A ski holiday is about so much more than hitting the slopes
The average skier spends just four hours a day whizzing down the slopes. Catherine Murphy wonders if that’s because there are so many great new activities on offer in the mountains. She visits sister resorts Morzine-Avoriaz in the French Alps to find
The leaders of the pack whoop with pleasure as they blast down the mountain. A few of us trail behind, shuffling go-karts along like toddlers on balance bikes.
That’s right, we’re go-karting on snow at night, following a 3km slope beneath the Prodains lift in Avoriaz. The only light showing us the way as we descend 600 metres on sometimes narrow slopes is beamed from head torches provided by our guide.
AvoKarts, as they’re called in Avoriaz, are non-powered, full-sized go-karts that offer a big dose of adrenaline and fun to adventure fans.
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The night-time activity is open to over-18s only so it’s a great option for families with older teenage kids but perhaps not such a great option for fearful non-drivers like me. A session costs around €25 per person.
Avo karting is also one of many non-ski activities on offer in the twin French resorts of Morzine and Avoriaz which are situated just over an hour from Geneva airport.
The town of Morzine (altitude 1,000m) and the mountain village of Avoriaz (altitude 1,800m) are also part of the vast 600km Portes du Soleil ski area and offer something for every ski or snowboard level.
In Morzine, beginners and children can learn on easy slopes at Morzine’s Pleney area while more advanced skiers take a lift directly up to Avoriaz, gateway to 12 resorts between France and Switzerland, and home of the legendary Swiss Wall mogul slope.
Morzine is a charming year-round town bustling with 144 shops and 90 bars and restaurants while Avoriaz is a car-free mountain top village where children are taken to ski school on horse-drawn sleighs.
The Portes du Soleil area is dotted with affordable mountain restaurants and some of the best on-slope space for children that we’ve seen in the Alps with 30 fun slopes and snow parks.
We’ve checked into Chalet La Godille (moremountain.com), a contemporary four level chalet located next to the iconic bridge that spans Morzine (chalet tip; rooms 2 and 5 have the best bridge views). Our hosts Conor and Kat conjure up stylish canapés, delicious home-made meals and exceptional afternoon tea cakes, making it all look totally easy as they entertain us with tales of work and travel.
If someone in our group doesn’t want to venture onto snow, there’s plenty to do in Morzine, from hot stone massages and river walks to shopping with a conscience. The town has a strong sustainability ethos and it’s worth dropping in to Montagne Verte’s second-hand shop where one of our friends bags brand new moon boots (€15), hiking boots (€15) and ski goggles (€7) in the space of a few minutes.
To relax and stretch pre or post skiing, we don’t even have to leave the chalet – yoga instructor Nicole Coryton comes to La Godille to run a yoga session in the den for €15 per person. There’s something about gorgeous mountain views from the comfort of a cosy chalet den that makes those downward dogs all the more appealing. We follow it with 20 minutes in the chalet’s outdoor hot tub for full relaxation vibes.
Back on the slopes, we try two other unexpected activities – ski-joering at Super Morzine and feeding birds of prey at Pointe de Nyon.
Ski joering is an activity where we’re pulled by a horse through snowy forests, holding onto a frame that’s attached to our trusty steed. It feels like quite a serene activity and a great way of getting away from buzzy resorts. It’s also an activity that parents and children can do together.
As we get pulled up little snowy inclines, our arms feel the strain. That quickly turns to loud laughter as our horse begins to canter and trot, not to mention poop and pee.
Ski joering is less well known than dog sledding (also on offer) but is definitely worth trying for a different experience and costs around €40 per adult. If snow conditions are poor, it’s also possible to go dog-sledding on wheels and to have pony rides.
Our brush with endangered birds of prey comes courtesy of conservationist Jacques-Olivier Travers who runs Les Aigles du Leman wildlife park and successfully re-introduced white-tailed sea eagle chicks to the region in 2022.
Jacques-Olivier moves his aviary to the mountains in winter and offers an incredible experience (via Morzine tourist office) where holidaymakers race an eagle down the slopes for the chance to win a falconry course.
Skiing with eagles is weather-dependant – these majestic birds don’t fly if it’s snowing.
When we meet Jacques-Olivier, it’s snowing heavily and while don’t get to race an eagle down the slopes, we do get to see them and to hold a snowy owl and feed a well-trained hawk before feeding ourselves in La Pointe de Nyon restaurant.
Jacques-Olivier is also a paragliding pilot and often flies alongside birds of prey as he prepares to return them to the wild. Meeting him is an unexpected charm on a trip that involves so much more than skiing.
Catherine Murphy was a guest of the Morzine and Avoriaz tourist offices. See morzine-avoriaz.com or avoriaz.com for activities information. The resort's Montagne Verte organisation offers discounts via the AlpinXpress pass for guests who travel from Paris by train to make their ski holiday more sustainable. See go-morzine-avoriaz.com. You can fly direct to Geneva with aerlingus.com and take a shared shuttle with skiidygonzales.com or if flying Dublin to Paris, you can take the train to Cluses and then bus or taxi the rest of the way to Morzine.
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