Issue 13 - Summer 2019 - Morzine Source Magazine

SUMMER 19

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Les Gets is Back

The Source Guide to Recycling Extreme Sleeping with Phoebe Smith The Power of Skate Morzine, Les Gets & Avoriaz Essential Info Hot property, beer, gear guides, events & more

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welcome

Reduce, reuse, recycle… remember.

If we don’t stop making a mess in our mountains; if we don’t start thinking more about the consequences of our single use plastic addiction, our transport methods and our impact on our local environment, then the nature that we all love so much will be lost forever. These are the facts.

Don’t worry, we won’t be preaching to you on every page of this issue. We entirely understand that caring for our environment needs to go hand-in-hand with mountain development and that sometimes, the challenge just feels like too much for one person, one family or one resort to fix.

So whilst we won’t be banging continuously on the environmental drum this summer, we do hope that the features in our magazine help you to appreciate and respect our beautiful valley, whether you’re here on holiday, for the season or for good. We’ll tell you about one man’s campaign to open the Ardent lift during the summer months to stop cars driving up to Lindarets, while the travels of adventurer Phoebe Smith are sure to inspire. Our practical guide to the (slightly complicated) local recycling rules should stand you in good

stead and we’ll introduce you to Montagne Verte, a new community environmental initiative to advise and support local businesses and residents in their eco efforts.

And while we’re all doing our small bits to save the planet, you’ll find a stack of useful local information, news and events within. ‘Les Gets is Back’ is the curiously titled campaign to announce the resort’s return to the MTB World Cup stage and we’ve spoken to a veritable who’s who of mountain bike legends to gauge excitement levels. Over on Pleney, France’s only female bike patroller and track builder Sandy Termier is blazing her own trail, while up in Avoriaz Thomas Arneodo is developing new apartments, bars and facilities for all types of holiday maker.

Regular readers may also notice that alongside our regular collection of awesome contributors such as Claire Garber, Natalie Elvy and Kyles Garrett, we’ve brought in a new batch of very clever writers for this issue. We truly hope you enjoy reading their words as much as we do.

Until winter…

Amie & Chloe /MorzineSourceMagazine @MorzineSource /MorzineSourceMagazine

Publisher - Amie Henderson – amie@morzinesourcemagazine.com Editor - Chloe Hardy – chloe@morzinesourcemagazine.com design - Michael Henderson – michael@origami-media.com

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Copyright Origami Media Ltd 2019 Source Magazine is published in the UK and remains the property of Origami Media Ltd. All material in this magazine is strictly copyright and all rights are reserved by Origami Media Ltd. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part without the written permission of the publishers.

Dates, information and prices are believed to be correct at the time of going to print but are subject to change and no responsibility is accepted for omissions or errors.

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Design and reprographics by Origami Media Ltd. Printed in the UK by The Magazine Printing Company.

With thanks to the Office de Tourisme in Morzine, Les Gets, Avoriaz, Vallee d’Aulps and Les Portes du Soleil.

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contents Resort Highlights ..........................................................................6 The Phoebe Smith Interview ..................................................... 14 Resort Essentials ........................................................................ 20 The Winter Person’s Guide to Summer....................................24 #Trending - MTB ........................................................................30 Forget Aspiring, Start Inspiring ................................................ 32 Lanterne Rouge ........................................................................... 34 #Trending - Road Cycling .........................................................36 Skateistan .....................................................................................38 The Rise of the Alpine Microbrasserie.....................................42 The Source Guide to Recycling .................................................44 Mungo and Mika, Lost and Found ............................................48 #Trending - Family.....................................................................50 The Source Accommodation Guide .......................................... 52 Mountain Biking with the Family.............................................. 56 Hot Property................................................................................. 58 #Trending - Interiors.................................................................62 #Trending – Eco..........................................................................64 The Morzine-Montriond Triathlon ..........................................66 Mountain Bike World Cup Returns to Les Gets ......................68 Thomas Arneodo on the Future of Avoriaz ............................. 72 Riding for a Women’s Tour de France ...................................... 76 #Trending - A Day in the Mountains....................................... 80 Sandy Termier Interview............................................................82 Food Glorious Food.....................................................................84 The Mountain Refuge Guide......................................................88 When Superfoods go Super Bad............................................... 90 The European Outdoor Film Tour ............................................92 The Hills are Alive with the Sound of Am Dram .....................94

Contributors Max Leonard Alice Gregr Claire Garber Daisy Maddinson

Louise Akers Dom Turner Damian McArthur Rose Bromley

Kyles Garret Dave Branfield Natalie Elvy David Blackwell

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There’s so much going on in Morzine during the summer, it’s hard to imagine how it’s going to improve year after year. But improve it does, and that’s what makes the resort such a fantastic place to visit in the summer months! Here’s just a small selection of unmissable events and activities on offer this season, make sure you check out our website to get the full picture – morzinesourcemagazine.com/events.

MORZINE highlights L’Epicerie Montriond

Spartan Race | 5th - 7th July

Fleck and Alisha, the owners of Montriond bar La Marmotte d’Or have taken on an exciting new project, set to open this summer. The couple are taking over Vival, Montriond’s small but extensive supermarket and combining it with a new venture, L'Epicerie Montriond.

Just as before, it will be a one stop shop for all your essentials, but with a fresh new look and a bit more space. You’ll also be able to buy fresh sandwiches, bread, coffee, a selection of fresh fruit and veg and a great selection of wines and beers. Fleck and Alisha will also be moving cigarette sales from La Marmotte d’Or (which is just next door) to l’Epicerie for all your tobacco and lotto needs. L’Epicerie will open in June (exact date to be confirmed), daily from 7am, and Fleck and Alisha look forward to welcoming you!

Follow @epiceriemontriond on Instagram for updates

© Oliver Godbold / Morzine OT

One of the most gruelling obstacle races in the world, the infamous Spartan Race returns to Morzine for a fourth year. Fearless Spartans flock from all over Europe to compete in the event, which involves running through Morzine and the surrounding mountains while taking on a range of natural and man-made obstacles. From an 800m kids’ race to the 50km Ultra Beast race with 60 obstacles, and many options in between, there’s something for everyone. Don’t forget, the event is always looking for local volunteers, and if you volunteer you get to race for free!

Harley Days | 11th - 14th July

Spartanrace.fr

Ridge Recovery Room © Morzine OT

Arriving in Morzine every other year, the Harley Days Festival is a true sight to behold – and to hear! A major stop on the official Harley Davidson meet calendar, Harley Days sees Morzine fill up with bikes, their owners and leather goods stalls, turning the town into one huge motorcycle exhibition. While the bikers enjoy organised rides around the beautiful mountain roads, Morzine enjoys a range of biker-themed food, activities and live music, culminating in a massive open-air concert - this year Supertramp’s Roger Hodgson will be gracing the stage. Don’t forget, for the duration of the festival, if you’re staying anywhere near a road, you’ll probably need some earplugs! #lovemorzine

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If you’re finding that there are so many activities on offer in Morzine, you’re struggling to find the strength to do them all, look no further than the Ridge Recovery Room.

Run by ex-army physical training corps instructor and outdoor activities coach, nutritional therapist and ski instructor Jude Humphries, you can be sure it works, too!

The Ridge Recovery Room uses the patented NormaTec Pulse Massage technology, which is essentially a special device that massages your legs to help aid recovery. It helps reduce the build-up of lactic acid in your muscles, combat inflammation and improve blood circulation so you can get back to doing more of your favourite activities.

Prices start from €25 for a single session. ridgerecoveryroom.com

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The Morzine-Montriond Triathlon | 1st September

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Can You Escape Le Room?

Tried and tested by Morzine Source Magazine, Le Room is Morzine’s first indoor escape game and it’s seriously fun. Great for a rainy day or something to do in the evenings, the premise is that you’re locked in a room and have to find a way out. Once the door’s locked, you have sixty minutes to work your way through a series of interactive clues to beat Le Room! You’ll have the option of two themed rooms to choose from and you can play with up to six people at a time. It’s quick and easy to book online or over the phone, but the real question is, will you be able to make it out?

Prices start from €30 per person | Leroom.fr

Multi-activity Courses for Kids and Teens

© Martine Enselmey

After a super successful first edition, the MorzineMontriond Triathlon is back for an even better second year. Probably one of the most beautiful triathlons in the world, this fun and friendly sprint-distance tri takes place at Lac de Montriond and sees seasoned and novice triathletes competing alongside each other. Organised by the team at Buzz Performance, this is the perfect event for first timers; it’s cheap to enter, full of friendly faces and there will even be a kids’ tri for keen mini triathletes on the same day. Find out more on page 66. triathlon-morzine-montriond.com

While holidaying with the family is a wonderful experience, sometimes it’s quite nice to put a bit of space between yourself and your little angels – especially if they want to do certain activities that you don’t! That’s why this summer, ESF Morzine is launching multi-activity days for kids and teens. You can book them in for a whole week or just one day and activities include rafting, mountain biking, climbing and canyoning, all under the care of professional and experienced instructors. Kids are split into age groups of eight – 12 and 13 – 17 and are given a fantastic opportunity to explore everything that’s on offer in the mountains. multi-sports@esf-morzine.com +33(0)4 50 79 13 13

So good, you might forget to go out skiing…

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A truly unforgettable Alpine experience.

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Les Gets is a little summer paradise that offers so many different events and activities each season; from family friendly rambles to adrenaline-fuelled bike races, there truly is something for everyone. Here’s our pick of the best bits, from new goings-on to old favourites.

LEShighlights GETS

UCI Mercedes-Benz Mountain Bike World Cup 12th – 14th July

Rural BBQ at La Païka Every Saturday throughout the summer season, Hotel la Marmotte invites you for a guided hike and barbecue at their slope-side restaurant, La Païka. A fantastic way to explore the Les Gets hiking trails that the whole family can get involved in, the walk starts from Hotel la Marmotte it takes around an hour and a half to reach La Païka. Once you arrive, you’ll be treated to a barbecued buffet on the terrace featuring grilled meats, vegetables, local cheeses and salad, followed by delicious home-cooked desserts. A hearty hike, a good meal and mind-blowing views – what more could you ask for on a Saturday? restaurant-lapaika.com

© Omar Pistamiglio / Les Gets OT

After a fifteen-year absence, the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup is returning to Les Gets. Cue the world’s fastest racers coming together in the resort to serve up some nail-biting race-track action. There will be a cross-country race and a downhill race, plus lots of other MTB-themed goings-on throughout the weekend, but the highlight is set to be the downhill on Mont Chéry – it’s going to be fast! Find out more on page 68.

Les Gets Swimming Lake and Wibit Aquapark

Trail des Gets | 25th August

© V Ducrettet / Les Gets OT

We couldn’t write about Les Gets’ highlights without mentioning the incredible swimming lake! Complete with sandy beach-like shores, the lake is jam packed with activities that kids will love and it’s the perfect place to while away the day as a family. Kids and grown-ups alike will love the waterslide, swimming in the lake, and the beautiful green meadows that surround it. © Les Gets OT

Trail running in the Portes du Soleil has become huge over the past few years (move over Chamonix!) and this summer Les Gets welcomes an all-new trail race, Trail des Gets. A fantastic competition for keen runners, the event gives you the choice between a 35km, 19km and 9km race so there’s something for everyone, and of course you’ll be treated to spectacular views across the resort. Whether you’re attending as a spectator or a competitor, it’s a great opportunity to see what the trails of Les Gets have to offer – and it’s cheap to sign up! traildesgets.com

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But the cherry on top is Wibit Aquapark, a giant inflatable obstacle course with over 30 modules that’ll provide days and days of fun. This aquatic extravaganza even has a water trampoline and a human catapult. Even better, ten new obstacles are being added for summer 2019. Also new this summer, Wibit are introducing a KidsPark, which is smaller, separate from the main park and specially designed for younger kids between the ages of five and eight.

The swimming lake and Wibit Aquapark are open from the 29th June until the 1st September.

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Bon Appetit Chalet Solutions: • Reduce staffing • Reducing fixed costs • Outsourcing meals • Brexit-proof • Made in the mountains • Menu flexibility • Semi-catered hybrid chalet • Meal delivery service

© V Ducrettet / Les Gets OT

Come and visit Veronique in the hills of Les Gets. Her beautifully restored Alpine farm is home to over 60 goats (that she knows individually by name) and also serves as a fromagerie, farm shop and intimate bed and breakfast.

Veronique invites you to come and try the cheeses, yoghurts and other products she makes on the farm and enjoy a slice of Alpine life at its finest. You can even stay for dinner and spend a night in one of her four rooms, the perfect accompaniment to your time in Les Gets.

• Catering for your guests • Quality and consistency • No chef required • Special diets • Great taste • Same day delivery • Just re-heat

06 87 03 13 76 chevrerie.des.ours@gmail.com lesgets.com/chevrerie-des-ours

Concours de Débardage Mécanisé de France 22nd – 23rd June

enlist here...

One for all the petrol heads out there, this is a sport (roughly translated, it means skidder competition) that’s unique to mainland Europe. The best foresters and operators of heavy machinery from France and its neighbouring countries get the chance to strut their stuff to a crowd of spectators. The free event tests a range of machinery and their drivers as they try to navigate around a tough and technical course to claim the title of number one skidder. And of course, throughout the weekend there will also be lots of exciting demonstrations and fun activities to try out. Les Gets hosts this event every other year and has seen over 30,000 spectators!

www.bonappetitalpes.com

lescognees.fr

Festival des Quatre Elementes | 22nd – 26th July

Summer & Winter | Self Catered CHALETS & APARTMENTS MORZINE

mountainxtra.com © G Place / Les Gets OT

Les Gets holds a Famille Plus label, which means it’s officially mega family friendly. One of our favourite events is the Festival des Quatre Elements, a week of fun and educational activities for children themed around earth, air, fire and water. Drop in to different shows, workshops and activities throughout the week, learn about the elements that make up the earth and how they compliment mountain life. Great fun for the whole family and kids of all ages, this week will leave you with some great memories and homemade souvenirs! lesgets.com/4elements

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Avoriaz is be one of the most bustling resorts in the Portes du Soleil during the winter, and while in the summer it’s a bit more tranquil, that doesn’t mean it’s any less exciting.

Green, spacious, and of course free of those pesky cars, when the snow melts you’ll find a whole host of new activities waiting for you in Avoriaz and throughout its neighbouring resorts in the Portes du Soleil.

AVORIAZ & THE PORTES DU SOLEIL highlights

Free BBQ Areas in the Avoriaz Bike Park

New Developments in les Lindarets

Last summer the crew at Avoriaz MTB surprised everyone when they added free barbecues to the massive list of upticks in the Avoriaz bike park. That’s right, the gas barbecues are totally free to use and there are even some delightful wood-sculpted tables and chairs where you can enjoy your food once it’s cooked. Find one barbecue at the top of the Zore chairlift and the other by the suspended tree house in the Lil’Stash. You can access it easily by bike via the green trail from Lindarets to the Seraussaix chairlift, or on foot. All you need to do is take some food, cook it up and enjoy! But do remember to be respectful and take your rubbish away with you.

If you see a lot of building work going on in the Lindarets bowl this summer, don’t be alarmed! A very exciting €15million project is underway for winter 2019/20: two new ski lifts that will provide a new link to the Swiss side of the Portes du Soleil. The two lifts will replace the old Léchère chairlift that took skiers and snowboarders from the Lindarets bowl to the base of the Mossettes chairlift.

The first lift will follow the same line as Léchère but the top station will be a little further up the mountain, then a second chairlift will carry on to the top of the Cases piste and link to Champéry – Les Crosets. It’s set to provide a much more reliable link to Switzerland than Mossettes, which is very exposed and often closes due to high winds.

Cyclosportive Thomas Voeckler by Matra 24th – 25th August

LAC DE MONTRIOND

Lac’Tuel

© Sam Ingles / Avoriaz OT

Lac de Montriond is a firm favourite on the list of the area’s natural attractions, and now it’s even better.

SUR OU Remember the PLACE little chalet for A saleEMPORTER in the car park at the bottom end of the lake? Well, it’s been bought and converted into a gorgeous lakeside snack bar called Lac’Tuel. Whether you’re after a quick ice cream or a leisurely lunch overlooking the lake, you can expect a fine HOMEMADE BURGERS, PANINIS, array of delicious grub, from crepes to burgers, and we SPECIALITY DISHES, have to say, those burgers are absolutely delicious!

SAVOURY AND SWEET CREPES

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Following massive success in its first year as part of the Avoriaz E-bike Festival, the Cyclosportive Thomas Voeckler is back as an event in its own right. Created by professional cyclist Thomas Voeckler, this inclusive road cycling race is made up of four routes of varying length throughout the Portes du Soleil, including Morzine to Champéry, Les Gets to Avoriaz and Morzine to Abondance. Each route includes a timed race and an untimed race, the latter of which is open to the public and can be completed on an e-bike. This event will be a great way for novice road cyclists to explore the Portes du Soleil on two wheels and get a taste for what it’s like to ride in a cyclosportive, while seasoned road bikers will find the area’s road biking routes absolutely stunning.

The man himself, Thomas Voeckler, will also be in attendance so keep your eyes peeled! cyclothomasvoeckler.com

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The Place

During the winter, The Place is the place to be in Avoriaz (pardon the pun!). Since the bar was taken over by Avoriaz Holidays last year, it’s become the place to be in summer, too. This season The Place will boast an all-new terrace with spectacular views over the resort, as well as a great selection of arcade games. Table football anyone? You can also expect BBQs and lots of other summery goings-on throughout the season to make the most of that awesome terrace! The Place will be open from the beginning of July from 4pm – 2am.

Follow The Place on Instagram: @theplace_avoriaz, and on Facebook: theplaceavoriaz

French Courses Intensive Courses Weekly Group Lessons Private Lessons GCSE + A-level tutoring

Bar le National Gets a Refurb

Skype and online options

Our 2018 Source Awards for Excellence winners ‘Bar Nash’ in Saint Jean d’Aulps are getting a fresh new look this summer after looking the same for pretty much as long as we can remember! “We’re pretty much doing everything,” owner Craig told Source. “It all started with getting a new drain. That has grown into a full kitchen refit, all new bar furniture, tiles, area behind the bar, stairs to the terrace, porch area. Essentially a full refit, but with the aim of keeping the same style and look. Just fresher and nicer!”

It’s great to know that Craig and the team are committed to keeping the Nash’s look and spirit but we’re looking forward to the new features – especially the kitchen, ‘cos you can’t beat a Nash pizza! barnational.com

Conversation Classes Exam preparation courses

French - English Summer Camps Residential Summer Camp Day camps

Pass’Portes du Soleil | 28th – 30th June

Camps include: Lessons for children and teenagers learning English or French Phonics, reading and writing in English or French

Now in its 16th year, the Pass’Portes sees visitors flock to the Portes du Soleil from far and wide to take part in this multi-resort mountain biking challenge. Participants ride a whopping 80km circuit through the twelve resorts, covering both France and Switzerland and stopping off for locallymade drinks and snacks along the way. This year the main salon will be in Châtel, where you can test bikes, new kit and enjoy a host of other activities, while on the mountain there’s a range of different Pass’Portes routes you can sign up for, including an e-bike tour, a walking tour and a kids’ ride.

GCSE and A-level tuition Exciting adventure activities, excursions and much more!

info@alpinefrenchschool.com Tel: 04 50 79 08 38 www.alpinefrenchschool.com

passportesdusoleil.com

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BEYOND THE LAKE Bringing Ardent to life in the Summer

BY CHLOE HARDY

The télécabine d’Ardent is one of the best ways to access Avoriaz in the winter; you’ve got the ski bus, a huge free car park and it takes you directly into the Lindarets bowl. However in the summer, it’s another story. Unless you fancy a long uphill walk and a few chairlift rides, the only way to access the Lindarets bowl and its biggest summer attraction, the goat village, is to drive up the thin and windy Col de Joux Verte, navigating your way past other cars and numerous road bikers, only to battle for a parking space once you get to the top.

Last winter, one man decided to see if this could be changed. Marc Païs, owner of les Sculpteurs du Lac and Happy Hours Bar and Ski Rental brought the issue to the public’s attention. He started an online petition to gather support to open the bubble during the summer months.

“We are fortunate to live in a beautiful environment, to enjoy it and to benefit from it at the same time,” Marc told us. “Our planet today is damaged by the impact of man. Thinking about saving it is the least we can do. To open the Ardent gondola in summer seems to me to be the first step in this direction.”

While Marc’s reasons for pressing on with his petition are mainly environmental, he’s also convinced that running the gondola will open up more

summer activities in the little hamlet of Ardent and create more employment opportunities for local people.

It just so happens Marc’s timing was right when he bought up the issue at a Montriond municipal council meeting back in February. The council announced that it had already been contemplating the idea and would be extending the free bus line to Ardent this summer. The council also put in a request with SERMA, the Avoriaz lift operating company, to see if a summer gondola would be feasible.

“It’s an excellent start, isn’t it?” Says Marc, and we couldn’t agree more.

The free Montriond shuttle bus has only gone as far as Lac de Montriond in previous summers, but this year it will carry on via the Bout du Lac restaurant, the Ardent waterfall and

run all the way up to the Ardent car park, providing tourists, especially families with young children, with a wider range of car-free options than ever before.

As for the gondola, SERMA and the Mairie de Montriond have informed us that it won’t be open this summer, but don’t lose hope just yet. It’s estimated that it will cost €36,000 to open the gondola during the summer and that closing the Col de Joux Verte to cars during this time would be preferable, but before a final decision can be made further studies need to be conducted.

This includes measuring the number of people travelling to Lindarets during the summer, commercial activity in the area and how else the Col de Joux Verte is used during this time.

Watch this space.

Visit Change.org to view Marc’s petition. It made it to its goal of 500 signatures, but you can still sign and it will, of course, help the cause if as many people as possible show their support. Visit our website, morzinesourcemagazine.com to view this summer’s bus timetable.

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Phoebe Smith Sleep when you’re Alive Interview by Chloe Hardy

‘Extreme’ and ‘sleeping’ aren’t necessarily two words you’d think of putting together, but that’s exactly what travel writer and author Phoebe Smith specialises in. In fact, she’s built her career on extreme sleeping; spending nights under the stars, in por taledges, bothies and bivouacs in some of the wildest and most isolated corners of the globe. In fact, she reckons there’s no better way to drift off than being on your own in the middle of nowhere.

© Zac Bentley

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“Extreme sleeping was just a thing I could do,” she says simply, when I ask how sleeping became such a big par t of her work. “I always argued, I’m not a great runner, I’m not a great climber, I’m not going to row an ocean, what can I do? I can sleep, because everyone has to sleep. It’s something we all can do and it should be very easy.”

“I wasn’t interested in the mountains, I had to be dragged out walking by my parents! I was gonna be a rock star” But sleep didn’t always come easily to Phoebe. “I used to have insomnia as a teen,” She explains, “So I was always fascinated by sleep. But the more I slept outdoors and in these wild places, the better my sleep was. It really helped me star t to understand what I needed to get a good night’s sleep, which was disconnecting from everything.”

Despite growing up near Snowdonia National Park, Phoebe didn’t grow up walking and camping. “I wasn’t interested in the mountains, I had to

be dragged out walking by my parents!

I was gonna be a rock star,” She tells me. And it was a love of writing lyrics that lead her to study journalism and English. After her studies she spent two and a half years travelling and experienced her first wild camp in the Australian outback. It was a true baptism of fire, where she was told pretty much everything could kill her, even the ants.

On returning to the UK, Phoebe vowed to bring adventure into her everyday life, and with little time and little money, walking and camping in her own back yard was the perfect option. “I survived that first one,” she says. “And I say survived because it felt like so much had gone wrong! And I was addicted.”

