Issue 11 - Summer 2018 - Morzine Source Magazine

SUMMER 18

read me & pass me on

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the real superheroes

How Secours en Montagne might save your life

Steve Peat Greg Minnaar

The brands saving winter Loris Vergier Resort Essentials, Activities, News & Events Road Cycling, Spartan Racing, Minimising & More

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welcome

Oh, alpine summer, you’ve been missed.

As you may have heard, we had a pretty epic winter (by recent standards at least) across our valley; yet it’s always awesome to watch those hills turn green again.

Consider this issue of Source as an introduction. An introduction to some of the alpine superheroes you may never get the chance to meet. It was a huge privilege to spend time with the supremely talented Secours en Montagne team and to discover the skills and personalities required to work as a mountain rescuer for this issue.

Our second collection of superheroes comes in the form of the Santa Cruz Syndicate. Legendary rider and Morzine favourite Steve Peat tells us how the sport of downhill mountain biking is changing, while the greatest downhiller of all time, Greg Minnaar talks retirement. Loris Vergier represents the next generation of downhill talent; find out

Have an amazing summer.

Amie Henderson – Publisher amie@morzinesourcemagazine.com

@MorzineSource

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As regular Source readers have come to expect, we’ve packed this issue full of interesting interviews, resort news, events and all the information you need to make the most of your summer in Morzine, Les Gets, Avoriaz and the surrounding valley. As always, you can send us a message via Facebook or our website if you have any questions or need help planning your trip. We’d also love to hear your feedback, so keep those ideas and suggestions for future issues coming in.

e n! .

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how a 21 year old deals with the pressure of competing at the highest level on the pages that follow.

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l ag it f i e as e is m s ni r sh ecycle th pas ? ed r e ad i n g

Copyright Origami Media Ltd 2018 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.

Any correspondence and advertising enquiries should be directed to: info@origami-media.com or visit www.origami-media.com.

Design and reprographics by Origami Media Ltd. Printed in the UK by Swallowtail Print Ltd. With thanks to the Office de Tourisme in Morzine, Les Gets, Avoriaz, Vallee d’Aulps and Les Portes du Soleil.

Contents

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Resort Highlights ................................................................ 6 The Greg Minnaar Interview ............................................. 12 Resort Essentials ................................................................18 Kandesent .......................................................................... 22 The Real Superheroes ....................................................... 24 This Is Sparta ....................................................................30 #Trending - Family Fun................................................... 34 A Life with Less.................................................................. 36 Santa Cruz Bike Check...................................................... 38 #Trending - MTB Kit ....................................................... 42 The Chablais UNESCO Geopark....................................... 46 The Source Accommodation Directory............................ 50 #Trending - Outdoor Living .............................................53 Steve Peat - Man Of Steel .................................................. 56 Time to try a Tri?............................................................... 62 Food Glorious Food........................................................... 64 #Trending - Road Bike Kit............................................... 70 Parlez vous Français?........................................................ 72 #Trending - Tech Essentials .............................................74 Loris Vergier - The Next Generation................................. 76 #Trending - Travel...........................................................80 Grand Designs................................................................... 82 Hot Property...................................................................... 86 The Ultimate Season Job Guide......................................... 92 The Source Awards for Excellence ................................... 94 #Switch180 by Snow-Camp ............................................. 96

Contributors Chloe Hardy Florence Krause Baud Claire Garber Loïc Delteil Michael Henderson Natalie Elvy

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MORZINE highlights Often described as the capital of the Portes du Soleil, Morzine really does come alive during the summer months. With so many major events on the calendar this year, and a stack of great activities for visitors of all ages, it’s hard to compile a list of ‘best bits’. Here’s our best effort, you’ll find more at morzinesourcemagazine.com/morzine

French National Downhill MTB Championships

The Spartan European Championships

French downhillers are some of the very best in the world and for the first time in many years, Morzine welcomes a high profile MTB event to its trails. Competing on a newly constructed track on Pleney between 26th and 28th July, 350 of France’s best male and female riders will race to become French Champion. As you’ll read on page 78 of this issue, Loris Vergier must be serious contender, along with Les Gets-sponsored Loïc Bruni.

Expect two days of qualifying to determine start times, before the final on Saturday 28th July. The finish line is at the bottom of the Pleney and there’ll be public access to the mountain via the Pleney Express and the Crusaz chairlift.

Those of you imagining a Tough Mudder-style event, hold it right there. As you’ll discover on page 30 of this issue, the Spartan is the ultimate obstacle race and you’ll need to be double hard to take part. This year Morzine welcomes the top ten male and female Spartan athletes from across Europe to compete for the European title on the weekend of 7th and 8th July. Of course there are plenty of challenges for the rest of us too, including the Sprint, Super and Beast distances. Expect to crawl through the River Dranse, carry heavy loads up steep slopes and haul yourself over huge obstacles. If that all sounds tempting, head to spartanrace.fr to sign up.

Lakeside Camping Under the Stars There’s now a whole new way to enjoy the spectacular aspect of Lac Mines d’Or at night. This summer you’ll find two extraordinary bubbles or pods available to hire for overnight stays in the very heart of the mountains, shadowed by the Tête de Bostan. Both pods include an entrance / storage area, a beautiful bedroom and a modern, fully-equipped bathroom. They’re available to hire between June and September by contacting Aurélie Marchard by email-aureliemarchand74@gmail.com.

Dinner at Satellite Coffee Whether you’re here on holiday, for the season or forever, the hot table in town this summer is at Satellite Coffee on the Rue du Bourg. Only available on Friday and Saturday evenings between 6pm and 9.30pm, expect an incredible fresh menu with vegan, vegetarian or gluten free influences in each dish. Last summer’s lemon and herb chicken with sweet potato rosti was a standout favourite, alongside the slow-cooked char siu pork shoulder. And because no visit to Satellite is complete without pudding, there’s a selection of desserts including vegan, raw and gluten free options, alongside wine, prosecco and Bec Jaune ales. Head to facebook.com/satellitemorzine for menu updates.

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Mountain Days Away

Mindful Holidays in Morzine

Despite the ever-expanding range of activities available across the local area each summer, some destinations further afield are also unmissable. Excenevex beach on Lac Leman (Lake Geneva) will have you thinking you’re on the Med and is less than 50 minutes away. Lake Annecy is France’s equivalent to Venice and can be reached in just 1 hour 30 minutes. Trips to Chamonix, Yvoire and Evian also feature on the summer schedule for local transport company Mountain Days Away with prices starting from just €30 per person each way. Find out more at mountaindaysaway.com.

Reuben and Polly Shaul have established Yoga in the Alps to promote our beautiful corner of the mountains to yogis from across the globe. Retreats include challenging hikes, plenty of fresh mountain air, delicious, clean food and, as you’d expect, your fair share of yoga practice too. Holidays are run alongside a range of different teachers, all of who are renowned experts in their field. Three retreats are planned for this summer and include a Back to Basics session between 12 and 17 July, The Art of Balance between 19 and 23 July and a Natural Connection retreat between 3 and 7 August. For more information head to yogainthealps.com

So good, you might forget to go out skiing...

Come and stay in our exceptional serviced chalets, surrounded by beautiful scenery with award-winning food catered for all.

A truly unforgettable Alpine experience.

Source Magazine’s Favourite Food in 2015, 2016 & 2017

Telegraph’s top 5 ski holidays 2017-18 for food lovers

Best Chalet Company

email: info@alikats.eu phone: +33 (0) 689388149 web: alikats.eu

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LEShighlights GETS Les Gets may well be connected to Morzine and the rest of the Portes du Soleil via the mountain lift network, but this traditional alpine village is unique on many counts, especially during the summer months. Here’s a selection of our Les Gets highlights this year, you’ll find more at morzinesourcemagazine.com/les-gets.

Wild Beets Kitchen

Crankworx:

Focusing on clean, fresh food and offering a delicious, nutritious menu, the team behind local private chef company Chez Toi brings you Wild Beets Kitchen, a brand new restaurant opening in Les Gets this summer.

Unlike anything we’ve ever seen in the village before, you can expect healthy dishes packed full of nutritional ingredients and guaranteed to help you fuel up for a big day in the mountains. Open for breakfast, lunch, dinner and serving first class coffee all day, there’ll even be a delivery and takeaway service too! Find out more at wildbeetskitchen.com.

Les Gets became the European home of the world’s best downhill mountain bike festival in Summer 2016 and this annual event has grown in strength ever since. Expect to see the best freeride and freestyle riders perform at the absolute pinnacle of their sport in slopestyle, duel speed and style, pump track and downhill events. Crankworx takes place over five days and you can expect Les Gets to be transformed by exhibitions, daily entertainment schedules, competitions, Kidsworx and live music. All events are free to watch and an incredible atmosphere is guaranteed. Find out more at crankworx.com/lesgets.

20th - 25th June 2018

Yoga & Wellness Combining the spiritual properties of yoga and gastronomic wellbeing into one restorative activity, local expert Barbara has created a zen-like outdoor relaxation space on the roof terrace of Hotel Le Crychar.

Offering peaceful surroundings and inspiring views, yoga sessions last 1 hour and 15 minutes and include breathing techniques in addition to relaxation exercises.

Each session is followed by apero drinks and nibbles in the hotel bar. Classes are priced at €25 per person and take place throughout the summer season. You’ll need to register in advance by emailing barbara@keolan.com or call +33 (0) 6 99 75 66 52.

Pumptracks There’s nothing quite like letting the little ones loose on the Les Gets village pumptrack of an evening. For those not in the know, a pumptrack is a continuous circuit of bends, berms, dips and jumps for bike riders of all ability levels and they make for hours of fun. Constructed in wood, the track is free to use and can be found in the Place de la Mairie in the centre of the village. And there’s more good news. The resort is to add a second dirt-built pumptrack for the first time this summer. Located next to Lac des Ecoles on Les Chavannes and ready in time for Crankworx, the new track promises even more thrills and spills and will stay in place throughout the summer season. Check out the video at lesgets.com/vtt/pumptrack

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Vina Annapurna Alpine Wine Bar

Treat yourself to

Located inside the brand new, prestigious Annapurna development in the centre of Les Gets, Vina is a luxury lounge bar and restaurant open to both Annapurna residents and the general public. Lunch is served from midday until 2pm on Monday and Tuesdays, while the restaurant is open for both lunch and dinner between Wednesday and Saturday, 7pm until 10pm.

Mid-week, the lunchtime menu is priced at just €14 per person, or €16 with an accompanying glass of wine and coffee. There’s a children’s menu priced at €9 and dishes on the evening menu include carpaccio de boeuf, cod with white beans in a lemon and ginger broth and Pina Colada panacotta with pineapple sorbet to finish.

The restaurant is perfect for group celebrations or apero cocktails and there’s a lovely sunny terrace in the courtyard in which you can enjoy the sunshine. Book your table to ensure availability by calling +33 (0)6 75 11 31 58.

AT C H A L E T G E N T I A N E

Beautiful 8 bedroom catered ski chalet in Les Gets, at the heart of the Portes du Soleil.

To find out more please visit:

www.chaletgentiane.com email

summitspecial@chaletgentiane.com or call

+44 (0) 7931 934312 Wild Beets source advert.pdf

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Family Fun If you’ve yet to experience the Wibit phenomenon, brace yourselves! This giant inflatable fun park is stationed in the middle of Lac des Ecoles all summer long and measuring 1200m2 in size, it’s great fun for adults too. This summer you’ll find over 30 different modules to explore including slides, a water trampoline and even a human catapult. Yes. A human catapult! Wibit is open every day from 20th June to 2nd September, children must be aged 6 years and over.

Les Gets’ e-bike craze now extends to children too.

Mountain E-Park gives children aged between 5 and 14 years the chance to try trail biking in a safe and fun environment from just €15.

An exciting new restaurant concept for Les Gets Breakfast | Brunch | Salad boxes | Wraps | Dinners | Eat-in or Take-away

We bet you didn’t know that Les Gets is also home to the oldest wooden carousel in France! Following a two year restoration the carousel, which dates back to 1871, now has a new covered home opposite the Maison des Gets.

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

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AVORIAZ highlights

PDS highlights

The Portes du Soleil’s highest resort transforms into an action-packed village at altitude during the summer months.

With so many family-friendly activities on offer, it’s always hard to highlight our favourites! Here’s some unmissables, you’ll find more on our website at morzinesourcemagazine.com/avoriaz

Only a fool chooses to holiday in Morzine, Les Gets or Avoriaz during the summer months without discovering the wider Portes du Soleil. The summer lift network includes 22 different lifts, making it easy to explore neighbouring resorts such as Chatel, Morgins and Les Crozets.

Easybikes

Pass’Portes du Soleil: 29th June – 1st July

No, they’re not orange and they’re nothing to do with the airline. Avoriaz has partnered with e-bike brand Solex to provide 50 self-service all-trail bikes this summer, all of which are accessed via an app. Download Avovélo to your phone, follow the instructions to access your bike, go forth and explore. Avoriaz already has 25km of dedicated e-bike trails on the Super Morzine and Serraussaix area and two new ones will be added in time for this summer season.

Additionally, 150 Matra e-MTBs will be available to hire from bike shops in Avoriaz, including a 24 inch kids bike too!

Europe’s biggest all-mountain, enduro mountain bike challenge is now in its 15th year and extends in altitude from 1000m to 2250m across France and Switzerland. Over the course of one day, participants cover an 80km route through all the resorts, stopping along the way for those all-important (mainly cheese and beer-based) refreshments.

This year’s accompanying bike show is based in Morzine, so expect big brands, test bikes, an action-packed entertainment schedule and a great atmosphere. Find out more at passportesdusoleil.com.

Luxury Chalets from Avoriaz Holidays A first time visitor to Avoriaz might assume that its entire accommodation stock is housed in high-rise apartment blocks. And whilst that’s true for the most part, Avoriaz also has its fair share of stunning, luxury, stand alone chalets, available to book during both the summer and winter seasons. Both Chalet Alaya and Chalet Toscana by Avoriaz Holidays are outstanding examples of contemporary Avoriaz-style architecture. They’ve been recently refurbished to include an extended range of facilities including luxury bedrooms and bathrooms, cinemas and designer kitchens.

Both chalets are ski-in, ski-out and located in the very centre of the resort. Find out more at avoriaz-holidays.co.uk.

E-Bikes Les Portes du Soleil continues to lead the way in the creation of a truly connected e-bike network and this summer sees further development. E-bikes allow visitors of all cycling abilities to access the very best views and experience the true spirit of the mountains without relying purely on their own steam. Les Gets was one of the first mountain resorts to develop a self-service e-bike platform with easily accessible recharging points; something only seen in large cities until recently. In advance of this summer season, resorts across Les Portes du Soleil have adapted their mountain bike trails and resort pathways to accommodate e-bikes, adding in a total of 17 charging stations en-route. #lovemorzine

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Splash Your Mountain Morgins Europe’s biggest waterslide returns to the Portes du Soleil for an extended stint this summer. It’ll pop up in Morgins (accessible via the summer lift network) on 28th July until 26th August. Splash was unmissable last year and this summer sees extra activities such as a zipline, a dedicated kids waterslide for little ones aged between 6 and 12 years of age and a mini food festival too, featuring locally sourced beers.

Tickets are available via the Splash Your Mountain website and are priced at €20 for adults and €15 for children on the zipline or €28 per adult for two hours on the big slide. Keep an eye on the website for early booking and group discounts.

Head to splashyourmountain.com for more details.

la grange.pdf

Trail Running Les Portes du Soleil serves up one of the largest connected trail running networks in Europe, crossing two countries and offering 400km of challenging terrain for even the most accomplished high altitude runner. This summer there’s a new trail running guide which details departure and arrival points, gradients and vertical kilometres, difficulty levels and more. Routes across Les Portes du Soleil are graded as per ski runs; 17 green routes, 13 blue, 8 red and 5 black, along with 2 vertical kilometre trails. You’ll also discover eight different trail running competitions taking place across the network during the summer season.

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cuisine gourmande et régionale

The Multi Pass It still costs just €2 per person per day to access a huge range of free and discounted family friendly activities across Les Portes du Soleil if you’re staying in one of the 2000 different Multi Pass accredited hotels, chalets, apartments or camp sites in the region. The pass offers free, unlimited access to 22 summer mountain lifts in addition to six swimming pools or lakes, five museums and cultural sites, three mini golf courses, two indoor ice rinks, nine tennis courts and the 400km of trail running routes detailed above. Phew. It sounds like you’ve got a busy summer holiday ahead of you.

Open for lunch and dinner Located in the centre of Morzine

04 50 75 96 40

restaurant@lagrangemorzine.com

60 chemin de la coutettaz Generous seasonal cuisine and local specialities A warm welcome and a cosy atmosphere… the perfect place for an alpine meal

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TODAY’S THE

YOUNGEST YOU’LL YOU’LL EVER EVER BE BE

By Michael Henderson

images © sven martin

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What does it take to get the greatest downhill mountain biker of all time to do an interview with Morzine Source Magazine?

Not much as it happens.

You see, Morzine occupies a special place in Greg Minnaar’s heart.

Plus, Santa Cruz team manager Kathy Sessler is not the kind of girl you say no to.

Born in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa in 1981, Greg’s fascination with two wheels commenced on a BMX, aged four. Eleven years as a motocross racer followed before his parents bought a bike shop. He made his professional downhill debut aged 19 and has spent years at the very top of his game to become the most decorated downhiller in history.

Let’s kick things off with Greg’s fondness for Morzine.

“Oh I do enjoy Morzine town!” he tells Source.

“One of my favourite runs is a variation off Pleney main line. The riding is endless and there’s a great combination between natural and bike park, trail and road riding”. /MorzineSourceMagazine

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As of July 2017, Greg had achieved 75 downhill World Cup podiums, more than any other racer in history. The 2018 season is approaching, is Greg ready? “I’m so keen to get this season rolling. I love racing and it’s been way too long since we last raced. There isn’t a track or a venue on the tour that I don’t like; each is unique in its own way.”

Luxury for less | Catered Luxury Chalets in Morzine

CHALET CACHÉ

Greg is known for being obsessed with detail. After all, the finest detail can have the greatest outcome in a sport where every tenth of a second counts. Aside from the physicality involved in downhill racing, we’re keen to know how the mental side of things plays out. “They both work hand in hand.

When you’re strong your confidence is higher and you ride faster. You really can’t be one without the other.” But after two decades as a professional racer, surely you have nerves of steel? “Nope, not at all! I still get nervous before a race. There’s nothing that I do in a race that hasn’t been carefully thought through or calculated. But I’m definitely not fearless.”

"Off the bike, for me, it’s all about family and friends, so they’re probably my greatest achievement of all" Imagine how difficult it must be for such a decorated athlete in any field to call their greatest achievement. Greg first became downhill World Champion in Lugano, Switzerland in 2003, aged just 21. It was another nine seasons before he regained the title, becoming the only athlete in history to become World Champion in two successive seasons (2012 and 2013 in case your memory fails you.) “Winning the World Championships in 2013 in my home town has to be one of my most memorable races. Off the bike, for me, it’s all about family and friends, so they’re probably my greatest achievement of all.”

