The Col de Coux is a 1920m pass between France and Switzerland, at the head of the Dranse valley approx. 8km ESE of Morzine and very definitely in PDS. I prefer to ride it up from the Swiss side.
Starting in Morzine, go up on SuperMorzine and then the Zore lifts. Then along the Crete Super Morzine, to Col de la Joux Vert. Then down the trail to Les Brocheaux and up the Mossettes lift. Ride down the wide, loose track to the big junction where you turn left and ride down (passing beneath the Swiss Mossettes chair lift) to the next junction. You may be sent off left on some easy muddy berms here. You very soon arrive at Portes/ Croix de L’Hiver. Rightwards down and the right again by a little cattle building, on great trails to Chaux Palin, then follow the lanes SW eventually to La Laspisa (top grub here)and then out the back of the farm to follow some more great trails to the bottom of the Col de Coux, just past la Poyat. Gird your loins and up you go! At top, back down into the Dranse valley. OR- close to the top, on the left as you ascend is Arête du Berrois; it has a variety of trails on it, some of which are swoopy. All eventually lead to Champery.
Alternatively, From La Poyat (foot of Col de Coux) you can descend on steep lanes to Champery.
From Champery catch the BIG red cable-car up to the Croix de Culets, and ride down to Les Crossets and go up the (Swiss) Pointe de Mossettes chair lift. From here, ride down the wide, loose track to the big junction where you turn left and ride down (passing beneath the Swiss Mossettes chair lift) to the next junction. You may be sent off left on some easy muddy berms here. You very soon arrive at Portes/ Croix de L’Hiver. Left down the fast rocky and gravelly track leads to Lac Vert and More Yummy Food at Refuge de Cheseray. Continue to follow the GR5 trail beyond the Refuge, to climb back up into France, the amazing swoopy-doopiness down to Les Linderets, finishing either on the DH runs or the fire roads.
From Les Linderets there are a variety of returns to Morzine. A nice one is to ride down the road to Les Linderets village, filled with goats and tourists, then more tarmac (there are two hairpins where you might get to go off-piste to get ahead of slow cars). Look out for a massive ski car park below the road on the left, where the road finally starts to straighten out. By some big Chalets on the left is a small track, possibly signposted to Cascade D’Ardent and Lac Montriond. Take this, down through the woods to the holiday village where you ride down the wide grassy trail between the big chalets down to the lakeshore. Go easy on this bit; there are often a wide variety of kids around.
Take the higher trail around the lake, perhaps taking in a swim and a beer at the far end.
Next- go left out of the Lake car parks, but at the junction by the bridge fork right onto the smaller lane, then drop left immediately onto another rock track. Follow this down on the right bank of the stream to a lane. Down the lane, left and onto the continuation of the streamside trail. You will come out in Montriond. Cross the bridge and turn left into the campsite/ sports area. From here head up through the riverside meadows back to Morzine.
The Col de Cou is on the D12, south of Thonon Le Bains.
The Col de Cou is also approx. 8km SW of Bonneville