© phoebe smith

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After the first solo camp of insect bites and sunburn, Phoebe’s penchant for sleeping in strange places has taken her to the fur thest reaches of the UK and across the globe. She’s under taken numerous extreme sleeping expeditions for a young people’s homeless charity (“I get to sleep in strange places for fun, but there are a lot of young people out there who don’t get that choice.”) and has even been awarded the job title of Official Sleep Storyteller in Residence for mindfulness app, Calm.

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© Zac Bentley

Calm approached Phoebe after reading one of her travel stories on the Trans-Siberian railway and asked her to rewrite it as a sleep story; a bedtime story for grown-ups.

“At first I thought, is it about writing a really dull story?” She laughs. But Phoebe’s stories are definitely not dull; She writes non-fiction, travel-themed sleep stories, taking the listener to different locations around the globe. She often tries to squeeze in a few impor tant issues too, but in a nice, relaxing way. Her most popular story, Blue Gold (read by Stephen Fry), has been listened to over 15 million times, while her more recent tales average around two million listens per month.

She regularly receives thanks from people who have used her stories to disconnect and get to sleep: “It’s nice to know I can write about something I love and actually help people.”

But sleep just scratches the surface of what Phoebe does.

Alongside being a sleep storyteller and award-winning travel and outdoor writer, she’s also an editor, public speaker, author of ten books, broadcaster and presenter. She makes films, she’s a photographer, a #GetOutside ambassador for Ordnance Survey maps, she’s launching a podcast, and along with British-Jamaican polar explorer Dwayne Fields, she’s planning an expedition to the South Pole.

Team #WeTwo will complete an Antarctic first; a sixty-day mission across Antarctica, including a three-day detour to visit an emperor penguin colony on Berkner Island before crossing the continent to the South Pole. Then they plan to take a group of young people on an expedition ship to see the penguins the following year. As a woman and a black man travelling together, the idea is to represent the underrepresented. “We want to connect with schools in underprivileged areas,” Phoebe explains. “Show them people

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been an easy journey: wild camping has become more and more popular with women (and men) over the past five years but that wasn’t the case when Phoebe star ted out. “When I said I was going to go off and solo wild camp, every single person I knew was telling me I couldn’t do it and I shouldn’t do it because I was a woman on my own,” Phoebe explains. “It sounds really odd because I’ve never thought of myself as a woman. I’m just a person who is adventurous and likes doing these kinds of things. So I was really shocked that attitude was still there.”

Even today, as Team #WeTwo, Phoebe and Dwayne continue to face opposition because of their gender and skin colour.

Recently they approached a company for sponsorship: “I was told that I didn’t have the physicality for it. I was told that there were plenty of younger, prettier, sexier girls than me. Dwayne was told he was the wrong colour, and that between us we just weren’t well connected enough. We weren’t from the ‘right’ par t of society”.

© phoebe smith

“When I said I was going to go off and solo wild camp, every single person I knew was telling me I couldn’t do it and I shouldn’t do it because I was a woman on my own”

like I’m doing it for a bigger reason, so I don’t just make films or write books about me because I want people to know who I am, I do it to tell stories. I think everyone has a story to tell.”

And she cer tainly has some amazing stories to tell; her own, the stories of others and the stories of the places she sleeps in. From waking up in the night to answer the call of nature and being treated to a private showing of the Nor thern Lights, to running out of gas mid camp-out, Phoebe’s stories are open, honest, hear tfelt and funny. It’s no surprise that she’s inspired so many people who’d never thought they could go wild camping to get out there and do it.

who look like them and are like them who aren’t from well-off backgrounds, who aren’t the people they see on TV. Show them that we can do this, and if we can do it, they can do it too.” Phoebe and Dwayne are currently busy training for the expedition alongside raising money and generating publicity – no mean feat when she already has so much going on.

“I’m never off duty, that’s how I always describe it,” she says, “I meet some incredible people who are doing amazing things with their communities, for wildlife conservation, for environmental conservation, and all these stories are going on but not being told. I feel like I’ve managed to develop this platform for myself where I can tell their stories for them, I can get people to notice. That’s what drives me.”

So how exactly does Phoebe find the time to do all these different things?

She laughs. “I don’t know! Honestly! I think it’s just because I choose to do all this stuff I genuinely care about. I feel

And whether it’s to help people sleep, tell the story of a par ticular place, person or animal, Phoebe has worked hard, really hard, to create a positive storytelling platform. And it’s not always

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But Phoebe’s not letting those attitudes put her off. Quite the opposite, in fact.

“It lit a fire in our bellies,” she says, it’s made them even more determined to make themselves more visible.

And rightly so. Because what Phoebe’s doing is impor tant, from the stories she tells to the way she tells them. What struck me from talking to her is not only how much she cares about what

© phoebe smith

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morzine prestige Source.pdf

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30/04/2019

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19

she does, but how she makes sure she does it right. Sure, she makes mistakes along the way, but she makes a point to document them and learn from them. “Mistakes are a par t of life. I hope I always keep making them and keep learning!”

She talks frequently about how privileged we are to be able to travel, and how respecting the environment and learning about other cultures is a huge par t of that.

She and Dwayne will plant trees to offset the carbon emissions from their Antarctic expedition, while she always takes a bag to pick up litter when she’s out on walks and camps. “Remember, you’re just borrowing that little patch of wilderness,” she advises. “I always try to leave a place cleaner than it was when I arrived.” And yes, this does involve taking your toilet paper home with you.

“I don’t think of what I do as going out into the wilderness,” she explains. “I think of it as going back in. It’s about relearning to exist with nature, which is where we star ted out anyway.”

Wise words from a woman who’s looking forward to camping in Antarctica so she can get a good night’s sleep.

“It’s about relearning to exist with nature, which is where we started out anyway.”

Find out more about Phoebe at phoebe-smith.com.

You can learn about more about Team #WeTwo by visiting teamwetwo.com.

Follow phoebe on Instagram: @phoebersmith and on Facebook: @ThePhoebeRSmith

FIND YOUR PERFECT PROPERTY WITH US Personal service before, during and after sale Specialising in Morzine & the surrounding area Multilingual team Agency established 10 years in Morzine

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resort

ESSENTIALS

We first produced this all-singing, all-dancing guide to the season in Morzine, Les Gets and Avoriaz last summer and so many of you got in touch to tell us how useful you found it.

Head to morzinesourcemagazine.com to download a printer-friendly to pop on your wall.

Summer Mountain Lifts 2019 - Dates & Times Avoriaz

Dates

Times

Bikers v Walkers

Super Morzine

21 June - 1 Sept

09.00 - 16.45

Both

Zore

21 June - 1 Sept

09.10 - 16.45

Both - Ascent only

Seraussaix

21 June - 1 Sept

09.30 - 16.45

Both - Ascent only

Chaux Fleurie

28 June - 1 Sept

09.30 - 17.00

Both

Lindarets

28 June - 1 Sept

09.30 - 17.15

Both

Mossettes

28 June - 1 Sept

09.40 - 16.45

Both

Prodains Express

6 July - 1 Sept

09.30 - 12.30 13.30 - 18.30 every 30 minutes

Both

Morzine

Dates

Times

Bikers v Walkers

Pleney

15 June - 8 Sept

09.00 - 17.30

Both

Nyon

13 July - 25 Aug

10.00 - 17.30

Walkers only

Pointe de Nyon

13 July - 25 Aug

10.15 - 16.45

Walkers only

Les Gets

Dates

Times

Bikers v Walkers

Mont Chery Gondola

22 June - 8 Sept

09.00 - 17.30

Both

Mont Chery Pointe

22 June - 8 Sept

09.45 - 16.45

Walkers only

Chavannes Express

22 June - 8 Sept

09.00 - 17.30

Both - Ascent only

Nauchets

22 June - 8 Sept

09.00 - 17.20

Bikes only

*Les Gets’ Chavannes Express and Nauchets chairlifts open for bikes at the weekends from Thursday 30th May, depending on weather conditions

St Jean d’Aulps Grande Terche

Dates 11 July - 22 Aug THURSDAY ONLY

Times

Bikers v Walkers

10.00 - 16.30

Both

Pleney Luge Dates

1 Ride

6 Rides

10 Rides

6 July - 1 September

€5.40

€28.80

€45.00

* Minimum age is 8yrs or 1.25m tall to ride ** Opening times are 10.30 – 18.00 via the Crusaz chairlift

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Morzine Swimming Pool Days

3 - 21 June Indoor pool only

22 June - 5 July Indoor & outdoor 50m pool

6 July - 1 Sept All Facilities

2 Sept - 8 Sept Indoor pool only

Mon - Fri

12.00 - 19.00

12.00 - 19.00

08.00 - 19.00

12.00 - 19.00

Sat - Sun

14.00 - 19.00

10.00 - 19.00

10.00 - 19.00

14.00 - 19.00

* Don't forget your speedos! Board shorts are banned…

Prices: free - Small children (Under 5yrs) €4.50 - Big children (5-16yrs) €6.00 - Adults (17yrs +)

Les Gets Swimming Lake Dates

Day Pass

Season Pass

Lake + Wibit

Wibit Only

Multi Pass Lake access

29 June - 1 Sept

€3.00

€40.00

5 - 8yrs + €7.00 8yrs + €11.00

5 - 8yrs + €5.00 8yrs + €9.00

Free

* Children must be aged 6 years and over for Wibit inflatable activity park on Les Gets swimming lake Wibit acces is limtied to 45mins per session, open from 11.00 - 19.15 from 13 July - 23 August and from 13.00 - 19.00 between 29 June and 13 August and 23 August to 1 September.

Aquariaz in Avoriaz

Open daily between 7 July and 20 Aug 2019, 10.30 - 19.30

Child weekly Child weekly Adult weekly unlimited unlimited unlimited entry entry AP_Pressad_sourceMagSUMMER_185_25mmx127_5mm_FINAL.pdf 1 entry (5 - 11yrs) (3 - 4yrs) €42.00

€32.00

€10.00

Adult single entry

25/04/2019

09:13

€11.00

Child single entry (5-11yrs)

€8.00

Child single entry (3-4yrs)

€3.00

Child under 3yrs Free

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With our friendly team of 20 locally based, bilingual staff, we will work with you to price, promote and sell your property.

Experts in their regions, they know the area, the buyers and the local contacts you will need to make a successful sale.

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Summer Mountain Lift Prices 2019 Por tes du Soleil

Adults

Children (5-15yrs)

Seniors (65yrs+) and Youths (16-19yrs)

MTB - 1 Day

€28.00

€21.00

€25.00

MTB – 6 Days

€112.00

€84.00

€101.00

MTB – Season

€280.00

€210.00

€252.00

Avoriaz

Adults

Children (5-16yrs)

Seniors (65yrs+) and Youths (16-19yrs)

Any Lift - Single journey for walkers

€5.80

€4.70

€5.20

Any Lift - Return journey for walkers

€6.80

€5.70

€6.20

MTB – 2 journeys

€10.40

€8.20

€9.20

MTB – 8 journeys

€29.80

€23.50

€26.80

Morzine

Adults

Children (5-16yrs)

Seniors (65yrs+) and Youths (16-19yrs)

Morzine Pleney Single MTB Trip

€5.30

€4.30

€4.70

Morzine Pleney 10 MTB Trips

€31.60

€25.30

€27.80

Morzine Pleney single for walkers

€5.20

€4.20

€4.50

Morzine Pleney return for walkers

€6.20

€5.00

€5.50

Nyon Cable Car single for walkers

€5.40

€4.30

€4.70

Nyon Cable Car & Chairlift return for walkers

€6.40

€5.20

€5.70

Pointe de Nyon chairlift return

€4.10

€3.30

€3.60

Les Gets

Adults (16-64yrs)

Children (5-16yrs)

Seniors (65yrs+) and Youths (16-19yrs)

€7.00

€5.00

€6.00

Mont Chéry Family Pass (2 adults, 2 children)

€6.30

€4.50

€5.40

6 journeys on any Les Gets lift for walkers

€21.00

€21.00

€21.00

12 journeys on any Les Gets lift for walkers

€34.00

€34.00

€34.00

St Jean d’Aulps

Adults

Children (5-16yrs)

Seniors (65yrs+) and Youths (16-19yrs)

Grande Terche Return

FREE

FREE

FREE

Les Gets Pass (Mont Chéry

gondola OR Chavannes Express chairlift for walkers)

*Don’t forget to save 50% on your PDS MTB season pass when you present your Winter 18/19 PDS season pass

The Portes du Soleil Multi Pass Unlimited fun for just €2 per person, per day; that’s the aim of the Portes du Soleil Multi Pass! If you’re staying in Multi Pass accredited accommodation, this pass gives you free access to the entire summer lift network, plus free access to swimming pools and swimming lakes across the area. 60 other fun activities, from horse riding to mini golf are also discounted for Multi Pass card holders. Head to portesdusoleil.com/summer for a full list of activities. *The Multi Pass is free for children aged 5yrs and under ** If you’re not staying in a Multi Pass accredited accommodation, you can still buy a Multi Pass from your local Office de Tourisme for €9.00 per person per day *** A season-long Multi Pass is also available for just €75, commencing on 15 June until 8 Sept 2019

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Chez Toi Source Advert.pdf

your source of information for Morzine, Les Gets & Avoriaz

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30/03/2018

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MPI

brokers

Chez Toi YOUR PRIVATE CHEF

PROVIDING HOLIDAY INSURANCE FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY

CHALET AND PRIVATE CHEF SERVICE

BY CATHERINE LOWE

Looking for a stress-free holiday this summer for you and your family and need an insurance policy to match? At MPI Brokers we aim to give our customers peace of mind by providing them with honest insurance that covers a wide range of summer activities.

Our family policies are designed with you and your budget in mind. Premiums are calculated based on the price of two adults meaning, that your children ‘travel for free’. Children can also travel independently, so you can have some summer holiday time alone while your children explore new countries with friends, clubs or groups.

Professional catering for you in your chalet, from fully catered weeks to one off dinners, BBQ’s and lunch packs.

We have menus to suit all budgets.

Contact us for availability

Morzine, Les Gets and Avoriaz have many adventures in store for you to jump into feet first. However, it is very important that you ensure you have the right cover in place before participating in your family’s favourite activities.

Interested in mountain biking? Exploring the mountains via specified cross-country bike trails is covered as standard under MPI policies, provided that safety equipment is worn at all times. If you or your children are interested in amateur ‘extreme’ mountain biking involving jumps, drops and tricks in man-made bike parks, cover can be extended for an additional premium.

/ChezToiMorzine + 33 (0)7 82 72 56 45 bookings@cheztoi.biz

Wild Beets source advert.pdf

1

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17/04/2019

10:46

If you prefer to cool down by partaking in water sports, MPI provides cover for most forms of waterbased activities on inland waters, rivers and the seas in Western Europe. If a family member is a keen sailor, we offer cover for amateur dinghy racing.

If you have further enquiries about the insurance that MPI offers, please visit us at www.mpibrokers.com or contact us at info@mpibrokers.com

Serving fresh, healthy, delicious dishes in the centre of Les Gets

Breakfast | Brunch | Salads | Wraps | Eat-in or Take-away

Happy travelling!

We have a passion for quality coffee and healthy food

www.wildbeetskitchen.com

250 Route du Front de Neige, 74260 Les Gets Situated near the Chavannes telecabine

+33 (0)7 82 72 56 45

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The WINTER PERSON’S

GUIDE TO

summer

BY DAVID BLACKWELL

As the winter retreats and the snow melts, feeding the instantaneously verdant slopes, finger-painting the kaleidoscopic petals of the valley, and giving life to La Dranse which roars its approval as it hurtles down to Thonon, I typically feel at once overjoyed and wistful.

Overjoyed that spring has thrust its vigorous renewal upon us, but wistful for the crispness of the cold white / blue horizons, the hazy crepuscular half-light through which the mountains fade into the distance, and the incredible playground that the frozen water crystals have given me for several dark months.

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Beds n Board Source advert.pdf

your source of information for Morzine, Les Gets & Avoriaz

I have always considered myself more of a winter person than a summer person. I prefer the anger of a storm, donning a horde of woollen layers, pitting myself against the elements.

The summer, as someone who grew up by a seaside invaded by hordes of landlubbing red-faced farmer tans, was a time of lazy meandering along secret beaches, sun-kissed boredom and endlessly wishing for the return of low pressure to feed the ocean with swell.

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Apartments Chalets Shared Properties

(available to rent on a per bed or room basis)

Staff Accommodation Specialists Commercial Rentals

For more information please contact: info@bedsnboard.com Tel Fr +33 (0) 485 800 356 or UK +44 (0) 203 1375 204

www.bedsnboard.com Crevasse Advert.pdf

The air was full of the dainty floral aromas of alpine meadows fighting with the robust nasal assault of sweet horse droppings and the stench of human sweat dripping from beneath impervious back protectors into man-made fibres.

So for those, like me, who may have previously considered themselves devotees of the winter and impatient sufferers of the drawn-out summer, here are some simple activities that have the potential to satiate your instincts for movement, discovery and fun.

25/04/2018

WINTER & SUMMER SEASONAL ACCOMMODATION IN MORZINE

So it was no small irony that it was the summer that made me fall in love with Morzine. When I first arrived in this special place back in 2006, the village was abuzz with the stereo sounds of the gentle hum of nobbled tires on tarmacadam as armour-plated human ants flocked to their place of worship, and the industrious buzz of bees gathering their nectar all around us.

Smiles were in abundance happy faces fed by their passions for hurtling downhill, running uphill or exploring the distant environs inaccessible during the white cloak of winter. It was, above all, a place where my association between the elongated days of summer and listless indolence was broken.

Morzine in summer was a place of action.

1

1

21/09/2018

11:18

WINTER CLOTHING RENTAL SERVICE Do you, your family or friends require quality, affordable clothing?

Try our ski and snowboard clothing rental service

ONLY ÂŁ75 per week ÂŁ500 worth of kit

Resort business or chalet owner?

Get in touch with us and find out how you can become a partner michael@crevasseclothing.com | www.facebook.com/crevasseclothing

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Walking Whilst for many years I was like an anti-dog whenever the words “walk” were spoken in our household, I now enjoy nothing more than propelling myself into the mountains one step at a time. Discovering new corners of the Portes du Soleil, armed with nothing but a Swiss Army Knife, a chunk of Gruyere, and an inappropriately cheap waterproof has provided me with some of my happiest and sketchiest moments with my family. It’s hard to beat the thrill of being trapped under a tree in an electrical storm at 1600m whilst wearing a pair of polyester shorts from Decathlon.

Climbing With the passing of childhood, so too passes the instinct to climb. Morzine provides the opportunity to re-ignite that infantile desire, whilst safely and securely attached to carabiners and harnesses. Indiana’Ventures, buried in the darkness of the valley with runners gasping by along the valley trail, will push you to test your vertigo, whilst never letting you fall too far. For the more advanced, try free solo-ing the face that climbs from the foot of Prodains all the way to Changabang and then sending a selfie to Alex Honnold.

Swimming Too sensible for me the chlorinated swimming pool with its budgiesmuggler fascism, discover instead the delights of stroking calmly along Lake Montriond (wetsuit, a Siberian constitution or significant layers of fat required) with the triathletes, or plunging from a diving board into the more benign waters of Lake Geneva, which is sprinkled with impossibly nut-brown locals enjoying the benefits of a 35-hour working week.

Running I once heard a northernised leathery weather-beaten fell runner say “I don’t run to get fit, I get fit so that I can run”. Similarly, running in Morzine is fun, not exercise. The thrill of springing between anklesnapping rocks along the valley trail, with the rarefied air challenging your lungs to keep up is hard to beat. The altitude seems only to intensify the endorphin hit that comes with each tree passed, or ascent conquered.

Any loop from Route de la Plagne, down the valley and back is around 7.5km - the perfect distance to test your anaerobic and aerobic capacity and flush your body of any imported vices.

#lovemorzine

Jumping (and Floating) Watching the dangly-legged parapenters floating gently to earth from the peaks of Avoriaz, it is impossible not to imagine oneself taking a similar leap and silently drifting down to the welcome of a cold beer at the base of Pleney.

For most of us, this experience will be one enjoyed whilst strapped to an Aero-Bi professional – but on a breathless summer’s day, even the prospect of having a sweaty man hugging you from behind should not deter you from experiencing the art of flight and seeing Morzine from above. .

And of course, Cycling Whether you are a fan of Lycra, shaved legs and EPO, or of body armour, mud and rebuilding gears, Morzine is undoubtedly a Mecca for devotees of pedalling and pumping. Climbing switchbacks, slowly, inexorably to an exhausted conclusion; or weaving between trees with suspension forks saving your life at 1000bpm is the reason Morzine swells once again during the summer months.

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27

EST

2012

BEYOND YOUR EXPECTATIONS

SUMMER & WINTER CHALETS | APARTMENTS But I cannot personally extol the virtues of pedal power any better than an overweight politician can kick a football for the cameras, for I am the only middle aged man left in all of Christendom that does not get excited by cycling. What’s more, no-one needs convincing that this is a reason to visit our beloved alpine playground any more than they need the various options for Brexit explained to them, again.

FULLY CATERED | SELF CATERED | LUXURY B&B

www.morganjupe.co.uk

I can instead offer the conclusion that Morzine is in fact the perfect place to spend the summer if you really like winter, the perfect place to be if you like doing stuff.

So if you are reading this from somewhere in 74110 between the months of June and August – congratulations, you have made a fine decision. Enjoy everything this valley has to offer. If you find yourself elsewhere, book your ticket, make the journey and join the throng who perennially make Morzine as vibrant as the wild flowers that colour the mountainsides.

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M ONTAG NE VE RTE Morzine’s New Environmental Initiative Climate change is an issue so big, many of us don’t even know where to begin when it comes to making a difference. But Morzine now has a helping hand. And a plan.

Formed during Winter 2019, Montagne Verte is an environmental initiative that’s aiming to reduce the carbon footprint of Morzine as a community.

It was created by Barbara de Moubray, who came up with the idea literally in the River Thames, along with Benji Sowter. Barbara was canoeing the length of the river last November as part of the Urban Mermaid project to raise awareness about the dangers of single-use plastic. On returning to Morzine, Barbara and Benji started planning and Montange Verte was born. Over the course of the winter, they were joined by Zebedee Peters, Dan Jones and Cecile Burton.

So what exactly is Montagne Verte? It’s inspired by Surfers Against Sewage’s Plastic Free Community movement, which provides targets and guidelines to individuals, schools and businesses in the UK to help them become plasticfree and reduce their carbon footprint.

Montagne Verte operates along similar lines, offering consultation services and advice, encouraging local residents and businesses to get involved. They’ve also devised a target-based tier system so individuals and enterprises alike will have ecogoals to work towards.

#lovemorzine

Montagne Verte set the ball rolling this March and April, teaming up with Meribel-based shop The Boot Lab to hold a launch event focused on fixing, reusing and reselling old ski hardware and clothing. The event saw involvement from lots of local businesses and was a massive success.

According to The Boot Lab, 60kg of clothing was repaired, which saved 1392kg of emissions, and 250kg of kit was given away or swapped, saving around 5,800kg of carbon emissions.

Since then, Montagne Verte has organised Morzine Food Share, a group that allows individuals and businesses to reduce waste by donating or swapping leftover food and dried goods from chalets, restaurants or rental properties. They’re also in the process of organising mountain clean-ups during the summer and encouraging businesses to sign on to their tier programme.

And what are some of Montagne Verte’s long-term goals? “Hopefully we can one day present Morzine to the tourism world as an eco-friendly town and have people choose Morzine as their holiday destination because of that.” Explains Benji. “What we

#lovelesgets

also have in the pipeline is a plan to replicate the Montagne Verte system in other mountain towns.”

Importantly, Benji points out, while it’s important to take steps as an individual, like refuse straws or take your own produce bags to the supermarket, businesses also have a massive role to play. “It’s being pushed to the public as their responsibility to make changes. We’re hoping to push the responsibility a bit higher, towards businesses and their suppliers.”