CHALET PERDRIX

Greg joined the Santa Cruz Syndicate team in 2008, taking his well-earned place alongside a collection of prolific riders that, at the time, included Steve Peat, Nathan Rennie and Josh Bryceland. This season’s Syndicate team includes young guns Luca Shaw and Loris Verger. Together they’ll race the best and most challenging trails in the world. Where would Greg ride out of choice? “My top three riding destinations are Vallnord, Morzine and Mont-Sainte-Anne.” And who’d be your ultimate riding crew? “The Syndicate has been my crew for the last ten years. I wouldn’t change it, but I’d add some of my boys from SA. And maybe Roskopp (Santa Cruz cofounder and CEO Rob Roskopp) if he got into better shape!”

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Extensive travel is part and parcel of the World Cup season. The 2018 calendar features races in Lošinj, Croatia, Fort William, Scotland and Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada to name just a few. How does Greg manage to stay relaxed while moving between so many different time zones?

“Honestly, it’s hard. Getting out and doing something off my bike helps me to relax, whether it’s golf or surfing. They are my favourite ways to chill! The travel part; there really is no other option but to suck it up and deal with it.”

Widely considered as the world’s best racer, it’s difficult to imagine that Greg might have any regrets when it comes to his career. “Everything would have been easier with hindsight,” he tells Source. “But I don’t regret anything. I just learn from my mistakes.”

Returning for a moment to Loris and Luca, the new generation of the Syndicate. What words of wisdom do you share with them?

“Downhill mountain biking isn’t an easy sport when you’re starting out. You need to find a balance between giving it your all and having fun at the same time. Today’s the youngest you’ll ever be…” Profound words indeed from the 36 year old.

"I don’t regret anything. I just learn from my mistakes."

There are ten World Championship medals hanging on Greg’s wall, spanning the 2001 to 2015 downhill seasons and he’s the only man to have 22 World Cup downhill race wins to his name. For how many more seasons can Greg Minnaar compete? What’s the exit plan? “Exit plan!!!??? What are you trying to say Morzine Source Magazine?” Only that no one is getting any younger around here. And as an athlete obsessed with detail, you must have a plan in place? “I think this has to be one of the hardest thoughts as a professional, especially since this is all I’ve done since I was 16 years old” explains a very honest and humble Greg. “But I don’t see retiring from professional competition as an exit, more of a transition. I’ve made sure for some time now that I’ve involved myself in various businesses, “ Greg Minnaar Cycles in Pietermartizburg, SA being just one example. “This does make my life a little busier than most of the other riders, but I think it’ll make the transition easier when the time comes.”

And when that time does come, where will we find you? “Hanging with my mates, riding motocross, surfing, on the golf course and of course Braaing. Google it.”

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Specialising in prime location resorts Morzine, Les Gets, Chatel, Megeve & Swiss ski resorts

Bespoke chalets, new apartment builds and re-sale properties

0033 6 81 65 38 69 | info@wendyshouses.com

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

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resort

ESSENTIALS We’ve rounded up all the information, times, dates and prices you need to truly make the most of your visit to Morzine, Les Gets and Avoriaz this summer.

Summer Mountain Lifts 2018 - Dates & Times Avoriaz

Dates

Times

Bikers v Walkers

Super Morzine

21 June - 2 Sept

09.00 - 16.45

Both

Zore

21 June - 2 Sept

09.10 - 16.45

Both - Ascent only

Seraussaix

21 June - 2 Sept

09.30 - 16.45

Both - Ascent only

Chaux Fleurie

21 June - 2 Sept

09.30 - 17.00

Both

Lindarets

21 June - 2 Sept

09.30 - 17.15

Both

Mossettes

21 June - 2 Sept

09.30 - 12.30 13.30 - 18.30

Both

Prodains Express

7 July - 2 Sept

09.30 - 12.30 13.30 - 18.30

Both

Morzine

Dates

Times

Bikers v Walkers

Pleney

9 June - 2 Sept

09.00 - 17.30

Both

14 July - 19 Aug

10.00 - 17.00

Walkers only

Pointe de Nyon

14 July - 19 Aug

11.00 - 16.45

Walkers only

Les Gets

Dates

Times

Bikers v Walkers

Mont Chery Gondola

16 June - 2 Sept

09.00 - 17.30

Both

Mont Chery Pointe

16 June - 2 Sept

09.45 - 16.45

Walkers only

Chavannes Express

16 June - 2 Sept

09.00 - 17.30

Both - Ascent only

Nauchets

16 June - 2 Sept

09.00 - 17.20

Bikes only

Nyon

*Les Gets’ Chavannes Express and Nauchets lifts open at weekends from 26 May, lift pass prices are reduced by 15%

St Jean d’Aulps Grande Terche

Dates 12 July - 23 Aug THURSDAY ONLY

Times

Bikers v Walkers

10.30 - 16.30

Both

Pleney Luge Dates

1 Ride

6 Rides

10 Rides

7 July - 2 September

€5.20

€28.10

€43.70

*Minimum age is 8yrs or 1.25m tall to ride

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Morzine Swimming Pool Days

28 May - 22 June Indoor pool only

23 June - 8 July Indoor & outdoor pool

9 July - 2 Sept All Facilities

3 Sept - 9 Sept Indoor pool only

Mon

12.00 - 19.00

12.00 - 19.00

08.00 - 19.00

12.00 - 19.00

Tues

12.00 - 19.30

12.00 - 19.30

08.00 - 19.30

12.00 - 19.30

Wed / Thrs / Fri

12.00 - 19.00

12.00 - 19.00

08.00 - 19.00

12.00 - 19.00

Sat / Sun

12.00 - 19.00

12.00 - 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

Times

Day Pass

Season Pass

Lake + Wibit

Wibit Only

21 June - 2 Sept

12.30 - 18.00

€3.00

€40.00

€10.00

€8.00

* 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 - 20.00

Aquariaz in Avoriaz

Open daily between 8 July and 31 Aug, 10.30 - 19.30

Adult weekly unlimited entry

Child weekly unlimited entry

Adult day unlimited entry

Child day unlimited entry (>12yrs)

Adult single entry

Child single entry (3-11yrs)

Child under 3yrs

€29.00

€19.00

€12.00

€9.00

€9.00

€6.00

Free

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Summer Mountain Lift Prices 2018 Por tes du Soleil

Adults

Children (5-16yrs)

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

MTB - 1 Day

€27.50

€21.00

€25.00

MTB – 6 Days

€110.00

€83.00

€99.00

MTB – Season

€275.00

€206.00

€248.00

Avoriaz

Adults

Children (5-16yrs)

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

Any Lift - Single journey for walkers

€5.70

€4.60

€5.10

Any Lift - Return journey for walkers

€6.70

€5.60

MTB – 2 journeys

€10.20

€8.00

€9.00

MTB – 8 journeys

€29.20

€23.00

€26.20

Morzine

Adults

Children (5-16yrs)

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

Morzine Pleney Single MTB Trip

€5.10

€4.20

€4.60

Morzine Pleney 10 MTB Trips

€30.10

€24.10

€26.50

Morzine Pleney single for walkers

€5.00

€4.10

€4.40

Morzine Pleney return for walkers

€6.00

€4.90

€5.30

Nyon Cable Car single for walkers

€4.00

€3.20

€3.60

Nyon Cable Car return for walkers

€5.20

€4.20

€4.60

Pointe de Nyon chairlift return

€4.00

€3.20

€3.50

Les Gets

Adults

Children (5-16yrs)

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

Mont Chery gondola and chairlift for walkers

€7.00

€5.00

€6.00

Chavannes Express single for walkers

€6.00

€4.00

€5.00

6 journeys on any Les Gets lift for walkers

€20.50

€20.50

€20.50

12 journeys on any Les Gets lift for walkers

€20.50

€32.50

€20.50

St Jean d’Aulps

Adults

Children (5-16yrs)

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

Grande Terche

FREE

FREE

FREE

€6.10

*Don’t forget to save 50% on your PDS MTB season pass when you present your Winter 17/18 PDS season pass

The Portes du Soleil Multi Pass Priced at €2 per person per day, those staying in Multi Pass accredited accommodation get to ride the entire summer lift network for free! Free access to all of the swimming pools and lakes is also included, as is a selection of great discounts on over 60 other activities including mini golf, tennis and horse riding. Head to portesdusoleil.com/summer for a full list of benefits. *

The Multi Pass is free for children aged 5yrs and under

** If you’re not in Multi Pass accredited accommodation, you can still buy a Multi Pass, the price is €9 per day *** €75 buys you a season-long Multi Pass including all lifts and activities until 9th September

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MORZINE’S ORIGINAL APRES BAR

21

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

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KANDESENT:

The glowing new force behind women’s road cycling

By Chloe Hardy

When I first met Michelle Wilkinson, she’d moved to Morzine for the winter and, like so many, loved it and decided to stay for summer. She also happened to mention an idea to start a women’s road cycling brand. Two years later said brand, KANDESENT, is just about to launch.

“I saw a huge gap in the market for women’s specific road bike kit.” she explains. “All the brands on the market offered men’s ranges and then a small and very basic women’s range, that was obviously an after thought. I wanted to create something for myself and my friends that was built with performance features of the highest spec, but with a clean and unique style that isn’t available elsewhere.”

So how exactly does one woman go about starting a high-performance, technical sportswear brand alongside her day job?

Despite working in the action sports and fashion industry for the majority of her career, starting from scratch was unchartered territory for Michelle. “Being in Morzine with such incredible climbs in the mountains really pushed my cycling and made me supercharge my ideas for the brand,” she tells me. “It has also connected me with a new pool of adventurous people who live and congregate around here.” In fact, it was after moving to Morzine that a friend introduced Michelle to Donna Veraguth, a Chamonix- and Wyomingbased performance sportswear designer, who has previously worked with brands such as Faction and The North Face, and would quickly become her business partner.

“Donna is a badass cyclist and skier,” Michelle says straight off the bat. “I knew she’d already worked on some cycle kit for herself and her friends a few years before, so she already had an idea in her head of what women’s cycling

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gear could be.” With Michelle’s background in business and marketing and Donna’s in design, they make the ultimate two-woman team.

How exactly do you combine fashion and function successfully? Michelle and Donna wanted to have complete creative control of

Being in Morzine with such incredible climbs in the mountains really pushed my cycling and made me supercharge my ideas for the brand their initial designs, so they set up the brand on a cocktail of savings and credit cards.

“We’ve been really careful to keep it just the two of us.” Michelle explained. “We’ve taken a lot of advice from various different parties, but right now it’s important for us to stay true to our design ideals.” From here, it was a question of finding fabrics that would perform under pressure without losing their shape, achieving a comfortable but flattering fit and perfecting the practical design features. And of course, creating an original look that would stand out from the crowd.

While Donna was tweaking the designs, visiting the factory and working with the factory team on the final product, Michelle was

#lovelesgets

working behind the scenes to get the branding, website and marketing plan on track. She set up photo-shoots, did all the paperwork; “All the really non-glamorous stuff!”

But even with their wealth of knowledge, bringing the designs to reality was no picnic. From finding a European factory that was willing to take a chance on a startup, to finding a distribution centre; from trademarking the designs to knowing the right order quantities. All the know-how in the world can’t prepare you for going it alone. The word ‘learning curve’ crops up a lot as we chat, as does ‘terrifying’.

I’m interested to know, what was the hardest part? What are the unexpected pitfalls that come with starting a business? “You will make a lot of costly mistakes!” was Michelle’s first response. “Trying to fit the day job in alongside starting a business, plus finding enough time to actually go cycling or snowboarding, that’s been hard. But having a great and creative pool of friends to draw on is an incredible advantage, that I feel very grateful to have here in Morzine and back in the UK.” Michelle isn’t fazed by a few minor setbacks.

She’s got big plans for KANDESENT and she’s not one to let inexperience stop her from creating something great. “If I don’t know how to do something I figure it out, or I ask someone to help me, or there’s probably a YouTube tutorial on how to do it. And you

#loveavoriaz

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image © - melody sky photography

You can shop KANDESENT’s very first collection at: kandesent.com or follow @KANDESENT on Instagram

know the whole ‘fake it ‘til you make it’ thing? That’s true, noone knows what they’re doing, everyone’s bluffing it.”

The final product does indeed prove that Michelle and Donna are ‘making it’. Their first collection sees new and unique shapes and mix-and-match pieces that echo the creativity of winter sports styling, but are uncommon at best in the cycling industry. ‘For women, by women’ may be an oftused phrase, but it’s certainly applicable here. “We’ve done really nice shapes that aren’t just jerseys. We’ve done cutaway backs, we’ve done racerbacks. Because we don’t have to wear a jersey the whole time like guys do. If we want to wear a racer back and it makes sense, then let’s do that.”

Being keen road cyclists, Michelle and Donna road tested their products themselves to make sure they were up to scratch. “We obsessed over having the right seat pad,” Michelle says, “We also spent an age obsessing over details like pockets, so you can fit your iPhone in your jersey pocket; it’s waterproof too, so you don’t

/MorzineSourceMagazine

have to worry about getting caught in a rain shower.” Going further down the rabbit hole, you won’t find any plastic tags or zips on your KANDESENT apparel. Keeping production based in Europe (“Where all the best cycling apparel is made.”) means Michelle and Donna had access to their choice of premium Italian fabrics, but also that they had more control over smaller details and packaging. Michelle tells me that she plans to make the business totally plastic-free.

And there it is. Two years of hard work in a nutshell.

KANDESENT’s first collection is available now and features a small but mighty range of shorts, cropped jackets, jerseys, caps and arm warmers. But it doesn’t stop at just a product range. Michelle’s hopes for the brand go further than the apparel; they go towards starting a community that encourages women to get on a bike, to feel comfortable, to ride with other women, to ride with men, to enjoy everything that cycling has to offer. And look damn good while doing it.

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Secours en Montagne

By Amie Henderson

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These are the faces you never want to see; the characters you never want to meet. Theirs is a job done usually in darkness; in small teams in the harshest of conditions. These are the heroes of Secours en Montagne and you probably don’t even know they exist.

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images © - Samuel McMahon

When you go missing in the mountains, a sequence of carefully planned events is triggered. Lift operators are instructed to look out for you. Pisteurs commence an on-piste search for you. After a little while, you’re still missing. The weather is coming in, darkness is approaching and the search group expands to include the local Gendarmerie, perhaps a helicopter if conditions allow. At this point the danger you’re in becomes very real.

Down below in the valley, Fabrice is at home, tending to his mountain dogs when his phone rings.

He’s calm and focused as he listens to the details. All reasonable efforts to find you have failed, now it’s his turn. Via text message Fabrice sends a pre-alert to his team – ‘prepare your kit and await further instruction’. They’re 16-strong, always on call and they know they’re probably your last hope. A second text message follows – ‘report to the rendezvous point ASAP’. They go without hesitation. And they always fear the worst.

To call the mountains unpredictable would be a sizable understatement. All those big mountain ski and snowboard movies that we love to watch have made us bold. We’re sometimes too brave for our own good and we often forget to respect the dangers of the natural environment, both in the summer and during the winter.

You’re in luck. All 16 members of the Secours en Montagne have turned out to search for you. Fabrice briefs his team on the situation and his proposed plan. They’ll need their touring skis, their avalanche transceivers and probes, their ice axes and ropes.

They train every 23 days for this precise scenario and they’re equipped with the most intense knowledge of the local terrain. Your chances of survival just increased ever so slightly.

Imagine the strength of character and the level of knowledge required to hunt for a body in the mountains at night. Imagine the physical strength needed to haul all that kit into the mountains.

Imagine doing it all as a volunteer. All 16 members of Secours en Montagne put their own lives at risk to search for you without reward. /MorzineSourceMagazine

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If you or someone in your group is lost or in danger in the mountains, call 112 immediately

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“I’ve been volunteering with Secours en Montagne for just over a year, but during the day you’ll find me working as a waitress in Morzine. I’m 30 years of age and I joined the team as I like helping people. I also feel it’s important to make a contribution in some way to local mountain life.

People are definitely aware of the dangers in the mountains but whether they take them seriously or not is another thing. New safety technologies and the improved performance of equipment mean people are taking mountain sports to a higher level and putting themselves in more risk.

People will always decide to push things further.

The mission that I will remember for the rest of my life involved the search and discovery of two young boys, who went missing in Avoriaz last winter. These were exceptional circumstances; it was the early hours of the morning, it was unbelievably

I’M FLORENCE.

cold and the mission became a huge physical and emotional challenge for the whole team.

Not getting too emotionally involved after the rescue was probably my biggest challenge to date.

I really hope that people enjoying the mountains during the summer months also have an awareness of the dangers.

A sunny day can turn into a big storm in a matter of seconds and you need to be prepared for it. Sunstroke is also a real danger. Snake and insect bites and stings can cause major problems, as can dodgy terrain, loose rocks or slippery paths after the rain. Falls from cliffs or trails are typical rescue missions for our team during the summer season.

The most rewarding part of my role is knowing that I could save someone’s life and make people happier. I don’t have any super powers, but when we all come together as a team, that’s when we all become superheroes.”

I’M FABRICE.

“I’m the head of the Secours en Montagne of Saint Jean d’Aulps, or the ‘chief’ as the team like to call me. By day I design landscapes and I enjoy crafting bushels and utensils in wood. But it’s my rescue work that really inspires me.

I’ve been a volunteer for 15 years now and I’m motivated by the need to help others. Maybe one day it will be me who needs help.

It’s enjoyable to spend time in the mountains with friends, and of course I know the terrain very well after all of this time.

Some of our rescue missions are more memorable than others.

The search for the two missing children in Avoriaz last winter, I will remember for the rest of my days.

My rescue equipment is never complete without my dog. He accompanies me everywhere and is highly skilled in locating bodies on the mountain. We have a very special relationship and a trust that has developed over several years.

I’d tell you he is my super power; the dog and a big will to direct my team in the best way possible.”

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27

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I’M ALAIN.

“I’ve seen many many changes in the way people use the mountains during my 40 years as a volunteer rescuer. I’m now 71 years of age and retired, but still very much part of the team. I’ve always been a rock climber and seeing the mountains from this perspective makes me very aware of the risks that each of us may face one day.

Finding people in distress as quickly as possible is the most rewarding part of mountain rescue work. I also work with a friendly and very competent team who are passionate about keeping people safe.

Looking at things in real terms, there are actually very few accidents when compared to the number of people who use the mountains in various forms throughout the year. Generally the public seem to be quite well informed about the dangers, but of course more can always be done.

I don’t consider myself to have a super power. But I do have the benefit of experience and wisdom. From this I advise people not to venture off the beaten track, especially if they do not know the area well. Getting lost in the mountains is very unwise.”

“My job as a nurse in a busy accident and emergency department means I’m used to helping people in an urgent situation. I’m 25 years of age and I’ve been a mountain rescue volunteer for two years now. In the hospital we must constantly adapt to a changing situation; I use these skills when we head out on a mission. I also love the mountains, so for me, the job is a pleasure.

I believe that mountain rescue associations such as ours make a great effort to educate people on the dangers of the mountains. However, I get the impression that people are paying less attention; they don’t see the dangers. They leave their accommodation poorly equipped, sometimes unaccompanied and often uninformed about the weather or conditions. Lots of people overestimate their abilities too. The safety measures taken by the mountain management companies can make people believe they are protected from danger. They are not; unfortunately we see this too often.

