reaches just over 2,000 metres and contains some of the best higher-altitude skiing on the Morzine–Les Gets pass.

From the top of the Chamossière chairlift, L’Arbis descends on the skier’s right. It is a superb red piste for confident skiers, with open terrain, an enjoyable gradient and impressive mountain views.

L’Arbis is not an easy red. The upper mountain can be windswept or firm, and visibility can disappear quickly in cloud. On a clear day with good snow, however, it is one of the best marked runs in the local area.

Best for: strong intermediates and advanced skiers.

Le Stade: the direct red into Morzine

Le Stade is the prominent piste visible on the Pleney face above Morzine. It provides a direct and relatively steep descent towards the village.

This is not the best choice for a tired skier looking for an easy way home. Its gradient, traffic and sometimes firm surface can make it demanding, especially late in the afternoon.

For confident skiers, it is a fast and satisfying final run. For anyone uncertain about the conditions, Piste B or the Pleney gondola will usually provide a more comfortable return.

Best for: confident skiers who want a steeper descent into Morzine.

Watch out for: firm snow, busy periods and tired legs at the end of the day.

Mélèzes: the best red towards Les Perrières

Mélèzes descends through the wooded terrain around Les Perrières and La Turche. It is a favourite among skiers who prefer quieter, tree-lined pistes to the more open slopes of the main Ranfoilly bowl.

The sector’s aspect can help it retain good snow, although any shaded piste can also become firm after repeated thaw-and-freeze cycles. Mélèzes is an excellent alternative when the central Les Gets pistes are busy and a useful choice during light snowfall or flat light because the surrounding trees provide contrast.

Best for: intermediates who enjoy quiet, flowing red runs.

Chamois and Épervier on Mont Chéry

Mont Chéry’s Chamois and Épervier pistes offer broad red-run skiing with outstanding views towards Mont Blanc.

They are excellent for confident intermediates developing their technique on steeper terrain. Their width provides space to make larger turns, although their exposure means the snow can change with the weather and time of day.

Mont Chéry is often quieter than Les Chavannes because it does not form part of the main link across the Portes du Soleil. That makes these pistes particularly rewarding on busy weeks.

Best for: confident intermediates, panoramic skiing and quieter laps.

Local tip: Mont Chéry is worth treating as a destination rather than somewhere to rush through. Allow at least half a day to explore it properly.

Marmottes: a more demanding Mont Chéry red

Marmottes descends on the far side of Mont Chéry and is a much more serious proposition than the broad reds facing Les Gets. Its steeper sections can feel closer to black-run difficulty when the snow is hard or chopped up. It is best left to confident red-run skiers who are comfortable adapting their turns to changing conditions.

Best for: strong intermediates looking for a challenge.

Watch out for: a steep opening and variable snow.

Best black ski runs in Morzine and Les Gets

Les Creux: the classic Chamossière black

From the top of Chamossière, Les Creux provides the more challenging alternative to L’Arbis. It is a long black piste that can develop significant moguls, providing a genuine test for advanced skiers.

The difficulty varies enormously. On a freshly prepared surface with good visibility, it can feel controlled and enjoyable. Once it becomes heavily moguled, icy or affected by poor visibility, it demands much stronger technique.

Do not ski Les Creux simply because you reached the top of Chamossière. L’Arbis provides the red alternative, so make the decision based on the conditions and the least confident member of your group.

Best for: advanced skiers comfortable on steep pistes and moguls.

Watch out for: moguls, exposed terrain and rapidly changing visibility.

The black pistes on Mont Chéry

Mont Chéry contains some of the most demanding marked skiing in the local area. Runs including Bouquetin and La Gazelle give advanced skiers a reason to cross Les Gets village rather than automatically continuing towards the wider Portes du Soleil.

These pistes are not always open. Their condition depends on snow coverage, grooming and mountain safety decisions. When open, they provide steep and often quiet skiing away from the area’s main traffic.

Best for: advanced skiers looking for challenging marked terrain.

Important: A black piste shown on the map may be closed even when surrounding lifts are running. Always check the live information boards before committing to a route.

Best area for intermediate skiers

The Ranfoilly and La Rosta sector above Les Gets is arguably the best all-round area for intermediates.

Multiple blues and reds return to a central bowl, allowing groups to ski different runs and meet at the same lift. Less confident skiers can choose easier pistes while stronger skiers take a red or black alternative.

This makes the sector particularly useful for mixed-ability families and groups. You can ski together without requiring everyone to take exactly the same piste.

The main disadvantage is its popularity. The obvious routes can become congested during ski-school hours and on peak weeks. Move away from the central pistes, ski over lunchtime or explore Les Perrières and Mont Chéry when the bowl feels busy.

Best ski runs for families

The best family piste is not necessarily the easiest one. A good family area needs a choice of gradients, straightforward lifts and an obvious place to regroup.

Pleney works well for families with beginners because the learning area and gondola are close together. More experienced family members can ski nearby runs without travelling far from the lesson meeting points.

Les Chavannes and the Ranfoilly bowl are better for families in which everyone can already ski blue pistes. Several lifts serve a mixture of blue and red runs, so stronger skiers can choose a more demanding descent before meeting the rest of the group at the bottom.

Families should be cautious about heading to Nyon or Chamossière with a nervous skier. The terrain is more exposed, the red runs are more demanding and the easiest route may not always be obvious.

Best pistes when visibility is poor

Morzine and Les Gets have a major advantage in bad weather: much of the ski area is below or close to the tree line.

When cloud, snowfall or flat light makes the high mountain difficult, consider:

• The wooded pistes around Pleney
• Piste B
• Les Granges
• The lower Chavannes sector
• Les Perrières and La Turche
• Mélèzes and other tree-lined Les Gets runs

The trees provide definition, making it easier to read the snow surface than on the open slopes of Chamossière, Nyon or upper Mont Chéry.