It’s still early days for Montagne Verte, but their ambitions are big and embody a tried and tested approach, which is exactly what it takes to inspire change throughout an entire community. We can’t wait to see what they can accomplish this summer and beyond.

If you’d like to get involved with Montagne Verte as either a business or an individual, follow the movement on Facebook: Montagne Verte Morzine. You can also join the Facebook group Morzine Food Share to ensure nothing goes to waste.

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DixieBar Landscape.pdf 1 16/05/2019 11:44 your source of information for Morzine, Les Gets & Avoriaz

29

MORZINE’S ORIGINAL APRES BAR - proudly celebrating 30 years of business -

12 different beers on draught including: craft, IPA, Guinness, Cider & Lager

live music THE DIXIE MICKS July 10th

Speciality wines and cocktails Crepes, tapas, snacks & pizza always available Private room available for parties and groups

Open 11am - 2am every day

Showing ALL live sports Find out more:

www.thedixiebar.com thedixiebar@gmail.com

My Home in the Alps - SOURCE SUMMER 19.pdf

1

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11:03

AGENCE IMMOBILIÈRE - REAL ESTATE - MORZINE-LES GETS

Buy & sell Achat & vente

Luxury rental location

Property management Conciergerie

+33 (9) 54.76.22.30 | info@mhita.com www.myhomeinthealps.com FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK

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& INSTAGRAM

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Even in the winter, it’s not often that you’ll find Rose Bromley too far from a mountain bike. During the summer you’ll find her surrounded by them in the Santa Cruz showroom on Rue du Bourg. That’s right – she knows her stuff and here’s her pick of must-have MTB gear this summer. bromblegram

- mountain biking -

Juliana Roubion

RRP €3899.00 (priced from) An excellent trail and all-mountain enduro bike made by Santa Cruz Bicycles for women. It has the travel and aggressive geometry to tackle both chilled out trails and more challenging and technical terrain with ease. It’s a total allrounder and an awesome bike to climb on. A great bike to adventure on, it’s not limited to lift opening times, extending the amount of hours in the day we can ride! And don’t worry guys, if you’re looking for a similar thing for men, check out the Santa Cruz Bronson.

Peaty’s Loam Foam Concentrate

RRP €19.90

Julianabicycles.com

The best bike cleaner on the market, certified by downhill legend Steve Peat. This concentrated solution uses 80% less plastic and is an excellent product to keep bikes not only looking great but running smoothly.

Your one litre of concentrated Loam Foam will make five litres of regular Loam Foam, so you can buy more but use less plastic – genius!

Santacruzbicycles.com

peatys.co.uk

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One-up Components EDC Stem

RRP €99.00 adidas Five Ten Sleuth dlx

RRP €119.00 These riding shoes are perfect if you’re a multi-discipline cyclist.

From pump-track to technical, steep single-track, they provide the tried and tested grip of Five Ten’s proprietary rubber with the style and ventilation of an adidas trainer. An exciting collaboration between two renowned brands that brings street style to the trails.

This ingenious stem does away with the need for a top-cap and star nut, making it even easier to carry your EDC Trail Tool without having to thread your steerer tube. An excellent product to make your bike more compatible with the EDC Trail Tool and a huge hit with a lot of the EWS racers.

Oneupcomponents.com

adidas.com

Hunter Shred-Pack

Marsh Guard Mud Guard

RRP $80.00 / €70.00

RRP €12.00 - €15.00 This simple but effective mud guard is a product used worldwide by the fastest racers. The Marsh Guard stops mud being brought through the gap between the lower crowns and wheels so you don’t spend all day getting splattered when it’s wet. A must-have for all riders, particularly with the changeable weather here in the mountains.

A lightweight, water-resistant and hardwearing bum bag with waterproof zippers designed to carry all the essentials for a long day out in the mountains. There is space for a multi-tool, a pump and those all-important trail snacks / Haribo. Designed by Rick Hunter, designer and builder of custom bicycle frames, it is a lightweight alternative for those of us who don’t like riding with a backpack.

marshguard.com

huntercycles.com

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FORGET ASPIRING, START INSPIRING

…and relax

BY NATALIE ELVY

My father died before he retired. Ever since, I’ve tried to pack as much into my life as I can. Do everything. I never worried about getting older, I was just grateful to have time. But now that I’m approaching 40, I’ve noticed I’m beginning to feel a bit panicky; there’s so much I should be doing and now I’m noticing a time pressure I hadn’t felt before. While living in Morzine has opened the door to an action-packed world of activities, it can be overwhelming. I feel I have no idea how to make the most of it all.

The menu of potential activities here is long: world class skiing, ice climbing, ski touring, kayaking, canyoning, biking, hiking, open water swimming, rafting, hydrospeeding. There are things to do in winter, spring, summer and autumn, during the day or at night, on the piste, off the piste, on the mountain, in the river, in the air. There are art classes, French classes, cooking classes, yoga classes, spinning… it’s endless.

mountains before work / at night, in any weather. The standard is high.

People work flat-out all week, then complete gruelling races that seem to take place around the area every weekend. Then they return to work having done the shopping, cleaned and dropped off multiple children at creche, without even a mention of a blister or stiff muscles. I feel I too should be making the most of it and doing it well. Everyone else manages it.

Inevitably, with all these activities on the doorstep, many intimidatingly active people have either grown up, or been drawn here. People who think nothing of doing quick tours (on skis, bikes, snow shoes, trainers) up various

In the UK I ticked boxes and followed a well-trodden, littleexamined life path, that I filled with enjoyable activities I’d sought out and liked doing. I thought I was pretty remarkable for having travelled a bit. I thought I was

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#lovelesgets

pretty fit as I went swimming before work. Here, surrounded by Duracell bunnies making the most of everything the mountains have to offer, it didn’t take me long to realise I wasn’t nearly as fit or competent as I’d thought.

It’s humbling to admit to being average, but I did so to my husband (a rafting guide, canyoning guide and ski patroller, i.e. someone who makes the most of the valley). I told him I was disappointed with myself because I’ve lived here ten years and I’m still not very good at anything.

I’m a terrible climber, I don’t really like canyoning, I can’t kayak and my son (who’s five) is more at home on the snow than me, and speaks better French. All this underachievement

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was bringing me down and I felt I didn’t deserve to live in this wonderful place because I wasn’t capable of making the most of it.

His response is what prompted this article. Why did I care about being good at climbing, canyoning or kayaking?

What did it matter if I was ‘good’ at anything? Surely I should be enjoying what I was doing? He pointed out that very few people actually do everything on offer, and nobody thinks of themselves as exceptional or extraordinary - it’s a subjective scale that changes according to who’s judging.

white water adventures.

“Here, surrounded by Duracell bunnies making the most of everything the mountains have to offer, it didn’t take me long to realise I wasn’t nearly as fit or competent as I’d thought.”

call: +33 (0) 609 308 077 email: info@frogsrafting.com

People do extraordinary things all the time without realising it, all because they’re enjoying doing what they’re doing, while they’re doing it. Perhaps it’s being a fabulous mother, a great cook, a fantastic juggler. Maybe it’s climbing, kayaking and canyoning. The point is, it’s not doing something to say you’ve done it, or because you feel you should.

It’s doing something because you want to. My husband doesn’t climb because he feels like he should, he climbs because he enjoys it. He doesn’t kayak because he ought to, he does it for the buzz he gets while he’s doing it. It doesn’t worry him that he’s a terrible cook. And he certainly isn’t judging anyone else on what they are or aren’t doing well or badly.

He suggested, given the number of options in Morzine, it makes more sense NOT to put myself into a situation I’m uncomfortable in because I feel I ‘should’.

Instead, I could give myself permission to do fewer activities, but ones I enjoy doing. I could eliminate some ‘shoulds’ and free up time to concentrate on what I enjoy. And while doing something I enjoy, I might even get good at it…!

Honestly, I’m still pretty sure I’m not particularly good at anything, but that doesn’t matter so much anymore.

Going by my husband’s logic, I wouldn’t know. It’s other people who find you extraordinary, not yourself!

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Lanterne Rouge THE GLORY OF THE UNDERDOG

BY MAX LEONARD

Ever stood in the sun on a mountain road and watched the Tour de France go past? Stood and watched the leaders racing towards the pass above? Then watched the chasers, lining out around the switchbacks, and then the peloton coming behind. Further back, the team cars pass slowly in a cloud of exhaust and the smell of burning clutches, and behind them the ‘autobus’ – the slow group of sprinters and team riders – dragging themselves over the mountain to stay within the time limit. Then back with the breakdown van and the ambulance and the fire truck, the last stragglers. Then finally the last man in the race, always alone.

And then the race is gone.

The back end of a bike race is not a glamorous thing.

However, some riders in the Tour de France’s 116-year history have sought out last place. It has even made them rich and famous, and the French have given a nickname to the last placed man. The lanterne rouge is named after the red lantern that used to hang on the last carriage of a train, and it designates the man who sits at the bottom of the Tour’s general classification – the rider who has taken the greatest cumulative time to cover all the stages so far.

The lanterne rouge is, if you like, the opposite of the yellow jersey.

But don’t call him a loser; like most things in cycling, the truth is a lot more complicated than that. The first last man in the inaugural Tour in 1903 was called Arsène Millochau and he arrived in Paris, after 2,428 kilometres, 64 hours, 57 minutes and eight seconds behind the winner.

Who knows what happened in that

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time; riders raced solo through the night and frequently had mechanical problems. Some days Arsène was so late he didn’t appear in the day’s official results – the newspaper had gone to print while he was still out on the road.

The term lanterne rouge probably dates from before the First World War. In 1919, the Tour’s official newspaper, L’Auto, saluted the plucky Jules Nempon as lanterne. He was an unsupported amateur, without even a bicycle sponsor, who struggled over bombed-out roads and finished tenth and last – but better than 145 riders, including many professionals, who had dropped out because the race was simply too hard. 155 starters, ten finishers. Even finishing was a great achievement.

Later on, the organisers began to disapprove of the lanterne rouge. It has never been an official prize and perhaps Le Tour bosses thought it

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stole the limelight from the winners, or rewarded failure. Nevertheless, the lantern appealed to the public’s penchant for the underdog and he became so popular that the lastplaced man would be invited to all the city-centre circuit races after the Tour, tripling his meagre salary with only a few weeks’ work. Before long, riders began to race for last place.

Lanterne rouge 1976, Aad van den Hoek, a Dutchman, confessed that after his team leader crashed out and there was nothing left to race for, he stopped and hid behind some cars one day to lose time. The Austrian Gerhard Schönbacher, meanwhile, won the lantern in 1979, and created a stir by stopping 100 metres before the final finish line on the Champs-Élysées, walking across it with his bike and kissing it for the assembled journalists. Infuriated, Le Tour organisers instigated a rule the next year that the last-placed rider every day after a certain stage

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would be eliminated. But that didn’t deter Schönbacher: he simply judged his ride every day so he stayed just above the bottom, and then dropped into last place before the final stage.

The king of the lanternes rouges, however, is the Belgian Wim Vansevenant. He was a super domestique (a valued team rider) in the 2000s. His job was to work as hard as he could for his team leader, shielding him from the wind to keep him fresh or placing him in a good position for the finishing sprints. And then Vansevenant would sit up and soft pedal, so he could recover as best he could and do it all again the next day. He paid no attention to his individual position, and in 2005 he inadvertently claimed the lanterne. He came last again in 2006, and in 2007 he was so determined to do it once more that he too stopped on the Champs-Élysées to lose time and assure his ‘victory’.

Nobody else has taken the lantern three times, and the team’s record in the years he came last is pretty good too; four stage wins, two second places and a fourth place overall, with the green (sprinters’) jersey to top it off. Some of that success can be put down to Wim and his other teammates, who willingly put aside their own chances for the sake of the greater glory. Because the truth is, most riders are not stars. There can only ever be one yellow jersey, one Chris Froome, one Bernard Hinault or one Eddy Merckx. But give these bit players a cheer next time you’re on the side of the road: they do unglamorous jobs, and often struggle on with terrible injuries, but they can teach us a lot about dedication, teamwork, dignity and sacrifice. And if they grab a moment of the limelight along the way, who would begrudge them that?

Read more in Max’s book, Lanterne Rouge: The Last Man in the Tour de France, available on Amazon. Max is also the author of the awardwinning Bunker Research (available from isolapress.com) and most recently Higher Calling: Road Cycling’s Obsession with the Mountains.

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Throughout the summer you’ll find Tim Jackson running the show at Torico Performance Bicycles on Rue du Bourg. Tim has been renting, selling and fixing bikes here in Morzine for years, so who better to ask about this season’s best gear for keen Alpine road cyclists? www.toricomorzine.com

toricoperformancebikes

- road cycling -

Tubolito Lightweight Tubes

RRP €29.90 For all you weight weenies out there, here is a great way of shedding a few grams from your precious steed without spending a fortune. Tubolito inner tubes are 80% lighter, 50% smaller and twice as puncture-resistant as standard tubes.

That's a saving of almost 70g of rotating weight per wheel! They can be used for road or gravel bikes, fit tyres from 18mm to 28mm in width and come in different valve lengths. tubolito.com

Chapeau Socks

Endura Adrenaline Race Gilet FS260 Pro

RRP €12.00

A must-have piece of kit in any road cyclist’s wardrobe. From keeping the chill off during those early morning rides or being caught in a shower to those lengthy descents the Haute Savoie is known for, this gilet will provide the wind and rain protection you need. It comes with its own stuff sack and can easily be stored away in your cycling jersey, so there's no excuse for not riding on those days where you're just not sure what the weather will do. It comes in translucent black or white so it’s perfect for race number visibility if you see yourself as the next Geraint Thomas.

Why not add a little colour to your outfit this summer with this range of vibrant socks? Chapeau is a company whose aim is to provide quality kit that looks and feels incredible, but performs well on and off the bike. They do a full range of clothing and accessories in great colourways and with prices that won't break the bank. Their socks are available in lightweight, midweight and winterweight knits (although we'll have changed to ski socks by then!), and as is the trend at the moment, they’re quite long in length. You can even get them to match your favourite Chapeau jersey.

Endurasport.com

Chapeau.cc

RRP €70.00

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Torico Source half page.pdf

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Continental GP 5000 Tyre

RRP €63.00 - €75.00 The much-loved GP 4000 tyre as used by most of the Pro Peloton, and those in the know around the Portes du Soleil, has now been replaced by the GP 5000. This all-season all-rounder manages to be a jack of all trades combining puncture resistance, grip and rolling resistance. Continental say it’s 20% more resilient and 12% faster than the previous model. Available as a clincher or tubeless tyre and in sizes 23C - 32C there is a size to suit racers, sportive riders and even those venturing into gravel riding.

DISC & NON DISC

Di2 BIKES NOW AVAILABLE

Continental-tires.com

route d’avoriaz

col de joux plane

K-Edge Computer Mounts

RRP €35.00

prices from

If you want to add a little bling to your machine and keep your device secure, then these are a thing of beauty. CNC-machined and available in a range of colours, they’re compatible with most of the newer computers (Garmin, Wahoo, Mio, Bryton) and you can choose a model that either attaches to your stem or your handlebar. Allso available for tri bars, GoPros, they come in different sizes to match newer, oversized handlebars. And if you decide to change your computer you can buy the replacement insert instead of shelving out for a whole new mount. k-edge.com

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Skateistan The Power of Skate Interview by Chloe Hardy

Š andy buchanan #lovemorzine

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Morzine has a short but committed history with skateboarding. In 2015 the town got a new community skate park, one that local residents had been campaigning for and raising money to build for years. The Morzine skate park is now a space that skaters, families and children share together, so imagine our stoke levels when we discovered that Skateistan, one of the most inspiring skate-based organisations in the world, would be coming to Morzine for their annual strategy meeting.

2009 - the early days of Skateistan. Now Skateistan students only skate indoors as the streets are too dangerous

© andy buchanan

For those not familiar with it, Skateistan is an award-winning non-profit organisation that combines skateboarding with creative education to empower children, and in particular young girls from low-income families in conflict and post-conflict zones.

Its focus is on providing safe spaces where kids can learn, have fun, and express their creativity through a range of activities.

Just one of Skateistan’s various initiatives is an accelerated learning programme to help kids re-enter the mainstream education system. Originally started on the streets of Kabul, Skateistan has built skate parks and educational facilities in two Afghan cities, as well as Johannesburg in South Africa and Phnom Penh in Cambodia. Plans for new projects are also underway in central Afghanistan and Jordan.

So how did the team from an international NGO that operates in all four corners of the world end up in Morzine? Funny story.

Tom, the owner of Chalet Fourmiliere along with his wife Alex, is a long-time volunteer for Skateistan, and had promised the team an invite when he realised his dream of

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© Jake Simkin

“A lot of sports were seen as boys’ activities. Girls were told, ‘you’re not allowed to play soccer, that’s an activity for boys,’ but the skateboard was unique, it was new culturally” buying a chalet in the French Alps. “I’ve become very close with Tom and Alex and they’ve become super supporters of what we do,” Skateistan founder Oliver Percovich explained. “Tom has been offering incredible strategic advice for me

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and for the organisation over a number of years, he’s made really huge sacrifices and taken his holidays to fly to the other side of the world to volunteer with us.” And that ability to form relationships, develop communities and foster commitment is really what’s at the heart of Skateistan. But we’ll get to that later.

So how did it all start? Originally from Melbourne, Ollie skated since the age of five, studied chemistry and owned an organic sourdough business, among other things, before moving to Afghanistan in 2007. “I brought a skateboard with me to Afghanistan,” he explains, “and when I skateboarded in the streets, kids were really interested in what I was doing and they wanted to try the skateboard out. It was girls as well as boys and that really surprised me, because I didn’t see girls doing other sports. And I realised it was a bit of a loophole because nobody had seen skateboarding before. A lot of sports were seen as boys’ activities. Girls were told, ‘you’re not allowed to play soccer, that’s an activity for boys,’ but the skateboard was unique, it was new culturally.”

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“I think young people can change the world, but they’ve got to be invested in”

It’s open five days a week and holds specific girls’ days, where all-female educators and role models work with girls in a safe, culturally appropriate space. It’s one of the few places in Kabul a girl can go to ride a bike.

And so Skateistan was born. It started out with just Ollie running small skate sessions in different locations around Kabul, but it quickly grew into something far bigger. “If it were just boys who were interested, I don’t think I would have really pushed it to that next level, but the fact that it was girls… I thought that was something very exciting.”

Today, around 50% of Skateistan’s students are female. But Skateistan doesn’t just provide a safe outlet for girls. It’s brought together young people from Afghanistan’s many different ethnic and social backgrounds.

“In Afghanistan, there can often be tension between some of the different ethnic groups.”

Explains Ollie. “Yet within this group they had a new shared identity, and that was as skateboarders. It didn’t really matter that they came from different backgrounds. When that happened, it was a point where I could see a future for Afghanistan.”

Ollie gave girls more time on the board than the boys and the girls quickly became better skaters. “It’s a very simple scenario – more

At the time, girls doing sport and kids of different ethnic backgrounds coming together just wasn’t happening in Afghanistan. So what

As a foreigner it was important for Ollie to develop mutual respect with the kids he worked with in order to let the organisation grow organically. He shared his love of skateboarding with them, and in return they shared their culture with him, from family and friendship to practical advice after a suicide bombing. But what’s always been at the forefront of Skateistan’s development, Ollie believes, is that, “It had to be Afghans solving Afghan problems.” Throughout its 11-year history, all of Skateistan’s skate instructors, educators and volunteers are local people rather than outsiders.

“There’s a real danger in development where the rich see themselves as the saviours of the poor and that doesn’t work in the long term.”

He explains. “It’s not coming from a place of respect. It’s saying, ‘we’ve got the money, so we’ll now tell you what to do’.”

2010 - Finding features everywhere in the early days of skateistan

© Jake Simkin

time on the board equals more practice and opportunity. And if girls aren’t given opportunity in a whole lot of different areas then boys will take that space”.

But it wasn’t just about skateboarding.

While a lot of money was being put into the international development of Afghanistan at the time, barely any of it was reaching low-income kids, and over half the population were younger than 15. “I think young people can change the world, but they’ve got to be invested in,” Ollie believes. So he set about providing a fun, safe space for young people in Kabul, using skateboarding as the hook to encourage kids to learn. And it worked.

In 2009 Skateistan built Afghanistan’s first ever indoor skate park, which also houses classrooms, a sports hall and a climbing wall.

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was it about skateboarding that was changing things?

Skateboarding provided a level playing field; boys and girls, everyone was starting from scratch. Plus, skating is accessible, it’s reasonably cheap, you can do it anywhere and as Ollie says, “Skateboarding is just really fun.” But in Afghanistan, its status as a new activity was a totally unique opportunity. “I tried to keep in the background as much as possible,” Ollie explains. “It was very important that [skating] wasn’t viewed as a new culture taking over, or threatening the culture in Afghanistan in any way, so I didn’t show any magazines or fashion or videos. I wanted a new culture to emerge for skateboarding in Afghanistan because I knew that was something that could then take root.”

#lovelesgets

It all circles back around. “For something to work into a relationship and so it can grow, there has to be communication and there has to be respect. There has to be listening from both sides. That’s something that was very much part of how Skateistan started and that’s the way we’ve continued to go.”

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“There’s a real danger in development where the rich see themselves as the saviours of the poor and that doesn’t work in the long term” Skateistan has successfully organically changed the lives of many kids across the globe, from giving them a safe outlet to express themselves, to teaching them about their rights and getting them back into school. Ollie’s not short of stories about young people who’ve entered a Skateistan programme as street-working kids and gone on to become nurses or law graduates; many are still involved

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with the organisation as educators or skate instructors.

Skateistan itself has won numerous awards and has grown to employ 86 people globally, with supporters ranging from governments and big brands, to public donators and volunteers like Tom. Did Ollie ever think it would get so big?

He laughs. “Absolutely not!”

But as you can see, when the plan is no plan, that’s when the good stuff happens.

If you’d like to donate to Skateistan, or find out more about what the organisation does, head to skateistan.org

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Chalet-Hôtel La Marmotte, la Tapiaz & Spa 61 rue du Chêne - 74260 LES GETS 33 (0)4 50 75 80 33 | info@hotel-marmotte.com hotel-marmotte.com | la-tapiaz.com

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OH, BEER!

The Rhone-Alpes’ Love Affair with Local Brew

BY DAVE BRANFIELD

Bier. Bira. Cerveza. La bière artisanale. Craft beer.

Whatever you call it, it’s one of the oldest and most recognised drinks made by humans across the world. Whilst it arrives in our glasses in many different styles today, the fundamental process for making beer has remained barely changed in thousands of years but has made a serious comeback in recent times.

Many of you reading this may live outside of France, so the fact that beer has made a big comeback may not really feel like news worth talking about. You’ve most likely been knocking back pints of interesting barrel aged stouts and highly hopped IPAs for ages, so why the fuss? Well, here in France, things take time to catch on and we’re just getting to grips with the fact that not all interesting, grown-up drinks are made from squashing grapes. We’re also discovering that beer has a valid place in both bars and alongside some of the top notch food on offer.

Cities around France have been quicker to search for something new in their glass, but as with many rural communities, the outlying countryside has been slower to enjoy the benefits of flavour over fizzy lager. But change is now gathering pace and possibly most importantly of all, it seems that the pint is now the generally accepted medium for consuming these mind blowing beverages.

Whilst French drinkers have traditionally enjoyed the strong doubles, lambics and triples of Belgium, a large part of this #lovemorzine

new found palette has drifted in from other countries in Europe; those which have already picked up on the emergence of tasty, hoppy beers hailing from the US. France as a nation is rightly very proud of its home grown products - especially those created by small artisan producers using local ingredients with hands-on skills - so with the emergence of small breweries producing hop forward and flavoursome beers, the nation has started to get on board in a big way. In fact, France now has the third largest number of microbreweries in Europe and every time we travel around to different areas we are amazed by what is on offer.