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I’M JULIE. My most memorable mission was actually a training exercise, which almost turned into a real life rescue scenario. In the summer, at night, in the mud! Two or three of us were roped together as the terrain was very slippery and the slope was steep. We were looking for a cave where the victims were located and it took us a long time to locate it. The entrance to the cave was very dangerous in the wet conditions and we were becoming more wet and tired as the mission progressed. The return from the cave took us a very long time and we had to improvise in many ways to keep ourselves safe.

Had this been a real rescue, I think we would all have been in real danger!

As a team, our super power is to be organised. Each of us has a specialist skill, when we come together we compliment each other to form amazing search and rescue skills. We would literally move mountains to save lives. ”

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By Amie Henderson

Gerard Butler said it best, though we’re betting any one of the 8000 plus challengers taking par t in this year’s Spar tan Race could give him a run for his money.

Morzine first welcomed the Spartan to its peaks and valleys in 2016, when 4500 participants signed up without really knowing much about what they were letting themselves in for. In 2017, numbers swelled to 8000 and this summer we’ll welcome the Spartan European Championships to the resort on 7th and 8th July, guaranteeing the very best athletes will be in attendance.

Whilst the original Spartan story dates back to ancient Greece circa 650 BC, the second coming is all thanks to Joe de Sena, a world-class adventure racer from Vermont who imagined a timed obstacle race of varying lengths and degrees of difficulty in challenging locations around the world.

Spartan in its new inception is much more than a race.

Spartan is a community. Spartan is a philosophy. Spartan is a training and nutrition program. There’s podcasts, books, e-books, workout gear, a media channel and a magazine.

The Spartans of ancient Greece were a society configured to maximise military proficiency at all costs. Rigorous training made them the best in battle and the modern day Spartan is no different.

“Spartan Race is here to find the warrior in you; running, crawling, jumping, carrying, throwing… you need to be a complete athlete to perform and reach your own objectives” explains Olivier Castelli, Director of Operations and Development when he meets Source. “We never leave a Spartan behind. Alone you go faster; together you go further. That’s the Spartan ethos.”

Now, those of you drawing comparisons with Tough Mudder or Rough Runner, hold your horses. With Spartan you can ease your way into proceedings with the Sprint distance; set over three+ miles and including between 20 and 23 obstacles, Sprint is a great Spartan entry point. Taking things up a notch is the Super; eight+ miles and between 24 and 29 obstacles set over rugged mountain terrain. And then we have the Beast; twelve+ miles, between 30 and 35

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obstacles and a minimum three hours on the move. True Spartans complete all three races in just one weekend. Yes, really.

Over 100,000 challengers will take part in 20+ races across Europe in 2018 (including in Greece!), and more events are planned across the continent. But why Morzine? “We were looking for a mountain destination to enable some positive altitude running and to make the course much harder, just like we have in the US in Vermont” Olivier told Source.

“Morzine is a very beautiful destination where the local community enjoy their sports and they welcome us very warmly.

Morzine has all the ingredients to become one of the top three Spartan destinations in Europe.”

The introduction of the Spartan European Championship marks a new stage in Olivier’s plan to recognise Spartan Racing as a sport in its own right. “The field of

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athletes will be of such a high level in Morzine this summer. The focus will be on the Beast race for individuals and the Super race for team events” Olivier explains. “All the elite athletes and the different age groups will compete for the title”. Let’s also not forget that Spartan Racing makes for a truly epic spectator sport!

Returning to the ethos and philosophy behind Spartan racing, we’re keen to know more about the kids races. How do they fit into the event? “The kids races are a step to really cloning the adult races.

We want the kids to have the same mottos and engagement, but also to start pushing their limits, just like the adults.” Taking place on both the Saturday and Sunday of Morzine’s Spartan weekend, children aged between 4 and 6 years of age complete a 800m course, whilst children aged between 7 and 10 years enjoy a 1600m challenge. Older children aged between 11 and 15 years face a 3200m course.

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As the number of participants in Morzine’s Spartan weekend has grown, so has the atmosphere and hype accompanying each event. At the start line of each heat you’ll find actual Spartans, complete with battle cries.

Obstacles now include fire pits and Morzine’s River Dranse has become part of the course. If that all sounds like your cup of tea, what should you do next? “The most important thing in sport is to fix an objective,” Olivier tells us. “The route to your first Spartan Race is to prepare your mind and body. On our website you’ll find training plans, workouts and tips for nutrition. Being confident in the capabilities of your mind and body means you’ll surprise yourself. And when you cross the finish line, you’ll be tired but proud of what you’ve accomplished.”

We’re keen to know Olivier’s longer term plans for Spartan racing in Morzine. After all, it pulls in thousands of visitors each summer and showcases the resort in the global sports media. As a destination keen to promote year-round tourism, the Spartan is now a major event on the annual calendar. “Morzine’s future as a Spartan destination is not something I can really predict but I am conservative in some ways. Why change something that is working well? Our brands are working well together, the local community becomes more engaged each year. This involvement is important to us.”

This year the organisers of the Spartan Race will need over 500 local volunteers to make the event a huge success. It’s a big ask in a resort where most of the local community dedicate their weekends to running their own busy businesses. But without volunteers, this incredible event simply cannot happen. If you’d like to get involved, email volontaires@spartanraceeurope.com for more information.

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The summer holidays are the best. Endless time for kids to explore, play and experience the outdoors, while parents can take some much-needed time away from work to relax. Here’s our pick of gear and accessories for your family holiday that kids and gown-ups alike will love. And they’ll keep everyone away from those pesky phone screens, too!

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Bundle Beds

€228.00 Camping out, backpacking, having guests to stay, or hosting a sleepover? Bundle beds are a fun, comfortable and compact sleeping solution for kids and adults.

Based on the classic roll-up bed but a fraction of the size and weight, these clever travel beds are easy to transport, easy to use and won’t take up too much space in your travel pack, car boot or cupboard. Made up of a comfortable, self-inflating mattress, a pillow and a duvet in a clever packable unit, when you want to pack it away just zip everything together, roll it up and clip it closed. The whole process takes less than five minutes. Perfect for when you need to save space or pack up fast! A handy carry handle means you can carry your Bundle Bed easily over your shoulder or clip it to a backpack, and the best part? Source readers get 15% off* with the code Morzine15.*Valid until 01/09/2018 bundlebeds.com

Wrapped in Nature Food Wraps

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Philos Bamboo Travel Mancala Set

Perfect for a family picnic or preparing snacks for your little ones to take on a day of adventuring, these all-natural food wraps are washable, reusable and ethical, completely eliminating the need for single-use cling-film and tin foil. Made from organic cotton and coated in beeswax, pine resin and almond oil, Wrapped in Nature wraps have antibacterial properties, allow your food to breathe and are easy to clean. Even better, Wrapped in Nature is a small family-run company who source all their ingredients from Europe (predominantly Spain and Denmark) and aim for waste-free production. They’re even cut by hand and have the care instructions printed on them to eliminate the need for extra packaging and labels. If there’s one kitchen

Mancala is one of the oldest documented games in the world. And no wonder, it’s quick, simple and you can literally play it anywhere. Traditionally, all that was needed were some stones and a few small holes in the sand; today you can buy this beautiful fold-up set to take with you on your travels, where sand and stones are less plentiful. Made from lightweight but fast growing bamboo and equipped with pretty natural stones, it’ll look great on your coffee table or games shelf, but you can take it with you anywhere. It’ll come in particularly useful on long car journeys, in busy airports

accessory you need this summer (and beyond!), this is it!

and while hungry kids are waiting for dinner.

wrappedinnature.eu

Classical.games

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€15.00

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Alpine French school.pdf

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French Courses Intensive Courses Weekly Group Lessons Private Lessons GCSE + A-level tutoring Skype and online options

Evoc Joyride 4L Backpack

Conversation Classes

RRP €60.00 Designed to be every bit as good as Evoc’s adult packs but slimmed down for kids, the Joyride is perfect for family bike rides around the PDS, day-long hikes and travel days. As well as having all the handy features of a bike bag, such as hydration system compatibility, a removable waist belt and lots of useful pockets, it’s lightweight, streamlined and means you don’t have to carry all your kids’ stuff for them! This pack also has great ventilation through the back panel so will stop little ones overheating on really hot days.

Exam preparation courses

French - English Summer Camps Residential Summer Camp

evocsports.com

Day camps Camps include: Lessons for children and teenagers learning English or French Arcade Youth Belts

Phonics, reading and writing

RRP €19.95

in English or French

You may have seen Arcade Belts feature in our winter issue, but did you know they also make belts for kids? The perfect accessory for little adventurers, these belts not only look smart and come in fun colours, they’re mega practical. Stretchy but sturdy, they’ll prove a worthy and comfortable exploring accessory, while you can forget about fiddly buckles; a super quick and simple clip is all your kids need so they can spend less time fussing and fiddling and more time adventuring. Whether they’re on the bike trails, running amuck in the woods or going for dinner out, an Arcade belt will keep them comfortable and grow with them.

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

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

arcadebelts.eu

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IMAGINE A LIFE

with less

By Claire Garber

Recently I had been feeling this ‘urge’.

Actually it was more like an itch, a nagging unabaiting desire, to throw away all my stuff.

It had started with my clothes. Every day I would stare at ‘that’ wardrobe, the wooden structure full of chaos and disorder, a veritable fabric swamp of ill-thought-out choices that I‘d wade through everyday, searching for the three items I actually wore.

But the longing to de-clutter kept on spreading; just like the mass of stuff I had accumulated. I started to loath the excess of winter jackets hanging throughout our chalet. I hated the appliances in our kitchen that we needed but actually never used. We had drawers and cupboards of ‘maybes’, shelves of ‘’possiblys’, bucket fulls of ‘one days.’ I felt suffocated by the very things that were supposed to bring me joy. The happiness of acquisition now long gone. How had I accumulated so much stuff ? Even from the safety of the mountains, modern life had made me its consumer slave.

“At a time when people in the west are experiencing the best standard of living in history, why is it that, at the same time there is such a longing for more?”

Rick Hanson. Neurophyschologist

I am not alone in my problem of accumulation. Or the emptiness and dissatisfaction it breeds. It is a very modern condition.

But what I didn't realise until very recently, is that our need to acquire is in fact an evolutionary one. Because as humans, we have been hard-wired to shop.

Shopping: It’s not your fault.

Evolution wanted us to survive so it made us permanently hungry for more. This inbuilt auto-craving worked wonderfully when we were living in caves, chewing on a few berries and nuts and the occasional piece of hard-chased meat. Our longing kept us alive, never resting on our laurels when more food needed to be found. But nature’s gift was an indiscriminate one to just keep wanting more in general. We are, it seems, the Olivers of the universe, genetically made to crave. Please sir, can we have some more.

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“Auto-craving is a good strategy to keep animals alive in harsh conditions. But today it has caused a disconnect - biologically-based delusional craving. Mother nature and evolution is pulling your strings. We feel restless, always craving for more.”

Rick Hanson. Neurophyschologist

This biological need in our modern consumer culture, filled with cheap disposable products, has created the perfect storm.

We keep chasing the next thing we ‘need’, and we never ever feel truly satisfied. How else could Apple sell you endless upgrades? Why would we have more than one pair of shoes? How would obesity have come about, or our endless consumption of information and social media feeds?

For those of us that don't have a daily yoga or medication practice, it’s highly likely that we are actively consuming almost every waking minute of our day. What’s for dinner? I need a new beanie. That’s a nice dress. The car probably needs replacing.

Let’s have another quick look on Facebook. Check emails. Sign up for the gym. I need a sandwich. I want a flatter tummy. We are bottomless empty pits.

Minimalism: Imagine a life with less One Netflix film later (and one bag of Butterkist Caramelcovered popcorn), I found a solution to my problem. What I needed was to become a minimalist - a person who goes through life with an absence of stuff.

The film in question follows Ryan Nicodemus and Joshua Fields Millburn, who documented their personal journeys from consumers to minimalists. Both walked away from their ‘perfect lives’ of consumption and dissatisfaction to live lives of happiness and joy with minimal belongings. The film asks - How might your life be better with less? It takes a look at the lives of minimalists from all walks of life - families, entrepreneurs,

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architects, artists, journalists, scientists, and even a former Wall Street broker - all of whom are striving to live a meaningful life with less.

“When I started letting go [of my stuff] I started to feel freer, happier and lighter. Now as a minimalist, every possession serves a purpose or brings me joy. I don't have any excess stuff.

Everything I have I have to be able to justify to myself. If it doesn't add value to my life, I have to be able to let go.”

Josh Fileds Millburn, Writer Creator / The Minimalist Film

Clearing my wardrobe and my life suddenly became a lot easier when I followed the films criteria. I just had to ask myself ‘is this adding value?’ when evaluating my stuff. Is this light bulb that is useable but doesn't fit in any light in my house adding value? Are these jeans, that I wore once when two stone lighter, adding value? You can apply this to all areas of your life - from relationships, to friendships, work, purchases, social events, even social media feeds. Is this adding value to my life and to the world at large? Not only will it help you break free of the trap of the consumer cycle, but you will be able to make more ethical choices too. Is this Primark top, which I will wear once and was created to the detriment to our planet and to the human who made it, adding value? Letting go started to feel a lot easier.

Consumer culture has tapped into the very heart of our genetic make up. We devour products, information, messages and experiences in utter unconscious consumption and we always end up wanting more. Most of us are unaware that we are in a cycle of permanent dissatisfaction as we joyfully open the box of yet another new purchase. But consumerism is distraction. Wanting more takes us away from living in the moment. Whether its products or social media feeds, the cycle is endless.

So try to imagine a life with less, a life of passion, unencumbered by the trappings of the chaotic world around you. Minimalism is a way of stopping the madness.

This is your one life, so make the most of it. Love people, use things, because the opposite never works. Go out and do more, with less.

Want to try a bit of minimalism?

The 3:33 challenge The 3:33 is a challenge is to reduce your wardrobe to just 33 items that will last you for 3 months. 3 months. 33 items. The 33 doesn’t include pants, but the rest of your clothes, including shoes, bags, accessories and jackets cannot total more than 33. This is capsule wardrobe living at its most extreme. It’s also a step towards living purposefully and intentionally with only items that truly add value and joy to your life.

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Santa Cruz BIKE CHECK When Californian bike brand Santa Cruz announced that Morzine would become their European HQ last summer, we all got a little bit excited about what this could mean for our town.

Having a global bike brand based in Morzine significantly elevates the profile of our Town. It brings top riders to our trails and jobs to our community. Santa Cruz are also widely credited as being influential in the decision to stage the French National Downhill Championships in Morzine this summer.

But it’ll be on the mountain where Morzine shows gratitude to Santa Cruz. The trails of the Portes du Soleil are the perfect testing ground for all bike models, as European Media Manager Loïc Delteil surely knows. Here’s his perfect ride…

SANTA CRUZ HIGHTOWER LT CC XX1 RESERVE SUSPENSION VPP 150MM FRONT & REAR WHEEL SIZE: 29'' SIZE AVAILABLE: S - XXL

•

• Tires:

• Derailleur:

MAXXIS MINION DHR 29X2.4

SRAM XX1 EAGLE

The Maxxis Minion DHR provide great traction while rolling efficiently. These are perfect for any trails in any condition around Portes du Soleil.

This 12-speed derailleur associated with the 11-50T Eagle cassette will make easy work of getting to the top of every peak surrounding Morzine... or maybe just help you to link all the lifts together.

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• Bars:

SANTA CRUZ 800 RISER BAR CARBON 800mm of carbon radnes,s engineered to rail any corners that you'll find on your way. The Santa Cruz carbon bars provide confidence and comfort to handle either the fastest berms on the Super Morzine or the tightest switchbacks in Montriond.

• Fork:

FOX 36 FACTORY Trails can get bumpy during the summer.

The Fox 36 fork provides amazing support and comfort, saving your hands to hold the mandatory after-ride pint!

•

• Frame:

• Wheels:

SANTA CRUZ CARBON CC - LIFETIME WARRANTY

SANTA CRUZ RESERVE 30 CARBON - 29''

This long travel version of the well-known Santa Cruz Hightower will take you to some of the roughest places in the Portes du Soleil. The full-carbon frame brings the performance and precision that wild singletracks require.

Don't get stuck in the Bikepark; go explore further!

Guaranteed for life, the Santa Cruz Reserve wheels are ready to handle bad treatment. Just ask Danny Mac Askill! Ride from Les Gets to Morgins, from Chatel to Champery. Put miles on them every day, they won't let you down!

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As they should, female-specific bikes play a huge part of the Santa Cruz range.

Juliana Bicycles were launched in 1999 as a collaboration between former World Champion Juliana Furtado and the Santa Cruz team. Since then they’ve been at the cutting edge of technology and performance.

Don’t imagine for a second that the Juliana range is the men’s frame, adapted for female riders. These bikes were never an afterthought, as everything from the grips, bars and saddles to the frame sizes demonstrate. Here’s how the perfect Portes du Soleil set-up might look.

JULIANA STREGA CC XX1 RESERVE SUSPENSION VPP 170MM FRONT & REAR WHEEL SIZE: 27.5'' SIZE AVAILABLE: XS - M

•

• Frame:

• Shock:

SANTA CRUZ CARBON CC - LIFETIME WARRANTY

ROCK SHOX SUPER DELUXERCT - LIGHT TUNE

Featuring the exact same frame as her big brother the Santa Cruz Nomad, The Strega is not here to mess around. This is a proper enduro bike dedicated to women. The Strega is available from size extra-small to medium.

This specific shock tune characterises the Juliana bikes, allowing even the lightest riders to enjoy the VPP suspension system at its finest.

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• Saddle:

JULIANA PRIMEIRO Your saddle is the most important contact point when you go on a big day exploring in the Portes du Soleil. Designed by Juliana, the Primeiro saddle provides a women-specific shape to ensure comfort all day long.

• Grips:

JULIANA LOCK-ON Designed by Juliana specifically for women, those lock-on grips are really thin, allowing the smallest hand to keep control in any situation.

• • Brakes:

• Wheels:

SRAM CODE RSC

SANTA CRUZ RESERVE 30 CARBON - 27.5''

These powerful new codes won't let you down when it gets steep.

They’re not even scared of some of the gnarliest Pleney singletrack.

Guaranteed for life. This version of the Santa Cruz Reserve wheels is 27.5'' and 30mm wide internal. You won’t be scared of ‘puncture alley’ from the top of Mossette anymore.

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We are all about the mountain biking this year, as you may have guessed from our big interviews! And there’s lots of exciting MTB-related stuff going on in and around the valley this year; Crankworx, the French downhill champs, new trails… Make sure you’re ready for it with the best gear and most useful accessories.

