The Portes du Soleil is one of the largest mountain bike areas in the world: twelve resorts linked across the French-Swiss border, spanning Haute-Savoie and Valais, with several hundred kilometres of marked trails. Morzine, the main resort on the French side, is the most practical entry point, with direct access to summer lifts dedicated to mountain bikers.
A playground for all levels, but built for enduro
While the area offers blue and green trails accessible to beginners around Morzine and Les Gets, its international reputation comes mainly from its black runs and committing enduro lines: roots, rock gardens, jumps and steep sections string together over serious elevation, with gondolas taking care of most of the climbing.
A representative loop for a typical day: around 25 km and 900 m of elevation gain (largely smoothed out by the lifts), linking several runs between Morzine, Avoriaz and Les Gets. More experienced riders will push on to Châtel or cross into Switzerland for a change of scenery, alternating dense forest and open alpine pasture.
How to approach the ride
The first question to ask isn’t distance but target technical level: unlike a road ride where cardio effort dominates, here it’s trail reading and forearm fatigue that limit your day. It’s easy to underestimate how physically draining enduro MTB at a bike park can be — it’s worth planning a first half-day of scouting on easier runs before tackling the trails with a tough reputation.
Protective gear (knees, elbows, possibly a back protector) isn’t optional on black runs: moderate-speed crashes on rock gardens or roots are common even among experienced riders. A full-face or convertible helmet is recommended as soon as you step off the blue runs.
When to go
The MTB area is generally open from June to September, with optimal conditions in July–August when every chairlift and gondola runs at full capacity. July–August weekends can get very busy on the most popular runs — an early start or a weekday visit means quieter trails.
Good to know
Morzine has a dense offer of MTB rental shops (including e-MTBs and full downhill rigs, often bundled with lift pass pricing), so you can travel light. Book your lift pass in advance during high season, as queues at the base of the gondola can get long on sunny mornings.