So why am I telling you this in a magazine focussed on Morzine and the surrounding area? Well, I happen to own Ibex, one of the two breweries based here in Morzine. I like a good beer and we’ve been watching the beer scene grow rapidly around us in France since first opening our doors in 2014. We started out to try and brew low ABV beers with bigger flavour, when most people locally had never heard of an IPA, but that doesn’t mean we were doing something completely new. In fact, the #lovelesgets

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Rhone-Alpes region of France has had the largest number of independent breweries within France for some time and is recognised as having some of its best within those numbers, so for the beer lover there is a great deal to discover.

Producing a wide variety of beers with influences from across the world, from IPAs to fruit laden sours, barley wines and saisons, the breweries in the surrounding area (all easily reached from Morzine) are a diverse and interesting bunch. In the immediate area surrounding the Portes du Soleil we have breweries in Chapelle Abondance (Le Fer Rouge), Thononles-Bains (Leman, Mazot), Morzine (Microbrasserie Ibex, Bec Jaune Brewery), Verchaix (Brasserie du Giffre), Mieussy (K&G), Saléve near Geneva (Mt Saléve) and Morgins on the Swiss side of the border (7 Peaks), not to mention a whole host more as you move on down towards Chamonix, Annecy, Grenoble, Lyon and the Alpine resorts nearby.

Why so many in the mountains?

Traditionally, beer has always been brewed in the mountain areas of France and our water quality has played a big part in that history. Alpine water does help to make these beers unique - it makes up about 93% of the finished article and sets the backbone for any beer. Here in Morzine we have a great base water, which lends itself naturally to mid-amber and darker beers, but makes some cracking blondes as well, with a bit of help. It’s a good sign that we are the origin of the water that winds its way down hill to end up in those well known bottles from the town of Evian!

With so much good beer being brewed in the mountains, you’d expect every bar locally to be championing the independent breweries. Well this is not entirely the case. Contracts with the big distributors mean that most of the market place is controlled and local direct sales can be very difficult for the small guys. We’d like that to change. Not just for the quality of the beer, but also to reduce the environmental impact of shipping heavy loads of beer hundreds of KMs across Europe. As mountain dwellers we are all more than aware that global warming could affect our lives in very visible ways. The more local the beer, the more it’s doing to offset the impact of logistics. Hopefully that gives you something to think about the next time you order a pint in the hills. Ask for local brew.

Find out more about Microbrasserie Ibex at ibexbeer.com

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INTERIOR DESIGNS & FURNISHINGS ARCHITECTURE D’INTÉRIEUR

lisa@rsinteriordesigns.com

+33(0) 6 32 31 81 94 www.rsinteriordesigns.com

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CAN YOU

recycle that?

BY CHLOE HARDY

There’s a lot going on in the recycling world at the moment, and it’s not all good news. While we human-folk are becoming more aware of recycling and minimising waste as a whole, it turns out it’s pretty easy to get it wrong. And then there’s the issue of supply chain transparency throughout the recycling industry, not to mention numerous cases of recycling fraud. But one of the best things we can do if we want recycling to be taken seriously is to make sure we do it properly. We spoke to Dom Turner, owner of local chalet company Skiology, who, in his quest to be more green, sought advice from the local authorities.

He's helped us come up with this handy guide to recycling in the Haute Chablais.

“As someone who endeavours to run their business sustainably, I was shocked to learn that the green dot frequently found on packaging (the one with the two green arrows circling each other) doesn’t mean that something is recyclable. This lead to a total recycling overhaul in the Skiology household. We began religiously scanning our packaging to make sure we were recycling it correctly. We even contacted the Environmental Representative of the Communauté des Communes de Haut Chablais (our local council) to find out if we could be doing anything more.

Once you start following the recycling symbols correctly, you’ll most likely be shocked by how much more you’re putting in the regular, non-recyclable bin. You may even be tempted to keep on putting non-recyclable items in the recycling, just to make yourself feel better. However, doing this means you risk 'contaminating the batch'. In some countries, if you contaminate the batch, that batch goes to landfill, rather than to the recycling plant, as it’s not cost effective to re-sort it.

In my experience, the best thing you can do to minimise waste is to reduce your packaging consumption first. At Skiology we do this using the concept of the three Rs:

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Reduce.

Reuse.

Recycle.

The three Rs are in that order for a good reason. Plastic and paper products will degrade the more they’re recycled; for example, a birthday card might be recycled to become a cereal box, which might then be recycled and become a napkin, at which point the fibres will be too short to recycle effectively. So if you can reduce and reuse before you can recycle, less materials will be wasted.

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That’s why we buy concentrated cleaning products in bulk containers from ecofriendly cleaning company Delphis, which reduces the overall amount of packaging.

We then decant and dilute the concentrated products into reusable spray bottles before recycling any other packaging.

“We began religiously scanning our packaging to make sure we were recycling it correctly.”

As you can see, making the effort to reduce your carbon footprint this way is a bit of a lifestyle choice, but it’s definitely achievable and it can support as well as protect your local environment. You can buy locally grown fruit and vegetables from the local markets, which are not packaged. You can also save on packaging by weighing out your own dried goods like oats, nuts and seeds in La Vie Claire, Carrefour and Casino supermarkets.

There’s a great range of reusable food wrapping and produce bags out there to help you do this, too.”

But obviously, there’s only so much we can reduce and reuse before we need to put something in the bin or the recycling. Here are a few helpful tips to help you recycle as efficiently as possible: Don’t recycle your glass bottles and jars with the lids still on. Most metal lids are recyclable but only if you separate them – although make sure you double-check the packaging just to be sure.

Make sure you take any plastic stoppers / pourers / corks out of your glass bottles before you recycle them, too. Some local bars collect corks and reuse them, as does Total Laverie in Saint Jean d’Aulps.

apéroCOCKTAILS

Sturdy paper and cardboard can be recycled, but not when it’s been bound in some way to plastic – think take-away coffee cups and those baguette bags with a plastic window.

GLUTEN-FREE/VEGAN

In our valley you can’t put big brown cardboard boxes in the public recycling bins because they’re too big – if you’re out on holiday your accommodation provider will have a card for the local déchèterie, so just pack the boxes down and let them deal with the rest.

96 taille de mas du pleney +33.(0)4.50.06.18.50

Make sure you clean out your cans, jars, bottles, even pizza boxes. If it’s too dirty, it’s impossible to recycle.

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THE SOURCE GUIDE TO

recycling

After chatting with Dom, we realised that recycling in France can be a complicated business, especially if you don’t speak the language and aren’t familiar with the symbols. So we came up with this handy guide. Go to the Morzine Source Magazine website to download it as a PDF, print it out and put it in your kitchen!

Pointe Verte Contrary to popular belief, this symbol doesn’t mean that your packaging is recyclable. In fact, it doesn’t even mean the packaging is made from recycled materials.

It just means that the company that made it has paid into a government-approved sorting and recycling programme.

TriMan The TriMan is the symbol that will tell you if your packaging is recyclable or not. He’ll often be accompanied by further diagrams to tell you which parts of your packaging can be recycled and which can’t. À Jeter This is one that can be easily ignored, but it’s there for a reason! À Jeter means something can’t be recycled and must be thrown in the bin. Although don’t be surprised if you find this symbol next to a ‘pensez au tri’ (think about sorting your rubbish) message. Very confusing. À Recycler Easy. You can recycle it. Just watch out because it’s usually telling you only a certain part of the packaging is recyclable (see translations below).

Universal Recycling Symbol (or Mobius Ring) The original recycling symbol, created in 1970 and recognised everywhere in the world. While it means that something is technically recyclable, be careful because it might not be recyclable in your geographic area.

URS with a percentage Not to be confused with the original recycling symbol, this tells you how much of a product is made from recycled materials, but not if it’s actually recyclable. In fact, many products made from recycled plastic and paper often aren’t recyclable themselves.

Tidy Man Another old-school symbol from the 1970s, this one just means don’t litter.

Poubelle Barrée This is often found on electrical goods and means you can’t throw them away. Think batteries, certain light bulbs, cables, even TVs and radios. The local supermarket or déchèterie will often have a collection for batteries and electronics to ensure they’re safely disposed of or recycled.

Recycled Paper This symbol tells you when something is made from recycled paper or cardboard and the box on the right indicates the recycled percentage.

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Plastic Misleadingly, not all plastic can currently be recycled. Plastic is categorised from number one to seven, with one being the easiest to recycle. In France only the first two grades of plastic are commonly recycled: PETE (grade 1), which includes plastic water bottles and containers, and HDPE (grade 2), high-density polyethylene, which includes cleaning product bottles and shampoo bottles. Other grades of plastic are very expensive and difficult to recycle (yoghurt pots for example), so can’t be recycled in this area.

Glass, steel, and aluminium are widely recycled (and don’t degrade when they go through the recycling process) so make sure you always put your bottles and cans in the recycling bins!

A few things you can’t recycle in Morzine reusable options in green Please remember these are just examples – there are always exceptions! Always look at the packaging – the TriMan symbol will let you know which parts can be recycled in this area and which should be thrown away.

Corks, light bulbs, broken dishes, mirrors, porcelain, flimsy plastic wrapping, anything polystyrene (think the ones meat comes packaged in), most takeaway coffee cups, tissues, paper napkins, soiled containers (think pizza boxes and cardboard takeaway containers) And a few things you can recycle Fruit juice cartons, metal cordial bottles, cans, drinks cans, foil lids, clean metal takeaway containers, plastic bottles and lids, cereal boxes, cleaning product bottles (make sure you rinse them out though!), glass jars and bottles, shampoo bottles

Some helpful translations film plastique – plastic film barquette - container

boite carton – cardboard box

etui carton – cardboard casing

feuille papier – paper sheet

emballage – packaging

bouchon liege - cork

carton – cardboard

bouteille verre – glass bottle

bocal verre – glass jar

opercule – seal

couvercle metal – metal lid / cover

couvercle aluminium – foil lid

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WHAT'S NEW with EMA

Where would an issue of Morzine Source Magazine be without an update on EMA? For those not in the know, EMA stands for Express Morzine Avoriaz and this extensive €58 million project will connect the communes of Morzine and Avoriaz by cable car. The plan is expected to reduce the volume of traffic in Morzine and provide a 15-minute link between the two resorts, for both pedestrians and skiers. The concept also involves a new urban development for the centre of Morzine, including a parking structure and a new bus station. As you can imagine, this has given way to some very mixed opinions.

Gare des Prodains

Express Morzine Avoriaz Futur tronçon 3S

Gare multimodale du Plan

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Do you own a chalet? (or dream of owning one!)

Find out how much it could earn as a self-catered holiday rental: www.ovonetwork.com/howmuch

Liaison télécabine en projet

Prodains Express Tronçon 3S existant

Gare d’Avoriaz

Nord

Tunnel piétons

Le Pléney

OVO network source summer 19.pdf

0

500 m

Autres remontées mécaniques existantes

We’ve already introduced you to the ADHMA, the Association pour le Développement Harmonieux de Morzine-Avoriaz, an independent collective of local residents and business owners who agree that the link between Morzine and Avoriaz does need to be improved, but not at all costs. After all, EMA is a huge project that will permanently change the landscape of the town, not to mention cost millions of Euro.

Winter 2018/19 also saw the creation of a new association, EMA pour l’Avenir. This independent group (also made up of local residents and business owners) believe it is essential to improve the link between Morzine and Avoriaz in order to compete with other leading ski resorts in the Alps. The name translates to EMA for the Future, and the group is confident the project will bring the communities of Morzine and Avoriaz closer together, as well as improve tourism throughout the summer, spring and autumn.

So what’s the latest? The Mairie de Morzine-Avoriaz spent the winter conducting a public consultation survey, which allowed valley residents to express their opinions and learn more about the project. Notably, a public opinion survey revealed that 72.5% of the people questioned thought that the project was positive for the commune. Next on the schedule is another public enquiry in autumn 2019, and the chosen construction company is expected to be announced in early 2020, so as always, keep watching this space.

Find out more about Project EMA at mairie-morzine-avoriaz.com/ema Keep up with ADHMA over at morzine-harmonie.ning.com and follow EMA pour l’Avenir on Facebook.

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@MorzineSource

Discover the OVO Network complete chalet rental solution • Maximum income due to our business and marketing expertise, 12,000+ bookings generated • Direct payment from guests to your bank account - no intermediary • Premium care for your property and your guests with our accredited property managers • Everything covered - setup, admin, photography, copywriting, pricing and ongoing optimisation • Hassle-free solution that minimises owner involvement and makes renting simple

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Paw Patrol THE

Ultimate Rescue

By Alice Gregr

If only animals could talk. They’d be able to tell us some fantastic stories.

I’d love to know what they get up to, where they go to explore and who they meet on their travels. We think Morzine’s latest celebrity couple would have quite an interesting tale to tell.

In March of this year the whole of the Vallée d’Aulps was rocked by the disappearance of two local dogs, Mungo and Mika. The pair ran off whilst on a walk on the river path between Essert Romand and St. Jean d’Aulps. Their owner Abigail Beaumont and her family launched a desperate search for the dogs, putting up posters in the local area and leaving out trails of socks, blankets and treats on paths in and around the area they went missing, in the hope of tempting them home again. There’s no doubt that Morzine is an area of dog lovers and it didn’t take long for a lot of people in the valley to get involved in the search.

rallied together to make sure that these two adventurers were brought home safely.

Mungo and Mika were rescued by the Beaumont family when they were living in the Bahamas. Mika is six and Mungo three. They’ve come a long way from the street dogs they used to be. I think it was the fact that these family pets were so clearly loved and missed that really tugged on the heartstrings of the local community. As always, this amazing valley didn’t disappoint and

Snow and bad visibility meant it was impossible to locate the dogs, let alone mount a rescue operation.

The family called the local mountain rescue who promised to send out the helicopter when the weather improved. However this was going to mean at least another night out in the cold for Mungo and Mika. But there was nothing anyone could do at this point other than go home and

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It wasn’t until the 6th April (exactly two weeks after they went missing) that Abigail and her family got their first bit of really positive news.

Local trail runner and hiker Leanne Emery Garner was out walking in the Graydon area when she heard a dog barking followed by another howling.

As a dog lover herself, she was already desperate to help find Mungo and Mika, so when she heard two dogs in an area close to where they went missing, she couldn’t ignore it.

And it’s a good job she didn’t!

#lovelesgets

wait for the weather to clear.

In the time that I had taken a break from watching my phone to make a cup of tea, everything changed.

A simple message saying “we have Mika” popped up. “What?!”

I thought. “Don’t tease us!” But it was true. Leanne and husband Tom had headed home, but just couldn’t stop thinking about the poor dogs possibly trapped or injured in a freezing cold Graydon. She put a shout out for anyone with any knowledge who might be able to advise them. Within seconds local ski instructor Cameron Skinner from PDS Academy telephoned saying he wanted to help. He, along with Marc and George Walton from Peak Snowsports, decided that they couldn’t just leave Mungo and Mika to face another night out in the cold and launched their own rescue operation.

These guys are thoroughly trained, hugely experienced and knew what they were doing (don’t try this at home kids); they quickly headed off towards the barking and managed

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chalet-chefs.pdf

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to locate the dogs. This was all at around 6.30pm, so the team were aware they had to act quickly to avoid nightfall. It took over an hour for them to hike up and climb to rescue the two dogs, who were stuck on an icy ledge. But rescue them they did. We had the heart stopping moment when they found Mika, but with no mention of Mungo, luckily it was only minutes before we heard “we have Mungo too”... and the whole valley breathed a sigh of relief.

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Hire a private chef to make your holiday a holiday for everyone

It didn’t end here though. The boys had a long and difficult walk back with two weak and very tired dogs. It was nighttime before they got back to the safety of Graydon and an overjoyed family reunion.

Leanne said, “the reunion was amazing. The kids were so happy. And the dogs looked better than we imagined and were so happy to see their family.”

Menu 1 - €230 per week

home cooked, filling dishes such as tartiflette, chilli and lasagne

MENU 2 - €275 per week

classic, chalet style food such as beef bourguignon and slow roast belly pork

As you can imagine, this was a moment that the family will never forget. Abigail said “thank you for not giving up on them. The guys were such selfless dog-loving heroes to go up in the snow and dark to rescue them!”

MENU 3 - €350 per week

our fine dining option including beef wellington and rack of lamb

We already love this valley for its amazing sense of community but the search and eventual rescue of these two dogs was testament to the amazingly supportive nature of the people who live here. Abigail said “It was very warming and humbling. We met more people in the 17 days the dogs were lost than we had in the last four months here in Morzine and St Jean d’Aulps”.

www.chaletchefs.net | +33 (0) 6 47 82 98 89

Mungo and Mika are certainly happy to be home and are in good health, despite losing 20% of their body weight whilst on their adventure. If it wasn’t for the heroic actions of a few brave people, this amazing story may have had a very different ending. But for now, we can all rest easy knowing that Mungo and Mika are safe and in the arms of the people who love them the most.

Here at Morzine Source Magazine we’re huge supporters of our local mountain rescue teams and the brave folk who risk their lives to keep us safe in the mountains. It was the Pompiers, our local fire and rescue service, that first responded to the call when Mika and Mungo were located.

They told us that, upon arriving at the scene in Graydon in the late afternoon, the snowpack was obviously unstable following warm temperatures earlier that day. Slips could be heard higher up the mountain and very low cloud meant poor visibility. The dangerous snowpack meant an on-foot rescue was too dangerous, especially as there were no confirmed sightings of the dogs and no way of knowing their condition. Similarly, cloud cover was too low and dense for a helicopter rescue. After consulting a detailed weather forecast, the decision was made to wait until the following morning, when there was minimal chance of cloud cover, to lift Mika and Mungo from their mountain perch by helicopter. This plan would have meant the dogs were located visually before a rescue was launched, the risk to the lives of the rescuers would have been vastly reduced, and the dogs wouldn't have had to make the lengthy and dangerous journey down the mountain.

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Source Magazine Creative Director Michael Henderson is the biggest kid we know, and he also happens to have two kids of his own! So you know excitement will never be far away with his family fun kit list.

- kids & family Deuter Kid Comfort Carrier 2

RRP €224.00 The mountain cols and waterfalls become far more enjoyable if you can appreciate them with the whole family. The Deuter Kid Comfort child carrier makes that possible, allowing you to comfortably transport your smallest family members to those harder to reach beauty spots. Multiple pockets in this carrier means you can easily carry lunch, sun cream, raincoats and anything else you might need, along with the option of a 2L or 3L hydration bladder, so you’re covered for every eventually. The comfort levels clearly apply to the child seat itself, as we frequently find our mini Source reviewer oblivious to the amazing mountain scenery, happily sleeping up back. deuter.com

Mizu M5 Bottle & Sports Cap

RRP €19.95 / €5.95 100% BPA free, 100% recyclable, made from food grade stainless steel and available in a range of colours to suit your mood, what more could you ask for? This 530ml water bottle paired with a sports cap is perfect for kids and parents alike, easily fitting into small spaces like a backpack or even a jacket pocket. Stay hydrated. Enjoy the journey.

Leave nothing behind. mizulife.eu

Skip Hop Zoo Backpack

RRP €18.75 Select a bag to reflect your child’s character, whether it be Marshall the Monkey, Otis the Owl or Ferguson the Fox. These bags look great, they’re well-made and more importantly your little one will want to wear it, which is the whole point. Large enough for your ‘little angel’ to be able to carry his or her lunch, with a mesh side pocket to store their drink and enough space for their favourite toy, these bags cover both practicality and fun. We think this is a a great pack, at an equally great price, for school, day trips and beyond. skiphop.com (Available from Amazon)

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Bananagrams

51

GREAT VALUE PROPERTIES IN THE HEART OF MORZINE www.alptitude.com

RRP €22.80 Our go-to travel game. Such a simple yet addictive game for one to eight players aged between seven and 107. Bananagrams requires no pencil, paper or board, and comes in a small, easily transportable banana-shaped pouch, making it perfect for holidays, travel days and big mountain lunches. We love the classic version of the game, but should you get bored there are a good few variations on the original theme, including Bananagrams Party Edition and Double Bananagrams. And for those of you who are lucky enough to have already discovered Bananagrams, you could even check out the Collins Little Book of Bananagrams for a cheeky performance boost.

Lac Tuel Source Advert.pdf

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Bananagrams.com (Available from Amazon)

LAC DE MONTRIOND

SUR PLACE OU A EMPORTER Mac Ride

RRP €243.00 Bike rides just went from fun to ‘super awesome fun’. Really simple and quick to install, the Mac Ride takes kids’ bike seats to a whole new level. We were fortunate enough to test the Mac Ride last autumn and we honestly had a smile on our face from the first pedal stroke. This seat makes bike rides a joint venture and takes you into your child’s own little world where you can hear their every yelp and squeal of delight. We cannot recommend this seat highly enough. The Mac ride is now compatible with e-bikes too.

HOMEMADE BURGERS, PANINIS, SPECIALITY DISHES, SAVOURY AND SWEET CREPES

2574 route du Lac - MONTRIOND Tél. +33 04 50 92 73 68 @lactuel_restaurant

mac-ride.com (ships from the u.k.)

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TREELINE CHALETS

AIGLON CHALETS

SKIOLOGY

Award winning chalet company with a range of catered and self-catered chalets and apartments in central Morzine. Fantastic summer and winter accommodation for all group sizes and a friendly knowledgeable team to make sure you get the most of your alpine holiday in Morzine!

12 stylish and contemporary alpine apartments within a stunning 'residence de tourism' situated in a great location, less than a 5 minute walk from both the centre of resort and the Super Morzine lift. Open summer & winter. The ultimate MTB retreat. Family fun, Multi-Pass member. On-site gym, sauna, treatment rooms and fitness classes. Secure parking.

Established 2006, all chalets close to the piste and or town. Passionate about good food - menu by former Fortum & Mason development chef. Service with care our goal is 100% repeat guests! Delivering sustainably, we offset the carbon emissions of our chalets by up to 10x. Mention ‘Source' to claim a bottle of local bubbles with your booking!

treelinechalets.com

aiglonmorzine.com

skiology.co.uk

+44 (0) 1483 220 505

+33 (0) 6 82 05 81 12

+44 (0) 207 183 0688

info@treelinechalets.com

info@aiglonmorzine.com

stay@skiology.co.uk

MORGAN JUPE CATERED CHALETS

MORGAN JUPE B&B CHALETS

MORGAN JUPE S/C APARTMENTS

A carefully selected portfolio of chalets offering stunning views and excellent facilities. Our unrivalled fully catered package boasts the best inclusive wine list of any catered chalet and includes a non-stop driving service in our Land Rover Defenders. Winter prices from £4,500; summer prices (self-catered) from £1,200 (per chalet, per week).

Our unique luxury B&B package offers a flexible alternative to a fully catered holiday. Enjoy excellent service and benefit from exclusive use of the chalet, while having the freedom to choose exactly how to spend your evenings. Includes cooked & continental breakfast, daily housekeeping, afternoon tea & our non-stop driving service. Winter prices from £2,700; summer prices (selfcatered) from £1,900 (per chalet, per week).

A collection of stylish, comfortable apartments sleeping 4 - 6 guests, all perfectly located for a convenient self-catered holiday in Morzine. Fully equipped with all the essentials including high-speed WIFI, Sonos sound system, smart TV, washing machine & electric ski boot heaters. Winter prices from £1,100; summer prices from £650 (per apartment, per week).

morganjupe.co.uk

morganjupe.co.uk

morganjupe.co.uk

+44 (0) 7 739 692 908

+44 (0) 7739 692 908

+44 (0) 7739 692 908

jess@morganjupe.co.uk

jess@morganjupe.co.uk

jess@morganjupe.co.uk

CHALET FOURMILIERE

APEX MORZINE

ALPTITUDE CHALETS MORZINE

We are consistently ranked in TripAdvisors top two Morzine best places to stay and are one of the Portes du Soleil's oldest and most luxurious holiday properties. Chalet Fourmiliere sleeps 12 in 6 en-suite bedrooms. During the summer season we treat guests to a sumptuous bed and breakfast experience with the comfiest beds and a breakfast to set you up for a day’s adventuring in our glorious mountain playground.