- mountain bike -

Mons Royale Redwood Phoenix Raglan Tee

RRP €90.00 We unashamedly love New Zealand-based brand Mons Royale for turning the high-performance features of merino wool into something we love to wear on and off the bike trails. Designed for mountain biking but also perfect for a day of travelling or even just slobbing about after a day of activities, these raglan tees are practical AND stylish. The lightweight merino fabric is highly breathable, fast drying and (the best part) stinkresistant, with the added bonus of an airy mesh back panel that’s perfect for wearing with a backpack or back protector. It’s also got nice loose sleeves designed to accommodate elbow pads and a little added Nylon across the board for extra durability. eu.monsroyale.com

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Tremplin Source summer 18.pdf

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THE HOME OF APRES IN MORZINE SINCE 1936

7iDP Flex Knee and Shin Pads

RRP €89.90 Shin protectors may not be that cool, but at the same time no one likes a pedal to the tibia. Luckily, these versatile knee and shin pads from Seven Protection are adaptable so you can go shinless for enduro adventures or chilled days on the trails. Featuring a wrap-around design they’re also perfect for long uphill climbs; just take them off and stash them in your pack and put them back on for the downhill, all without having to take off your shoes. This is also a massive benefit for post-trail beers, as well! Elsewhere, you can expect all the quality and clever design features we’ve come to expect from 7 (Steve Peat and Fabien Borel being just a few consultants for the brand), like multi-directional leg straps and breathable mesh sections.

A LOCAL INSTITUTION AT THE FOOT OF THE PLENEY SLOPES

7protection.com

BREAKFAST, LUNCH, CREPES & TAPAS SERVED ON OUR SUNNY TERRACE

Peaty’s Tubeless Sealant and Loam Foam

RRP €9.19 // €11.50 If you haven’t read our interview with Steve Peat on page 56 make sure you check it out! Since retiring from downhill biking in 2016 he’s been applying his years of expertise to developing his own range of maintenance products and we have to say, we’re very impressed! Both Peaty’s Tubeless Sealant and Loam Foam cleaner are made with the environment in mind but don’t sacrifice performance. The Sealant is non-toxic, non-hazardous and completely biodegradable, while the minty-fresh Loam Foam is biodegradable with organic gelling agents that help the cleaning compounds cling to your bike for longer. We’re particularly stoked that the Sealant comes in a handy trail-sized packet that can be easily topped up so you don’t have to throw it away!

LIVE BANDS AND DJS FOR APRES ON MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, FRIDAY AND SUNDAY AFTERNOONS

Call: +33 (0)6 74 53 54 74

peatys.co.uk

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AFTON keegan & Vectal shoes

RRP €99.99 // €119.99 Lizard Skins Lock-on Peaty Grip

RRP €29.99 Steve Peat is a bit of a theme in this gear guide!

This time he’s teamed up with Lizard Skins and applied his industry experience to handle bar grips. Featuring a patented lock-on design that’s easy to fit and won’t slip no matter how hard you ride, the Peaty Grip is what you want to be holding on to on a steep and techy trail.

Made from soft-compound rubber for maximum stickiness with a slick design and lots of different colourways, these grips will look great on your bike and boost your confidence on the trails.

Finally, a mountain bike shoe to rival FiveTen in both the looks and tech department. With their own proprietary rubber, brand new shank technology and a clean but stylish design, AFTON shoes have got the Source seal of approval, hands down. Available in a flat (Keegan) or clipless (Vectal) model, comfort is key across the board with an innovative shank that’s stiff where it sits on the pedal but softer and more flexible in the heel and toe area so you can still walk to the pub after a long day on the bike. We love that AFTON, a relatively small and independent start-up, is taking on a massive industry and holding its own. So does the rest of the bike industry. Try a pair and see. aftonshoes.com distributed by frenchys-distribution.com

lizardskins.com distributed by nowcompany.com

OneUp EDC Tool

RRP €48.50 This genius tool kit from small Canadian company OneUp is a tool kit so well put together it fits inside your steering tube or inside the corresponding EDC Pump. EDC stands for Everyday Carry and the EDC Tool definitely ticks all the boxes in the packability department. Containing all the tools you need to replace a chain link, change a tyre and resolve any other trailside mechanical, it’s got everything you need for a day on the trails without needing to carry a backpack or bum bag. Easy to fit, easy to carry and ensuring you’ll never be caught without the right tool again, this is the multi-tool that every mountain biker will be putting on their Christmas list. oneupcomponents.com

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Genuine Luxury | Summer & Winter

hunterchalets.com +44 20 3745 3452 info@hunterchalets.com

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T H E C H A B L A I S U N E S C O G LO B A L G E O PA R K:

Protecting Savoie heritage for future generations

By Chloe Hardy

There’s nothing better than driving up to Les Gets or Morzine, seeing the UNESCO Geopark sign and thinking Yes! I live in a UNESCO Geopark. Good for me. Until I realise that, in fact, I have no idea what a UNESCO Geopark actually is. Based on the name, I’m guessing it’s most likely a protected area of internationally recognised natural beauty, culture and heritage.

But that’s just scratching the surface in terms of what a UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) Geopark actually does and how it operates.

I sought some answers from Sophie Justice, Coordinator of the Chablais UNESCO Global Geopark (UGGp). Sophie is the international representative of the park, as well as being responsible for ensuring it continues to meet the requirements of its UNESCO label. Before working for UNESCO, Sophie gained a PhD in geology and was studying

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the formation of mountain belts, making her the perfect person to talk to. Here’s what she told us: “The Chablais UGGp is made up of 62 towns and villages; it stretches along the shores of Lac Leman from Veigy (just outside Geneva) to Saint Gingolph (just after Evian) on the Swiss borders, and up to

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Châtel, Morzine and Les Gets in the mountains.

There are a lot of criteria to be met to become a UNESCO Global Geopark, but the essentials are being a territory that has remarkable geological heritage of international importance, and that said territory works from the

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your source of information for Morzine, Les Gets & Avoriaz

A

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.

bottom up with a sustainable development agenda. In practice, this means that we are active in the fields of education and tourism, for example we

promotion of local produce such as Abondance cheese, the training of local guides, and work in partnership with centres des vacances, hotels

You’ll find refuge after strolling through the gardens or lounging around the pool.

- Having a sunny lunch in our garden - A sunset diner in our Petit D restaurant - And to not miss, our Sunday Brunch from 11am to 2pm, followed by a relaxing afternoon by our pool.

We also have a responsibility to ensure that the geological heritage of the area is respected, and that active earth sciences research takes place wherever possible. work with the 124 schools in the area from three-yearolds through to 18-year-olds, provide the information panels of the 23 Georoute sites, and offer free educational (and fun!) activities from May through to October. The other two important criteria are sustainable development and research and conservation, meaning we help with the

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and restaurants. We also have a responsibility to ensure that the geological heritage of the area is respected, and that active earth sciences research takes place wherever possible.

This translates to around 240 individual criteria altogether!

With our Spa, you can choose from amongst the whole line of Pure Altitude treatments, as well as quality massages from a relaxing massage using essential oils to a delicious hot stone massage.

The Chablais region became a UNESCO Global Geopark in 2012. It was the wish of the local

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

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population and politicians to apply for the label to preserve and celebrate the natural and cultural heritage of the area.

But it’s not just as simple as

more than 10 million tourist bed nights per year, almost evenly split between summer and winter visitors, and the majority of the economy,

We should all be mindful of the fact that our Earth has developed slowly over millions of years into a rich and special place. being awarded a title. For example, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, chosen for its international significance (i.e. the Great Wall of China or the Great Barrier Reef in Australia), does not risk losing its label. A UNESCO Global Geopark, in contrast, is a newer label recently adopted

by UNESCO. It is a long term sustainable development project for an area or region, based on understanding and valuing man’s interaction with the Earth. A UGGp label is reassessed every four years. If you do not meet the grade, you risk losing the label.

The Chablais region is the perfect area for a UNESCO seal of approval; it records

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directly or indirectly, is linked to tourism. The idea of the label here is to raise public awareness to the wealth of the natural and cultural heritage, so that everyone can become an ambassador for the area and ensure its long-term protection.

For a more detailed example, we provide training to local guides (both mid-mountain guides and heritage guides) to broaden their skills, and we collaborate so that they develop new products. We are also in the process of forming partnerships with centres des vacances, hotels and restaurants that share sustainable development values.

This year, for example, there is a tour company offering a specialist holiday package to discover the geo-heritage of the region.

One of the most important things to take away from visiting the Chablais UGGp is to think about preserving its natural beauty and culture.

But for me, it’s not just here, it’s anywhere. We should all be mindful of the fact that our Earth has developed slowly over millions of years into a rich and special place. It should be respected. Our resources are finite and should be used with care. With this in mind, whether you choose to enjoy a beautiful view in Avoriaz, or take a guided visit at a Geosite such as the Chateaux des Allinges, you will always behave in a way that preserves the beauty and interest of the area.

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There are so many things visitors and families can do to get involved with the Chablais UGGp, from visiting our Geosites to sampling the local products the region is so famous for. Alongside our everyday initiatives, we also put on events to educate the public and help them explore the beauty of the Geopark’s different sites. This year our big event is ‘Semaine de Geopark’. We’ll start with a stand at the new FestiLéman in Evian on the 19th and 20th May, then continue between the 26th May to the 3rd June with a programme of free visits, reduced entrance fees at partner sites and even a special talk about the Bronze Age lake stilt villages found in the Léman from the leading French freshwater archaeologist. All information will be available in tourist offices, on our Facebook

One of the most important things to take away from visiting the Chablais UGGp is to think about preserving its natural beauty and culture.

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morzine prestige Source.pdf

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tel: +33 (0)4 50 04 33 26 | fax: +33 (0)4 50 37 95 56

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

Coming soon to Morzine. Majestic changes to Morzine Prestige The same team, the same quality of service, a different name

page and our website. Later in the year, in October, there is the Fete de la Science; our theme is ‘the future’ and we’ll be at the Domaine de Decouverte in St Jean d’Aulps.”

and culture. They offer private excursions for the afternoon or for a few days, if you fancy a night or two in a mountain refuge. The Geopark office can put you in touch.

Sophie’s top things to do in the Geopark Chablais:

Belvedere de Trechauffé in La Forclaz: Stunning views of the Swiss and French Alps, a network of well-signed footpaths and a traditional goat farm makes this Alpine plateau ideal for families.

Visit Excenevex: Excenevex is a beautiful medieval town with a naturally sandy beach on the shores of Lac Léman. It’s also home to the Alpage de Bise, where not only are there stunning mountain views but a traditional restaurant, a working alpage farm, and some great places to take a stroll or a more serious hike.

Pré Curieux at Evian: Take a solar powered boat from the main quay and arrive at a beautiful house and gardens where you are led through a discovery of the wetlands and their secrets.

A few days with a mountain guide: The Chablais area is full of mid mountain guides that have encyclopaedic knowledge of the mountains, their wildlife

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Domaine de Decouverte in St Jean d’Aulps: This little cultural centre sits in the restored farm houses of the Abbaye d’Aulps, one of the oldest historical sites in the area. Come here to view the abbey ruins and learn about the rich, varied history of the region in the beautiful village of St Jean. There are plenty of nice walks within walking distance of the abbey, as well.

www.morzine-prestige.com | info@morzine-prestige.com

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

To find out more about places to visit, things to do and preserving the beauty and culture of the UGGp Chablais, visit the website www.geopark-chablais.com or follow @GeoparkChablaisUnesco on Facebook

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45 Degrees North

The Tasty Ski Company

Chalet Morzine

At 45 Degrees North we offer supported road cycling holidays with daily guided rides from our beautiful Chalet Ele. We also offer catered and self catered holidays for anyone that wants to come and enjoy Morzine in the summer. Get in touch and we'd be happy to help!

The Tasty Ski Company run a handful of luxury catered chalets in Morzine and Le Grand Massif in both winter and summer. Top-notch food in amazing locations is the name of our game! Our unlimited drinks service means that beer, wine and soft drinks are on tap throughout the day and not just limited to meal times.

Chalet Morzine has the perfect ski in/out, central location. Winter offers 5* catering with a professional chef. Summer can be booked on a self-catered/B&B basis. Sleeps up to 16 in 7 spacious bedrooms and has an outdoor jacuzzi, large outdoor terrace, games room, spacious garage for skis/bikes, open log fire, cosy lounge and huge balconies with spectacular views over Morzine.

45degreesnorth.co.uk

thetast yskicompany.co.uk

chaletmorzine.com

+44 (0) 203 488 2845

+44 (0) 1557 525 050

+33 (0) 6 71 92 33 77

hello@45degreesnorth.co.uk

info@thetast yskicompany.co.uk

info@chaletmorzine.com

Luxury for less | Catered Luxury Chalets in Morzine

CHALET CACHÉ

Simply Morzine

Hunter Chalets & Apartments

Mountain Xtra Chalets

The original Morzine specialists, established 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 include hot tub, pool or sauna. Superb cuisine, personal service, Geneva transfers & resort shuttles. Discounted lift passes and equipment hire, unique summer activity holidays.

Hunter Chalets & Apartments create bespoke summer and winter holidays in luxury accommodation, tailored specifically to your requirements. We combine beautiful properties, fine dining from private chefs, 24hr driver service and an on-call concierge service to make your summer or winter stay the perfect holiday.

Stylish self-catered chalets and apartments to rent in Morzine and Les Gets, summer and winter. From 1 and 2 bedroom town centre properties to 5 bedroom luxury chalets with hot tubs and more. We can also arrange private catering or delivery meals.

simply-morzine.co.uk

hunterchalets.com

mountainxtra.com

+44 (0) 1664 568 902

+44 (0) 20 3745 3452

+44 (0) 1483 608 396

info@simply-morzine.co.uk

info@hunterchalets.com

info@mountainxtra.com

CHALET PERDRIX

Alptitude Chalets

Treeline Chalets

Chillout Mountain

Self-catered chalets and apartments sleeping from 5 to 12 guests. A great choice of central village locations, plus a selection of more peaceful locations away from the hustle and bustle. From comfortable to more luxurious and all at great value. We provide a unique and personal service which is second to none and perfectly efficient from enquiry to departure.

Award winning independent chalet company with a range of catered and self-catered chalets in central Morzine.

Offering fantastic summer and winter accommodation for all group sizes, with excellent customer service and friendly knowledgeable staff to make sure you get the most of your alpine adventure!

Luxury self-catered chalets sleeping between 6 and 12 guests in contemporary surroundings during the summer months and offering full-service, catered chalets during the winter season. We’ve lived in Morzine for several years and we provide our guests with a truly personalised holiday experience. info@chilloutmountain.com | +33 (0)6 42 79 76 97

www.chilloutmountain.com alptitude.com

treelinechalets.com

chilloutmountain.com

+44 (0) 7891 021 292

+44 (0)1483 220 505

+33 (0) 6 42 79 76 97

info@alptitude.com

info@treelinechalets.com

info@chilloutmountain.com

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51

your source of information for Morzine, Les Gets & Avoriaz

Aiglon Morzine

Skiology

Apex 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 and 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!

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

aiglonmorzine.com

skiology.co.uk

apexmorzine.com

+33 (0) 6 82 05 81 12

+44 (0) 207 183 0688

+33 (0) 4 50 74 65 49

info@aiglonmorzine.com

stay@skiology.co.uk

apexgroup@free.fr

Morgan Jupe - Catered Chalets

Morgan Jupe - Luxury B&B

Morgan Jupe - Apartments

Our fully catered chalets sleep 8 - 12 guests and are located in an exclusive area of Morzine, 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. Winter prices from £5,200; summer prices (self-catered) from £1,400 per chalet, per week.

Our luxury B&B package offers a flexible alternative to our fully catered holidays. Available exclusively in two chalets sleeping 8 - 10 guests, this package includes cooked and continental breakfast, daily housekeeping and a non-stop driving service. Bespoke catering solutions are available at an additional cost. Winter prices from £3,700; summer prices (self-catered) from £1,400 per chalet, per week.

Our three recently renovated apartments sleep 4 - 6 guests and are all located within five minutes walk from the centre of Morzine. Fully equipped with all the essentials including high-speed WIFI, Sonos sound system, smart TV, washing machine and electric ski boot heaters. Winter prices from £1,000; 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

L'Aubergade Hotel - mtn Mavericks

inferno morzine

Alpine Residences

L'Aubergade is without doubt the best-located hotel in Morzine. Situated just 150m from Le Pleney lifts, this is as close to "ride in, ride out" as it gets! With Bring Your Own BBQ evenings, regular live music and an outstanding restaurant menu, you'll be hard pushed to find a better location in Morzine for the summer. Get in touch with our sales team to find out about rooms and rates.

Morzine’s only mountain hostel, at 1500m on the Pointe de Nyon. The finest alpine sunsets with a bar and restaurant, aprés terrace, hot tub, hammocks & fire pit, chill out lounge and WIFI throughout! An upbeat atmosphere, hostel vibes and a variety of weekly events.

From solo travellers to groups of 40+, our likeminded, down to earth team are awaiting your arrival.

Annapurna is one of the most luxurious self-catered apartment complexes in Les Gets. Located within the centre of the village and including an on-site spa and swimming pool complex, the development is brand new and features interior designed apartments and penthouses of different sizes as well as a residents lounge and exclusive restaurant.

infernomorzine.com mountainmavericks.com

+44 (0) 1234 860 120

alpineresidences.fr

+33 (0) 4 50 74 71 73

info@infernomorzine.com

+33 (0) 4 50 79 31 82

thechalet@mountainmavericks.com

/MorzineSourceMagazine

info@alpine-residences.fr

@MorzineSource

/MorzineSourceMagazine

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www.morzinesourcemagazine.com

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

SASSAFRAS 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 duplex apartment sleeping up to 8, this property offers Avoriaz charm and style throughout. Facilities include beds made before arrival, flexible bedroom arrangements that include a mezzanine level which is perfect for children, a fully equipped kitchen and a large living room with plenty of comfortable seating for all.

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

#lovemorzine

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53

your source of information for Morzine, Les Gets & Avoriaz

The best thing about summer in the mountains is that there’s so much to do, and it’s all outdoors! If you’ve got the right kit, you can spend endless hours exploring the mountains and enjoying the peace, quiet and tranquillity they have to offer. Whether you want to get off the beaten track for a day with the family or you fancy a spot of camping around the PDS, we’ve got something for you!

- outdoor living LifeStraw Go Two-Stage Filter

RRP €54.95 The LifeStraw is an amazing long-lasting filter that makes any water safe to drink. Perfect for keen campers, runners and hikers who want to stay hydrated without having to lug around gallons of water, the LifeStraw Go is a conveniently-sized water bottle with an integrated Lifestraw twostage filter. Each LifeStraw contains a micro-filter that gets rid of 99.999999% of bacteria, parasites and microplastics, plus reduces the amount of chemicals such as pesticides and herbicides in your water. It also contains a replaceable carbon capsule which filters out odours, bad tastes and chlorine. Each LifeStraw can filter up to 1000 gallons of water, which is the equivalent of over a year of continuous use and, even after that, it’s mega-easy to buy replacement filters. waternlife.com

Light My Fire Dining Kit

RRP €29.99 Swedish company Light My Fire not only has a great name, it’s also credited with creating the wonderful invention that is the Spork. They make innovative, ergonomic camping gear like the DiningKit, a compact, stackable lightweight picnic set for four people - perfect for families, friends and any other kind of outdoor diner. Every detail has been thought out down to a tee, from the stackable high-sided plates that are easy to eat from and the collapsible, stackable cups, to the ‘harness’ that holds it all together. Of course, Sporks are included, and everything is made in Sweden from BPA-free plastic that can be reused again and again. The perfect picnic set to slip in your pack and go. lightmyfire.com

/MorzineSourceMagazine

@MorzineSource

/MorzineSourceMagazine

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www.morzinesourcemagazine.com

Trangia 25 – 1UL Stove Set

The James Brand Chapter Pocket Knife

RRP €69.99

RRP €300.00

Duke of Edinburgh-approved and sporting a clean, compact and packable design that’s been tried and true for over 90 years, the Trangia Stove is the ultimate outdoor cooking set-up.

