Skiing in Les Gets

A delectable Savoyard village with great skiing and good nightlife. Quite a rare combination.

This charming village, complete with picture-postcard church and chalets, is very different to a purpose-built resort but has just as much convenience and scope. We have been looking for the right place on the Portes du Soleil for many years and we reckon this is it! Les Gets is just right for Equity skiers and our brand new chalet has been purpose-built for us. It's right on the slopes, with ski school, Tourist Office and piste-front gallery just below.

The skiing shelves conveniently down both sides of the valley and is separated by a short walk across the village. Most of the skiing is on the north-facing side. There's a large village nursery area with undulating pasture above, perfect for beginners and early intermediates, then the gondola goes to Les Chavannes where there's another lovely beginner's area in good snow. From here, the very extensive intermediate area merges imperceptibly into Morzine. There's plenty of skiing, some of it outstandingly interesting and scenic, with deep forest providing good protection and visibility in bad weather. There are spectacular views of the Mont Blanc Massif. Easy blues wind back down to the village or go east, giving you a chance to warm up before the more challenging skiing of La Ranfolly (1850m), Chamossi�re (2000m), or Point de Nyon (2020m). This is great for advanced skiers and enthusiastic piste-bashers. There's fantastic skiing and a lot of variety up here. Les Gets is a big snowboarding resort and often hosts competitions. There's a snow park, two quarter-pipes and freestyle riding on Mont Ch�ry.

On the other side of the village there are more superb, sunny slopes from Mont Chery at 1850m. These face east, north and south, back down to the village. This snow is more vulnerable so there's a gondola lift and good snowmaking. In general, the snow is excellent. Les Gets is one of the best parts of the world-famous Portes du Soleil and most of the slopes face north, or are high enough for the direction not to matter. There are plentiful snow cannons as well.

Avoriaz and eventually the Swiss Portes du Soleil connect very easily in about 20mins by ski bus or road train, which are constantly circulating, efficient and free. You can also ski via Morzine and the super Morzine gondola. Les Gets is the second largest local ski area of the Portes du Soleil but it's nice to have Avoriaz available on the inexpensive daily extension.

Les Gets is about as charming a ski village as you are likely to find. It's built on the human scale, with plenty of traditional chalet buildings and old-style farmhouses, but has plenty of life and apr�s ski choices. There's plenty to occupy you along the two main streets of the traffic-free centre. The atmosphere is informal and friendly.