Le Morzenettaz offers comfortable, relaxed accommodation in a renovated 180-year-old farmhouse, close to Super Morzine lift and town centre. Choose from either our 2 bedroom self-catering apartment, available on a weekly basis, (Saturday changeovers), or B&B in 5 en-suite bedrooms, with flexible arrival days. Minimum stay 3 nights. Free WIFI. Open winter and summer.

Great value self catered chalets and apartments to suit all budgets and group sizes. Professional team with high levels of customer service for over 20 years.

chaletfourmiliere.com

apexmorzine.com

alptitude.com

+44 (0) 7 710 328 586

+ 33 (0) 4 50 74 65 49

+44 (0) 7891 021 292

hello@chaletfourmiliere.com

apexgroup@free.fr

info@alptitude.com

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53

Hunter Chalets & Apartments

THE TASTY SKI COMPANY

MY HOME IN THE ALPS

Genuine luxury - summer and winter. Swimming pools, cinemas, hot tubs and games rooms; our properties have everything that makes an Alpine holiday extra special.

Our 24hr driver and concierge service mean that you won't have to worry about a thing. We offer fully catered and self-catered chalets and apartments ranging from two bedrooms to seven bedrooms.

Tasty Ski has a handful of catered chalets in Morzine & Le Grand Massif in both winter & summer. Top-notch food in amazing locations is the name of our game. Check out our new super luxury chalet Ferme St Christophe!

New! Chalet "W" is a luxury 5 star chalet in a prime location in the centre of Morzine with stunning views of the mountains and river, huge light-filled rooms and a luxurious contemporary decor. My Home in the Alps is a real estate agency with a unique portfolio in Morzine and Les Gets. Follow us on Facebook and instagram!

hunterchalets.com

thetast yskicompany.co.uk

myhomeinthealps.com

+44 (0) 2037 453 452

+44 (0) 7538 761 767

+33 (0) 9 54 76 22 30

info@hunterchalets.com

info@thetast yskicompany.co.uk

loc@mhita.com

AliKats - Chalet Debussy

Mountain Xtra

The Farmhouse

Named by The Telegraph as one of the 10 most beautiful chalets for 2019, this is quite simply one of the finest chalets that you are likely to see in Morzine.

This 200-year-old farmhouse has been meticulously renovated to an exceptionally high standard using the finest local materials and expert craftsmanship.

An amazing selection of apartments & chalets in Morzine & Les Gets. Stylish self catered holiday rental properties with upgrade options available including catering or delivery meals, transfers, lift passes, massage services & ski hire delivered to your door. Great holidays at amazing prices!

Built in 1771, The Farmhouse is the oldest building in Morzine. One of the most desirable hideaways in the Alps sits in the heart of this beautiful alpine village just 2 minutes walk from the centre. The Farmhouse is a truly unique experience and the level of service is first class.

Once you have discovered this gem you will return year after year.

alikats.eu

mountainxtra.com

thefarmhouse.co.uk

+33 (0) 7 83 49 67 03

+44 (0) 1483 608396

+33 (0) 4 50 79 08 26

bookings@alikats.eu

info@mountainxtra.com

info@thefarmhouse.co.uk

SIMPLY MORZINE

Chalet-Hôtel la Marmotte

Hôtel & Spa Le Dahu****

The original Morzine specialists, established in 1995.

Shortlisted as ‘Best Chalet Company’ by the Telegraph.

Central Morzine & on-piste luxury catered chalets & hotel plus self-catered luxury chalet & self-catered on-piste apartments. All chalets & hotel include hot tub, pool or sauna. Superb cuisine, personal service, Geneva transfers & resort shuttles. Discounted lift passes, and equipment hire, unique summer holidays.

Ideally situated, standing at the foot of the slopes of Les Gets and close to local hiking trails. This cosy, friendly, welcoming venue boasts attractive antique furniture, quirky accessories and a level of service that’s second to none. So settle in and feel like you’re at home.

We offer guests a uniquely sunny location and a panorama that encompasses the emblematic mountains of the resort and its lovely mountain village. Our hotel & spa are a heaven of peace and calm. In winter, we invite you to relax in next to the fire, after a day of skiing and snowshoe trekking. In summer, you'll find refuge after strolling through the gardens or lounging around the pool, or after a day of hiking or mountain biking.

simply-morzine.co.uk

hotel-marmot te.com

dahu.com/en/

+44 (0) 1664 568 902

+33 (0) 4 50 75 80 33

+33 (0) 4 50 75 92 92

info@simply-morzine.co.uk

info@hotel-marmot te.com

info@dahu.com

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Avoriaz Holidays offer all you need to pl an a perfect holiday in les Portes du Soleil’s highest ski resort. All properties are ski-in, ski-out, bed linens are included, flexible meal pl ans including breakfast delivery are avail able and we arrange discounts on ski passes and equipment rental on your behalf. Here’s a selection of our properties.

CHALET IODA

SASKIA APARTMENT

Chalet Doriaz

Recently refurbished to a high standard, this large chalet accommodates up to 10 people and offers stunning views over the resort. Facilities include WiFi, TV, beds made before arrival, daily cleaning service, towels and firewood provided, sunny terrace and washing machine and dryer. You’ll love the large, open plan living room.

Located on the 4th floor of the Saskia Residence in the Falaise area, this apartment sleeps 6 people in comfortable rooms. There’s 1 double bedroom, a bunk room and a sofa-bed in the lounge. Facilities include beds made before arrival, WiFi, TV, kitchen with microwave, fridge and dishwasher. The southwest facing balcony offers stunning views!

An individual chalet offering accommodation for up to 12 in a huge, beautifully decorated space over several characterful levels. Facilities include WiFi, beds made before arrival, fire wood and towels provided, secure ski storage, laundry room, sauna, fitted kitchen with all the appliances you need, large dining area and several bedrooms to suit your whole group.

ASTER APARTMENT

ALPAGES APARTMENT

Fontaines Blanches Apartment

Sleeping 6 in modern comfort, this 3rd floor apartment has been recently refurbished and offers great views over the local pistes. Facilities include secure boot and ski storage, beds made before your arrival, WiFi, flexible bedroom arrangements, a fully-equipped kitchen and a south west facing balcony. We love the Savoyarde themed décor in this property!

This is a functional, well located apartment sleeping up to 4 people in 2 rooms. It’s on the 6th floor, which makes the views spectacular while other features include a ski locker, beds made before arrival, WiFi, a kitchen with microwave, fridge and dishwasher. There’s 1 double bedroom, 2 single sofa beds and a south facing balcony from which you can enjoy the views.

A charming apartment with modern décor, this residence offers accommodation for up to 4 people on the 4th floor of the building. Features include WiFi, beds made before arrival, a kitchen with a fridge, dishwasher and microwave while the bedrooms include 1 double room and a double sofa bed in the lounge. There’s also a south facing balcony too.

CHALET KOURIA

Malinka Apartment

Snow Apartment

This beautiful, uber-modern chalet sleeps 10 people in 5 bedrooms. It has it’s own private lift, a beautiful living room with a large fireplace and a fully equipped kitchen. Other features include heated boot warmers, laundry room, access to an indoor swimming pool, hammam, sauna and beautiful south facing balconies.

Accommodating up to 4 people, this charming apartment is on the 4th floor of a centrally located Avoriaz residence and enjoys south-west facing balcony views. Facilities include beds made before your arrival, WIFI, a kitchen featuring a microwave, hotplates, dishwasher and fridge in addition to a nice dining space. There is a double bedroom and 2 single sofa beds.

A spacious 4-person studio in the centre of Avoriaz with stunning views from the east-facing balcony.

The accommodation is open-plan and includes two single sofa beds and two further pull-out trundle beds. The kitchen is equipped with a fridge, hob, microwave and mini oven; there’s also a washing machine and a TV too.

a selection of avoriaz accommodation from avoriaz-holidays.com | +33 (0)4 50 74 16 08

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Events What’s New for Summer 2019?

Morzine-Avoriaz-Montriond Trail Festival | 9th - 11th August

Luxury for less | Catered Luxury Chalets in Morzine

CHALET CACHÉ

© cyrille quintard hautfort Morzine office de tourisme

Our valley hosts some spectacular and varied trail running races over the summer, and this year they’re all being combined to create a brand new event. The Morzine-Avoriaz-Montriond Trail Festival is a three-day celebration of trail running that will be exciting for runners and non-runners alike. Events will include a UTMB qualifier, Trail des Hauts Forts, the KMV de Nantaux (the toughest vertical kilometre in France) and the 197+, a relay race undertaken in teams of two up and down the Pleney race piste. But the real question is, how many people will be up for the challenge of racing in all three events?

Find out more at traildeshautsforts.com Morzine Film Awards Summer Edition | 31st August After an exceptionally successful winter edition, the Morzine Film Awards are returning this summer. The day-long festival will take place in the town square opposite the Morzine Office de Tourisme and celebrate the end of another amazing summer. You’ll enjoy a fine selection of craft beers and live music throughout the afternoon and films will be screened in the evening. This institutional film competition is an open event, where teams have one week to make a film in and around Morzine – and with all the summer activities on offer, we’re expecting a great array of entries!

CHALET PERDRIX

Festivale de Conte at Abbaye Aulps | 11th - 13th August

This summer sees the first Festivale de Conte, which celebrates the tradition of storytelling in one of the area’s oldest buildings.

Bring your little ones, medium-sized ones and yourself to be immersed in a range of classic tales and exciting adaptations.

There will well and truly be something for everyone, from musical performances to workshops. Performances will be in French and English, and include recitals from local theatre group MADhouse (read more on page 94). Entry to this event is free of charge once you’ve paid to visit the Abbaye. Even better, if you’re a Multi Pass holder, the whole thing is free!

info@chilloutmountain.com | +33 (0)6 42 79 76 97

www.chilloutmountain.com

Find out more at abbayedaulps.fr. /MorzineSourceMagazine

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THE SUMMER

cycle A GREAT ALTERNATIVE TO THE MED Interview by Amie Henderson

Ten years ago, family summer holidays in the mountains were the best kept secret in travel. In more recent times, the penny has dropped for parents looking for an alternative to the Med. Morzine, Les Gets and Avoriaz have never been so popular for summer activity breaks and our valley includes a stack of unique characteristics that make it very worthwhile.

Meet Jo Pauly. Already a fully qualified ski instructor, Jo moved to Morzine in 2006, working with another local guide as part of a year long training programme to gain the national professional cycling instructor qualification. He started RideAbility, a mountain bike school specialising in downhill and enduro riding, having recognised the area’s summer holiday potential.

During the months of June and July, Jo’s clients are mainly groups of friends looking to explore the trails and bike parks of the Portes du Soleil, giving their riding skills a boost along the way. When the school holidays arrive, Jo is booked to coach and guide families who’ve been bitten by the mountain biking bug and want to ride together, making him the perfect person to answer our questions on what makes the perfect family mountain biking holiday.

What things should parents consider when they select a destination for their first mountain bike holiday?

The most important thing to think about is a comparison between the kind of trails your children are used to riding, and those available in the local area. Are they similar? Will they be fun enough and easy enough for your children? You should also think about whether you’ll find the appropriate bikes and safety gear to hire locally and the availability of professional local tuition that can combine technique development and #lovemorzine

local knowledge in a fun and safe way.

Why are Morzine, Les Gets and Avoriaz so good for beginners and families on bikes?

We tick all of the above! The recent development of green tracks on Super Morzine means we now have a better offering for families. Typically, I’ll start gently in Les Dérêches, then head up the mountain to Super Morzine before eventually going a bit further, to Les Gets for example.

What tips do you have for families when they’re selecting their kit for their first family MTB holiday?

For little ones under the age of ten years, suspension isn’t necessarily a great idea. Although bike brands are now starting to focus more and more on kids bikes, suspension can add a lot of weight to an already heavy bike.

Instead, look out for bigger tires (AKA Fat or +) as they offer better damping and great grip. Also, make sure brake levers are easy to reach and use and the grips aren’t too big. Saddles #lovelesgets

should be low enough so that both feet can rest flat on the ground when sitting on the saddle.

You’ll find children’s mountain bikes to rent in a few shops in the valley, and this could be an easier option than bringing your own over, especially if you’re flying. Also, don’t forget helmets, gloves, knee and elbow pads – these are essential, but make sure they fit properly!

Is it possible to just charge on by yourself? Or should you always hire a guide?

In my view, you should always hire an instructor, but of course you’d expect me to say that! Even if you know how to ride a bike at home, mountain biking and the local trails will be a whole different ball game. An instructor will get you off on the right foot and help to keep you and your family safe. Teaching is our job, we know the tricks that you don’t and we know where to take you to suit your ability level. Plus, I find the little ones seem to listen more to a stranger #loveavoriaz

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MSC advert.pdf

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than their own parents! Well, ours certainly do…

Which trails are best for beginners?

The Dérêches in Morzine is a pretty safe place to start, try riding all the way down to St Jean d’Aulps and take the Balad’Aulps bus back up the valley. Super Morzine has the easiest green runs, but be careful; they are still full on downhill tracks! Historically, the ‘family’ track on Pleney has been carefully prepared for families with a decent level of skill and experience, but I know work has been undertaken on this trail recently, so look out for more updates on this.

z Morzine Ski Chalets Our speciality is your perfect getaway!

Is there a limit to the amount of mountain biking a child can do in a day?

It all depends on age and motivation, but I’d usually recommend between two and three hours per session.

Having a goal, plus lots of rests and snacks always helps!

Jo is also a coach with the Morzine-Avoriaz VTT Club, which meets every Wednesday between mid-May and early September. They teach almost 90 local children to ride their bikes and their objective is to offer children the chance to enjoy the area’s MTB facilities whilst teaching them the right skills and techniques. You'll find Jo's bike school inside the FB Freeride shop at the bottom of the Pleney in Morzine.

Head to ride-ability.com for more details. /MorzineSourceMagazine

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Our speciality is your perfect getaway!

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hot

property APARTMENT LE PERROUDY

With so much going on in our valley at the moment, there’s never been a better time to invest in your Alpine property dream.

Here’s our pick of the hottest properties for sale in Morzine, Avoriaz, Les Gets and the surrounding villages right now, and as always, there’s something for all budgets.

from €230,000

(HAI)

A beautiful 2-bedroom apartment for sale in the centre of St Jean d'Aulps. Located within walking distance of restaurants, bars, bakers and the bus route connecting to the ski resorts of St Jean d'Aulps or Morzine. Laid out over split levels, the apartment comprises of an entrance leading to a lounge with covered balcony, a fully fitted kitchen and a double bedroom. On the lower level there is a double bedroom with balcony, bathroom and separate toilet. It is sold with an enormous cellar and the possibility to purchase the furnishings.

MORE INFO:

Joanna MacGovern - Geranium Immobilier +33 (0) 4 50 38 86 30 info@geranium74.com geranium74.com

€395,000

(HAI)

€920,000

(HAI)

LE BIOT APARTMENT A charming traditional apartment of 133m2 on the upper floor of a Savoyard farmhouse.

The property comprises of 2 en-suite bedrooms, a 72m2 double height living/dining area with wood burner and kitchen, a balcony, a covered terrace and a well maintained, landscaped garden. There is also a cellar storage room and laundry area. It is located in a sunny hamlet in Le Biot displaying mountain views, 11km from Morzine.

MORE INFO:

Carole Cavet - Leggett Immobilier alpes@leggett.fr leggettski.com

Le Tyrolien A new luxury development in a prime central Morzine location, Le Tyrolien features personalised apartments ranging in size from 2 - 5 bedrooms. Large living spaces, spacious balconies or terraces and a high quality finish feature throughout. Currently reserving off plan, Apartment A302 is a 3-bed, double aspect property spanning 90.70m2 and featuring two large terraces; one accessed from the main living area and another from the master bedroom. A storage cave, ski locker and parking space are included in the price whilst interior finishes can also be customised to suit your tastes.

MORE INFO:

Paul Watts - Morzine Immo +33 (0) 4 50 79 13 09 paul@morzine-immo.com morzine-immo.com

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*HAI – Agency fees included / payable by the seller

Translation Interpreting Proof-Reading Copy-Writing

Contact Us Contact Carrie Marsh to discuss your requirements and obtain a personalised quotation. +33 (0)6 50 20 82 68 @LexikoTranslate @lexikotranslation info@lexiko-translation.com www.lexiko-translation.com

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RESIDENCE LA MARMOTTIERE Being built off-plan and with a piste-side location, this stunning residence includes 7 luxury appartments, just 650m from the centre of Morzine. Apartment 3 is currently for sale and features 140m2 of habitable space, is triple aspect and includes 4 bedrooms (1 en-suite), storage cave and 2 underground parking spaces. A large 50m2 terrace is accessed from the spacious open-plan lounge through large sliding doors, offering stunning views of the village. The fully-equipped kitchen, bathrooms and shower rooms will be completed to a high specification and the apartment can be customised to suit the tastes of its buyer.

€1,120,000

(HAI)

MORE INFO:

Ingrid Maes - Morzine Prestige +44 (0) 4 50 04 33 26 info@morzine-prestige.com morzine-prestige.com

LE LOUP BLANC

€673,812

(HAI)

A new alpine development built by a renowned local developer close to the Perrières Express ski lift in Les Gets. This 72m2, 2-bed apartment is one of 17 new apartments for sale, built in a typical Savoyard style of stone and wood with a high end finish. Located 500m from the heart of Les Gets, the Loup Blanc apartments are ski-in, when snow conditions are good. The apartment will have a bright living area with a spacious balcony and is sold with a ski locker and garage/parking. An ideal investment for ski holidays in the French Alps, thanks to the easy ski access and close proximity to the resort centre.

MORE INFO:

Fiona Carless - France Property Angels +33 6 38 45 43 64 fiona.carless@francepropertyangels.com francepropertyangels.com

FERME GRAND DUC

€350,000

(HAI)

A very beautiful double farm Alpage with a huge total potential of 500m² and set in the heart of an idyllic environment with outstanding open views and excellent sunshine. The farmhouse is currently divided into two halves; the west part offers a living room with open fireplace and wood stove, a kitchen, a living room with access to the large south facing terrace, 3 bedrooms, a shower room with toilet, an additional sleeping area and a large barn. The eastern part offers 2 living rooms with access to the south facing terrace, 3 bedrooms and spacious old barn to convert. Lovers of nature and authenticity will love this stunning traditional farmhouse!

MORE INFO:

Sylvie Payen - Century 21 Call Home +33 (0) 4 50 04 94 76 sylvie.payen@century21.fr callhome-morzine.com

FERME DE BEAUREGARD

€673,812

(HAI)

A private sanctuary nestled in an Alpine vale, Ferme de Beauregard is both tranquil and secluded, offering the ultimate in splendid isolation. This former farmhouse dates back to the mid 19th century, and has been carefully and sympathetically restored. The property could more accurately be described as an estate, sold with almost 11 hectares of land. It is totally off-grid, with its own water and power supply. Electricity is provided by a combination of solar and hydro power, with 2 back-up petrol generators for emergencies. Heating is provided by a combination of wood burning stoves and a gas powered central heating system, with a large gas tank installed in the garden.

MORE INFO:

Ailsa Bishop - Alpine Property +33 (0) 6 71 14 68 08 ailsa@alpine-property.com alpine-property.com

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France Property Angels help buyers purchase property in all parts of the Portes du Soleil, including Morzine, Les Gets, St Jean d'Aulps, Le Biot and Seytroux, as well as other popular ski resorts in the French Alps.

www.francepropertyangels.com | info@francepropertyangels.com | +44 (0)1225 442128

“We Found Our Dream Ski Property Thanks To France Property Angels” We talked to two buyers, Nigel and Sue Clark, who recently bought a chalet in Les Gets What made you choose France Property Angels over other agents?

“We discovered France Property Angels online; they were by far the most responsive to our initial enquiries. It was a huge positive that they were English speakers and would be working on our behalf as a buyer’s agent. We quickly developed a rapport with Fiona “Fee” Carless.”

Buying a property abroad can be a stressful process. How did France Property Angels help?

“Fee quickly worked out the type of properties we were interested in and more importantly those that we were not. We spent three days with her in the Les Gets area where she arranged all our viewings in advance to suit our schedule, as well as giving us a tour of the area. It was clear from the start that she really wanted to help find the best chalet for us.”

What and where did you buy?

“We bought a 5 bedroom standalone chalet in Les Gets, which we viewed on the first day and revisited twice more during our trip.”

Which part of the France Property Angels service did you find the most useful?

“All of it! From the beginning until completion, Fee and the France Property Angels team held our hands and showed genuine interest in helping us achieve our goal of owning a place in the Alps.”

Any tips for other buyers?

“Go straight to France Property Angels! We had already decided on Les Gets but had no real sense of the opportunities in the area. We had a limited time frame for viewings and Fee did not disappoint.”

How did you find the purchase process?

“The France Property Angels, team helped us through every step of the process which, to an outsider, is even more complicated than in the UK. Especially in a foreign language! The team was always very responsive to our questions and calls.”

Can you sum up France Property Angels in 5 words?

“Professional. Thorough. Friendly. Knowledgeable. Responsive.”

/MorzineSourceMagazine @MorzineSource You can contact France Property Angels if you are looking to buy in the area at info@francepropertyangels.com or on +33 (0) 6 38 45 43 64 or visit/MorzineSourceMagazine www.francepropertyangels.com

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Those of you who’ve come to rely on regular columnist Kyles Garrett’s biannual interiors update, stand by. There are some stunning properties under construction in Morzine, Les Gets and Avoriaz right now with incredible interiors to match. Here’s your shopping list… www.shepandkyles.com

shepandkyles

- interiors -

Carl Hansen & Søn BK14 Sunbed We love the BK14 sunbed for its clean, elegant lines and comfort. Designed in 1959 by Bodil Kjaer, the lounger is inspired by Cubism, built by craftsmen and constructed to withstand our mountain climate. Bodil was a pioneer of Danish modern design and her Scandinavian creations fit well within shep&kyles’ Savoie-chic interior style. carlhansen.com/en

Pinch Design Iona Mirror We adore these mirrors! They are handmade by one of our core suppliers and we love the simplicity of form and pure lines that characterise their products. The Iona mirror is a great example of this - an elliptical mirror with a simple curved oak or walnut frame and brass rivet detail at one side. These are deceptively simple yet classy, and work well in bedrooms. Or in the case of Chalet Joux Plane, in the boot room! pinchdesign.com

Catchpole and Rye Bain de Bateau On most of our projects we design at least one bedroom to include a sumptuous feature bathtub within the room. These can take a number of different forms but our current favourite model is the Bain de Bateau bath from luxury producer Catchpole and Rye. We have previously specified these in both nickel and copper, and this year we are also ordering a verdigris-copper version on one of our projects. These baths are beautifully designed and manufactured to order using traditional techniques and add a touch of opulence to a chalet. catchpoleandrye.com

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Bocci 28 Cluster This Canadian lighting design and manufacturer is an absolute favourite of shep&kyles! Their “14” series is one of our signature lights, but we have specified several of their “28” clusters on recent projects. For the 28, hand-blown glass spheres, complete with imploded inner shapes (or “satellites”), act as shades for the light sources. These are then formed into clusters of varying sizes, creating bespoke light sculptures. We love using these fittings as stunning centrepieces. bocci.ca

Champagne Bucket All chalets need a few nice champagne buckets! Whether used for display purposes in a feature cave à vins, or filled with snow and nursing a nice chilled bottle next to the jacuzzi, they are invaluable accessories for a ski chalet. Our favourites are sourced from the fabulous Le Chalet de Jules boutique in Chamonix.