Made in Sweden from lightweight aluminium, this two-person kit contains everything you need to cook up a storm in the wilderness: a spirit burning weather-proof stove, two saucepans, a frying pan and a detachable pan handle, plus a handy strap to hold it all together. What makes these stoves so great is not only their simplicity, but the clever construction that protects the open flame from the elements allowing a little wind to get in to add oxygen to the fire. And when you’re ready to go, everything neatly packs up into the largest saucepan for smart and simple

Every outdoor enthusiast needs a good knife. This sleek specimen from Portland-based company The James Brand may be a tad on the pricey side, but it’ll last a lifetime. Preparing food, whittling wood or cutting rope? The Chapter will do all it in style. Toted as ‘the knife we wanted to carry’, it’s been painstakingly crafted to provide the ultimate combination of high quality and everyday utility in a clean, minimalist package for improved longevity.

Made from high-performance, hardwearing materials and available in a range of colours and stainless steel blade options, this is a knife that’ll be passed through

transportation.

your family for generations.

trangia.se

thejamesbrand.com

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Simply Spas 1-2 page advert.pdf

your source of information for Morzine, Les Gets & Avoriaz

1

13/10/2016

15:03

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• HOT-TUB • SWIMSPA • SAUNAS • • SEASONAL SPA HIRE • TRADE IN • Ticket To The Moon Travel Hammock

RRP €45.00 - €90.00 A must-have for any keen camper, this cool and practical travel hammock saves you having to cart around a tent and solves the problem of finding flat ground to pitch it. Ultra-lightweight and made from parachute-grade Nnylon, Ticket To The Moon hammocks will bring a smile to your face, whether you’re camping in the woods or chilling in your garden. They even pack away into a tiny hammock-shaped pouch and have a side pocket for storing drinks, phones and other essentials whilst horizontal.

For the casual hammocker, there's the basic package, while the more hardcore adventurers will appreciate optional extras like climbing-grade carabiners and tree-friendly straps with extra storage. And the best part? You can pick your own colourway!

TTTM also make other products like bags, blankets and Frisbees from fabric offcuts and have their own factory in Bali where all the workers are subject to a fair wage and great working conditions.

WE SELL GREAT SPAS, SAUNAS, SWIMSPAS & STEAM ROOMS

ticketothemoon.com

E TOO INS AVAILABL BS. ASON, TRADESE E TH R UNAS AND TU FO RENT OF BARREL SA GE N AVAILABLE TO RA EW E OUR N COME AND SE HOT STUFF!

Hard.Bar

RRP €17.25

for a pack of ten

Whether you’re biking, hiking, running, camping or generally just enjoying the outdoors, it’s always great to have some energy-boosting snacks. Hard.Bar is a brand-new snack bar made from entirely organic and predominantly ethically sourced ingredients. They’re not only really tasty, but they don’t contain any processed sugar. Even better, they were developed in Chamonix and the logo and packaging were designed by very talented Morzine-based designer, Lois Vero. Hard.Bars are available in coffee, orange and cocoa, Swedish apple pie and gingerbread, and we have to tell you, they are delicious. Try a variety pack and find out.

0%

INTEREST

FREE

AVAILABCREDIT LE

VISIT OUR SHOWROOM IN SAMOENS

WWW.SIMPLYSPAS-ALPS.COM

Hard.bar

/MorzineSourceMagazine

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/MorzineSourceMagazine

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www.morzinesourcemagazine.com

FORGED IN

SHEFFIELD

images Š sven martin

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57

your source of information for Morzine, Les Gets & Avoriaz

Here follows a lesson in how a true professional can dominate a sport while still being a really nice guy.

By Michael Henderson

Born in Sheffield in 1974, Steve Peat started riding bikes aged three, chasing down his two older brothers. World Cup Championship success on two wheels arrived in 2002, 2004 and for a third time in 2006; it was in this year that Peaty joined the famed Santa Cruz Syndicate race team. But would he ever win that elusive World Championship title? Only time would tell.

Peaty finished the 2009 downhill mountain bike season as the most successful male racer ever, by number of World Cup wins at the time.

He was also crowned World Champion. At 35 years of age, his success was unprecedented and it was a dream some thought would never come true for Peaty, who finally retired at the end of the 2016 race season. Since then he’s had plenty of time to reflect on a career as one of the sports most loved figures; one which also included nine British Championship titles, 17 World Cup wins, 52 World Cup podiums and a legendary ability to party all night long.

Retirement didn’t conclude Peaty’s place on the Santa Cruz Syndicate. His official title is now ‘Race Support’, but you just know he’s playing a much bigger role in the mentoring three-times World Champion Greg Minnaar and Junior World Champion Loris Vergier, both on and off the track. /MorzineSourceMagazine

@MorzineSource

/MorzineSourceMagazine

58

www.morzinesourcemagazine.com

"It's "It's kind kind of of annoying annoying as as the the kids kids now now expect expect

everything everything for for nothing nothing and and are are almost almost spoilt" spoilt" #lovemorzine

#lovelesgets

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59

Peaty, how are you finding life after competing at the highest level? Is your body thanking you yet?

The body is certainly not thanking me!!! Once you slow down a little you start to feel all the aches and pains. I need to keep moving, training and riding so the body can keep going. The transition from full time racer is quite a tough one; it’s hard on the mind to find things to replace what I had been doing for so many years of my life.

Have you discovered a newfound love for bike riding since retiring?

It’s not a newfound love, the love has always been there, but there is certainly a different urgency to what and when I ride. The purpose for the ride has changed for me, but love is still there and always will be.

Who were your idols while growing up?

I think when I first got in to MTBs, some of the early XC UK guys like David Baker and Tim Gould were idols of mine. I soon moved on to John Tomac and Jason McCroy and to me these guys just oozed style, were winning races and were very nice people too, not arrogant in anyway and down to Earth. I was also in to Motorcross and Supercross for years, and my idol from those sports was Jeremy McGrath. I was fortunate enough to meet and hang out with Jeremy quite a few times and it always blew me away how easy going he was and how much time he had for his fans. I tried to follow his lead in my career after this.

The World Cup scene is renowned for its parties and you have been at the centre of many of these. Which stage generally threw down the best parties?

There are many stories. We’re a fun bunch and we like to let loose after the pressures of racing build up over a weekend. The stories make themselves in each venue. I think some of my favourite times were with Shaun Palmer, Kirt Vories and Rob Warner back in the day. Stuff would go down back then that you wouldn’t get away with now!!! Palmer always said ‘as long as you’re prepared to pay for any damages caused, you can’t really get in trouble.” He paid out more than most though.

You’ve been a mentor for many a young rider, including the likes of Josh Bryceland and Brendan Fairclough. Who should we be keeping an eye out for in the future?

Damn tough question these days. There are so many little rippers popping up all over the world. Our current crop of young guys like Finn Iles and Matt Walker are now first year seniors and I think they will be a force in this year. As for younger guys, it’s so hard to pick, every team in the pits is jumping on the bandwagon and trying their luck with kids. It's kind of annoying as the kids now expect everything for nothing and are almost spoilt because these teams are just tying their luck. Bit of a cliché, but I believe the kids need to earn their rides more; this will set them up better for years to come.

/MorzineSourceMagazine

@MorzineSource

/MorzineSourceMagazine

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www.morzinesourcemagazine.com

What’s the biggest change you’ve seen in mountain biking since you started out?

The biggest change is just the progression! The bikes, the athletes and the speed. We are all so competitive that we keep pushing on, it’s quite a natural thing and makes me realise just how hard it is when you’re not in the middle of it all. It’s always been tough to say one single thing that has made a huge difference, mainly because I feel like it is a package of all the aspects progressing together. It’s a constant rolling big changing beast.

How did you manage to keep competing at such a high level for such a long time?

This is something I get asked a lot, and to be honest I think the truth to it is that I enjoyed what I was doing, always changing things up and enjoying the moment. If I had a bad result, I could move on quickly and refocus on the next race. I have always been surrounded by great people, who also helped with this fun vibe while getting the job done.

Did you ever fall out of love with riding your bike whilst competing?

Never while competing. I think the competition is what fed me the most, I love every aspect of a race weekend.

Meeting people, learning the track, getting up to speed, the noise and the crowds and the pressure, its all makes you want more. Maybe I fell out with it a little after I stopped racing World Cups and didn’t need to do it in the same way, but I still had fun while on the bike.

As a professional athlete, you need to have a competitive nature. Does this carry through to everyday life and to what extreme?

Yes I am pretty competitive! I reckon I went a good few years winning shotgun whenever we got in a car. I also grew up with two older brothers, who I had to follow around on bikes from a very young age. Trying to keep up with them and compete with them when they were older, bigger and stronger than me definitely set me up to be competitive in life.

If you could only ever ride one spot, where would it be and why?

#lovemorzine

Hmmmmm, through my career I’ve had many different spots that I love to ride but I have always returned back to my local trails in Sheffield. Wharncliffe Woods is the spot and to ride there with all my friends is a great feeling and very fun. More recently I have had chance to spend more time here in Morzine, riding with friends and also my kids. It could well be my new favourite!!!

It would be great to see a World Cup return to our valley at some point. Do you see this as a natural progression after the French nationals this summer?

I would love to say that is the natural progression, but you never know! The valley certainly has the terrain to have an awesome World Cup track and all the infrastructure is in place. Fingers crossed on this one. I would love to help out and give advice to make an awesome track.

Les Gets will no doubt hold some fond memories for you after your win in 2002. Any tales to tell?

Ha ha, as with any race win, the after party is always the one that stands out. We had a big session with JM in the Boomerang and then moved the party into town. Some of my friends rented a place and were partying on their balcony, it got a bit rowdy and a flower fight started, there were people (French and English) ripping the flowers out of the beds on the ground and throwing them up at my mates, it went on for a while and was very messy! Lets just say it took my mates a while to get their passports back after that one.

Having Santa Cruz base their European HQ in Morzine is great for our area. Do you think this will help to better develop the Pleney?

Yes, it’s great to have a European base here now and I will certainly be spending a good amount of time riding this area. Santa Cruz are a forward thinking company and know how much the trails and riding means to people.

The Pleney is already awesome and will benefit from anything we can do with Santa Cruz to improve the experience for riders. I have many friends in Morzine and would love to get involved with ideas for trails or even events.

Watch this space, I guess!

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#loveavoriaz

Source Advert Spoonycooks.pdf

your source of information for Morzine, Les Gets & Avoriaz

"The "The already already

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Call +44 (0)7403 322 235

Summer Source Mag Ad 2018 Edited.pdf

/MorzineSourceMagazine

@MorzineSource

@Spoonycooks

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07/05/2018

17:49

/MorzineSourceMagazine

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Time to try a Tri? Last summer our valley got its very own Triathlon Club, Tri Montagne.

Established by a group of nine passionate locals and lead by professional coaches Joe and Amelia Pearson, the aim was to make Triathlon training accessible to all.

In their own words, here’s how trying a Tri has changed the lives of four locals.

Russ Price

Helen Watts

“Having previously done very little road biking, I stupidly signed up for L’Etape de Tour. I was going to need help! I managed to track down Amelia and Joe and they designed a simple training program to help me complete the race. Having never even been in a gym before, I was starting from scratch! The local Tri Club and their training programs really helped me achieve my goals, which every year seem to get bigger and bigger. L’Étape, Marmotte, Evergreen Endurance and this year the Tour de Mont Blanc. I may even do a triathlon this year!”

“My fitness has improved massively since I started training with Amelia when I was feeling unfit after having two children; it's always fun to go to sessions, which definitely helps! They are always suitable for all levels, from complete beginner to more experienced Triathletes and Amelia ensures that everyone receives a warm welcome and useful coaching tips for their individual level and objectives. Coming along to the team sessions is a great social way to exercise, meet people and achieve your goals with the support of a friendly team.”

Ceri Nichol

Christelle Thorel

“Following my hip replacement surgery in May last year, I used Triathlon training with Tri Montage and Buzz Performance to get back on my feet and my bike, quite literally! The great thing about triathlon training is that the three elements make the sessions so varied. I find training in a group motivating and there is something for everyone; from people regularly competing in Triathlon to complete beginners and those recovering from injury The sessions are really friendly, social and informative and make the most of our stunning alpine environment.”

“I recently finally made that decisive step to learn front crawl, which has always been a catastrophe for me. Drowning, choking, splashing, feeling like I've done 25m and realising I've made it three metres down the lane!

I've made that step first of all because I fully trust Amelia and know she will manage to get something out of me. Even the excellent swimmers in the group get a lot of personal advice and goals to keep improving.

I'm now working towards achieving an old goal; one which I never really thought I would even set myself! It's uplifting and so rewarding. Like they say, it's not easy but it's now possible!”

Tri Montagne is for everyone – from beginners to experienced Triathletes.

If you’d like to join the club, head to trimontagne.com or email trimontagne@gmail.com

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WINTER TIME BESPOKE DAY TRIPS ON REQUEST

v

tra

8

S cheduled day trips from Morzine and Les Gets Scheduled For bookings and further destination information

www.mountaindaysaway.com

+33 (0)646899611 / +33 (0)633218010 Scheduled prices shown are per person and for transport to and from resort only.

All scheduled and alternative destinations are available on different days, throughout the week, when booked as a bespoke, private day trip. Subject to availability.

TUESDAY YVOIRE

MEDIEVAL VILLAGE

€30

WEDNESDAY CHAMONIX

€45

One of Frances prettiest medieval villages on the shore of Lac Leman.

Restaurants, sightseeing, boat trips and water sports.

EXCENEVEX BEACH

THURSDAY THONON LES BAINS

€25

FRIDAY ANNECY

€45

Château de Ripaille (Gardens and Vineyards), Port de Rives Lac Leman, Municipal Beach, Shopping/ Gift & Speciality Shops & Passenger ferry to Lausanne CH.

EVIAN

€30

LES BAINS

€30

SPECIAL OFFER For a €5 supplement split day between Yvoire and Excenevex beach !

Aiguille du Midi 3842m, Montenvers - Mer de Glace train, Glacier des Bossons, Brevent Cable Car, Chamonix Recreation Park and Shopping.

A natural fine sand beach on the shores of Lac Leman. Restaurants and water sports. /MorzineSourceMagazine

Source of Evian Spring Water, Evian Casino, Health Spas, Funicular – Neuvecelle, Gardens of Pre Curieux Water,Lac Leman and Boat trips

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Lake Annecy, La Vieille Ville (old Annecy, often described as the Venice of France.)

With its many meandering streets, restaurants, Shopping/ Gift & Speciality Shops and culture it is a must visit). Fun for all the family, cycle around the lake on hire bikes or relax in the gardens of Europe next to the lake. /MorzineSourceMagazine

Any activities customers wish to do in resort need to be booked with the provider. Advance booking recommended.

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food

glorious food Morzine Source Magazine eats out a lot. Here’s a collection of our favourite dishes from across the valley right now, along with all you need to make them at home.

Serves 6 - 8 as a main course Ingredients 1 side (800g approx.) of local trout from The Meuniers trout farm 200g sea salt 300g sugar 8g migonette pepper 285ml beetroot puree ½ lemon juice & zest 1 tsp toasted caraway seeds 1 tbsp black treacle To Serve 1 x cucumber (deseeded, peeled & diced) 1 x pinch ground cumin 1 x handful of micro cress ½ x bunch of chopped dill 200g sour cream (crème fraiche)

Beetroot & Black Treacle Cured Local Trout

Method To prepare the marinade, combine the salt, sugar, beetroot puree, lemon juice, caraway and treacle in a large container.

By Neil Churchill at The Farmhouse

The menu at The Farmhouse Hotel, housed inside Morzine’s oldest building, has its very own Instagram profile, such is the passion for food amongst the team. The dining room is open to non-residents during the summer and winter seasons and the three or four course meal is served on one large table, banquet style.

Priced at €50 per person, you can expect pre-dinner canapés served in the cosy bar, an internationally inspired menu, accompanying wine, coffee and chocolates. thefarmhouse.co.uk +33 (0) 4 50 79 08 26

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Remove the skin from the trout, thoroughly coat the flesh in the marinade and set aside in the fridge for 24 hours, turning over after 12 hours.

To prepare the garnish, simply mix the sour cream with the cumin and refrigerate until required.

Run the trout under cold water to wash off the marinade.

Pat dry with kitchen towel and then brush with a little more treacle and press the chopped dill onto the trout to form a herb crust.

Using a very sharp knife, slice thinly across the grain of the trout, starting at the top of the fillet, until you have 4-5 slices per portion.

Assembly Spoon the sour cream garnish onto the corner of each plate and arrange slices of trout on top.

Arrange the cucumber around each plate and finish with a sprinkling of micro cress.

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Serves 2 as a main course Ingredients ½ Cauliflower 1 tbsp red miso paste 150g tabbouleh 100ml boiling water ½ red pepper ½ courgette Handful cherry tomatoes Handful mange tout/snap peas ½ red chilli Dressing 2 garlic cloves Handful parsley Handful coriander ½ tsp dried oregano Juice of ½ lime Pinch salt ½ large red chilli 40ml olive oil 10ml red wine vinegar Method Peel the outer layers of the cauliflower and cut it in half. Set one half aside to use another time. Save any broken bits of cauliflower or florets for later.

Slice the half cauliflower along the cut into ½ inch thick steak sized slices.

Rub over a little oil, then marinate in the miso paste. Rub the paste over and allow it to get into all the crevices between the florets.

Place in the fridge for at least an hour to marinate. In the meantime fire up your BBQ.

Miso Marinated BBQ Cauliflower Steaks

with Tabbouleh & Chimichurri Dressing

By Jo Watts at Chez Toi Private Chefs

Those looking for an alternative to the carb-laden menus available in restaurants across the valley this summer will call Jo. Feeder of professional Triathletes, Jo and her team at Chez Toi prepare custom menus that are designed to energise and inspire. Vegan and veggie dishes are Jo’s specialty, though menus are always tailored to the tastes and nutritional requirements of your group. cheztoi.biz +33 (0) 7 82 72 56 45

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Add the mange tout/snap peas and extra florets to a bowl with a little water, steam in the microwave for around 3 minutes.

Slice the courgette and red pepper, spray with a little oil, season and add to the bbq along with the cauliflower steaks. Cook the veg for about a minute on each side and remove. BBQ the steaks for about 5 minutes on each side until cooked but still have a bite.

Place the halved cherry tomatoes on a baking tray with a splash of oil & salt cook either on the bbq, or in an oven to roast for a few minutes.

Add 100ml boiling water to the tabbouleh, mix and let it sit for around 10 minutes.

Add the steamed vegetables, red pepper, courgette and tomatoes to the tabbouleh and mix well.

To make the dressing, add the ingredients except the oil and vinegar to a food processor and pulse slightly. Add the oil and vinegar and blend.

Assembly Place the cooked cauliflower steak onto a plate, add a handful of the tabbouleh, mix and top with sliced red chilli. Drizzle with the dressing to taste.

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Method Preheat oven to 180°C Place garlic, onion, thyme and wine in a saucepan and simmer away slowly. Reduce until wine is no longer.

