Tell me about Morzine....

[Whiteroom_Guardian]

So I am thinking next summer I need to get Europe off the bucket list. Basecamp in the Morzine area for like 2 weeks. The recent enduro bro YT videos from their off time in the area have me sold.

Local french enduro races?

Where to stay.....small apartment or cabin type deals? Full dirtbag with a transit connect type van and a tent?


This is all assuming the planet isn't a smoldering space rock at that point.

[m2711c]

Don’t forget to bring your skis too. You’ll only be about 2 1/2 hours from zermatt and summer skiing.

[grskier]

So I am thinking next summer I need to get Europe off the bucket list. Basecamp in the Morzine area for like 2 weeks. The recent enduro bro YT videos from their off time in the area have me sold.

Local french enduro races?

Where to stay.....small apartment or cabin type deals? Full dirtbag with a transit connect type van and a tent?


This is all assuming the planet isn't a smoldering space rock at that point.

With my attitude today, I'm taking the over on the smoldering thing.

Jealous, wanted to knock something like that out prekids and didn't pull the trigger.

[skaredshtles]

So I am thinking next summer I need to get Europe off the bucket list. Basecamp in the Morzine area for like 2 weeks. The recent enduro bro YT videos from their off time in the area have me sold.

Local french enduro races?

Where to stay.....small apartment or cabin type deals? Full dirtbag with a transit connect type van and a tent?


This is all assuming the planet isn't a smoldering space rock at that point.

PM me - I can connect you with a local.

[gramboh]

So I am thinking next summer I need to get Europe off the bucket list. Basecamp in the Morzine area for like 2 weeks. The recent enduro bro YT videos from their off time in the area have me sold.

Local french enduro races?

Where to stay.....small apartment or cabin type deals? Full dirtbag with a transit connect type van and a tent?


This is all assuming the planet isn't a smoldering space rock at that point.

Never been but same thought on the EWS/WCDH dudes shredding Morzine, both the official tracks and the loamers through the woods at the bottom look so fun. Plus how close it is to other bike parks in the region. Buddy of mine from the UK that I rode with a bunch in Whistler would always talk about fun trips to Morzine so it's definitely on the bucket list. Enjoy!

[detrusor]

Dude, take your kids with!




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[LC]

I don't like the vibe. Too many obnoxious British lads, and often lift lines. Fun for a day or two but look into staying in somewhere like Bourg Saint Maurice if you really want to have a permanent two week base (closer to Aosta Valley, which you should ride). Travelling around would be a better idea - more planning and cash required but since you're considering camping anyway I'd say go for it.

[Boissal]

I don't like the vibe. Too many obnoxious British lads

Coming from someone who's in Cham that's saying a lot...

[LC]

Coming from someone who's in Cham that's saying a lot...

Indeed.

[ClarkleberryFinn]

Posted this elsewhere, but maybe helpful. Or maybe not, given I’m a total jong

Really fun area, but with two weeks I’d probably hit a few other spots too.

We didn't really stop much for photos as we were having too much fun, but:

General impressions from Morzine in comparison to Austria:

1. The lift pass is incredibly good value and much cheaper than Austria, for many more trails. €30/day or €64 for 3 days. Here even in the smallest bike parks you'll be paying ~€40/day and €100+ for 3 days
2. So many lifts and trails!! Lots of variety, great shaping, hundreds of sculpted jumps and features if you're into that sort of thing. Really really really fun!
3. Most trails seem to be rather short in terms of vertical descent - I don't think there are many longer than around 600m vert? In eg. Sölden and Kitzbühel you can easily ride 1000m vert from one lift (or self pedal). I actually rode more vert in 3 hours in Sölden Bikepark than the whole day in Morzine
4. Way fewer people than I expected, even accounting for corona, but LOTS of Brits
5. Food and drink is 50-100% more expensive for comparable meals in comparable locations. €7.50 for a beer! I'm still shocked when a beer costs €5 in AT (even though that's not uncommon in the a grade resorts anymore), but at €7.50 it's actually kinda hard to enjoy a pint. Decent veggie meals were actually - surprisingly - harder to find than in AT, but we found a couple of good poke bowl type things - again notably more expensive than similar places here though.
6. Accommodation goes to lower prices at the budget end in Morzine (chalets etc seem great value if you have a big enough group), but for the same money the hotel will be significantly better in AT, and the room probably 2-3 times the size with proper thickness walls and much more comfortable fittings/be somewhere you don't mind hanging out for a couple of hours for the rain to stop etc rather than literally just be somewhere to sleep and shower.
7. The bakery in Morzine had much better sandwiches (than places like Ruetz in Austria) for very reasonable prices, so easy to just take a delicious baguette up for lunch on the hill. Plus pain aux raisins - was WAY too long since I last enjoyed that deliciousness!
8. The village felt very 'resort-ified' (more so than I remembered from winter trips around 10 years or so ago), compared to somewhere like Saalbach which actually still feels like a real village just with fun stuff tacked on above (both WAY nicer than somewhere like Sölden though). Pros and cons to both approaches, neither really better than the other and more down to personal taste.
9. Bikepark/lift-access season is much shorter in Morzine, probably 3 months shorter. Not sure if that's to avoid conflict with other tourism, like hiking? Or hunting?



Look forward to going back and seeing more of the area!

[Whiteroom_Guardian]

Good info, thanks Clarkleberry. Definitely want to hit Chatel too. That park always pops up in the enduro/DH pro youtubes.

[skaredshtles]

You should really consider heading down to Finale Ligure, as well. If for nothing other than the food.