Morzine mountain biking is known the world over, and that’s no surprise. Having hosted the final stage of the Downhill World Cup and with nearby Les Gets hosting the Crankworx festival, it has a well-deserved place on the bikers’ map. Bring your own bikes, or choose the perfect ride from one of the Morzine bike hire shops.
The vast network of well-maintained mountain bike trails are what makes Morzine and the Portes du Soleil area a world-class resort. Morzine bike park is also popular if you like to get off the ground!
If you’re considering a mountain bike holiday in Morzine, read on to discover why this is an area you simply have to visit…
Morzine Mountain Biking
Whatever level you ride at, you can enjoy a mountain bike holiday in Morzine. As it is well known for downhill, you may think Morzine and the surrounding area are reserved for expert riders only, but that’s far from the truth. Although experienced riders are very well catered for, with technical and challenging single-track routes, there is also a wealth of fantastic downhill tracks suited to less experienced riders.
The summer kicks off with the Passportes du Soleil, an 80km non-competitive enduro race taking in all nine resorts of the Portes du Soleil and a whopping 6000m of descent. The lifts handle most of the uphill so you don’t have to, which makes this fantastic event a great way to see the whole of the Portes du Soleil in one day.
The Pleney lift, open through the summer season, will whisk you and your bike up into the mountains within minutes. If you’re looking to explore further afield, head on over to Super-Morzine, below Avoriaz. There are a number of great trails here and you can also venture into Switzerland.
Family Biking Holidays
Mountain biking in the French Alps is not just for grown-ups! Kids from the age of five can use the lifts, which have been specially adapted for bikes. For more gentle outings there are a number of valley trails, such as those around Lake Montriond. There are plenty of cross-country riding trails out there too, many of which are suitable for young riders.
As kids learn so quickly, it’s a great idea to book an instructor for the morning or afternoon. A few pointers will help them grasp the basics in no time, making for a more enjoyable and safer time. Take a look at our post on mountain biking with kids for a few tips to get you started.
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Mountain Bike Trails for Beginners
Image: © Keno Derleyn, Morzine Tourist Office
- Berm = Banked turns.
- Pump track = A circuit of rollers, banked turns and other features designed to get riders ‘pumping’ (building up momentum).
- Roller coaster = A series of bumps
Family Upper Trail
Difficulty: Blue, easy
Direction: Downhill only
Length: 1.3km
Trail features: Berm, jump, pump track, roller coaster
This is a really good trail for beginners, but there’s plenty of fun to be had for more experienced riders too.
Family Lower
Difficulty: Blue, easy
Direction: Downhill only
Length: 2.5km
Trail features: Berm, jump, roller coaster
A really smooth trail which, despite not being very steep, has some great roller coaster sections that give the trail great flow.
Désrêches Ouest
Difficulty: Green, easy
Direction: Both directions
Length: 2.6km
This gravel multi-use trail for beginners follows the west bank of the Dranse river.
Désrêches Est
Difficulty: Green, easy
Direction: Both directions
Length: 1.8km
This gravel multi-use trail for beginners follows the east bank of the Dranse river.
Intermediate Trails
© Sylvain Cochard, Morzine Tourist Office
Le Tour du Golf
Difficulty: Blue, moderate
Direction: Downhill only
Length: 2.4km
Trail features: Berm, jump
This liaison from the top of the Pleney lift to Les Chavannes is popular as it’s a quick way to get from Morzine to Les Gets. It’s not too steep.
Retour du Morzine
Difficulty: Blue, moderate
Direction: Downhill only
Length: 3.4km
Trail features: Berm, bridge
It should take you about 12 minutes to complete this popular Morzine bike trail.
Atray
Difficulty: Blue, moderate
Direction: Downhill only
Length: 748m
Trail features: Berm, drop
It will take you just three minutes to complete this popular blue singletrack trail.
The Roots
Difficulty: Red, moderate
Direction: Downhill only
Length: 2.3km
Trail features: Berm, drop, jump, gap jump, ladder bridge
The first, digger-made, section includes big berms, jumps, and high-speed sections. The second part is more of a forest singletrack. The trail gets pretty steep and technical in parts. You can get to the trail via the Pleney lift.
Advanced trails
© Sam Ingles, Morzine Tourist Office
Super Ramp
Difficulty: Proline, hard
Direction: Downhill only
Length: 803m
Be warned – there are some very steep sections on this trail. You can ride around some of them, but others just have to be ridden. Not for the faint-hearted!
Noire de Morzine
Difficulty: Black, hard
Direction: Downhill primary
Length: 1.8km
Trail features: A-frame, bridge, drop, jump
This hugely popular track, nicknamed The Avalanche, is well used, but regularly groomed. It’s a high-speed track with jumps, berms, and a super steep chute. Access is via the Pleney telecabine.
Secret of the Tunnel
Difficulty: Black, hard
Direction: Downhill only
Length: 523m
Trail features: Berm, jump
It should take you just three minutes to complete this popular black singletrack near Morzine.
Morzine Bike Park
Those looking to get off the ground should head to the extensive Morzine bike park, where you can test your skills. Purpose-built banks, berms, drops and jumps, which even have “easy routes”, make a day at the park endless fun.
The park, which is open from mid-June to mid-September, has been elected the best bike park in Europe. The trails and features make the most of the Alpine landscape, making it environmentally friendly, too.
The beginners’ area is the perfect place to find your feet, before heading for the blue and red runs. The legendary black run combines turns, jumps and technical parts, which allow you to ramp up the speed and have fun with the natural terrain.
Morzine Bike Park, which can be found next to the Pleney gondola, is free for all levels.
Morzine Bike Hire
If you don’t plan to bring your own mountain bikes to Morzine, there are plenty of shops where you can rent some. This also means you can pick the right type of mountain bike for the trails you will be riding. Here are just some of the Morzine bike hire shops:
You can find many more bike rental shops for your discipline by heading over to the Morzine Tourism Office.
More summer activities in Morzine
When you stay in Morzine, mountain biking is not the only way to enjoy yourself. With over 80 summer activities on offer, the Portes du Soleil makes the perfect location for an activity holiday in the French Alps. Discover all there is to do on our Morzine summer holidays post.
Heading to Morzine this summer?
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