Add the cream and simmer until it thickens a little, add the Dijon and season on the salty side as the potatoes will take it.

SautĂŠ the Chanterelle mushrooms in a hot pan with a little olive oil and the butter, season after cooking.

Assembly Arrange the cooked sliced potatoes in an earthenware or oven dish.

Nappe (flood) the sauce over the potatoes.

Tartiflet te with Cru Chanterelles & Jambon

Sprinkle the Chanterelle and jambon cru evenly, drizzle with a little truffle oil.

Cut the Reblochon in 5mm slices and lay across the dish with no gaps, keeping it neat.

By Martin at Bon Appetit Alpes

Cook for between 40-50 mins.

Bon Appetit Alpes deliver frozen ready meals of the highest standard including a range of international dishes. Use the simple ordering process on their website before 5pm, your meals will be delivered on the same day.

Finish with parsley. Serve with a mixed leaf salad and cornichons.

bonappetitalpes.com +33 (0) 4 86 80 12 08 Serves 4 Ingredients 1 Reblochon au lait cru 1kg cooked potatoes and sliced (5mm-7mm), preferably Binje 100g local jambon cru sliced and roughly chopped 500g Chanterelle mushrooms (or your preferred mushrooms) from the market 75g butter Drizzle of white truffle oil Sauce 1 clove of garlic, bashed 1 onion finely diced 2 large glasses of Apremont wine 2 good sprigs of thyme .5 litre of cream 15g Dijon mustard Salt and pepper Curly parsley, chopped

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Sweet Potato & Coconut Brownies

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By Mark Sutton at Wild Beets Kitchen

“At Wild Beets Kitchen, our new restaurant in Les Gets, we’re all about healthy, fresh food that fills you up but doesn’t compromise on taste. If you’re heading out onto the trails this summer, either on your bike or on two feet, don’t wait until you’re hungry to grab a dirty burger or a plate of frites. We guarantee this will slow you down and probably ruin your afternoon! Instead, come and see us at Wild Beets Kitchen in the centre of Les Gets and we’ll sort you out with some proper fuel that tastes amazing, fills you up and makes you feel great.” facebook.com/wildbeetskitchen Makes 8 – 12

Chez Toi YOUR PRIVATE CHEF

CHALET AND PRIVATE CHEF SERVICE

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

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

1 large sweet potato Flax eggs (2 tbsp ground flax seeds + 6 tbsp water) 100g maple syrup 35g coconut oil, melted 1 vanilla pod 50g coconut flour 30g cocoa powder 30g dark chocolate chips ¼ tsp baking powder ¼ tsp salt Almond/cashew butter (crunchy)

Ambik Yoga.pdf

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Yoga provides all the tools you need for physical and emotional wellbeing

Method Preheat oven to 180.°C Peel and dice the sweet potato, steam until tender.

Alternatively pierce the potato, wrap in tin foil and bake in the oven until soft, then scoop out the insides.

Measure 200g of the cooked potato and add to a mixing bowl.

Add the ground flax seeds and water to a separate bowl, whisk and set aside for 5 minutes to thicken.

Yoga in Morzine and the surrounding area

Lightly coat a muffin tin with coconut oil.

- Stand Up Paddle Yoga - Hammock Yoga - After sport Yoga - Hatha Flow Yoga

Add maple syrup, melted coconut oil, flax eggs and vanilla seeds to the sweet potato and combine.

Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt to the mix and combine. Gently stir in the chocolate chips.

Private or small group classes

Drop a little of the batter into the muffin tin and make a tiny well in the middle with your finger. Add a ¼ tsp of almond or cashew butter and cover with more batter.

Bake in the oven for around 20 minutes until firm to the touch.

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Booking by reservation only: Call: +33 (0) 6 32 41 83 90 Facebook: Ambika Yoga - Morzine www.yoga-morzine.com

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Fruit Filling 3 pears, peeled, cored & sliced into thin strips 1 star anise ½ cinnamon stick 1 pinches black pepper 125 ml red wine 60ml Cointreau/triple sec ½ orange, zested & juiced 2 tablespoons soft brown sugar 1 vanilla pod, seeds removed and saved for the cream 150g blackberries Put all the ingredients, except the fruit, in a saucepan and place on a medium heat until the liquid comes to the boil, then immediately reduce the heat to a gentle simmer.

Add the pears and cook until soft, but not mushy. Add the blackberries and remove the pan from the heat, leaving the fruit to cool in the liquid.

Mille Feuille with Savoyard

Pears & Seasonal Blackberries

By Kat Judge at AliKats Mountain Holidays

Three-time Source Award winner in the Favourite Food category, Kat’s food is widely acclaimed, especially amongst her legion of regular guests who visit each year for dishes just like this one. The AliKats menu strikes a balance between the healthy and the indulgent and Kat places a huge emphasis on locally sourced, free range and seasonal ingredients in event dish. Everything is made from scratch in the AliKats kitchen. alikats.eu info@alikats.eu Serves 6 Pastry Leaves 3 sheets filo pastry (38cm x 30cm) 50g unsalted butter, melted 25g brown sugar 30g finely chopped hazelnuts Heat the oven to 375°F/190°C. Lay a sheet of filo pastry on a work surface. Brush with melted butter. Sprinkle over about a teaspoon of sugar and some nuts.

Make 2 more layers the same way. Place the 3 sheets one on top of the other and using a large knife or pizza cutter, slice the sheet into 20 rectangles, approx 6cm x 6.5cm. This will give you enough to make 6 x 3-tiered mille feuilles, plus a couple of spares for breakages.

Arrange on a baking sheet and bake until golden and crisp, about 7 minutes.

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Once cooled, strain the liquid from the fruit into a new saucepan. Set the fruit aside until needed – don’t forget to remove the spices as these will be horribly bitter if you bite them by mistake.

Bring the liquid back to a gentle simmer and allow it to reduce over a medium heat until it is the consistency of a syrup – it should be thick but still pourable. Set it aside and allow it to cool.

Crème Patissier 600ml whole milk 6 egg yolks 100g caster sugar 30g plain flour 30g cornflour 1 vanilla pod Put the milk in a saucepan. Cut the vanilla pod, if using, down one side, then scrape out all the seeds. Add the pod and seeds to the milk and place the pan over a medium heat. Scald, by gently heating it until steaming. Just before it bubbles, take off the heat, remove the vanilla pod and any skin that has formed.

Put the egg yolks and sugar in a medium bowl, mix well. Add a splash of the scalded milk, then the flours. Mix well to combine and ensure there are no lumps. Gradually stir in the remaining milk.

Return the mixture to a clean saucepan and place over a low to medium heat.

Bring to the boil, stirring continuously. It will go lumpy, but keep stirring and it will become smooth. Turn the heat down and simmer for 2 minutes.

Remove from the heat and add the vanilla extract, if using. Transfer the crème pâtissière to a piping bag and set aside to cool.

Assembly Pipe crème patissiere onto the first layer of pastry, top with the pears and blackberries, then lay a second layer of pastry on top.

Pipe another layer of crème patissier on top of the second layer of pastry and top with the fruit.

Carefully place the third layer of pastry on top.

Place the fruit syrup in a squeezy bottle and make a pretty design on the plate for the mille feuille to sit on and garnish with a little pile of fresh blackberries if you can get them. Dust with icing sugar and serve.

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Don’t let

BREAKAGES spoil your holiday

By MPI Brokers

You’re heading overseas for a well-earned break in the mountains and like thousands of other travellers, you’ve chosen the comfort and convenience of a chalet or self-catering apartment for your holidays.

Probably the last thing on your mind as you start packing your bags is the possibility that you, or one of your party, might accidentally damage your accommodation. You certainly won’t want your holiday memories tainted by a hefty bill to repair or replace damaged fixtures or fittings.

However, if you’ve selected your holiday insurance policy correctly, you can set off for your destination safe in the knowledge that even if there is a breakage or other accidental damage during the trip you may not have to foot the bill.

It all comes down to your insurance. The same policy that can cover cancellation, travel and a wide range of activities while you’re away, may also cover any accidental damage for which you might be personally liable.

Not all travel insurance policies are created equal. Many can be less generous in the range of activities covered, and the scale of personal liability cover.

If you’re the person who usually books your holiday, you are automatically regarded as the leader. If there is a damage issue, the property owner may file a claim against you and will need to prove negligence.

In very general terms, providing there is no evidence of unlawful activity, the personal liability section of a travel insurance policy provides for claims against you.

Our advice to ‘party leaders’ is to check that existing travel insurance provides adequate personal liability cover. If it does not, then it is worth talking to a provider – such as MPI – that recognises the importance of peace of mind for the leader of a holiday group.

We also recommend that all travellers read the conditions of their travel insurance policies. Some ‘bargain’ policies can turn out to be limited in the cover they provide.

NOTE: In the context of travel insurance there is another important aspect of personal liability cover: accidental injury to another person. An innocent collision on a ski slope, for example, could lead to a claim against you for damages. Many policies don’t provide cover if this involves a travelling companion. Ensure you are covered.

For more information on mountain-specific travel insurance head to mpibrokers.com

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Road biking in the mountains may be a bit tougher than elsewhere, but the impeccable views and beautiful weather make up for the gruelling climbs.

However, there’s nothing worse than being uncomfortable, unorganised or stuck in an equipment jam while you’re out on your bike in the middle of nowhere. This sport’s hard enough as it is! That’s why this year’s road bike guide is all about those little things that give a lot…

- road bike KANDESENT Power T Back Tank and the Stealth Jacket

RRP £95.00 // £110.00 KANDESENT is a brand-new women’s road bike label setting out to provide a fresh look and innovative style without scrimping on performance. Check out our interview with founder Michelle Wilkinson on page 22. This awesome ensemble consists of a racer back tank top and a cropped jacket designed to be mixed and matched across the KANDESENT collection. Designed and made in Europe, these pieces are practical, comfortable and stylish. The Stealth jacket is designed to be super soft to the touch ad ultra-packable so you can slip it on for chilly descents, while the Power T Back Tank features an innovative shape and bold print that sets it apart from other road bike apparel brands. And of course, both pieces are moisture-wicking and fast drying for when you’re working really hard.

KANDESENT.com

Genuine Innovations Air Chuck+

RRP €25.99 If you’re expecting big things from a brand called Genuine Innovations, you won’t be disappointed by the Air Chuck+.

When you need a little bit more air in your tyres this little number will inflate them in less time than it takes for your riding buddies to even notice you’ve stopped. Compatible with both Shrader and Presca valves and so small it fits in the palm of your hand, all you need to do is push to inflate. The Air Chuck+ even features a more ergonomic design than the original Air Chuck to keep your hand away from the canister – a big plus when it’s chilly outside! genuineinnovations.com distributed by nowcompany.com

Quad Lock Bike Kit for iPhone

RRP €69.95 Quad Lock aren’t beating around the bush when they say their products are the ‘lightest, strongest and most secure smartphone mounts on the market.’ Their unbeatable bike mount system is made up of a tough, impact absorbing outer case for your phone, and a lightweight, low-profile handle bar mount that’s designed to attach to your stem. The phone case is equipped with a super-secure twist-andlock mechanism, which means you can simply slot it on the mount and go. The patented dual-stage lock is so secure it can hold up to 80kg, so you know your phone is going to hang in there no matter what. From here, it’s mega easy to view all your favourite mapping apps without having to get off your bike or lose concentration, plus it even comes with a special Quad Lock Poncho for riding in the rain.

And don’t worry Andriod users, Quad Lock have covered all the bases and made a Galaxy version, as well as a universal version for other smartphone brands. quadlockcase.eu

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DISC & NON DISC

KitBrix Bags

RRP €57.50 Ever get sick of trying to find all your sports gear in a squishy gym bag? Especially when you do more than one sport! KitBrix have solved this problem by creating easy-to-organise rectangular bags that can be used alone or zipped together and carried as a backpack. Genius. Perfect for keen road racers or triathletes, the sturdy shape means you’re never going to be losing bits of kit inside them and the easy external labelling system means you can organise your gear by sport. Extra organisational aids like outer storage pouches are perfect for keeping little extras like riding snacks, water bottles and tools, while inside there are handy pockets for race licences, keys and documents. Kitbrix also have solid bases, carry handles and are completely waterproof to compliment an outdoor lifestyle - as an added extra they’re also perfectly sized for taking on planes and trains!

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col de joux plane

Topeak Ratchet Rocket Lite NTX

RRP €30 .00 Always be prepared! This little gem is the perfect size to carry with you on your road bike adventures and has pretty much everything you need to adjust, fine-tune and fix your bike on the fly. It even comes in a neat little case, and for bonus organisational points, has labelled slots for all the different ratchet attachments. It really does contain everything; selection of the most common hex bits, screwdriver heads, as well as a reversible ratchet to use them with and a host of other handy bits and bobs. All while being small enough to fit in a pack, pocket or on a crossbar. The perfect companion for you and your bike when you’re on the go. topeak.com / distributed by nowcompany.com

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Parlez vous français?

By Natalie Elvy

I’ve always been envious of those people who manage to switch between languages effor tlessly. Imagining myself in this chic, linguistically competent elite, I decided to do a ski season in France. With my A in GCSE French, it surely wouldn’t be long before I was confusing my English and French, like those people who want you to know they’re really good at languages.

Disappointingly, during my first winter hosting a chalet for a British company with exclusively British clients and uniquely anglophone co-workers, my French did not progress. My seasonnaire lifestyle of cooking, cleaning, snowboarding, partying and sleeping, meant I noticed only as I was leaving the little village in the Tarentaise, that after five months of living in France, I’d barely spoken a single word of French.

Slightly ashamed of myself, I travelled France on my own, aiming to talk to/ at anyone who’d listen, and hoping that French would just ‘come to me’. I became aware that even basic French; asking the time, finding out where the bus, train station, shop or museum was; buying tickets; asking when to get off the bus/train (all the things I thought my GCSE would have equipped me for) were beyond me. Every question I wanted to ask, I had to rehearse. When it had been asked and understood, I had to decipher the answer, always delivered in lightening-fast French. I would nod and smile like a maniac and say ‘oui oui’, accepting I’d have to ask someone else when this person was out of sight. I felt bitter towards everyone who waxed lyrical about the satisfaction of learning another language, especially my French teacher. The reality of my ‘independenttravel’ tactic was that I ended up on the American / Antipodean inter-rail trail around Europe. Whilst this was lots of fun, it was not what I was looking for.

In a final attempt to avoid real life and invent a successful cover story for my

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time bumming round France getting a tan and learning nothing, I headed to Samoëns where I’d found a job as a nanny. A week later, and thanks to a lucky encounter, I had literally embraced the ‘immersion technique’ of language learning and cultural exchange, and taken a French lover. Shortly after, I realised live-in nannying wasn’t the career path for me, and moved in with him and his French flatmates. Although moving in with a foreign boyfriend after 10 days probably renders parents everywhere panic-stricken, the upside is languagelearning gold.

Living in an exclusively French household, I finally accepted that learning a language isn’t something that just happens to you effortlessly and overnight. This is a cruel rumour spread by people who’ve forgotten how hard it is at the beginning.

There’s the awkwardness and agony of being completely clueless. I fibbed that I could understand everything: it was just speaking that was difficult. In reality I rarely had any idea what conversation was going on around me. I regressed to a stuttering, self-conscious adolescent, blushing and getting flustered whenever asked a question. Daily, I laughed along with jokes I didn’t get, shook my head when I should have nodded and made regular use of mortifying ‘false-friends’: should you wish remark on how bread stays soft for longer in the UK thanks to our use of ‘préservatives’, know this means ‘condom’. Don’t say “Oh my God”: ‘godemiché’ (‘gode’ for short) is a vibrator in French. Everyone thought I was a loser.

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Eventually I got so tired worrying about what people thought of me and I relaxed.

I gave up trying so hard and started paying attention to what other people were saying rather than trying to work out what I could say (very little). That was when I started learning. I didn’t have the confidence to say anything, but as someone who often speaks when I don’t really have much to say, I realised there’s a skill to listening, and that you don’t have to ‘contribute’ to every conversation. I started to recognise words and phrases, and then follow conversations. Obviously there were still lots of words I didn’t know, but being able to identify them was a big boost.

When I started listening I discovered what other people were up to. I stopped obsessing about all the French I didn’t know and should be learning, and started being interested in all the things I could be doing while I was here. This, it turns out, is the key!

Ten years later and now living in Morzine with the same Frenchman, my spoken French still has a long way to go and my written French remains terrible.

But I have picked up a few tricks along the way. The most important is to stop beating yourself up for not speaking good enough French. Instead, get out and start doing things you enjoy. You’re going to meet plenty of French people doing those things too. You’ll already have something in common and a better reason than ‘speaking French’ for being there. Ease up, don’t obsess over how little you know and try to enjoy the journey.

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Here are some other nuggets that keep me going:

✔ Do take lessons - you’re paying someone to listen to you

✘ Don’t start by apologising -

so you don’t have to worry about boring them! Your teacher is there to identify your issues and offer you solutions that might make your life easier.

you’re in a foreign country, it’s normal you’re not fluent in the language. Starting phrases with ‘sorry’ means people are trying to work out what you’ve done wrong, rather than listening to what you actually want to say.

✔ Do use the words you know: ‘Bonjour’, ‘Merci', ‘S’il vous plait’. They may not seem like much, but people notice niceties, even if they’re just to bookend a question / phrase in English.

✔ Do remember that you’re not always perfectly articulate in English, but you don’t obsess about what you said wrong.

Try to reflect on and accept your mistakes in French without getting hung up on them.

✔ Do get over yourself - no one ever learned to speak a

✔ Do ask ‘Parlez vous anglais?’ before you launch into

language perfectly without opening his or her mouth. You’re going to make mistakes and feel like an idiot. People will respect for you for taking the risk.

speaking English. It’s polite to acknowledge in a foreign country that not everyone speaks your language.

✘ Don’t think you’re butchering a beautiful language. When

✔ Do practice your French when you can, but don’t force it if there are 10 people waiting in line behind you. Equally, if you’ve built up the nerve because you’ve drunk a bottle of wine, your French ‘victim’ is unlikely to appreciate your attempts.

✘ Don’t feel you have to contribute to every conversation - listen to people. By listening you realise how people say things you might want to say. Then you can copy.

I listen to foreigners speaking English I love their mistakes - it’s sweet, exotic, sexy even. Apparently the same is true in reverse: the mistakes we think sound so dreadful are actually endearing!

Finally, there’s no such thing as a ‘language person’. If you manage to communicate in your mother tongue, you have learned to speak a language. You can do it again, you just need to get out there.

Bonne chance!

Natalie and her partner Jeremy run Frogs Rafting (frogsrafting.com), offering a huge range of water-based activities across the area during the summer. Natalie is also an English teacher with Morzine-based Alpine French School (alpinefrenchschool.com) More Mountain Advert Final with bleed.pdf

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LAID BACK LUXURY IN THE ALPS Stylish chalets & self catered apartments in central Morzine

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Whether it’s just for fun or is mega useful, never underestimate the power of a good gadget. Here's a few that will make your summer even more fun and help you enjoy the outdoors.