614, avenue de Joux Plane - 74110 Morzine

Tom Raffield Bebble Pouf From one of our favourite designers, this pouf is yet another example of their brilliance. We are always looking at discrete yet beautiful ways of adding extra seating to reception rooms without cluttering the space, and this pouf is our current top choice. It worked beautifully on our recent Chalet Sapphire project.

+33 (0)4 50 04 94 76 www.callhome-morzine.com

tomraffield.com

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‘Doing your bit’ is much easier at home, in the comfort of your own surroundings, than it is on holiday. At the same time, those carbon-expensive flights to the mountains, those diesel-filled buses driving you to resort; they all take their toll. Fortunately, it’s getting much easier to bring your ecoprinciples and routines on holiday with you to help offset the load.

- eco MIZU CUTLERY SET

RRP €19.95 We genuinely believe that plastic cutlery is evil. You’ll polish off that Nutella crepe in nanoseconds, the knife and fork you used will likely last forever. Mizu get this! Their food-grade stainless steel cutlery set includes a fork, spoon, knife, pair of chopsticks and one of those famous silicone-topped Mizu straws that we keep raving about, all wrapped up in a tiny zip-top neoprene pouch. The set is 100% BPA free, 100% recyclable and we 100% love it. mizulife.eu

TREE HUGGER BEER

€6.50

#lovemorzine

a pint

SALT & STONE SPF 30 SUNSCREEN

If Ibex Dave whet your appetite for local beers on page 42, now it’s time to get boozy with your eco-credentials in tact. The ecologically-driven brainchild of Ibex Microbrasserie and Café Chaud, Tree Hugger is a carbonneutral beer brewed right here in Morzine and available exclusively at Café Chaud and Hideout Hostel. Every pitcher sold results in one tree planed, right here on our mountain.

It’s easy to get caught out by the power of the sun here in the mountains. UV rays are much stronger, so whether you’re spending your afternoon in the saddle or by the swimming pool, you’ll need to layer up with lotion. With SPF 30, all ingredients are grown and produced in ethical and sustainable ways without pesticide use, there’s no artificial fragrances, sulfates, parabens or other nasties, whilst all packaging is recyclable and made from recycled materials.

café-chaud.com/treehugger

saltandstone.com

#lovelesgets

RRP €19.99

#loveavoriaz

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FAMILY AND PERSONAL INCOME PLAN FOR BUSINESS OWNERS Take advantage of tax breaks to prepare your pension Income protection plan Health care Retirements plans Savings Tax breaks

THE BAM & BOO TOOTHBRuSH

RRP €12.00 Dentists recommend we change our toothbrushes every three months. Let’s imagine that we all live for 80-odd years; that’s a staggering 320 plastic toothbrushes per person heading straight into landfill. Multiplying that by the global population makes us feel a bit queasy. Bamboo is both fast growing and biodegradable, making bamboo toothbrushes an entirely sustainable way to keep your teeth as clean as they’ve ever been. We love these ones from Bam & Boo as they do both adult and kids sizes, pretty colours, soft and medium bristles and because they offer a subscription service, you’d need never buy a plastic one from the supermarket again!

Income protection for business owners

thebamandboo.com

06 87 36 53 21

KEEPCUP original 12 oz

RRP €12.00 Chances are, you’re already using something similar back home. Because who even enjoys coffee in a nasty, disposable plastic-lined cup anyway? Why leave it at home? Really good coffee deserves a really good cup and, as our Insta followers already know, coffee stops across Morzine, Les Gets and Avoriaz are on the up. The lightweight KeepCup Original is made of Polypropylene, features a non-slip, thermal holding band and the lid is both BPS and BPA free.

Marc Invernizzi

1499 route de la Plagne, 74110 Morzine

Email : agencea2p.marc.invernizzi@axa.fr Agent général d’assurance exclusif - AXA Prévoyance & Patrimoine Sociétés d’assurance mandantes : AXA France Vie & AXA Assurances Vie mutuelle N° ORIAS 18000804 www.orias.fr ACPR – Autorité de contrôle prudentiel et de résolution : 61 Rue Taitbout – 75009 PARIS Le détail des procédures de recours et de réclamation et les coordonnées du service dédié sont disponibles sur les sites www.axa.fr. En cas de non résolution d’un différend à l’issue du processus de réclamation, vous pouvez avoir recours au Médiateur, en vous adressant à l’association : La Médiation de l'Assurance, TSA 50110, 75441 PARIS CEDEX 9

eu.keepcup.com

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the

MORZINE / MONTRIOND TRIATHLON

is back

BY CHLOE HARDY

When it was announced last summer that Lac de Montriond would be the location of an all-new, locally-organised sprint distance triathlon, the reaction was huge. Experienced local triathletes were happy to have a tri on their doorstep and it was the perfect opportunity for first-timers to give it a go in a familiar and friendly environment. In fact, the first MorzineMontriond Triathlon was so successful, that before it was even over, the 2019 race had already been announced. We caught up with chief organiser Joe Pearson to find out what we can expect from Lac de Montriond this year.

images © Martine Enselmey

The Morzine-Montriond Triathlon was a massive success last year - did everything run as you’d hoped?

Yes, it was fantastic. The event went exactly to plan and feedback was great.

We definitely have some things that we would like to improve on for 2019 but all in all, it was a great first year!

Will this year’s race follow the same format?

One of our objectives is to encourage new people into the sport, so we have continued to build on last year’s format

to ensure the event is achievable for beginners, experienced triathletes and everyone in between. In 2019 we will be having completely separate male and female sprint distance triathlons (750m swim, 20km cycle, 5km run), a super sprint triathlon (300m swim, 5km cycle, 2km run) and a kids’ TriStars triathlon (100m Swim, 2km cycle, 1km run). We are hoping that this makes the event more user friendly.

In 2019 we will also be timing the sprint and super sprint events, and awarding prizes at the end, as well as some great lucky draw prizes!

Was it difficult to organise an event like this from scratch?

Organising any event from scratch can be challenging. Luckily we have an experienced team with a varied skill set and we were able to obtain the permits, insurance and support that we needed to initially get permission to hold the event. We then had a great group of local volunteers supporting the event, as well as the local triathlon club, Tri Montagne, who put in the time to ensure the event ran smoothly. We also had some fantastic sponsors support the event. The triathlon’s major

Joe and his partner, Amelia, run Buzz Events, who organise the Morzine-Montriond Triathlon, as well as the Morzine Santa Run, a fun run that takes place in December to kick off the winter season. Joe and Amelia also run Buzz Performance are heavily involved with the local triathlon club, Tri Montagne. Visit buzzperformance.com and trimontagne.com to find out more.

#lovemorzine

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Total Chalet Services.pdf

your source of information for Morzine, Les Gets & Avoriaz

sponsor, Morzine Immobilier, was instrumental in its success, funding many of the expensive elements required to get it off the ground.

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making life easier

What is it about Lac de Montriond that made you want to organise a triathlon there?

The first time we laid eyes on Lac de Montriond, we knew it would be an amazing location for a triathlon.

It would be difficult to find a more spectacular race site! The Buzz Events team is also made up of some passionate triathletes, having completed more than 10 Ironman, 20 Half Ironman, 50 Olympic distance, and countless sprint distance triathlons between us.

Our family run business provides peace of mind for property owners, and hassle-free holidays for your guests.

Morzine Les Gets & outlying villages

Who is this event aimed at?

Our services range from:

le t

e

nt

ha

C

The event is aimed at absolutely everyone. While we are aiming to make it as friendly and welcoming as possible, we also encourage serious athletes to support the event. The Morzine-Montriond Triathlon is the perfect race for novice triathletes as our team have made a course that is challenging but achievable, a course that is safe (with swim support and closed roads for the cycle) and a course that is fun and spectacular. We will have a team on the ground throughout the event specifically to assist novice athletes. We also have some fantastic prizes on offer and encourage national standard athletes to come along and go for the win. One of the great things about the sport of triathlon is that everyone is doing the exact same course, everyone meets up at the start and the finish, but the in-between part is up to the individual.

M anage m

Cle a nin g

C a t e ri n g

H o t Tu b s

+44 (0) 7870 191 144 +33 (0) 6 47 94 65 69

info@totalchaletservices.com

Total Mountain Source Advert 19.pdf

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Thinking of renting your property?

Our all-inclusive, hassle-free rental service is exactly what you're looking for.

What are you hoping for from this year’s event?

Last year was our chance to give people a preview of what a triathlon at Lac de Montriond could be.

This year we are stepping the organisation up a few notches, so we would love to see lots more people come along to the event. We hope to see lots of new people coming into the sport and using our race as their launching point. We also can't wait to show this amazing area to all triathletes; the Portes du Soleil is spectacular at any time of year!

The Morzine-Montriond Triathlon will take place on the morning of the 1st September 2019. Online registration is now open - visit triathlon-morzine-montriond. com for more information.

Contact us for more info and start earning from your property.

info@totalmountain.co.uk

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©JM_Baud_OT_Les_Gets

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by Chloe Hardy

Throughout the nineties and early noughties, Les Gets was a regular UCI Mountain Bike World Cup destination and hosted many a French national championship. With such huge events broadcast around the globe, the resort became Mecca for mountain bikers and attracted global acclaim for the quality and variety of its trails. Having hosted the 2004 World Championships, Les Gets dropped off the world competition schedule, taking a break from staging massive bike races. In more recent times, we’ve seen global mountain bike festival and competition series Crankworx select Les Gets as its European home for three consecutive years.

Summer 19 sees the launch of a new four-year plan for Les Gets. It starts with the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup legs in July 2019, World Cup finals in 2020 and 2021and culminates in the World Championships in 2022. All are huge events in the international mountain biking calendar and are sure to reinstate Les Gets’ position as a first rate resort in the minds of mountain bikers across the globe.

For those not in the know, each stage counts in the World Cup series, as racers compete in different locations throughout the season to stay in the top spot and win the title. The World Championships are a standalone event, where the best of the best are invited to race in an environment where there are no second #lovemorzine

chances. Each World Cup stop hosts a downhill and a cross-country race, although it’s the fast and loose downhill races that draw the biggest crowds.

We’re certain that some serious hard work and dedicated investment has been promised by resort officials in Les Gets in order to bring these events back to our valley. Their value in terms of global recognition, incoming tourism revenues and improvements to the trails of Les Gets is likely to be staggering. With this in mind, Morzine Source Magazine spoke to some of downhill mountain biking’s biggest legends, most exciting racers and a bunch of locals to see how they’re feeling about Les Gets’ return to the World Cup circuit. #lovelesgets

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David Chabanal

Director of the Tourist Office - Les Gets Image © V.Ducrettet OT Les Gets

Les Gets approached the UCI directly; with its proximity to their offices in Aigle and our experience in handling large bike events, we were well placed to host the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup. The favourable decision was made in September 2018 after a quick turnaround and the resort has come out all guns blazing.

A four-year agreement with the UCI has never been seen before. The benefits will include revenue generation for the local economy, increased tourism and an improvement to the global image of Les Gets. We hope that staging these events will help to create a dynamic resort and an environment that continues to evolve, attract investment and develop the iconic international reputation of the resort.

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Chris Kilmurray

Deep Tissue • Hot Stones • Holistic • Sports Pregnancy • Ayurvedic

MTB Coach & Founder, Point1 Athletic

In your chalet or our treatment room As a venue, Les Gets spans so many generations. From the World Cup races of the late nineties to the recent Crankworx events, it’s a classic venue. These are a must for the World Cup to solidify its ‘world class’ status, just like Wengen for Alpine skiing or Spa-Francorchamps for Formula 1! Downhill as a discipline though, needs fresh and challenging tracks each season. This is the major challenge facing the organisers for 2019.

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The crazy high speeds right out of the start-gate on Mont Chéry will be loved by all the riders as they’re quite rare on the World Cup circuit now, but further down the hill a more technically challenging and wider taped course will be needed compared to what was on offer at Crankworx these past three years, to keep the World Cup racers focused. It looks like a blank canvas for the XCO race on the Chavannes side of the valley, so I’m expecting a good mix of natural and man-made features.

Tahnee Seagrave

Transition Bikes / MUC - OFF Factory Racing

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Image © Sven Martin

2004 was the year my parents took a leap of faith and decided to move to the area, it just so happened that Les Gets was hosting the DH World Champs and I was nine years old. I was absolutely mesmerised by the event, picking up autographs from the pros wherever I could. I guess that was the day I made my mind up on what I wanted to do. I pretty much learnt how to ride a bike in Les Gets Bike Park, so for them to host a World Cup and for me to be able to be a part of it, with the riders I once looked up to, is really something quite special.

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Les Gets’ World Cup Timeline 70

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12.7.19 Qualifiers and cross country 13.7.19 Downhill 13.7.19 Downhill 14.7.19 Cross country country

Rob Warner

MTB Legend, World Cup Commentator

19th - 20th September 2020*

Downhill and Cross Country World Cup Finals Les Gets is currently a candidate to host the Downhill and Cross Country World Cup Finals again in 2021

Les Gets is such an iconic venue, it’s not had a World Cup race for nearly 20 years and in the past World Championships have been held there, too. It’s a proper track, and like 20 years ago, it’s French riders dominating the downhill at the moment, so it’s going to be one of the biggest World Cups of the year.

24th -28th August 2022*

Downhill and Cross Country World Championships! *

provisional dates

It’s been a while since I saw the course, but I remember it being fast, natural and flowing. It’s a real World Cup track, French style, and that’s no bad thing since they almost invented European downhill.

I remember racing there plenty of times. Back when I raced it was with Peaty, Rockwell and Palmer, so yeah, all kinds of good memories, perhaps more at the bar than on the bike though!

Steve Peat MTB legend ©JM Baud OT Les Gets

It’s awesome that the World Cup is coming back to Les Gets, I have been racing in Les Gets since the late nineties and always had a lot of fun on the trails and in the town.

The crowds have always flocked to Les Gets and I feel now the World Cup is back it will be bigger and better than ever.

Remi Thirion

I’ve had my ups and downs on these tracks over the years but I’m really looking forward to watching the new crop of riders rip it up on the hillside. See you all in Les Gets in July!

Commencal Vallnord DH Team Image © Kéno Derleyn

Generally, riders like Les Gets because there are many different tracks to ride within the Portes du Soleil area and the views are beautiful.

I’m looking forward to racing in Les Gets, it’s a mythical place where there have been many international races.

And it's always amazing to have a World Cup in France, it's usually the best crowd so it's going to be crazy!

Amaury Pierron

Commencal Vallnord DH Team Image © Kéno Derleyn

Greg Minnaar

Santa Cruz Syndicate

Les Gets has a great heritage in the World Cup, there have been some great races over the past years and the French often seem to come out on top. One of the nicest things about Les Gets, in my opinion, is that it links by chairlift or gondola to Morzine and Avoriaz, which then links to Châtel.

How could you not have fun in an area like this?

It's so good to have a World Cup in France. The spectators always come en masse and that's cool. I think the English will have some legends to avenge!

After my disastrous start this season, I’m expecting even bigger things to come out of Les Gets. I can't afford to have another bad weekend of World Cup racing, or else my season is definitely done. I was expecting to start the season off with a decent result, and that didn't happen, but all eyes ahead.

The top of the track is really fast, it's so good! We'd like to find a little freshness in the woods, that would be great. Otherwise I’m sure the atmosphere will be similar to what we’ve been used to at Crankworx - like holidays!

I must be honest, I don't have a lot of fun memories in Les Gets. I lost out in the World Championships to Fabian Barel by 0.46 seconds in 2004! So I'm hoping Lady Luck will be nicer to me this time around.

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Ben Richards

European Resort Manager MTB Beds

Some of my best memories of the early years of mountain biking in the Portes du Soleil were the World Cup and World Champs of 98, 02 and 04 in Les Gets. It's going to put attention back on the area as a whole.

I'm really looking forward to seeing the rolling circus that is the World Cup in our neighbourhood again, seeing old friends and the race itself. The French know how to put on an event and the crowds will be buzzing!

Phil Atwill

Cube Global Squad

Stoked to hear Les Gets is back on the circuit. Proper size mountain that one, with a bit of everything and I’m excited to see what they rustle up for the World Cup. Les Gets is a good place to hang out, nice little town with a massive riding scene and I’ve got some good mates that live around there. I’ve no doubt the crowd is gonna be going mad come race day and I’m sure the post race beers won’t disappoint!

Gaetan Vige

Cube Global Squad

I hope everyone will enjoy the track and the crowd. In France we are used to a sick crowd that every single rider enjoys. I do believe the event will be one of the best of the year. The place is perfect for riders and spectators due to the good atmosphere and location.

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Claudio Caluori

MTB Legend, World Cup Commentator

The Les Gets World Cup track is one of the all time favourites amongst the people who were here in the early days of mountain biking. Les Gets brings back memories of the good old and wild days, and the modern downhill athletes are going to show us that they can get even wilder on it. I can’t wait to see that.

I’ve got plenty of memories from Les Gets and I can’t believe it’s been so many years since we were racing World Cups there. The track has natural, wide open, high-speed grass turns mixed with super fast root sections and natural jumps! I definitely have more memories from Les Gets than just the race course, but I don’t think they should be published…!

Lyle Hyslop

European Marketing Tech, Santa Cruz

I'm buzzing to have Les Gets back on the World Cup circuit, in the past it's provided some seriously tight racing and who can forget the infamous World Champs of 2004? If you don't know what I'm talking about, go and do your homework!

Regardless of what track they use, you can count on two things; it being flat out and there being some flat grassy turns. If it's anything like the track they used at Crankworx, the racers should love it. I entered the Crankworx downhill in 2016 and it was all-time, despite the torrential rain, flatting in the gondola and not being able to do my run!

I really hope the track will be similar to Crankworx as I know everyone enjoyed it last year, it was fast and technical with an incredible view of Mont Blanc at the top. Perfect place to race a World Cup.

Max Hartenstern Cube Global Squad

It’s my first time in Les Gets so everything is new but I know it’s a legendary World Cup venue with a lot of experience, so in my opinion it’s good to have Les Gets back in the World Cup circuit.

I’m looking forward to the whole World Cup week and, for sure, the riding in Les Gets. I was watching the Crankworx DH last year and the track looks really good to me. Speed - open grass corners, roots, big jumps, that’s what I like and what suits me well, so I’m really looking forward it. ©JM_Baud_OT_Les_Gets /MorzineSourceMagazine

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Thomas Arneodo On the Future of Avoriaz

When you meet Thomas Arneodo, you’d be forgiven for thinking the sharplydressed, softly spoken director of Agence Immobilièr des Hauts Forts is from some chic, city destination like Paris. But in fact, Thomas is part of the first generation of children to grow up in Avoriaz. The resort and the family business he oversees are all an important part of his heritage.

INTERVIEW BY CHLOE HARDY

© oreli b

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Originally born in the South of France, Thomas’s family moved to Avoriaz in 1976 and his father started L’Immobilièr des Hauts Forts. He was one of ten children in a school with one teacher.

“It was nice!” he remembers. “There were no cars, it was very safe. We were like a family.”

After studying hospitality in Annecy and Lausanne and a stint running a five-star hotel in Marrakesh, Thomas returned to Avoriaz in 2010 to take over and develop the family business.

L’Immobilièr des Hauts Forts specialises in Avoriaz property sales, but also deals in holiday rentals, seasonal rentals, property development, renovations and most recently, hospitality. You might know it better as one of its other brands or companies, Avoriaz Holidays, Avoriaz Premium or Centrale Locative.

Thomas’ achievements over the past few years have been huge.

From converting 61 tiny flats in Residence Le Kouria to 16 premium apartments in 2014, to current premium renovation projects, Chalet des Hauts Forts and Chalet Aspen, progress has been fast.

So why all the property development? Down the mountain in Morzine, the volume of construction and property development is raising eyebrows amongst local residents, but in Avoriaz it’s a totally different story. And Thomas isn’t the only person getting stuck in; Pierre et Vacances and La Folie Douce are just two examples of other companies pushing the market in Avoriaz.

“Between ten and fifteen years ago the situation wasn’t so good in Avoriaz because all the apartments were getting old and we had a drop in quality.” Thomas explains, “The restaurants, the accommodation, everything was getting… not so fun!”

Just imagine. All those apartments built in the sixties and seventies remaining pretty much unchanged for forty years.

Not ideal for tourism in a resort that was once so progressive

“The evolution of tourism in Avoriaz isn’t just linked to holidaymakers spending more money or the onset of climate change, it’s linked to the changing style of the ski holiday in general” and ground-breaking in the global ski industry.

“It’s a good thing that we have more and more luxurious accommodation now,” Thomas states, “but we need to have everything, for every kind of clientele. If you look at our price list we have apartments ranging from €350 to €15,000 per week.

That’s what makes Avoriaz special. You arrive, you leave your car and then you’re just one person in amongst all the others.

You can have a building with a luxurious 150m² apartment next door to a small apartment of seasonal workers and everyone interacts with each other.”

But as someone who grew up in Avoriaz and is now heavily involved in its community, what does Thomas see for the future of Avoriaz? “With all these new developments in Morzine we need to think about how to develop our slopes and our activities.” He says. “Building new beds and bringing more people here is great for the economy, but it needs to be linked with some other developments so we can be sure the clients we bring here aren’t disappointed with what we have

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to offer.” While the past few winters have seen lots of snow, some years weren't so great, which sees skiers and snowboarders flocking to Avoriaz and wreaking havoc on lift queues. And with global warming looming, some unpredictable snow years could be on the cards.

The evolution of tourism in Avoriaz isn’t just linked to holidaymakers spending more money or the onset of climate change; it’s linked to the changing style of the ski holiday in general. “People don’t come on holiday and ski from 9am until 5pm like they used to,” Thomas explains. “More and more people want to ski in the morning and do other activities in the afternoon. We need to develop our out-of-ski activities and we need to develop more kilometres of slopes in order to stay at the top.”

Thomas also makes up part of the conseil d’administration, a small collection of prominent local business owners on the Avoriaz tourist board, whose job it is to come up with a day-to-day strategy for the future of the resort. “We’re almost always in agreement about what we need to do about the future. We do a lot of deep reflection about where are we now, and where we want to be in two years, five years, ten years. It’s quite challenging, but very interesting.”

It sounds like a big responsibility. “It is a lot of responsibility! And it’s going to get more challenging.” Thomas points out that 2020 is an election year in Morzine, meaning that the town could end up with a new mayor and a whole new council. People who have been running things in Avoriaz for 40-plus years will be retiring. Times are changing and the younger generations moving up the ranks will have big shoes to step into.

With all this potential change coming, does Thomas feel protective over the town he grew up in? Do those he grew up with feel the same? “There aren’t very many of us!” he laughs. “But we’re the first generation to grow up in Avoriaz, and we can start making a difference now that we’re older and have some responsibility. We don’t want to be the old guys saying, ‘it was better in the past, when I was young,’ we need to be open minded.”

And with such a committed team behind it, it looks like the future of Avoriaz will be in safe hands. © Loic Bouchet

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ESF source advert.pdf

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L’Agence Immobilièr des Haut Forts’ Latest Projects Le Chalet Aspen This ambitious project is a full renovation of the building that housed La Cabane restaurant in the resort centre. It will be converted into five luxurious and spacious apartments with a private swimming pool and spa for residents. Construction started at the end of April of this year and the development is due to be ready by December 2020.

Le Roc / Les Chalets des Hauts Forts A project that’s taking place in numerous stages, L’Immobilièr des Hauts Forts acquired le Bowling Avoriaz in 2018 and have been developing its facilities in stages. First, they created a chic cocktail bar, Le Lounge Roc, which opened in December 2018. This summer the team will be renovating and updating the bowling alley, which will become Le Strike Roc – expect more lanes and light shows – which is due to open in December 2019. Finally, two new residences with independent entrances, of 190m² and 230m², will be constructed on top of the building and are due to be completed in December 2020.

