Hi all, a group of us are doing the passports but one was a bit late in getting a ticket and had to get chatel (I think) rather than Les Gets like the rest of us. Is it possible for him to go with us or are they strict about starts?

He’ll have to pick his number up from the start point, and they tend only to release them on the morning. In theory he should start from his start point but I’m not sure how that would be enforced, especially if you started a bit late.

He can’t pick up his number, wrist band, free day pass and goody bag until he gets to Chatel so he’ll have to pay for a lift pass on the day unless he can blag it. It’s a long day out (unless you are fit and don’t like food n beer)so tell him to get off on the first lift – not much fun waiting around

It’s possible to drive to Chatel and back for a 9am start from Les Gets, which is plenty of time. Last lift is 6pm which is easily achievable unless the weather is awful.

I’ve done 5 passportes, not going this year and v envious…

We had Les Gets tickets but started at Morzine last year as we’d already ridden that trail, no one checked but in any case they couldn’t tell whether we’d ridden the trail or as we did roll down the road. Chatel vs Les Gets is slightly more tricky but I doubt anyone will check. I suggest the rider gets up early as is at the Chatel registration station by opening, 7am I think, then drive back. I’ve not checked the drive time but it could be a long one, bordering on not worth it.

45 minutes according to google maps… easily do able

45 mins from Chatel to Les Gets is quite a quick drive, very twisty. It will be quite a fun challenge though.

they won’t check, pick up your number when you get to chatel.
Alternatively pinch one of your mates “one free day ticket” token (presuming they do that this year) and get a day ticket with it.
Or buy a day ticket.
Don’t go driving anywhere, that would be against the law when all the lifts are open.

Good advice, drive at high speed from Les Gets to Chatel and back. 🙄

“they won’t check, pick up your number when you get to chatel.”

So he’ll be able to ride with us from LG without number etc and pick it up when we get to chatel?

So he’ll be able to ride with us from LG without number etc and pick it up when we get to chatel?

You’d be chancing it, with no lift ticket and number- relying on goodwill from the liftie. And at that time of the morning the lifts are only open for PPDS riders anyway. I’d do the drive, else your mate runs the risk of having his day really messed up.

If you have a valid lift pass when you get on at LG I can’t see them being too worried you haven’t got a number board fixed to the front of your bike. It will cost you nearly as much in petrol as a day pass and a lot of hassle to drive to Chatel and back. Just buy the pass the day before in case the ticket office isn’t open by the time you want to start.

yeh as long as you have a valid lift pass you will be golden.

if you tip up without a pass, and all the stuff you need is in chatel, you have about 3 or 4 lifts of fun to get over to explain your way through which aint worth the hassle.

can DEFINITELY use the lifts with a normal pass on the PP days tho. the ‘closed except for PPDS stuff’ is not true in my experience from the last 8 years or so.

Great, thanks for the help. It looks like he’s actually got Avoriaz, and we’re staying in Morzine, so we should be able to drive that bit and all start together anyway.

Anyone know if the extra bit is worth doing?

http://sdp.skiinfo.com/images/dppic/f374622.pdf

ah… yeh pick up your bits in morzine then razz up to avoriaz then. and all set off from there?

torgon loop?

still havent got round to it after all these years. think we’re gonna head over that way this year.

When we did it a few years back they let you pick up the number/pass in Chatel on the previous afternoon.

Avoriaz is easy from Morzine, you might even try and sneak up the evening before to see if the office is open. The descent down from Avoriaz to Morzine is one of the better parts of the ride, don’t miss that.

I started from Torgon in 2008, I’d say 50/50 as to whether it is worth it. A lot of it was over grassy fields. There was one ridge ride section which was quite good and the descent into Torgon in the woods was excellent. We had to hold our bikes on the ancient lift with the pedal providing support, that was cr@p.

As an alternative I’d try and do a few trails in Morgins or Chatel for example. You could use the time for an extra food and drink stop. Don’t underestimate the chances of a mechanical or two delaying you. Starting from Morzine you are at the far end to Torgon.

Apparently its 7 degrees and raining in Les Gets today.

Ski Famille just emailed me to let me know.

Avoriaz is easy from Morzine, you might even try and sneak up the evening before to see if the office is open. The descent down from Avoriaz to Morzine is one of the better parts of the ride, don’t miss that.

We did PPDS a few years back and started at Avoriaz. We were staying in Morzine, The tourist info office there said we could go up to Avoriaz and pick up our packs. We got there and they refused to hand them over. It depends on who is running the show from the location as to whether they want to play ball.

This annoyance was made up however for on the descent back down to Morzine, with the Saturday PPDS riders, and then the ski lift people on the Sunday allowing us to hitch a ride without passes up to Avoriaz.

Yeah, I saw something that had a similar weather forecast, it varies considerably with website. One says 27C and sunny on Friday!

igm – Member
Apparently its 7 degrees and raining in Les Gets today.

Ski Famille just emailed me to let me know.

Seen a few videos of the PPdS in the wet lol, doesn’t look much fun.

Fingers crossed its not a wash out week entirely.

It’s normally forcasting scattered showers, so it can be beautiful one side of the mountain and shitty on the other.

It’s the mountains, weather can be all over the place. In 2008 PPdS we had perfect weather all the way, just a few kms away in Villars they had hailstones the size of 5p pieces. Riding the rooty trails in Alps when wet is great fun, certainly gives you a new level of confidence when you get back here as it seems so tame.

That’s the downside… remember from riding a motorbike over there, nothing back home compares.

I’m in almost exactly the same boat…. my PPDS pass is in Morzine and my 2 mates passes are in Avoriaz. To make it more complicated, one of them is hiring a bike in Morzine.

Or solution is that 2 of us drive to Avoriaz for 7am to pick up the passess (might try the evening before as suggested above), whilst the other picks his rental-bike up. Then we all start in Morzine.

If it’s wet I’m not sure I’m looking forward to the rooty decent (of death?) into morzine after riding all day 😯

we drove to Avoriaz in 2008 to pick up passes in the morning. On the lift out of Morzine by 830. No probs. It’s less than an hour to ride up there if he’s feeling really keen.

nice one flap_jack, I’ll stop fretting.

Just for anyone elses benefit: the nice people at PPDS have changed the starting resort of my mates from Avoriaz to Morzine!

Just emailled them asking if they could… and they did, no fuss, no bother!