- TECH Good On You App

Free We’ve been trying to shop responsibly for years now and this FREE app has made it so much easier. Good On You tells you all about the environmental, animal and labour credentials of over 1000 sports and fashion brands, so you can make a responsible choice about where you do your summer shop. While a lot of brands are being encouraged to be more transparent about their manufacturing processes, information on fabrics, factories and labour conditions can still be incredibly hard to find, even if a brand chooses to share them. Luckily, Good On You use a combination of their own research and global reports to neatly pack down that information into a few easy-to-read paragraphs. Eco-friendly shopping made easy!

Goodonyou.eco/app/

Garmin Fēnix 5 Smartwatch

RRP €549.99 Combining slick aesthetics with cutting-edge tech, the Garmin Fēnix 5 is the ultimate smartwatch for outdoor and sports enthusiasts alike. It’s so versatile, you could even wear it at the office. The Fēnix 5 packs a LOT of tech into a small space, including a GPS tracking system, altimeter, barometer, compass and thermometer, which are great for mountain adventures. It’s also full of fitness features, like a recovery advisor, tracker and heart rate monitor. And we’re not done yet; the Fēnix 5 is also compatible with both Andriod and iOS systems so you can access your notifications on the go, as well as with the Garmin Virb action camera. Available in a range of different sizes and with the option to add apps, widgets and background screens, this is the smartwatch of choice for adventurers. garmin.com

Jabra Elite Sport True Wireless Earbuds

RRP €219.99 Running, hiking, biking, training, the Jarba Elite Sport True Wireless Headphones do exactly what they say on the tin. Featuring a high-tech design that has no cords ANYWHERE and a super-secure fit, these headphones will stay comfortably in your ears no matter what you’re doing. Featuring lots of handy extras, like on-ear controls and a customisable ambient noise filter (think running in the mountains near a bike trail or busy road), not to mention top class audio, these are the headphones of choice for athletes everywhere. They easily link to your phone or device via Bluetooth and even come with their own compact storage box that doubles as a portable power bank. jarba.com

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Fuji x100F

RRP €1399.00 All the looks of a classic manual camera and all the function of a high-end digital, this mirrorless fixed-lens beauty is compact, fun and takes amazing pictures. Described as the camera the pros use for fun, it’s perfect for taking portraits of your friends and family, the landscapes and natural beauty of the mountains, and those classic French buildings. Ideal for budding photographers, you won’t find an auto-mode on this camera, but that’s all part of the fun. It does, however, have an excellent autofocus, lots of other easy-to-use settings and up-to-the minute technology that makes taking great photos a breeze. Plus, it’s small enough to take with you wherever you go, as well as mega lightweight, so it won’t weigh you down on your adventures.

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Handpresso Pump

RRP €99.99 If you NEED to have good espresso every few hours throughout the day, wherever you are, this is the gadget for you. Camping the top of a mountain? Or spending the day swimming at the lake? No problem. This clever little device is super compact, easy to use and requires minimal preparation; just put it in your pack with some ground coffee, hot water and go. When you need a caffeine hit, all you need to do is pump it up (it’s got 16 bar of pressure), fill the little socket with your favourite brand of ground coffee (or even coffee you’ve ground yourself), add hot water and you’re good to go. Then just press the button and the Handspresso will create you a beautiful-tasting coffee, anytime, anywhere. Plus, for the environmentally conscious, it doesn’t rely on batteries or electricity at all. Perfect.

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By Michael Henderson

images Š sven martin

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Those of you unfamiliar with the world of downhill mountain biking may not know that riders come in teams. As in Formula 1, places in teams are hotly contested, with riders, mechanics and technicians becoming one tightly knit family as the season progresses.

French rider Loris Vergier knows all about the power of the team. He’s been racing bikes since the age of 10 and cut his teeth alongside best friend and ultimate rival Loïc Bruni for most of his early career.

The powers that be at Santa Cruz call Loris

Total Chalet Services.pdf

‘the next generation of downhill talent’,

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

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“Morzine has always been Europe’s version of Whistler” Loris told Source. “I’ve been here a couple of times during my amateur career, and a few more since the team has moved here, there’s always a good atmosphere in Morzine”.

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making life easier

which probably explains the thought process behind his place on the widely esteemed Santa Cruz Syndicate team.

Summer 17 was Loris’ first as part of the Santa Cruz family. It yielded a second place finish at Crankworx in Les Gets, yet it’s rare to see a rider of this caliber compete professionally on the trails of Morzine. Until this summer that is, when Santa Cruz Bicycles sponsor the French National Downhill Championships, taking place on a newly constructed track on the Pleney between 26th and 18th July. This is the first time Morzine has hosted such a high profile DH competition in many years.

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Loris came third in last year’s French Nationals, setting expectations reasonably high for this season. “French riders are becoming increasingly faster, and they’re able to compete against the fastest in the world. So the French title is a tough one! But also exciting. We are working to be up there at the top, but as I always say, the work is never done.”

It’s perhaps unsurprising that, aged just 21, Loris doesn’t bother having favourite tracks or races. “It could be weird to say, I kinda like all the tracks we race in the World Cup season, even if some are not great to race on. They all have cool features and fun parts. I’ll say Andorra is my favourite, because of the steep part at the end and the dirt!”

In 2014 Loris won the Junior DH World Championships off the back of two Junior World Cup wins, becoming hot property as he moved into the elite riders category.

How did he find the step up?

“Junior years were hard; you

Morzine. His mechanic PA Roche is a Morzine local, surely he’s been sharing some secret tips? “He has! Secret tracks, the good restaurants, and everything I need to know to do well in Morzine.”

Many see the arrival of the French Nationals as a ‘test event’ for Morzine. Les Gets was always on the map as a key downhill destination and Crankworx has served to raise the profile of the resort globally for the last three years. What would it take to get Morzine onto the World Cup circuit? Surely having the Santa Cruz European HQ based here will help? “Of course! Morzine would make for the sickest World Cup track”.

I wonder how it feels when your best friend is current French Champion Loïc Bruni?

Separated in age by just two years (Loris being the younger of the two), both riders were born in Cagnes-sur-Mer near Nice. Loris describes Loïc as “my best friend, my other brother and my

"Morzine would make for the sickest World Cup track" know you can win and you have to make it happen” Loris explains to Source. “Elite was different at first; you need to pace yourself to qualify and then race as fast as possible without fear. Just ride fast and do your best, that’s what I like.

Aiming for the best you can do, and not just a result. But the speed at elite level is most different!”

Loris is young enough to be humble and appreciative of his place on the Santa Cruz Syndicate, but old enough to recognise the opportunities of sharing a spot in the family with racing legends Steve Peat and Greg Minnaar.

“They are both very different characters” Loris told us. “But just being on their sides is such a great opportunity to learn how to be yourself, to have fun and to win races.”

Loris also has a secret weapon when it comes to racing in #lovemorzine

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longtime team mate.” How’s that dynamic going to work this season? “The two years age difference made things easy in the Juniors, as we were separated by different categories” Loris explains.

“But in elite years, we’re not just friends but competitors!

I got the chance to move to Santa Cruz, my dream team, and things didn’t change in our friendship. I’m still stoked when he’s winning, so I guess it’s a cool friendship.”

It’s early April when we meet Loris. The season hasn’t yet begun; no one knows who’s on form. “I never know what to expect after the down season.

I’m still trying to progress, so we’ll see how I perform very soon!” And how does an elite rider spend the down season?

“I don’t really wanna say it… but Netflix, eating, riding moto and removing stuff from cars.” #loveavoriaz

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There’s nothing better than the feeling of excitement that comes with visiting a new place and trying new activities. Yep, travelling and exploring is awesome, but packing, public transport and weight limits can sometimes spoil the fun.

That’s why we’ve sought out the best travel accessories to make your mountain adventures as easy and hassle-free as possible!

- TRAVEL Mons Royale Mid-Hit Hoody

RRP €180.00 Mons Royale have done it again. Combining all the style of your favourite everyday sweatshirt with the temperature regulatory properties of merino wool, the Mid-Hit Hoody will take you from a day in the van to the bike trails and beyond in complete style and comfort. Featuring classic Mons thumb holes, a high neck and a hidden, zippered media pocket, it’s great for layering, wearing on the move and all kinds of sports. It’s also made from super-soft merino wool, which will keep you warm when it’s cold and cool when it’s hot, thanks to its incredible breathability and fast-drying capabilities.

The other awesome thing about merino is that it’s naturally antibacterial, so it doesn’t stink. If you’re going to be on the go a lot this summer, the Mid-Hit Hoody should be a staple on your packing list. eu.monsroyale.com

Poler Stuff Dope Dopp Kit

RRP €40.00 We love Poler Stuff for their practical yet stylish adventure gear, and the Dope Dopp kit is no exception. This stylish little wash bag also doubles as a small camera bag or travel pouch for keeping all your documents, cables and small items together when you’re on the move. Made up of two compartments, organising your stuff has never been so easy thanks to inbuilt daisy chain webbing and internal mesh pockets. The small carry handle also makes it easy to clip to the outside of a backpack or larger bag.

Plus, it’s made from Poler’s bombproof Campdura fabric so you know it can take a beating, whether you’re camping in the wilderness or flitting between Airbnbs. polerstuff.co.uk

Dragon Roadblock Sunglasses

RRP €179.00 Is there one pair of sunglasses that does it all? YES. The Dragon Roadblock sunnies have got you covered, whether you’re driving on mountain roads, riding your bike, relaxing at the lake or hiking a summit.

Featuring Dragon’s performance polar lenses, they’ll protect your eyes from harsh glare and UV damage, while rubber nose and temple pads will keep them on your face no matter how hot and sweaty you are. And get this: they FLOAT! A feature which may at first appear unnecessary, but often proves priceless as soon as you set foot near a body of water. Plus, the lightweight but super-strong frames have got bags of street style, meaning you can literally take these sunnies anywhere. europe.dragonalliance.com #lovemorzine

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Outdoor Tech Turtle Shell 3.0 Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker

RRP €95.00 Bring the music wherever you go with this compact portable speaker. Bluetooth enabled, easy to use and waterproof to boot, it’s perfect for sunset campfires, afternoon BBQs on the terrace, or simply listening to the radio in the shower. Just chuck it in your backpack and you’re ready to go. Handy extras include rubber grips on the base, 20 hours of battery life and the ability to wirelessly connect multiple speakers when you need a little extra oomph. It also doubles as a portable power bank in case your phone runs out of battery. outdoortechnology.com

Voltaic Amp Solar Charger

RRP €129.99 Avid outdoor travellers will love this genius portable charger; let the solar panels do the work while you’re on the move, or charge it up at home before you head out.

Perfect for keeping your devices in juice whether you’re camping out, spending a few nights in a refuge or having a big day on your bike, this unique little set-up attaches easily to your backpack so you can charge on the go. The compact, fold-out design gives you space to safely store your phone while it’s charging, plus the outer fabric is made from recycled PET bottles.

Win, win! voltaicsystems.com

Slowtide Lakota Round Towel

RRP €95 .00 Who’d have thought a towel could become such a soughtafter accessory? But we could all do with a beautifully designed one from Slowtide in our lives. Not only are these awesome round towels lightweight, fast-drying and compact, they also have increased surface area for sunbathing AND can double as a picnic blanket or a throw.

Made from lightweight cotton velour, it will feel soft against your skin and dry you every bit as well as your favourite towel at home. A far cry from your standard travel towel, this

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is our top must-have that you didn’t even know you needed. slowtide.eu /MorzineSourceMagazine

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GRAND designs

By Amie Henderson

Whilst the scale of new build developments in both Morzine and Les Gets will fail to escape your attention this summer, there’s also a small collection of incredibly niche refurbishments underway in some of the valley’s most iconic old buildings. At various stages of completion, these passion projects are breathing new life and soul back in to the local property market.

Here we look at just one example; La Maison, Montriond.

Originally besotted with the Trois Vallees ski area and its reliable year-on-year snow conditions, Duncan and Lynn imagined they’d buy their ultimate mountain retreat in that area. A visit to Montriond prompted a change of heart.

“The journey between Geneva Airport and Montriond is so short; weekend ski trips are much easier, both for us and our grown-up children, who both love to ski” Duncan explains. The one hour, 15 minute journey between Geneva and Montriond certainly beats a much longer trip in the opposite direction towards the Trois Vallees.

La Maison will become a private family home upon completion in Summer 2019. “We didn’t want to be remote; living at the heart of the community is very important to us.

Montriond has a lovely village ambience all year round, with great local facilities such as a handy grocery shop, a lively bar and a friendly pizza restaurant,” Lynn tells Source.

You’ve probably already seen La Maison, either from the window of the ski bus en-route to Ardent during the winter season, or whilst hiking to Lake Montriond during the summer months. The historic property sits at the heart of the village square, set back slightly from the Mairie and the beautiful village church. It had been for sale for many years;

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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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it’s potential easy to identify, but the buying process difficult to navigate.

Dating back many centuries and owned by one local family for several generations, accommodation in the original property was divided over 800msq. There were also a number of outbuildings of various ages on the site for the architectural team to consider.

“The main house offers an authenticity and a purity; we’ve asked our interior architect Kyles to retain this as much as possible” explains Lynn. In the finished home, old beams and original features will stand alongside glass roof sections, whilst the top floor of the property will become one open plan snug, library, games and lounge area overlooking the charming village square.

The outbuildings have been replaced by a freestanding extension at the rear of the main house, accessed by an underground link tunnel. There’ll also be a private spa including a swimming pool, Jacuzzi, hammam, gym and

treatment room in addition to six bedrooms.

“La Maison has become a lifestyle project for us. We’re looking forward to using the home as a family in the years to come.”

Interior architect Kyles Garrett of Shep&Kyles Design told Source; “We’re running out of constructible land here in Morzine. The sunny spots with the best views are snapped up quickly. Of equal importance however, is taking the many original buildings in the valley, those steeped in history and packed with irreplaceable features, and remodeling them for modern living. La Maison does just this and I’m delighted to be working with Lynn and Duncan to make their dream become a reality.”

Interior Architects: Shep&Kyles Design shepandkyles.com Architect: Marullaz Architectures marullaz-architecte.com

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

Looking for your ideal ski property in the French Alps?

Franc

As professional alpine property finders, we are here to help you to source your perfect alpine property@MorzineSource so get in touch today to start your search. /MorzineSourceMagazine /MorzineSourceMagazine

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hot

property VIEUX CHENE

In each issue of Morzine Source Magazine we feature some of the hottest property available to buy in the valley right now, and this summer’s selection is scorching hot. With options for all budgets, there’s never been a better time to invest in your own little piece of Alpine bliss.

€439,000

(HAI)

€265,000

(HAI)

€850,000

(HAI)

In the centre of Les Gets, discover our new program Le Vieux Chene. This is a new development full of history in an exceptional location. There will be 25 apartments, ranging in size from 1 bedroom to 4 bedroom penthouses. Offering you beautiful living rooms, large terraces, noble materials and luxury finishes, covered parking and / or a garage, as well as an individual ski storage. Le Vieux Chene offers a prime investment and a highly rentable location.

MORE INFO:

Wendy Bull - Wendy’s Houses +33 (0) 6 81 65 38 69 info@wendyshouses.com wendyshouses.com

APARTMENT ROCHE Located in a quiet hamlet of St Jean d’Aulps, just a short distance from Morzine, this is a very spacious, recently renovated 2 bedroom apartment totaling 70 m² of habitable space plus a lovely south-facing terrace and a small garden. The residence is on the ground floor of a charming old old farmhouse and includes lots of storage space, parking and incredible views over the surrounding mountains. A perfect first buy for a local couple or family.

MORE INFO:

Ingrid Maes - Morzine Prestige +33 (0) 6 19 57 01 99 info@morzine-prestige.com morzine-prestige.com

La Vieille Ferme A 5 bedroom, 5 bathroom property with a separate 2 bedroom apartment. The property has a fantastic position on the village square and has lovely views over the valley and to the mountains beyond.

Steeped in history, the origins of the property date back over 300 years, and its character features are an absolute joy to discover!

MORE INFO:

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

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*HAI – Agency fees included / payable by the seller

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Our vision is to build a long term strategy to take care of your financial requirements for your life in France.

Please contact Morzine based Jennie Poate on 0634119518 or our UK office 0044 3332416966 info@bgwealthmanagement.net or jennie@bgwealthmanagement.net http://beaconglobalwealth.com/

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CHALET BUISSON

€537,000

(HAI)

Mountain lovers, look no further! Located in the beautiful village of Le Biot and not far from the amenities of the village is this beautiful chalet. Spanning over 120 m² on three levels, the chalet offers 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, a large lounge dining room with fireplace and open kitchen plus a terrace to enjoy meals or drinks with friends and family. There’s also a garage and a sauna. The chalet is built on a plot of land of 827 m², offering privacy and great views onto the village of Seytroux and the surrounding mountains.

MORE INFO:

Caroline Hiseman - Géranium Immobilier +33 (0) 4 50 38 86 30 info@geranium74.com geranium74.com

CHALET MARGRETHA

€1,45,000

(HAI)

A superb south-facing chalet close to the heart of Les Gets in a quiet, residential area. It’s possible to ski back to the door when snow conditions allow – and the ski shuttle stops nearby for getting to the pistes. Built by a well-reputed local company, the chalet has 5 en-suite bedrooms and a large vaulted living room with a large feature fireplace. Enjoy the stunning views of the Chavannes slopes and mountains from the terrace and the hot tub. Sold furnished, the chalet has a boot room, utility room and garage and the potential to create additional space.

MORE INFO:

Isobel Laing - France Property Angels +33 (0) 6 77 36 30 28 isobel.laing@francepropertyangels.com francepropertyangels.com

CHALET GILBERT

€895,000

(HAI)

€975,000

(HAI)

An architect designed chalet, just 5 minutes from Morzine and the slopes of the Portes du Soleil. The interior layout is perfectly suited to family life or groups of friends. A mixture of traditional and contemporary design gives this property lots of charm. There’s a brand new bespoke kitchen diner, a sunny terrace and an expansive landscaped garden. Upstairs, the huge light-filled living room has high ceilings and a central feature fireplace. There are also 5 large bedrooms, including a large master bedroom with en-suite bathroom and private balcony. 2 further bathrooms serve the 4 remaining bedrooms and there’s a double garage too.

MORE INFO:

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

EXCEPTIONAL FARMHOUSE CONVERSION Nestled on the sunny side of St Jean D’Aulps, this 300m² farmhouse conversion has all the hallmarks of the idyllic mountain getaway. The 19th century property has been completely renovated whilst retaining authentic charm and character.

It also benefits from a fantastic outdoor terrace to soak up those views! St Jean d’Aulps is a thriving small town just a short drive from Morzine and the various lift stations. It also has its own hidden gem of a ski area which is well groomed and quiet at peak periods. A must see property.

MORE INFO:

Sarah Sutherland - Home Hunts +33 (0) 6 41 96 33 74 sarah@home-hunts.com home-hunts.com

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INVESTING IN A LUXURY CHALET OR APARTMENT? BC

THE BOUTIQUE CHALET COMPANY

www.theboutiquechalet.com The Boutique Chalet Company is one of the leading specialists in the management and operation of ultra-high end property in the Alps. As well as providing exceptional bespoke holiday experiences to our clients, we also help investors design, build and manage their luxury property assets, either for commercial operation or private use.

MOUNTAIN LUXURY REDEFINED Simple quality is the goal we strive for, but as with all things simple, it’s the detail that counts.

