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Here are the five best pistes for beginners in Avoriaz to get started on. These are all excellent for your first week on skis or building confidence.
How to use this guide (1 min to confidence)
These pistes are all wide and forgiving with easy access from the main village. The pistes in Avoriaz are some of the best for beginners in the Alps.
There is a great range of green runs, and the blue runs are very mellow by blue run standards. The Avoriaz piste map will help you to find these areas and the resort’s main beginner zones.
A ‘piste’ means a marked ski run. In Morzine, pistes are colour-coded.
Green slopes are very gentle. Blue runs are also easy with more varied terrain and slightly steeper gradients. Red and black pistes are steeper, with more advanced terrain.
You’ll also see the word ‘lift’ used for anything that takes you uphill. This includes magic carpets conveyor belts, chairlifts and gondolas.
Downloading means you can ride the lift back down instead of skiing. This is perfectly normal if you’re tired or the weather changes.
How to Use This Guide (1 Minute to Confidence)
Each route card below explains:
- Where to start (with lift names and meeting points)
- Why the slope works for learners
- How to get off the mountain safely if you’ve had enough
Map tip: Before heading out, download the official Morzine-Avoriaz piste map.
Safety First – Getting Back Down Without Stress
If you’re tired at the end of the day, take the Pleney gondola back down.
The downloading entrance is on the left side of the Pleney lift top station and is signposted.
The Five Best Beginner Pistes in Morzine
1. Zone Debutants – Green
Why it’s great: The “Zone Debutants” is an excellent place to start. It’s a purpose-built beginner area. There’s a covered magic carpet and a wide, mellow pitch, ideal for day one.
How to get there: It’s really easy to get to from the centre of Morzine. Take the Pleney gondola from Morzine centre, at the top of the gondola, head left past the Belambra hotel. You should be able to see the covered Magic carpet lifts about 75 meters in front of you. It’s best to carry your skis to get to the bottom of the magic carpet from the top of the Pleney gondola.
First lap tip: Exit the magic carpet and turn left. This section is closed off to any through traffic, making it a better place to build up your confidence.
Bail-out: Once you’re done for the day, take the Pleney Gondola down. If you really need to, you can easily walk down the side of the piste to get back to the gondola.
Good times: The Zone Debutant is good to ski all day. First thing in the morning, you’ll have corduroy snow, but the area may be slightly busier as well.
Later in the day, there won’t be any corduroy, but the snow will remain bump-free.
2. Nabor – Green
Why it’s great: The Nabor piste is an excellent next step from the magic carpet. It can be accessed by gentle chairlifts, too.
Nabor isn’t steeper than anything that you’ve done so far. This lets you ski further than the beginner area without tackling any difficult.
How to get there: Nabor is right next to the magic carpets at the top of Pleney. If you’re skiing down from the magic carpets, head straight but keep to the left side until you see the lift line. Follow the lift line until you reach the bottom station. If you’re coming from the plenty gondola, turn right and continue until you reach the Belvédère chairlift.
First lap tip: Keep to the skier’s left to stay on green terrain. Stay to the left of the lift, and it makes it easy to lap.
On your first chairlift ride, try not to put your poles down when exiting the lift. Keep your skis straight when leaving them and push away from the chair with your hand
Bail-out: If you need to get back to Morzine but aren’t yet ready to ski, download on the Pleney gondola.
Good times: Nabor is great throughout the day. It isn’t too shaded and is at the top of Pleney. This means that the snow stays in better condition than other pistes lower on the mountain.
3. Grizzli – Blue
Why it’s great: Scenic, tree-lined run with a steady gradient and quiet slopes, it’s often overlooked and gives you the option to join the very gentle Retour des Nantes. This run will take you back to Morzine.
How to get there: From the top of Pleney, there are two ways to reach Grizzli. You can reach it just next to the Moules chairlift top station. You can also get it by keeping to the right while skiing from La Vaffeur to the Pleney gondola top station.
First lap tip: After your first lap, take the Fys chairlift back to the top. This means you can lap quicker than heading to the pleny gondola and keep your skis on, too.
Bail-out: If the snow is very heavy or patchy, grab the Fys chairlift up rather than skiing the Retour des Nantes. Continue from the top of the Fys to the Pleney gondola and download to Morzine.
Good times: Midday when the sun is high. Trees shelter Grizzli. This makes it excellent in cloudy or windy weather. However, these trees can cast shadows, which may cause the ice to remain in the morning.
4. Piste B – Blue
Why it’s great: Piste B is a long blue run that starts at the top of Pleny and ends at the bottom. Piste B is a great goal for your first week on skis. It’s a long blue run, which makes it perfect for linking turns. There are a couple of steeper sections, but these are short and wider. This makes it manageable for this part of your development.
Piste B also means that you can ski down to Morzine at the end of the day, which is a great feeling when you’re able to do it for the first time.
How to get there: From the Pleney top station, turn right and ski towards theBelvédère chairlift. Continue straight past this and stick to the left when the piste fork left for piste B and right for Corbeau.
First lap tip: Don’t leave your first lap until too late in the day. Piste B can get busy with people trying to ski down to Morzine. Try your first lap earlier in the day for quieter slopes and better snow conditions.
Bail-out: Early bail-out – Take the Belvédère chair near the start of Piste B, then make your way down the Zone Debutants to the Pleney Gondola. Later bail-out – Fork right at Corbeau and take the Mouilles lift back to the top of Pleney. Look to your left as you ski under the Mouilles lift line to see where you access the lift.
Good times: Midday when visibility is clear and the snow is forgiving. Late in the ski season, the bottom of Piste B can be very soft. Piste B is best in mid-ski season. Try to avoid skiing right at the end of the day. This is when it will be the most busy with other skiers trying to get back down to Morzine. Piste B may also be more challenging late in the season when the weather is warmer, as the snow will be heavier and more compacted.
5. Zore – Blue
Why it’s great: Zone is a really great blue run on the Super Morzine side. It is slightly steeper than what you’ve skied before. However, it will be completely manageable if you can ski piste B.
How to get there: From the centre of Morzine, take the Super Morzine Gondola. This is located next to the François Baud bridge, which spans the Morzine Valley. At the top, clip into your skis and head down the slight slope to the Zore chairlift bottom station. At the top, you can either go to the left, although this means the first section is steeper. Alternatively, head straight, then turn right at the first opportunity. This will loop back around and give a more gentle entrance to the run. To ski here, you’ll need the Portes du Soleil pass. This isn’t too much more expensive than the Morzine – Les Gets and lets you explore the best pistes in Avoriaz for beginners too.
First lap tip: Don’t leave your first lap until too late in the day. Zore will get busy with people trying to ski down to Morzine. The later in the day, particularly during late season, the snow conditions will deteriorate fast. Try your first lap earlier on days with better snow conditions.
Bail-out: You can take Tetras, this head to the left and take a more winding route down. Just be careful, as tetras can get cut up if the water is warm, which may make it difficult.
Good times: Early in the morning. The snow will be the best and the slopes quieter. Most skiers will continue towards Avoriaz and will not ski Zore until the end of the day.
There is also a nice restaurant called La Passage here. It’s located just above and to the left of the Super Morzine gondola.
Common Beginner Pitfalls in Morzine (and Fixes)
- Don’t force the home run. The home runs can be busy with soft, snow late in the day – download instead.
- Check the weather. Low cloud can hide slope markers—use the Morzine-Avoriaz app for live updates.
- Plan your day. Stick near lifts with download options until you’re fully confident.
FAQs
Additional useful information
A guide to skiing in Morzine for the first time
Morzine ski resort guide: tips to make the most of your trip
