Avoriaz Lift System - Winter

For winter season 2009/2010, the main lifts in Avoriaz will be open from 12th December 2009 until 25th April 2010. The whole of the Portes du Soleil ski area is open between 19th December 2009 to 25th April 2010. It's worth noting that there is a 15% reduction on Portes du Soleil ski passes before 18th December 09 and from 3rd April 2010!

Avoriaz and the Portes du Soleil are linked by a variety of different lifts. The lifts marked on the piste map using straight black lines are of four types; button tow/drag, chair, telecabine and telepherique. They have the corresponding abbreviations:

• TK - téléski (drag)
• TS - télésiege (chair)
• TC - télécabine (gondola)
• TPH - téléphérique (cable car)

For télécabine think bubble car and for téléphérique think cable car. Anything prefixed/suffixed with “Express” means a 6 person modern fast chair lift.

In the winter the Avoriaz lifts usually start to open from the second week of December onwards. Normally only a few lifts are open for the first week, with progressively more lifts opening as snow permits. You may find that the higher resorts of the Portes du Soleil have the most lifts open towards the start and end of the season, as they have more dependable snow coverage than those resorts lower down. Getting up the first and last lifts of the season often means you won't experience the best snow ever, but you may find that you have the pistes to yourself, no lift queues and sometimes there are low-season discounts to be had. Spring skiing can be pleasant with warmer weather and more precipitation can mean more snow! The season usually ends towards the end of April.

During recent years, several lifts have been upgraded, and the Portes du Soleil now boasts 13 six-seater high-speed detachable chairs – there are new ones at Fornet in Avoriaz , Pre-la-Joux in Châtel and Grand Paradis in Champéry. The area has been at the forefront of technical developments, pioneering the hands-free lift pass back in 2000, and now you can also build up "fidelity points" which can be exchanged for a free day’s skiing. For this there is a deposit of €3/5CHF or you can keep it as a souvenir and re-use the card the following year.

The summer lifts reopen around mid-June and close at the end of August. There are not as many lifts open as during the winter, but the Téléphérique des Prodains and Télécabine de Super Morzine provide access to and from Avoriaz and the rest of the Portes du Soleil. The whole Portes du Soleil region has 24 lifts open throughout the summer season; they are used by mountain bikers, walkers, climbers, paragliders and those who wish to enjoy the fantastic views.

The Télépherique des Prodains is the large cable car that runs from the small hamlet of Les Prodains up to the resort of Avoriaz.  Many tour operators and transfer companies choose to use the cable car, rather than drive up to resort so make sure you are arrriving during operating hours!

During the winter season the cable car runs from 07h00-21h00 Monday-Thursday, 07h00-24h00 Friday-Saturday and 07h00-22h00 on Sunday.

The ticket price is around €7 one way and €11 return (child discounts apply to those under 16 years, under 5's travel free).

Below is our speedy overview of what the current lift status is in the Portes du Soleil. The list summary is probably most useful if you already know the valley and the lift names. If you don't, you may also find the piste & lift map handy if you are less familiar with the area.

The Portes du Soleil piste map gives you a broad picture of how all the areas (Morzine, Avoriaz, Les Gets etc) are connected. For a more detailed map when you get on the mountain, pick up a paper copy of the piste maps from the lift company when you buy your pass.