Portes du Soleil off-slope

Portes du Soleil has an abundance of off-slope spots. Depending on the snow or frequenting, those spots can become real free ride pearls! On the borders of the Gets territory the Mont Chéry area offers fields covered with snow where you can ski between threes. At the Gets, but on the Chavannes side you can go see Chamossières. And if there is enough snow, the walking will be great! Next to Morzine, the Pointe de Nyon is a beautiful spot full of fields covered with snow devoted to experienced skiers and snowboarders. Are you on holidays with your family or friends? No problems, the first off-slopes may also be done just outside the slopes or under the chair lift. Close to Morzine, Châtel or Avoriaz, there are English touches which have made Portes du Soleil a home away from home but in the mountains. The opportunity to ride in the Happy valley or to mark the Pepsi Max. Swiss stations are always important, thanks to their amazing corridors located close to Mosettes or Chavanette and the Grand Paradis area. At Grand Paradis, there are discrete lifts and an amazing view on the Dents du Midis. Skying between the old chalets and majestic fir-trees. Each slope is different and always offers new routes lightly or not tight. And if you cannot resist huge green space, have a talk with people from the Vallée de la Manche...

Safety

Here we are! Of course, skiing off-slope requires strictness to bring everyone safe at the chalet in the evening. Here are some basic tips: - Use the right kit Besides the right equipment to fight the mountain's bad weather, bring an ARVA, a shovel and a drill. Some stores in the stations rent out some and some mountain guides provide them. - Learn how to use your equipment Wearing an ARVA is one thing but knowing how to use it is something different. The Champéry station located on the Swiss side offers a particular experience, not usual in Europe: the Avalanche Training Center. Are you alone or with a group? Do you just have an half-hour to spend? Know that you can practice for searching on the Avalanche Training Center's zone. The perfect opportunity to use your ARVA and drill, without any stress, just in case... - Don't stay aloneDo you remember your first ski lessons, on the school's slope with your parents proudly looking at you? Don't be too proud and restart from the very beginning. Use your credit card and sign up for a dat with a guide to learn the off-slope's basic techniques, to ask him all the informations you need about the locations and sectors conditions. And if you choose to do it without the help of a guide, do not go alone and check your route before going. - Be humbleNever forget your ski skills are something different from the off-slopes zones knowledges. Don't forget neither that a track is not a truth. And finally, control your speed. - What if...If there is an avalanche, remember your learning and practice about ARVA and ask for help... And the last but not the least: have fun! But stay safe. Frédéric Solvel