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Les Alpages

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Agence Immobilièr des Hauts Forts have bought 28 apartments in one of Avoriaz’s older apartment blocks, Les Alpages, and development is already underway. These smaller apartments will be restructured and combined to create bigger apartments, with the smallest being around 55m². This is a great way to improve the existing architecture and will accommodate a range of price brackets.

Open for lunch and dinner Located in the centre of Morzine

If you’d like to buy or rent a chalet or apartment in Avoriaz, visit avoriaz-holidays.com

04 50 75 96 40

Thomas, along with his brother Victor, also runs The Place and Lounge Roc bars in Avoriaz.

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We ride for equality.

We ride for a women’s Tour de France.

by Louise Akers

This summer, for the fifth consecutive year, 13 female amateur cyclists will complete all stages of the most famous stage cycle race in the world.

They’ll ride the entire 3,351km route of the Tour de France, just one day ahead of the professional men’s peloton. But this isn’t an official race. This isn’t a spin off of Le Tour. This is par t protest ride, par t demonstration of the inequalities that still exist in professional road cycling. © Marie Istil

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A women's Tour de France has not existed since 1989. Before then, Le Tour de France Feminin ran alongside the men's race for five years, but low investment made it unsustainable. Now, campaign group Donnons Des Elles Au Vélo are calling on Le Tour’s organisers to “let the girls ride the day before” as par t of an official, recognised race.

These 13 ladies ride every stage and kilometre of the 21-day tour to promote women’s cycling and to encourage more girls and women to take up the spor t.

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CANYOUBEAT

Traffic isn’t restricted for the Elle’s race. They navigate the route with other vehicles, obeying road rules and stopping for traffic lights. There is no podium, no prize money and no yellow jersey.

There is also no overall winner. They are riding together for recognition, to raise awareness of the inequality in professional cycling and to campaign for a women’s professional tour.

ESCAPE GAMES IN MORZINE

Donnons Des Elles Au Vélo began with three female riders in 2014 and continues to grow each year. The team now has a number of sponsors including Škoda UK and Liv Cycling France. They train throughout the year in preparation for the gruelling challenge. Despite these incredible effor ts from a truly tenacious group of women, calls for the women’s tour to be reinstated have been stubbornly ignored. The result? An unofficial protest ride and a growing campaign involving both amateur and professional riders.

“We organise our own ride, firstly, to prove that women are capable of riding at this level, but also to promote women’s cycling.”

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Christine Michelet joined Donnons Des Elles Au Vélo in 2018 and is currently training for her second tour. “There are no equivalent races of this scale for female cyclists,” she explains. “We organise our own ride, firstly, to prove that women are capable of riding at this level, but also to promote women’s cycling.”

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An engineer by trade, Christine grew up in Eastern France and developed her love of cycling in the Vosges mountains. She also has a professional interest in cycling in urban environments and the development of sustainable transpor t. The 35-yearold is now based in Paris and fits in training around her day job. In her spare time and holidays she practices road cycling, triathlon and downhill mountain biking with her teammates, family and friends. You may have even seen her out and about in the Por tes du Soleil.

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“I love cycling in the mountains, I’ve spent two summers training in Morzine, it’s very nice! I enjoy the variety of the terrain, the common spirit of the people there, and it’s great to train out of the city.”

Training sessions with Christine’s fellow Elles focus on intensity and endurance as well as cycling strategy and teamwork to get them ready for Le Tour. Passion and commitment from the team is clear, but there is no denying that women’s cycling is at a huge disadvantage when it comes to investment.

“It’s motivating to train with a group, par ticularly through the winter,” Christine explains. “But we’re not professional cyclists. We have to fit our training around our day jobs and rely on sponsorship to fund our tour”. “We want to see more coverage of women's spor t on television to help encourage more girls and women to take par t, as well as increasing the standards of professional women’s spor t.”

“We want to see more coverage of women's sport on television to help encourage more girls and women to take part, as well as increasing the standards of professional women’s sport.”

Currently, the longest professional stage race open to female cyclists is the ten-day Giro Rosa or Giro d’Italia Femminile. At just under 1,000km, the Italian race is a key event on the women’s international cycling circuit but it notoriously receives little live coverage and is often overshadowed by Le Tour, which takes place at the same time.

The Giro Rosa is organised by cycling’s international governing body the UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale), who have a clear responsibility to

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be inclusive whilst promoting equal oppor tunities in global spor ts. Le Tour on the other hand, is operated by private company ASO (Amaury Spor t Organisation). It’s been suggested that because they’re not a governing body, equal oppor tunities are less of a priority.

Campaigners were given cause to be hopeful in 2014, when ASO relented to lobbying and introduced La Course, a women's race giving professional female cyclists a one-day competition alongside the men’s Tour. The oneday race, often seen as an add-on, rarely gets significant media attention despite the high level of intensity and competition. The event has also been widely criticised as being tokenistic and unhelpful. Professional cyclist Kathryn Ber tine told the BBC last year that the women’s competition "should be a five- to ten-day race, minimum, by now". She added: "They probably don't even see it as sexism, but you could also say that it's just very lazy. The very top of the spor t is where sexism is still strongest and that's what needs to be dismantled."

Despite increasing pressure, ASO Chief Executive Yann Le Moenner said earlier this year that the prospect of a women’s Tour de France running hand in hand with the men’s was “logistically, just not possible”. The response is as baffling as it is frustrating to many cyclists who want to see a revival of a multi-day women’s race. As Christine explains, “It’s very strange that we don’t have a women’s stage race [as an official par t of Le Tour]. It will happen for sure. The organisers are behind the times and they need to catch up.

We’re told that it’s too complicated but we don’t find that argument convincing.” She adds, “we want the next generation of female cyclists to have equal oppor tunities with their male counterpar ts. Many female professional cyclists can’t train full-time because they don’t earn enough to make a living [though cycling]. If you can’t compete in high level competitions then you don’t attract the sponsorship and oppor tunities to earn a living as a professional athlete.”

The riders know that spor t investment has to make business sense and their hope is that a women’s tour will benefit from the global attention of the established men’s race. Media coverage of a longer women’s tour, par ticularly one which includes mountain stages, would almost cer tainly generate interest from sponsors and increase investment in women's professional cycling.

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The women’s campaign is evidently not shor t of cheerleaders. UCI President David Lappar tient said after his election last autumn, “I want to see a women’s Tour de France within the term of my presidency.” The team had a fur ther boost in the form of sponsorship for this year’s ride from Warren Barguil, winner of two stages of the 2017 Tour de France. Warren has been one of a growing number of professional male cyclists speaking out in suppor t of a Women’s Tour.

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Christine and her teammates also appreciate the suppor t they get during the ride itself. “We are getting more and more suppor ters, which is brilliant.

Cyclists of all abilities are encouraged to ride with us at any stage. Last year we were joined by over 150 fans, which was just terrific. More and more people are becoming interested and asking when we’ll get a women’s Tour de France.”

As you’ve probably gathered by now, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for organisers to justify the absence of an official Women’s Tour and, surely, change is coming. Until then, Donnons Des Elles Au Vélo will continue to ride whilst proving there is no reason that professional female cyclists cannot compete on this platform.

“We’re tired of the excuses but we’re not giving up. Official or unofficial, we’ll ride this summer and we’ll return next year.”

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This year’s Donnons Des Elles Au Vélo tour runs from the 5th - 27th of July 2019 and will pass through the Alps from the 23rd.

Follow the team for updates and to find out how you can get involved: Donnons des elles au vélo @desELLESauVELO

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If you are going to be spending any amount of time exploring our wonderful mountains, there are a few things you should think of taking with you. Prerequisites include a first aid kit, food and coffee-making equipment. These are all things I have used extensively and can rely on in the sometimes treacherous conditions we come up against in the Alps. Everything on this list is chosen for its performance and durability, but also its weight and packability. I don’t want a heavy backpack and I put a lot of thought into what I take with me and what I leave behind.

Damian McArthur Photography

Alpine Kiwi

Damian McArthur Photography

- outdoors by Damian McArthur

The North Face HyperAir Trail GoreTex Rain Jacket

rrp €300.00

This is a super comfortable lightweight pack from the company that knows everything there is to know about making a well-thought-out backpack. It’s just big enough to carry all the things you should have with you on a day out in the mountains.

A lightweight packable raincoat is so comforting when that inevitable mountain storm catches you out. I have used and abused many offerings from many brands and have finally settled on this magic piece from The North Face. GoreTex designed a new material, which has no face fabric. This means that it simply cannot ‘wet out’ - a term explaining what happens when the outer fabric gets too wet and stops being breathable. This makes for a super light (mine weighs under 200g) and fully waterproof jacket that, although more delicate, is perfect for taking with you everywhere.

Ospreyeurope.com

Thenorthface.com

Osprey Talon 22 Backpack

RRP €120.00

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Black Diamond Carbon Cork Trekking Poles

rrp €150.00 Hiking poles have been proven to help reduce the strain and stress on your knees by up to 30%. They offer support and balance on river crossings, as well as assistance on steep, technical ascents and descents. You certainly don’t need the Rolls Royce of trekking poles like these ones, but I really love mine.

Blackdiamondequipment.com

Petzl Bindi Head Lamp

rrp €40.00 A small but powerful head torch is a great thing to have in your backpack.

The Petzl Bindi is one of the lightest headlamps available and it still throws out a massive 200 lumens. (available from Decathlon)

Petzl.com

Garmin Fenix 5

rrp €499.00 This watch has really been fantastic. It has everything you could ever need in a GPS adventure watch: a compass, navigation and mapping tech, temperature gauge, altimeter and barometer. You can also download the details when you get home to see exactly where you’ve been.

Buy.garmin.com

Leatherman Squirt PS4 Multitool

rrp €40.00

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Katadyn BeFree Water Filter

rrp €44.95

A small multitool is a necessity in the backcountry. From cutting up your saucisson and cheese to repairing your footwear, this tiny multiple tool kit packs a punch well above its weight.

Just because we are in the pure and beautiful Alps, it doesn’t mean all the water is safe to drink. Taking along a lightweight and packable water filter ensures no runny bums after quenching your thirst because a dead animal was upstream.

Leatherman.com

Katadyn.com

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BREAKING

trail Interview by Chloe Hardy

Sandy Sandy Termier Termier is is the the only only female female bike bike patroller patroller and and trail trail builder builder in in France.

France.

When she joined the team at the Pleney Lift Company last summer, When she joined the team at the Pleney Lift Company last summer, it it was was bigbig news, and just because unique position.

Adding another trail news, notnot just because of of herher unique position.

Adding another trail builder builder and and bike bike patroller patroller to to the the team team indicated indicated Pleney’s Pleney’s commitment commitment to to improving both the the trails trails and and safety safety in in our our mountains. mountains. mproving both Having Having trained trained in in mountain mountain planning planning and and development, development, Sandy Sandy spends spends her her winters working as a first aid trainer and ski patroller in the Vercors Massif winters working as a first aid trainer and ski patroller in the Vercors Massif near near Grenoble.

Grenoble. She She grew grew up up mountain mountain biking biking but but discovered discovered her her passion passion for downhill around five years ago, which sparked her bike patrol for downhill around five years ago, which sparked her bike patrol career. career.

Hi Sandy! Are you happy to back in Morzine this summer?

You can’t even imagine how much!

I thought about cycling all through the winter season. I think I bored everyone around me talking about Morzine! I can’t wait to pick up my tools to shape and ride the trails in Morzine again.

What’s new for the Pleney Bike Park this summer?

In the autumn, we reshaped the bike tracks using just shovels.

Shaping before the winter allows the ground to rest and to pack down properly before the summer season, so the trails should be in really good condition this summer. There will be some new features in the bike park, but I’ll leave that for you to discover!

What are your day-to-day responsibilities in the bike park?

#lovemorzine

I have lots of responsibilities within the bike park. I take care of opening tracks in the mornings, I check the wooden features and jumps and it’s my responsibility to close a track because of the weather conditions for example, or if there is any danger on the track. In the afternoons I take my pick and my shovel and I shape the tracks to maintain them, or make new trajectories or features. If someone is injured, I go to them and provide first aid and wait for firefighters if evacuation is needed.

I ride my bike a lot to find places to shape, but also to meet customers, give them information or even help them if they are struggling. There are two senior bike patrollers on the team and we work in pairs, unless one of us is on leave, then we shape the trails alone! It's a lot of work, but we are both passionate about what we do. My colleague Hugo and I see the same things for the development of the bike park and it's a pleasure to team up with him.

#lovelesgets

How did you become a trail builder and bike patroller?

I was a walking trail builder before being a bike patroller, because I studied mountain planning. I started out creating and developing pedestrian paths. Then I started to bike in bike parks, I discovered the job of bike patrol and it was obvious to me. It brought together all my passions: mountain biking, shaping trails and helping people, all in the mountains. I couldn’t dream of a better job!

Last time we spoke you told me you’re the only female bike patroller in France, is this still true? And was it difficult for you to achieve, being a woman?

Yes, for now it's still the case. I met several girls this autumn who seemed interested in the job, so maybe I will have the pleasure to train them at the next bike patrol training session. For me, it wasn’t too hard to find work in this area,

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Nestled along the south side of the Morzine Valley, the 4* Dahu Hotel & Spa offers to everyone a uniquely sunny location and a panorama of the emblematic mountains and the village.

thanks to my professional skills in trail development and first aid. The hard part is finding a resort looking for bike patrollers because there aren’t very many bike patrol jobs going! But I think being a woman in a men's team brings a big advantage.

Having a sunny lunch in our garden, or a sunset diner in our Petit D restaurant facing the amazing view of Morzine.

And to not miss, our Sunday Brunch from 11am to 2pm, followed by a relaxing afternoon by our pool.

What do you see for the future of women in mountain biking?

There is definitely a place for women the mountain bike world. We see more and more girls in the bike park, and it's really good. Associations just for women, or women's events such as freestyle lessons or girls’ days in the bike park are exploding and bring more and more girls to the sport. It’s great because it allows novice women to get into groups and meet people to ride with.

With our Spa, you can choose from amongst the whole line of treatments, as well as quality massages.

I think more and more women will become involved in mountain biking. Some brands have already understood that we have a place in this environment, and have started making bikes adapted to women, as well as more feminine clothing and accessories. It's motivating more and more women to get started. Little by little, it will be less of a surprise to see a woman riding hard on the trails.

Follow Sandy’s MTB adventures this summer on Instagram: @sandytermier

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@MorzineSource

293c, Chemin du Mas Metout - 74 110 Morzine +33 (0) 450 75 92 92 info@dahu.com - www.dahu.com

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glorious food food

Here at Morzine Source Magazine we love our food. So we’ve compiled a collection of delicious dinners, drinks and mountain snacks from across the valley, with everything you need to make them at home.

For the BBQ pork neck: The day before your BBQ, make a brine by combining the salt, apple juice and water.

Whisk until the salt is fully dissolved and allow the brine to cool to room temperature. Place the pork neck in a non-metallic container and cover with the brine, weighing down the pork to ensure it’s fully submerged.

Cover with cling film and place in the fridge for 10 hours.

Fire up your BBQ. When the flames are at their highest and licking well above the grill, throw on the pork and allow it to char heavily under the heat of the flames.

Once all sides of the meat are well charred, plunge the pork into iced water to arrest the cooking. Scrub the outside of the meat lightly with a metal scourer to remove any excess char.

The Gourmet BBQ - serk,ves Coconut, 4

Egg Yol BBQ Pork Neck, Smoked & Puffed Crackling e mam Eda Red Currents,

Chefs like Sharif Gergis are changing the local food scene, one restaurant at a time. Sharif is responsible for the incredible menu, delicious food and impeccable service at Hideout Hostel in Morzine, earning himself TWO Source Awards for Excellence in the ‘Best Food’ category along the way. If he were to invite you to a BBQ, here’s what you might expect. Try out some of Sharif’s delicious creations at Hideout Hostel in Morzine this summer.

Ingredients 1kg pork neck (echine) 500ml apple juice 500ml hot water 80g sea salt 500g shelled edamame beans 200ml coconut cream 25g red currents 100ml soy sauce 100ml honey 1 tbsp strong mustard 50g black pepper 25g garlic powder 100g smoked paprika 250ml apple cider vinegar in a spray bottle 200g pork skin 4 eggs

#lovemorzine

Make a rub by combining the black pepper, smoked paprika and garlic powder. Glaze the pork with the mustard, soy sauce and honey and coat liberally with the rub.

Once the flames have died down and the coals have turned white, push them all to one side of the BBQ and place the pork on the grill above the opposite side to cook slowly with indirect heat.

Close the lid of the BBQ and maintain the heat between 80 - 90 degrees for around 6 hours or until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 65 -700c at the thickest point. Spray the meat with apple cider vinegar every hour to prevent it from drying out. Once cooked, wrap the pork neck in three layers of foil and allow to rest for 45 minutes.

For the smoked egg yolk: Separate the yolks from the whites and place carefully in a non-stick heatproof dish. Cover with olive oil and place directly on the coals until the edges of the yolks begin to cook. Then place the tray on the grill to the side of the heat and pour a little oil on the coals to create some smoke.

Close the lid and smoke gently for 5-10 mins until the yolks are lightly cooked.

For the puffed pork crackling: Dice the pork skin into small pieces and drop into boiling salted water for 5 mins. Drain, pat dry and spread on a non-stick baking tray. Bake in a hot oven for ten mins or until puffed and crispy. Season with salt and keep warm.

To serve: Toss the edamame beans and red currents in a little olive oil and season with salt, top with a piece of sliced pork neck, and finish with coconut cream, an egg yolk and the puffed crackling. guerrilladining.fr gdmorzine

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le rocher.pdf

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Savoyarde Specialties and Take-Away Pizza Open from 9am until 1am every day

Refreshing Summer Cocktail

Green Tea & Basil Cooler

Tel: 04 50 75 78 47

5 4.5/

This summer you’ll findBen Eggleston behind the bar at Laury’s, winner of the ‘Favourite Bar’ category in our 2019 Source Awards for Excellence.

Little One.pdf

Follow @lauryscocktaillounge on Instagram and Laury’s Bar on Facebook.

Ben provides professional bar training, private masterclasses and event catering in Morzine and the surrounding areas. Find out more at avalanchecocktailsmorzine.com or follow Avalanche Cocktails Morzine on Facebook.

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36 Route de Morzine - 74110 - Montriond www.lerocher-montriond.fr

06/05/2019

15:41

A clothing, interior furnishings and gift store in Morzine for children aged 0 - 10 years

Ingredients 50ml cold green tea 4 lime wedges 1.5 tsp brown sugar 4 basil leaves Crushed ice Soda water to top Method Place the lime wedges, basil, and sugar in the bottom of a glass Crush until all juice is released Add crushed ice (or cubes if not available), filling 3/4 of the glass Pour green tea on top Mix with a spoon until combined Top with a splash of soda water

MINGO. | LEGO WEAR | TOBIAS & THE BEAR | ELODIE DETAILS | DONE BY DEER

www.littleone.fr +33 (0) 6 35 24 07 62 72 Route de la Combe a Zore, Morzine

*If you want to try an alcoholic version of this drink, just add 50ml of your favourite gin

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Instagram - littleoneboutique | Facebook - littleoneboutiquemorzine

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Method Put all the ingredients for the marinade together in a saucepan and leave overnight.

Remove the chicken legs from the liquor and lightly sauté in butter until golden brown. Then pop back into the saucepan with 350ml chicken stock, a pinch of pepper and a good pinch of salt.

Take the saucepan to the heat, bring to a simmer and let it tick over for about 45 minutes.

You will now have time to sauté the button mushrooms, baby white pearl onions, and lardons.

When the leg meat is nearly falling from the bone, remove from liquor and set aside.

Lightly thicken the liquor with 30g of cornflour. Chef’s tip: add two beef OXO cubes, a dash of balsamic vinegar and 30g good, very dark chocolate. This will cut the acidity and give it richness and depth.

er A Hearty Group Dinn Coq au Vin

“We love cooking this French farmhouse classic,” explains Martin Claire, founder of Bon Appetit Alpes. “Simple ingredients, easy preparation and absolutely delicious results” are on offer, should you fancy cooking to impress your friends or family.

Bon Appetit Alpes deliver gourmet frozen meals

Return the chicken to the sauce, along with the mushrooms, onions and lardons.

Bring back to the heat for five minutes, then finish with roughly chopped parsley and serve from the pot.

Serve with mashed or dauphinoise potatoes and green beans, with Dijon mustard on the side.

Bon Appetit!

to you in the comfort of your own accommodation and offer a wide range of options to suit all tastes Head to bonappetitalpes.com to view the menu and order online.

Serves 6 Ingredients For the marinade 1 bottle of Burgundy or Pinot Noir 6 chicken legs cut in two 1 small leek cut into rounds 2 sticks of celery sliced lengthways 2 carrots in thick long slices 3 springs of thyme 3 bay leaves For cooking Knob of butter 350ml chicken stock 250g button mushrooms, sliced 24 baby white pearl onions 200g lardons 30g cornflour 2 beef OXO cubes (in my opinion OXO works best!)

Dash of balsamic vinegar 30g very dark chocolate Roughly chopped parsley (to garnish)

#lovemorzine

The Ultimate Mountain Snack Granola Bars Oat, Date & Chocolate

#lovelesgets

#loveavoriaz

Alpine Van Man SOURCE advert.pdf

your source of information for Morzine, Les Gets & Avoriaz

Once you get the hang of making these portable mountain snacks, no day in the hills will be complete without them. “These no-bake granola bars are the perfect little energy boost,” Jo Watts of Wild Beets Kitchen in Les Gets explains.

“They’re filled with tons of nuts, dried fruit and you can easily customise them to be gluten free and vegan.”

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A LP IN EVA N MA N REGULAR DELIVERIES BETWEEN THE UK AND THE FRENCH ALPS

Prep time: 15 mins

WEEKLY SERVICE BETWEEN THE UK & FRENCH ALPS

Ingredients (makes 10 bars): 100g flaked almonds 220g rolled oats (you can use gluten free oats to make it coeliac friendly) 150g pitted dates 120g maple syrup (honey also works for a non-vegan version) 90g peanut butter (or other nut butter of your choice) 100g dark chocolate Sea salt Optional extras: chocolate chips, cranberries, pumpkin seeds, banana chips, dried fruit

1

RETURN LOADS TO THE UK WELCOME VANS & TRUCKS AVAILABLE FOR LOADS OF ANY SIZE OR WEIGHT REMOVALS, PALLETS, FURNITURE, BUILDING SUPPLIES FULLY INSURED, PROMPT SERVICE

Method Toast the almonds and oats in an oven at 180°c for 10-15 mins until lightly browned. You could leave them raw if you prefer.

Put the dates in a food processor and blitz into small pieces, until they form a dough-like consistency.

Place the oats, almonds and dates in a mixing bowl and add any optional extras you have at this point. Set aside.

Warm the maple syrup and peanut butter in a small pan over a low heat until melted. Pour over the oat mixture and combine, ensuring the dates are thoroughly dispersed.

Transfer the mixture to a 10x10 inch baking dish or small pan, lined with baking paper or cling film so it will lift out easily.

Press down firmly until flat. Press until really packed together, this will help the bars to stay together.

Place in the fridge for 15-20 mins to firm up and set.

Remove from the pan and chop into bars.

This step is optional, but who doesn’t love chocolate?

Melt the chocolate over a pan of hot water and allow to cool slightly. Dip the bars half into the chocolate, and sprinkle with a little sea salt. Allow to cool and enjoy!

You’ll find Wild Beets Kitchen just opposite the Chavannes gondola in Les Gets.