The refinement of this detail year on year is the reason our holiday experiences are considered amongst the best in the industry! World-class properties, curated dining experiences, exceptional levels of service with fine attention to detail and a personal touch throughout. Offering a five star luxury hotel experience in a private mountain residence. This is our story. This is Mountain Luxury Redefined. So would you like to join us? +44 (0)20 3588 6001 info@theboutiquechalet.com

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Looking for your dream home or investment property in the Portes du Soleil?

Imagine | Indulge | Invest At HOMEHUNTS, we specialise in finding properties for sale for our international clients.

Our Alps team search the entire market for you and discover the hidden gems that the property market has to offer.

We are buyer’s agents, it is our job to guide you through every step of the buying process and hold your hand from start to finish.

What’s more, our property search service is free!

Let us do the hard work for you, so you have more time (and money) to spend on enjoying this stunning region!

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KINABALU Located at the base of Mont Chery in the very centre of Les Gets and just metres from the nearest ski lifts, Kinabalu is an exclusive residence of classic freehold apartments constructed by prestigious property developer Alpine Lodges. Ranging in size from 1-6 bedrooms and with facilities including a restaurant, luxury spa and concierge service, apartments are currently reserving off-plan. All residences are delivered with the highest standards of internal finishes, including contemporary kitchens, bathrooms and floors.

MORE INFO:

Samantha Gates - Alpine Lodges +44 (0) 4 50 79 31 82 s.gates@alpine-lodges.fr alpine-lodges.fr

€350,000

Custom made flooring for personalities.

Incomparable wood floor as unique as you.

MANUFACTURED FROM SUSTAINABLE GERMAN FOREST OR RECLAIMED OAK BEAMS FOR A TRULY AUTHENTIC LOOK. BOARDS UP TO 40CM WIDTH AND 5M LONG.

(HAI)

Lake Montriond Chalet Located very close to the shores of the stunning Lake Montriond, this authentically designed and traditionally presented Savoyarde chalet occupies a plot of 495m².

Accommodation is located over 3 floors and includes a large living room with an open fire, a cosy kitchen packed full of character and 6 bedrooms, 4 of which have their own fireplaces. There’s also 6 bathrooms, a hot tub area plus plenty of space for storage.

The property is sold furnished, giving the new owner the chance to enjoy the property immediately.

MORE INFO:

Thomas Arneodo - Centrale Locative +33 (0) 4 50 74 16 08 transaction@avoriaz-holidays.com avoriaz-holidays.com

€1,100,000

Bespoke fitted curtains with an unlimited choice of colours and fabrics

(HAI)

IDEAL FOR AWKWARD SHAPED WINDOWS PERFECTLY SUITED TO TRAPEZE WINDOWS & TILT AND TURN WINDOWS The only wood flooring showroom in the area A reliable, small, bilingual team Showroom by appointment : 53, Route du Contat 74110 La Côte d’Arbroz Tel : +33 (0)6 88 27 90 98.

E-mail : info@parquets-stores.com Website : www.parquets-stores.com

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HOW TO GET

the job Y O U WA N T

in Morzine

The ski industry is always changing. That’s why finding a job for the winter season can seem so impossible sometimes! Luckily, here at Source, we’ve had pretty much every seasonal job you could imagine between us, from chalet host to barperson, cleaner to (you’ve guessed it!) writers, publishers and designers. Here’s our ultimate guide to getting the job you want in Morzine.

Before the recession hit in 2008, Morzine was pretty similar to many other European ski resorts; big tour operators ran a large proportion of the chalets and hotels in the town and employed lots of staff through a low pay but reasonable benefits scheme.

However, once the recession was in full swing, many tour ops decided to stop running catered chalets in Morzine altogether.

This paved the way for some of the nice folk that lived here to take advantage of those empty chalets and start running them themselves. Ten years later, Morzine is home to a booming catered chalet market run by a selection of small, independent companies who are able to provide a unique, personal and friendly service. The resort has also thrived in other areas and is now home to independent airport transfer companies, property management companies and even a few breweries.

And of course, you still have your standard bar and restaurant, ski rental, hotel and shop jobs. Things are always changing and evolving thanks to Morzine’s high population of entrepreneurial types.

But how does this smaller and more personal employment market change the way we look for a job? Firstly, we would recommend staying away from big agencies and winter job search engines. If you see somewhere you want to work, contact the company directly. This cuts out the middleman and ensures that you’ll know what you’re getting into before starting any kind of job. Finding out what’s available is really easy with the Source Jobs Board; employers post their jobs directly to the site and

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applicants contact them directly; no one takes a cut anywhere along the way.

Because a lot of the businesses in Morzine are small and independent, you won’t find yourself being invited to any huge group interview scenarios. Most likely you’ll be interviewed by the company owners, who you’ll then be working closely with, should you get the job. According to a survey by The Alpine Collective, a networking group for local businesses, around 35% of Morzine-based companies have had a hard time finding and keeping staff over the past winter, so if your CV, experience and qualifications check out, you could be prime employment material.

Now to think about how independent you want to be. Do you want your employer to pay for your flights and transfers, provide you with somewhere to live, organise your insurance and give you a lift pass? Or would you rather do it all yourself? A chalet company will provide all this for you, whereas most other employers will not. Something to think about if you don’t have bags of savings, as rent, a lift pass, insurance and gear are not only expensive, but all need to be paid for at the beginning of the winter.

Another thing to consider is demand. Bartenders and ski techs are generally the most sought out positions in ski resorts, but they are also the kind of businesses that require the least amount of staff. The Alpine Collective took a Morzine-specific

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Beds n Board Source advert.pdf

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employment survey last winter, which stated that, out of 40 businesses who took the survey, the largest proportion by far was holiday accommodation providers with 70% followed by transfer companies at 20%.

Another important aspect to consider is what you’re realistically willing to do. If you don’t want to work full-time, or if you want maximum ski time, you might be better suited to a weekend cleaning job rather than six days per week in a chalet. And be aware, there is no easy job in a ski resort. You’ll always be thrown in at the deep end over Christmas and by April you’ll be desperately in need of a holiday. Many businesses in Morzine are small and rely on word of mouth, so finding a job with people you like, get on with and want to work hard for is mega important.

Otherwise everyone will have a bad time.

WINTER & SUMMER SEASONAL ACCOMMODATION IN MORZINE

Aside from hard work and a lot of fun, what else can you expect from working in Morzine? Staff socials, away days and end of season bonuses are all commonplace. As is a decent salary.

The Alpine Collective employment survey concluded that the most typical weekly rate is between €160 and €180. However, these figures are always subject to change, especially as Brexit approaches.

It’s up to you, the employee, to decide what’s right for you before accepting a job offer, but it’s worth remembering that people working in ski resorts are rarely there for the money. Of course, getting paid fairly for your hard work is important but so is finding a good relationship with your employer and striking a good work / play balance. That way, you and your employer will both benefit.

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

Job Hunt Dos and Don’ts DON’T accept multiple job offers in the hope of finding something better under the assu mption that it will be easy to find someone to replace you. If someone has offered you a job it’s because they think you will be a grea t fit for their team and it can take time to find anot her person with the relevant experience.

DO weigh up your options and think care fully about kind of job you want.

䈀愀爀 吀攀爀爀愀挀攀䜀爀椀氀氀

DON’T be put off if it seems like an emp loyer is trying to sell you a job. They just want you to come and work for them.

䠀漀琀琀甀戀 䄀椀爀戀愀最

䘀椀爀攀 倀椀琀 夀漀最愀

匀氀愀挀欀氀椀渀椀渀最

伀甀琀搀漀漀爀 䌀椀渀攀洀愀

DO ask lots of questions and try to get a clear picture of what’s expected from you as an employee.

圀攀攀欀氀礀 䔀瘀攀渀琀猀⼀倀愀爀琀椀攀猀

DO be realistic in your approach to a job.

There are no easy jobs in the mountain s.

DON’T quit straight away if you’re not happy.

See if you can work it out with your emp loyer.

DO think carefully before using Facebook groups and email loops to find work.

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source awards for

excellence

2018

Allow us to introduce you to the crème de la crème. The local businesses who served up some of the best standards their customers have ever seen during the Winter 17/18 season.

Our annual Source Awards for Excellence are meant to recognise and inspire. Each year we ask our readers to nominate their favourite bars, their favourite accommodation and their favourite customer service experiences and this time round we had more nominations than ever before. We whittled down all of your nominations, via a public vote, to three finalists in each category; our panel of secret judges did the rest.

This year’s best food award also worked differently. Chefs were asked to nominate themselves and complete a detailed entry form. Our three finalists presented their signature dishes to our judges, answering their questions on cooking methods, inspirations, ingredients and their plans for the future. Competition was tough and selecting a winner was an incredibly difficult task!

Favourite customer service

Favourite accommodation

Your winner

Your winner

Hôtel Les Côtes

Treeline Chalets

The nominations credited this hotel’s special, welcoming atmosphere, prompting guests to return year after year to experience the outstanding standards of guest care. Staff also demonstrated some of the best local knowledge we’ve ever heard, making the whole team great ambassadors for Morzine and the Portes du Soleil.

It’s clear from the nomination comments that Treeline have a tribe of guests to return to Morzine year after year. Feedback noted the clear progression in both standards and facilities over the years and there were several special mentions for team members who are entirely focused on ensuring guests have the best possible holiday.

Hotel owner David Marullaz told us “We are really proud to receive this year’s award! Not only is this testament to the efforts of our current team, but it also recognises three generations of the Marullaz family since we opened our doors in 1951. Merci à tous pour votre soutient! A bientôt dans notre magnifique village de Morzine!”

In the words of Amy, Duncan and Hannah from Treeline Chalets; “This award means so much to us, being nominated by our guests and supported through the public voting stage also. We were thrilled to get the judges vote too and this award really motivates us to continue doing what we are doing, and providing the best chalet holidays in Morzine!”

Find out more about Hôtel Les Côtes at hotel-lescotes.com or call +33 (0) 4 50 79 09 96

Discover Treeline Chalets at treelinechalets.com or call +44 (0) 1483 220505

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Favourite bar Your winner

Bar Le National, St Jean d’Aulps Always a hotly contested category, it was clear from visitor feedback that ‘The Nash’ plays a huge role in promoting St Jean d’Aulps as a destination and in supporting the local community. It’s the kind of bar where everyone knows your name and where you’ll receive welcoming smiles from the entire team.

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

Try our in resort snowsports' clothing rental service

ONLY £69 per week

Advert £500 worth of kit

Owner Craig Durkin told Source: “We are delighted to win this award as there are so many quality bars in the area and it is great recognition for all the hard work the team have put in this year.”

You’ll find Bar National at 1829 Route des Grandes Alpes, St Jean d’Aulps, or check out their Facebook page for updated events information - facebook. com/barlenational

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 le rocher.pdf

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10/05/2013

11:41

Best food award Your winner

Hideout Ramen by Guerrilla Dining All three finalists produced outstanding signature dishes for our judges to taste but there could only be one winner. This chef is currently challenging the entire local food scene with his pop-up restaurant. Sharif Gergis has an inspiring vision and ambitious plans to develop further right here in the valley.

Customer feedback demonstrated consistent quality and Sharif’s food is incredibly moreish!

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

Advert

And Sharif’s response… “We are absolutely thrilled to win this year! A huge thank you to all our awesome customers, our amazing kitchen and front of house crew, and a massive thanks to Hideout Hostel for offering us their kitchen this winter!

Head to guerrilladining.fr or call +33 (0) 7 81 81 16 64 for more information or visit the Hideout Hostel Facebook page for updated menu details facebook.com/hideouthostelmorzine

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5 4.5/

Tel: 04 50 75 78 47

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

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.org.uk

snowsports youth charity

TURNING YOUNG LIVES AROUND FOR 15 YEARS

By Chloe Hardy

It was almost 15 years ago that youth worker Dan Charlish overheard some of his youth group talking. They were playing a snowboarding game on the X-Box, believing this was the closest they’d ever get to participating in snow sports and seeing the mountains for real.

Dan knew it would take just a few days on the slopes to provide them with a positive mental outlook and the motivation to do it again; all that was missing was the opportunity. In a few short weeks, he’d secured funding to take thirteen young people to the French Alps, and Snow-Camp was born. Since then, the charity has helped over 9000 young people through snow sports and has won numerous awards, including the Freedom of The City of London award in 2013 for services to young people. The charity also been named one of the top 100 UK Employers at the National Apprenticeship Awards. Furthermore, this winter will see the tenth edition of the massively successful AJ Bell Alpine Challenge, Snow-Camp’s biggest fundraising event that takes place right here in Morzine. In 2017, 22 teams took part and raised over £50,000.

But the main action happens back in the UK, where Snow-Camp runs a range of courses for inner-city young people struggling to find a positive track for their lives. Snow-Camp provides not only a fun, social and productive outlet away from the inner-city estates, but one that results in useful vocational qualifications and priceless leadership and life-skills. Instructor qualifications, health and fitness qualifications and NVQs can all be gained through Snow-Camp programmes, along with the opportunity to volunteer at ski industry events and undertake year-long apprenticeships. The results speak for themselves; 87% of SnowCamp graduates have gone on to further education, employment or other positive directions. Not bad for a charity that started with a one-week trip to France.

“Our biggest achievement has been growing nationally, from a relatively localised London-based charity to establishing our programmes in five UK regions and supporting thousands of young people across the country,” says Dan Keeley, Snow-Camp’s Snow Sports Community Manager. “It’s been amazing over the past few years to see many of our apprentices and graduates gaining employment in the snow sports industry – at The Snow Centre, Chel-Ski, Ellis Brigham and even the Warren Smith Ski Academy in Verbier.” You can now find Snow-Camp programmes in Glasgow, Tamworth, Bristol and Cardiff, as well as in London.

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The passion and enthusiasm of the entire team has inspired support from numerous corporate partners, as well as big name ambassadors like Jenny Jones, Ed Leigh and Chemmy Alcott.

Over the winter, Snow-Camp unveiled their newest campaign, #Switch180. It’s a multifaceted drive centred around the theme of turning your life around. Before starting #Switch180, SnowCamp, in partnership with YouGov, sent a poll to 2350 people.

Staggeringly, they discovered that 71% of young people felt they needed more support from society to help them fulfil their potential, with 76% stating that a lack of positive opportunities put them at an increased risk of falling in to crime and antisocial behaviour. “We’ve worked day in and day out with inner-city young people for almost fifteen years now but even we were surprised with the figures, leaving us more committed than ever to grow the impact of our programmes right across the UK.” Dan explains. #Switch180 encourages the public to take on 180-themed sponsored challenges, such as cycling 180 miles, baking 180 cakes, skiing 180 runs, anything you can think of. It also asks supporters to share their #Switch180 moments; the moment when they realised they could change their lives for the better through opportunity, personal triumph or the support of a mentor. It’s as much about generating funds towards our work as is about sparking inspiration and spreading the word. “In many ways, the campaign gets back to the core reason Snow-Camp was established in the first place; to harness the power of snow sports as a positive youth work tool, to provide positive opportunities away from the inner-city estates and turn young lives around,” says Dan.

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“ Snow sports

also offer a powerful environmental shift for the young people we support. To take them completely away from the innercity landscape to a brand-new environment all adds to what we’re setting out to achieve, to broaden horizons and raise aspirations. ”

Dan has seen first-hand the positive impact even a little bit of support can have. But why do snow sports create such a positive reaction in the young people Snow-Camp work with? “Skiing and snowboarding requires determination, perseverance, commitment and so many other life skills which our young people can then apply in their day-to-day lives,” he explains. “The physical commitment is a challenge but it’s definitely the mental and social changes that regularly blow us away. Snow sports also offer a powerful environmental shift for the young people we support. To take them completely away from the inner-city landscape to a brand-new environment all adds to what we’re setting out to achieve, to broaden horizons and raise aspirations.”

As folk who either live in or love the mountains, I think we can all say snow sports have provided us with a #Swich180 moment that inspired us to change our lifestyles or save up for that winter holiday. The work of Snow-Camp is incredibly important, proving to the people it supports, as well as the wider world, that snow sports can be an accessible and positive force, no matter where you’re from or what your circumstances. Here’s to another 15 years of #Switch180 moments.

If you’d like to get involved with Snow-Camp, there are so many things you can do to get involved! From completing a #Switch180 challenge to competing in the Alpine Challenge, every little thing makes a difference. Whether you’d like to help on a corporate level or a personal level, just drop Dan an email on dan.k@ snow-camp.org.uk to discuss your ideas.

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win

EVERY SINGLE WEEK WITH Morzine Source Magazine Regular Source readers are probably hunting around for our awesome competition page right about now. This summer we’re doing things a little differently. Instead of one chance to win, there are now no fewer than 15 with our weekly big source giveaway.

You’ll need to be following us on Facebook to take part (head to facebook.com/morzinesourcemagazine quick sharp). Each Friday we’ll publish a new competition and it’ll take you less than 20 seconds to enter, we promise. Up for grabs we have goodies from:

A2SKI advert.pdf

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24/04/2017

Total Laverie.pdf

14:30

1

26/04/2017

16:50

OPEN DAILY

8AM-10PM

AUTOMATIC LAUNDERETTE - COMMERCIAL LAUNDRY

Airport Transfers Pre booked in resort Cab Service, including lifts to and from Rafting.

Day Trips to Annecy, Chamonix, Aosta Valley, Thonon Les Bains and Evian etc.

Outlifts for road cyclists, all locations considered.

Daily hire also available.

A2ski.co.uk wishing you a fantastic summer.

For further information and all other inquiries please email us at info@a2ski.co.uk or visit our website a2ski.co.uk

SERVICE WASHES

CHALET LAUNDRY

RESTAURANT LAUNDRY

1571 Rte des Grandes Alpes, 74430, St Jean d'Aulps +33 (0)6 47 94 65 69 | +44 (0)7870 19 11 44

+33 (0) 6 46 89 96 11 #lovemorzine

FREE WIFI

#lovelesgets

FREE PARKING

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A prestigious luxury development in Les Gets 99

Kinabalu RESERVING OFF-PLAN NOW

Spacious floor plans and luxury customised interiors Ranging in size from 1 - 6 bedrooms Minutes from the Mont Chery Telecabine and pistes Full-service development including a spa, concierge service and exclusive restaurant Underground parking, storage and ski lockers Remaining properties starting from â‚Ź350,000

www.alpine-lodges.co.uk New Restaurant in Les Gets

An exclusive new wine bar, lounge and restaurant in Les Gets Open to all resort visitors Serving contemporary dishes for both lunch and dinner For opening times and menu updates head to facebook.com/vinaannapurna

2241 /MorzineSourceMagazine Route des Grandes Alpes, 74260@MorzineSource Les Gets | Table reservations/MorzineSourceMagazine 06 75 11 31 58

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ski High ski In ski Out

ski Avoriaz we offer

Avoriaz Holidays and Avoriaz Premium offer a huge range of self-catered holiday properties across les Portes du Soleil’s highest ski resort to suit all group sizes and budgets.

we promise Quality accommodation, a high standard of service and a very warm welcome in Avoriaz.

contact us

www.avoriaz-premium.com www.avoriaz-holidays.com

© Stéphane Lerendu Avoriaz Tourisme

Tel: +33 (0) 4 50 74 16 08 Email: info@avoriaz-holidays.com