Poor visibility can still make familiar pistes disorientating. Slow down, keep the next piste marker in sight and check lift-status information before setting out.

Best skiing on a clear, sunny day

Save the high and panoramic sectors for days when you can properly enjoy them. On a clear day, our priorities would be:

1. L’Aigle from the Pointe de Nyon.
2. L’Arbis from the top of Chamossière.
3. Chamois and Épervier on Mont Chéry.
4. The open pistes around Ranfoilly.
5. A final descent into Morzine on Piste B.

Mont Chéry is particularly good on a clear day because of its views across to the Mont Blanc massif. Chamossière and Pointe de Nyon also deserve time rather than being treated simply as places to collect another run.

Three Morzine–Les Gets ski itineraries

Weather, piste openings and lift times change throughout the season, so these should be treated as suggested routes rather than rigid instructions.

1. An easy day for improving skiers

Suitable for: skiers comfortable on gentle blue pistes.

Start at the Pleney gondola and warm up around the plateau. Once everyone is confident, follow the appropriate blue routes towards Les Gets.

Spend the middle of the day around Chavannes, using runs such as Choucas and the surrounding easier pistes. Avoid travelling too far towards Nyon or Chamossière.

Return towards Pleney with plenty of time. Finish on Piste B if everyone still feels confident and conditions are suitable, or take the Pleney gondola down.

2. A full day for confident intermediates

Suitable for: skiers happy on all blue pistes and most reds.

Start from Pleney and cross towards Les Gets. Continue into the Ranfoilly and La Rosta bowl, using a mixture of blue and red runs.

From there, travel towards Nyon and assess the weather. If visibility and snow are good, take the lift to Pointe de Nyon and ski L’Aigle. Continue towards Chamossière for L’Arbis if time and ability allow.

Return towards Pleney well before the final lifts. Finish with Piste B or Le Stade, depending on confidence and conditions.

3. A quieter day around Les Gets

Suitable for: confident intermediates and advanced skiers.

Cross from Morzine to Les Gets in the morning, then descend into the village. Travel across to the Mont Chéry gondola and spend the morning exploring Chamois, Épervier and the surrounding red runs.

Strong skiers can consider the black pistes if they are open and conditions are appropriate.

Later, return to the Chavannes side and explore Les Perrières (stopping by at La Païka restaurant for lunch or a hot chocolate), La Turche and Mélèzes before making your way back towards Morzine.

Remember that Mont Chéry is separate from the main Les Gets piste network, so allow time to cross the village and reconnect with the Chavannes lifts.

More Mountain staff picks: our favourite red and black runs

With 120km of pistes across Morzine and Les Gets, choosing one favourite is not easy. We asked the More Mountain team which red or black run they would choose if they could ski only one.

Sam’s pick: L’Arbis, Chamossière

L’Arbis is Sam’s choice for a clear morning with good snow. Starting from the summit of Chamossière at just over 2,000m, this red offers open terrain, a satisfying gradient and superb views across the surrounding mountains.

It is long and challenging enough to feel rewarding without requiring you to tackle the moguls frequently found on neighbouring Les Creux. L’Arbis can become firm or windswept, so it is best suited to confident intermediate and advanced skiers/boarders.

Carolyn’s pick: Chamois, Mont Chéry

Carolyn chooses Chamois on Mont Chéry for its combination of wide-open terrain, quieter slopes and exceptional views towards Mont Blanc.

This red piste gives confident intermediates plenty of room to practise larger, more flowing turns. Mont Chéry is separate from the main Les Gets circuit, so Chamois is often noticeably quieter than equally enjoyable pistes around Chavannes and Ranfoilly.

Amy’s pick: L’Aigle, Pointe de Nyon

Amy’s favourite is L’Aigle, the panoramic red descending from the Pointe de Nyon.

The run begins high above Morzine and winds down towards the Nyon plateau. On a clear day, the views can stretch from Lake Geneva to Mont Blanc, while the varied gradient makes the descent interesting from beginning to end.

Stop at the Pas de l’Aigle viewpoint before setting off, then enjoy one of the most memorable marked runs in the Morzine ski area.

Jon’s pick: Les Creux, Chamossière

Jon opts for Les Creux, the black piste from the top of Chamossière.

This is a run for strong skiers and snowboarders. It is long, steep and often develops sizeable moguls, particularly after fresh snow or during busy periods. Conditions can transform it from a manageable black into a serious test of technique and stamina.

When visibility is clear and the snow is good, Les Creux provides one of the most rewarding challenges available on the Morzine–Les Gets lift pass. If it looks too heavily moguled or icy, neighbouring L’Arbis offers a red alternative back into the sector.

Staff-pick summary: Choose L’Arbis for flowing high-altitude skiing and snowboarding, Chamois for quiet panoramic turns, L’Aigle for the complete Morzine mountain experience and Les Creux when you want a proper challenge.

Final thoughts

The best ski runs in Morzine and Les Gets are not limited to the most famous or difficult pistes. The real strength of the local area is its variety.

Beginners can progress around Pleney and Chavannes, intermediates can spend days exploring the bowls and wooded pistes above Les Gets, and advanced skiers can find genuine challenges on Nyon, Chamossière and Mont Chéry.

Choose your area according to the weather, snow conditions and ability of your group rather than trying to follow the same itinerary every day. Some mornings will be made for panoramic laps on L’Aigle or L’Arbis; others will be better spent cruising through the trees on Piste B, Les Granges or Mélèzes.

That flexibility is exactly what makes the Morzine–Les Gets ski area so rewarding.