WWW.ALPINEVANMAN.COM +44 (0) 1908 821210

wildbeetskitchen wildbeetskitchen

UNIT R3/B, MK TWO BUSINESS CENTRE, 1-9 BARTON ROAD, MILTON KEYNES, MK2 3HU

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SEEKING

refuge WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU SPEND THE NIGHT AT A MOUNTAIN REFUGE

by Daisy Maddinson

You’ve read Cabin Porn and fantasised about a weekend off grid. You love the mountains and want to explore more of the beautiful Haute Savoie.

You dream of disconnecting from modern life to reconnect with nature and others. What you’re seeking… is a night in a mountain refuge.

Whether you’re a seasoned camper or a total novice, staying in a refuge is a unique experience. Providing shelter from the elements, a refuge is essentially a backcountry hut that has beds and other amenities to host groups and individuals overnight.

Accessible on foot, refuges welcome hikers, mountaineers, friends and families alike to spend a night in the heart of the Alps.

An overnight stay at a refuge acts as an enjoyable rest stop and wonderful community experience. Being in remote locations, these huts also serve as a great recoup spot for longer routes. Some may even be part of a hut-to-hut network, allowing you to spend multiple consecutive nights in the mountains.

So what do you need to know when you’re planning your first mountain refuge trip?

SERVICED VS. UN-SERVICED Mountain refuges fall into two categories: serviced and un-serviced.

The former are run and hosted by a guardian, whilst the latter are more DIY-style. #lovemorzine

Throughout the summer, the majority of huts in the Haute Savoie are serviced, with many offering half-board options to include a cooked dinner and breakfast.

For un-serviced refuges, amenities vary from hut to hut, so check online if you need to take a sleeping bag.

Some also have an honesty box for payment, so look out for this when you arrive.

MAKE A RESERVATION Refuges get busy in the summer so it’s important to book. Make sure you have a reservation to guarantee you’re not turned away when you arrive. Not ideal when you’re tired!

THE ROUTE IN Avoid getting lost in the woods and arriving in the dark to no dinner. Plan your route, check the map and look out for signs. Give yourself plenty of time to reach the refuge and aim to find it in the light (it’s way easier, promise!).

Prepare for all conditions. A good pair of walking boots / shoes, layers, and a comfortable pack are all staples for summer hiking. Bring a cap and sunscreen to avoid heat stroke, and pack your rain jacket even if the forecast is clear – the weather changes quickly in the mountains.

ARRIVING AT THE REFUGE

Contact the refuge guardian to confirm your spot before heading off. You can always find this info online, the French Alpine Club is a good place to start.

Most refuges have a boot room as you enter to keep the hut dry and clean.

Here you’ll find hut shoes - most likely Crocs - to style your way through the trip without upsetting the guardian.

Remember to cancel if you can’t make your reservation. Without contacting the guardian to say plans have changed, you might be reported missing. Not at all funny in the hills.

Once you’ve impressed your mates with your footwear, if it’s a serviced hut let the guardian know you’ve arrived. They will show you your allocated bed and explain how the refuge works.

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Elevation Alps Source Advert.pdf

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Find out more about local refuges and reserve your stays at ffcam.fr and haute-savoie-tourisme.org/hebergement/refuges-de-montagne

A few refuge recommendations

Luxury chalets and apartments in Morzine for ski and summer holidays

Refuge de Bostan – Morzine / Samoëns - Serviced refugedebostan.fr Refuge des Tinderets – Abondance – Serviced refuge-abondance.com Refuge de la Dent d’Oche - Bernex – Serviced refugeladentdoche.ffcam.fr

Mountain refuges are a shared experience. It is expected that you participate and help at the hut; make your bed, set the table and take your rubbish when you leave. This ensures the refuge is maintained and enjoyed by everyone.

SLEEPING ARRANGEMENTS Sleeping arrangements are usually bunk-style rooms that hold anywhere from eight to 20 beds. Remember, during peak season you’ll likely be sharing a room with other hikers that you may not know. If you’re a light sleeper or can’t deal with snorers, ear plugs are a handy addition.

For cleanliness, bring a sheet sleeping bag with you. They take up virtually no space in your pack and weigh very little.

Blankets and pillows are normally provided but double check refuge information before leaving your sleeping bag at home.

KEEPING CLEAN & CHARGED At refuges, showers are few and far between. Water is a finite resource, so pack deodorant and some clean socks!

Meals are taken together with a set menu (usually a traditional cheese fondue for the main course) and easy breakfast of bread and jams with coffee, tea and OJ. Allergies can sometimes be accommodated for, so let the guardian know when booking. It’s also possible to arrange packed lunches at serviced huts, which are great for hiking the following day, but ensure the guardian knows the night before.

If you want to use your phone for photos etc., it’s a good idea to take a portable charger, as plugs are rare. Some refuges don’t actually have electricity, so make sure you take a head torch just in case.

COMMUNICATING WITH THE OUTSIDE WORLD Prepare for no Wi-Fi and most likely no phone signal. Let your friends and family know you’ll be off grid so they don’t worry and take time to disconnect. Enjoy the simple life! /MorzineSourceMagazine

@MorzineSource

Add concierge services including private chefs, airport transfers, grocery and wine deliveries and more...

See all our properties at: www.elevationalps.com

Email us at: info@elevationalps.com

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Superfoods Super Bad HAVE GONE

by Claire Garber

The year is 2018. The month, September. My daughter has just turned six months old and we’ve entered a stage called ‘weaning’, where I try to convince my milk-loving infant that solid food is the best thing since sliced… As I navigate these stormy waters, an idyllic promised land quickly emerges. It is green.

Available in all the shops. And goes by the moniker, Avocado.

Avocados become my daughter’s new best friend. No matter how much broccoli is thrown, carrots rejected, chicken regurgitated, I live safe in the knowledge that, mushed up with an overly ripe banana, she’ll scoff a whole one. Every. Single.

Day. And avocados are one of the most super of all the superfoods.

The internet tells me that you could, should you need to, survive solely eating avocados, on account of all their good fats, their vitamins and their minerals. They’ll also give you great skin, silky hair and a hyperfunctioning brain. AvoCANdos, really can do it all. And she loves them. My special princess actually loves them.

And then I discovered that the farming of them has created a veritable war zone in parts of South America. The avocado industry is so lucrative that in places such as Mexico, drug cartels are targeting

#lovemorzine

the farmers of this $1.5bn business.

Kidnappings and killings were commonplace, as was the torching of avocado packaging facilities, crops and farmers’ homes. And when I casually write, ‘kidnapping and killings were commonplace’, take a moment, please, because that’s innocent farming families, sometimes entire families, being subjected to violence and terror.

The situation has stabilised somewhat since 2017. There is now such a thing as the Avocado Police protecting farmers and local communities. But the negative impact wasn’t just on the local communities. Avocado orchards require twice as much water as a dense pine forest, meaning local water resources were severely compromised. Avo’mania led to the illegal destruction of precious forestland to create more farmland.

The ethicacy of my daughter

#lovelesgets

gobbling up food at such a human and environmental cost has left me reeling. How can I find an avo from an environmentally conscious home where the farmers are safe and well?

The second super blow was my old friend quinoa. The food of Gods. The miracle grain filled with all those lovely aminos. As soon as I learnt how to pronounce it back in the early noughties, it became a kitchen staple.

But keen-wa became so valuable in South America that farmers in Peru and Bolivia could no longer afford to eat it themselves. Imported junk food actually became cheaper. In Lima, quinoa became more expensive than chicken. Outside cities, land that once produced a diverse range of crops, started farming solely quinoa. Then I discovered that nut milk, my staple go-to non-dairy alternative, was one of most water-intensive products to manufacture in the world.

#loveavoriaz

Hunter Chalets Source Advert.pdf

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The final straw was spirulina, the blue-green powder that makes my morning smoothie look like liquidated compost. I’d been consuming this ‘complete protein’ for many years because, FYI, its filled with an ‘array’ of essential vitamins and minerals. Only now I find that almost all commercially available versions contain a neurotoxin (BMAA) that has been scientifically proven to create neurological diseases similar to Parkinson’s.

What the bloody hell was going on? Superfoods were now super bad, either for the communities farming them, or for the environments destroyed producing them, or by conscienceless businessmen creating products that are actually bad for our health. So how can we be sure of the foods we consume? How can we be ethical consumers? How can we be safe?

Naturopath Melanie Atkinson recommends buying from a local organic store. They should have their own systems in place for ensuring their goods are ethical and of high quality.

You could also grow your own. A greenhouse or allotment can provide an array of foods for you all year round. Gardening is also akin to mediating, such are the health benefits of getting your hands covered in soil. But with my six-month-old now a fasttoddling one-year-old, quinoa farming and nurturing avocado forests seemed out of my league.

Genuine Luxury | Summer & Winter

Our alternative was to buy local. With local farmers you know the source of your food. You will be sure of the safety of your food. There will be no excessive packaging involved AND you will be supporting your local community. Plus farmers markets these days are filled with handsome hipsters selling organically grown cucumbers and brewing home ground coffee while grooming their avant-garde moustaches. So it’s win-win for all involved.

hunterchalets.com +44 20 3745 3452

An added bonus of going local.

+33 771 86 65 47

info@hunterchalets.com

I am no scientist when I tell you this. There is no Dr. Garbs in this house. But consider this. Perhaps your body is designed to thrive on foods that grow native to you and where you were born? I recently met a 60-year-old man, a type 1 diabetic, who reversed his four injections a day down to type 2 (tablets) and then, to no medical intervention at all. How? Well his dietary changes were extreme, to begin with. But now, he just eats food that has been grown locally, eating in line with the different seasons. He eats vegetables and fruits native to his Somerset home, so apples, greens and root veg, occasionally berries in the summer, free range eggs and meats. The high fructose bananas, mangoes and pineapples never make it onto his table because… well... have you ever seen a mango tree growing naturally in Somerset? If it can’t be grown locally, naturally and historically, and if it can’t be grown at all - yes we are talking about you crisps / biscuits / bloody Nutella - then he doesn’t eat it.

Ever. Full Stop. So maybe we should all just trust in nature and evolution and eat the foods our homelands can naturally provide. Because there is no native homeland for a Cadbury's Cream Egg. And that, sadly, is a real scientific fact.

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WHEN THE

CAME TO MORZINE & MONTRIOND

HOSTED BY:

On Tuesday 9th April 2019, Morzine Source Magazine hosted a unique sell-out event at the Domaine du Baron on Lac de Montriond. We welcomed the prestigious European Outdoor Film Tour to our valley for the very first time.

Taking in 300 locations across the globe, the European Outdoor Film Tour is the most renowned film event on the European outdoor calendar and has become a celebration of the great outdoors. Featuring eight of the best outdoor and adventure films of the year, each of the short documentary movies had one thing in common; they needed no actors, no blue screens and no second takes.

First up we enjoyed North of Nightfall, a Red Bull Media House production set on Axel Heiberg Island, north of the Arctic Circle. Its rocky landscape is crisscrossed by mighty glaciers, offering up the most spectacular mountain bike terrain and endless descents. We then travelled on to North America for the second movie, A to B Rollerski. In 1988, Latvian Raimonds Dombrovskis began the longest run of his biathlon career. Accompanied by his dog, he set out to cover 6,700km on rollerskis, from Canada’s far north to the Mexican border.

The Frenchy followed, introducing us to 82-year-old Jacques Houot who can recount at least 23 times in his life when he could have met his end all too soon. “No problem!” he screams, while sending himself down steep slopes on skis or bikes in Colorado. Our fourth movie, 8000+ was filmed entirely by Frenchman Antoine Girard as he spent three weeks paragliding through the Karakoram mountains of Pakistan, enroute to Broad Peak.

After an intermission which featured #lovemorzine

paella served up by Joe’s Kitchen, wines from The Chef’s Cellar and beers from Microbrasserie Ibex, next up was animated stop-motion movie Viacruxis. Two stalwart mountaineers fight wordlessly through snow and ice to reach their summit, facing many obstacles along the way.

The film tour then took us to Kilimanjaro and introduced us to Tom Belz, nicknamed Mbuzi Dume, or ‘strong goat’ in Swahili by his African mountain guide. Tom’s left leg was amputated when he was just eight years old. Some 23 years later he shares a sunrise at 5895 metres with the doctor who saved his life. The A.O. followed, questioning the relationship between mental and physical strength for Czech climber Adam Ondra after he successfully climbed the most difficult route in the world, creating a new sport climbing grade, 9c.

The European Outdoor Film Tour ended on home turf in Chamonix, where steep and challenging descents awaited Victor de la Rue and Pierre Hourticq. Think narrow crevasses, vast ice fields and wind speeds of up to 60km/h.

We asked Henriette Schweiker from the European Outdoor Film Tour for her thoughts on bringing the event to Morzine. “We love what we do and it's amazing to inspire people with our programme. We want you all to get out there, experience life beyond your comfort zone and celebrate the great outdoors. We have never set foot in #lovelesgets

the valley of Morzine, so we’re super exited to have found a team at Morzine Source Magazine to make this happen.

We want to thank them for bringing our programme to the region. Hopefully, there is more to come and this is only the start of a great collaboration.“ In keeping with the spirit of the mountains and all things adventure, all profits from the event were donated to Secours en Montagne Vallee d’Aulps, our local team of expert mountain rescue volunteers. In previous issues of Morzine Source Magazine we’ve showcased the important work of Secours on Montagne and we’ve introduced you to some of the faces that make up the team. We were delighted that 19 secouristes were able to join us at the event, giving a short presentation of their work to the assembled audience of 250 people.

All profits from ticket sales, plus the proceeds from a raffle and donations from local businesses went into the fundraising pot. We were delighted to hand over a staggering €4100 to Secours en Montagne after the event, which they will use to improve their radio communication equipment and their first aid resources.

Bringing the European Outdoor Film Tour to Montriond and Morzine involved a lengthy set of pitches and negotiations, but we’re very hopeful of announcing its return for a second year, on Tuesday 7th April 2020. Keep an eye on our website and our Winter 2020 issue for further details. #loveavoriaz

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Aiglon Source Advert Summer 19.pdf

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www.aiglonmorzine.com •

12 Beautiful apartments

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Perfectly located

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Secure parking

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On site gym

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Fitness Classes

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Sauna

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Treatment rooms

Huge thanks to the following local businesses and individuals, without whom we’d never have raised such a huge amount of money!

Séverine Richard, manager of the Domaine du Baron, Chef Joe Robertson and his team, The Chef’s Cellar for their €320 charitable donation and Dave Branfield from Microbrasserie Ibex for running the bar. Our MC Paul Vines of Satellite Coffee, Mizu Life, Dragon, The James Brand and Jones Snowboards for raffle prizes. Doorstep Skis for generously donating a pair of Scott skis for our raffle. Barbara de Moubray for raffle ticket sales on the evening. Skiidy Gonzales Airport Transfers for providing transport to and from the event and donating 15% of all fares to our fundraising pot. Damian McArthur Photography for our amazing event photos, Hard Bar, Cafe Chaud, and SignForte!

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All you need for a great winter or summer stay in Morzine

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www.morzinesourcemagazine.com

The Hills are Alive with the Sound of…

Am Dram

By Alice Gregr

Now, I know that am dram isn’t everyone’s cup of tea and that’s ok. However I’ve learned that you don’t have to go far in this part of the world to find someone who does love it. And that was something that completely threw me when we moved to Morzine. When I left Manchester I was resigned to the fact that I’d probably never tread the boards again. I hung up my dancing shoes and nervously swapped them for a pair of ski boots. To begin with my new ‘drama free’ life was going to plan. That was until someone discovered my dark past.

“You know, the kids here would love to do some singing and dancing...” and the seed was planted. I began running a Wednesday afternoon theatre club in Saint Jean d’Aulps for about 40 children. It was there that Morzine Amateur Dramatics or MADHouse was born. I teach children the basics of dance, drama, singing and stagecraft and bring it all together in a couple of performances each year.

We started off with a mini compilation show but have since performed full-scale productions of Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan. It wasn’t long after this that adult thespians started coming out of the woodwork. I remember being cornered at a dinner party and being begged to start up an adult club. So I did. I’ll never forget our first rehearsal; people from all over the valley came, #lovemorzine

not knowing what to expect. We had larger-than-life characters, shy people who just fancied giving it a go, people who’d never performed before and others who were practically brought up on the stage. We were a motley crew with members of all ages and from all walks of life, but that’s what makes am dram so special. We decided to start rehearsing for our first show, a cabaret at Café Chaud. The cast was about 15 people strong at that time and it certainly took some gentle coaching to persuade everyone that getting on stage and performing in front of their family and friends was a good idea.

“However once that am dram bug has bitten, there’s often no turning back.” #lovelesgets

However once that am dram bug has bitten, there’s often no turning back. Since our first show we have performed The Wizard of Oz, Cinderella, a northern cabaret and most recently a charity show for The Ellie Soutter Foundation - we raised about €5000. We’re now three years into this crazy adventure and have 110 children enrolled here in Morzine and about 40 in Chamonix. We also have about 40 adults on the team. The great thing about community theatre is that it doesn’t just involve performers; we also have people who do costumes, lighting, set, sound and backstage stuff, too. Anyone can get involved!

One of the questions I always get asked is, “Are you all British expats?”

“Are all the kids British…?” In the beginning my answer was pretty much ‘yes’ and that wasn’t something I was necessarily proud of. But now, I’m thrilled to say ‘absolutely not’. I knew it wouldn’t happen immediately, mainly #loveavoriaz

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down to the fact that at the time my French just wasn’t good enough to reach both communities. But the idea that I didn’t want MADHouse to be strictly an expat operation was always at the back of my mind. I don’t know when it started to happen (or how it did, really) but slowly French children started to show an interest in joining MADHouse. I started writing bilingual scripts with the help of new French friends and our shows started to attract more French audience members. We’re delighted to have French members in our adult group now, too. The best thing about theatre is that it really transcends language barriers. After all, dancing is dancing whether in French or English.

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PHONE OR VIDEO CONSULTATION WITH A DOCTOR Have your perscription sent by mail to the closest pharmacy

“We’re delighted to have French members in our adult group now, too.

The best thing about theatre is that it really transcends language barriers.”

Our next cabaret takes this new cross-community relationship to a new level. We’re going to perform alongside the Montriond Wind Orchestra in a big collaborative show and we couldn’t be more excited. Think Broadway; top hat and tails and all the big numbers from the sparkliest musicals. We’ve also been asked to help the Abbaye in Saint Jean d’Aulps with a big festival there in the summer. They think it’s important to provide

Reach a doctor night & day

performances in both English and French and asked if we’d be available to collaborate. The answer was of course ‘yes’.

The future for MADHouse is bright, both for the children’s side of things and the adults’. This year we have a host of exciting productions lined up. The adults are doing Grease at the start of June, and the younger kids will be performing a bilingual performance of Aladdin shortly after. We also run kids and adults dance classes and workshops in local schools.

I have to pinch myself every now and again to believe that this is all happening. When I left Manchester to move to the Alps, I never dreamed that there’d be such a call for theatre and dance in the mountains but I couldn’t have been more wrong!

The hills really are alive with the sound of am dram!

You can watch MADHouse’s production of Aladdin on the 26th June at Le Crêt theatre, and Grease on the 6th and 7th June at Salle de la Colombière in Les Gets.

To find out more about MADHouse, or if you want to get involved, check out MADHouse Theatre Morzine on Facebook.

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06 87 36 53 21 Marc Invernizzi

1499 route de la Plagne, 74110 Morzine

Email : agencea2p.marc.invernizzi@axa.fr Agent général d’assurance exclusif - AXA Prévoyance & Patrimoine Sociétés d’assurance mandantes : AXA France Vie & AXA Assurances Vie mutuelle N° ORIAS 18000804 www.orias.fr ACPR – Autorité de contrôle prudentiel et de résolution : 61 Rue Taitbout – 75009 PARIS Le détail des procédures de recours et de réclamation et les coordonnées du service dédié sont disponibles sur les sites www.axa.fr. En cas de non résolution d’un différend à l’issue du processus de réclamation, vous pouvez avoir recours au Médiateur, en vous adressant à l’association : La Médiation de l'Assurance, TSA 50110, 75441 PARIS CEDEX 9

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source awards for

excellence

You r

Win 2019 ner s

Our annual Source Awards for Excellence seek to recognise and reward the local businesses that go the extra mile to make holidaymakers happy. Those that work tirelessly to promote our destination and support our community. Those who excel in their standards and their customer service. Picking a winner in our six different awards categories is never an easy task for our team of secret judges!

Favourite Accommodation Treeline Chalets Comments from the nomination forms for our winner credited the company’s consistent evolution while maintaining consistent standards of service and facilities. Service was described as being ‘impeccable, yet relaxed and friendly’ whilst the team consistently go above and beyond to make their guests happy.

In the words of Amy, Duncan and Hannah at Treeline Chalets… “WOW, we can’t quite believe it! Thank you so much to everyone who has supported us for this award for a second year running, it really means the world to us! We'd also like to say a huge well done to all involved in the awards, Morzine has so many fantastic businesses that we love working alongside, and special thanks to you guys at Morzine Source Magazine too.”

Favourite Bar Laury’s Cocktail Lounge A newcomer to the Morzine bar scene for Winter 19, nomination forms listed the incredible live acts, the varied selection of drinks available and the unique atmosphere. The skills of the bar’s cocktail makers were also frequently mentioned for their passion, skill and knowledge.

Laury’s co-owner Kyle Dickson told us; “I’m so proud of our whole team for winning this year’s best bar award. It was a miracle we even managed to get open for winter! Huge thanks to everyone who made it happen, the people who came in every night and our amazing live bands and DJs.”

Customer Service AliKats Mountain Holidays Never before had one finalist received so many nominations, giving our judges many comments to read! Of note were the owners approach to running their business and the passion they instill in their team. Their seamless booking processes, prompt lifts to and from the slopes, excellent food and lifts to the pub to watch the football were also frequently mentioned.

Founders of AliKats Kat and Al told Source “We had a truly outstanding team this year who worked so hard to foster and maintain an incredible culture of collective support and positivity throughout the season. That instantly translated into something our guests saw and absolutely loved and we are so pleased that the team have been recognised with this award. The bar for next year's team is set really high so the challenge is on!”

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Best Food Guerrilla Dining at Hideout Hostel Our three finalists presented our judges with their favourite dishes and our winner demonstrated a clear passion for food with skillful techniques and inventiveness. For the second year in a row, Sharif Gergis presented a beautiful selection of dishes from his restaurant menu and consistent feedback from diners, making him the winner once again!

After winning the award Sharif told Source “We were absolutely delighted to win our second Morzine Source Magazine best food award this year. We have the most amazing customers, who offer us loads of great feedback. A huge thanks goes out to our incredible kitchen and front of house team who work so hard day in, day out.”

Local Hero Alice Gregr A new category for 2019, we were inundated with suggestions for a local hero; there are certainly many deserving characters in our valley! Alice’s commitment to our local community is unquestionable. The founder of MADHouse, Alice has single-handedly brought amateur dramatics to our valley and raised so much money for charity along the way. Find out more on page 94.

In Alice’s own words… “I’m completely thrilled and overwhelmed to win. I’m no hero… I just think the arts are hugely important. I’m so happy to be part of such an amazing, talented community. Thank you everyone!”

Special Recognition

George Walton, Mark Walton and Cameron Skinner

24 hours before we announced our 2019 award winners, a drama was unfolding on a snowy, dark peak above Morzine. Mungo and Mika had been lost for two weeks. Their barks and howls were heard from a ledge high on the Roc d’Enfer and three local ski instructors climbed up to bring them down in truly treacherous conditions. All descended safely and the dogs were reunited with their owners, the Beaumont family. Read more on page 48.

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IMAGE: TOP OF NANTAUX AT SUNSET OVERLOOKING MORZINE