Snow fun between Switzerland and France

In “End of the Year in Champéry” I have already reported on my winter holiday in the ski resort of Champéry. The ski resort of Champéry stretches across the border to France. Well, what is it actually like to ski or snowboard from one country to another? First of all, there are differences! But you don’t have to show a passport anywhere and can whizz back and forth between Switzerland and France without a care in the world.

Since we spend the night in Champéry, we start our day on the Croix de Culet. From here you can also immediately see the infamous Mur Suisse (for the French it is called “Mur Suisse”, for the Swiss “La Chavanette”). With a gradient of over 70% and a difference in altitude of 400 m, this mogul slope forms the border between Switzerland and France. When you stand at the top, you have the feeling of looking down a steep wall. But don’t worry, there are other, less steep roads leading to France.

In the morning, it is worth driving on the Swiss side, as the sun shines on the slopes earlier. On the French side, however, there are many north-facing slopes, which are still in good condition even in the late afternoon. My favorite way from the Swiss to the French side is from Pointe de Mossette to Les Lindarets. It’s worth tackling this trail around lunchtime. In Les Lindarets there are some nice little restaurants. Of course, the various crêpes variations are popular. Attention to all Swiss, here you already pay with Euros :-). For the super delicious crêpes you see here, I paid around 10 euros.

From Les Lindarets you can quickly reach the alpine retort village of Avoriaz. The village was built in the 60s in one litter and offers over 15,000 beds (and around 100 inhabitants). The architect Jacques Labro calls the style “mimetic” because the shapes of the houses and the materials used recreate nature. At first glance, this argument may seem grotesque, because the buildings look very special up close. By the way, the style from the 60s has been adopted in all new buildings built in recent years. Viewed from a distance, however, Avoriaz fits surprisingly well into the overall picture of barren rocks and ski slopes. You can ski through the village and marvel at the strange shapes. I still haven’t been able to make a final judgement about whether I like it or not. It’s definitely fascinating and bizarre at the same time.

In Avoriaz, you quickly notice that on the French side not only the skiers are worse (yes, that’s actually the case), but also the chairlifts were built incredibly chaotic. In addition, there is much more activity on the slopes and at the chairlifts than on the Swiss side! I don’t know of any other ski resort that has as many facets as Les Portes du Soleil.