Offers
Offer Book a room in a catered chalet...
Award Winners
Husky sledging in Morzine

Review of husky dog sledding in Morzine – Avoriaz

April 17th, 2016 Morzine

We are always getting asked about activities for non-skiiers so we wanted to give husky dog sledding a go to see whether it was worth recommending to the guests of our Morzine chalets. We went in mid-April, when there was still an amazing amount of snow, and it got a big thumbs up. Here’s why….

We arrived at the Col de Joux Verte just below Avoriaz, a 25-min drive from our chalets in Morzine, to see 45 gorgeous husky dogs all patiently lying in the snow awaiting their drivers for the day. After being introduced to our guides, our first task was to put harnesses on each one and get to know the dogs which involves plenty of stroking and hugging. The huskies are really friendly towards people, although they can be a bit aggressive towards each other at times. All of them are rescue dogs who are then homed and trained by Jean-Jacques Bechet – they seem to be well treated and content in their lives which reassured us.

Each person drives their own sled pulled by 3 or 4 huskies depending how big the driver is. Once we had met our dogs, we then received instructions on how to drive the sleds, i.e. how to steer and brake etc… before putting it into practice on the first bend of the route. We were a group of 11 (which is the maximum size group) and the first couple of people fell off their sled on the first bend but the rest of us managed to learn from their mistakes and stay upright. Over the course of the morning, most people fell off at one point or another. None of them were particularly bad falls as you can see the fall coming and you have a chance to cushion your fall on your side. In fact, one of our group was pregnant and she fell off a couple of times but was never concerned about her safety.

The route starts by going downhill to start with which is a lot of fun and, as people get comfortable driving the sleds, you then start to take on more technical sections through the trees which involves a bit of ducking and diving to avoid branches. By the time we got to the lowest point of the course, we were all fairly exhilarated and beaming from ear to ear.

Unfortunately, in this case, what goes down must come back up!

At it was mid-April and the sun was out, the snow was quite heavy by the time we turned round to go back up and the huskies found the going fairly hard getting back up hill. We found we had to spend much of the ascent walking next to the sled, rather than riding on it, to lighten the load for the huskies. The total vertical ascent is around 250m so we were all fairly tired by the time we got back to the top.

But it didn’t dampen the spirits and everyone was really pleased to have done it.

Verdict: As long as you prepared to sweat a bit to get back up hill, you will have a great day out!

Top tips: Wear waterproof shoes, sunscreen & a couple of layers so that you can adjust to the conditions

Key details:

  • Call Jean-Jacques Bechet on +33 (0) 6 80 93 26 20 to book
  • Website: http://laventureentraineau.com/
  • Time slots are 10.00-12.30 or 14.00-16.30
  • Cost – €95 per adult & €45 per child – but it is worth trying to negotiate a better price for bigger groups or non-peak season bookings

A Guide to Morzine for non-skiers

September 18th, 2023 Holiday Tips, Morzine

When thinking about winter holidays in the mountains, you might naturally assume that skiing is the only real activity to enjoy. Afterall, the whole point of coming to the mountains is to ski down them, right? Wrong. Not only are the mountains a vast, beautiful landscape which can – and…

Continue reading...

3 luxury ski chalets in Morzine for Christmas 2023

September 18th, 2023 Holiday Tips, Morzine

Don’t wait for Santa to make your Christmas dreams come true; upscale Noël this year by treating your loved ones to a stunning Alpine chalet in pretty Morzine, a French resort in the heart of the epic Portes du Soleil ski area. Surrounded by snow packed peaks with endless opportunities to don…

Continue reading...

How to organise childcare for your ski holiday in Morzine: from babies up to 5 years

September 1st, 2023 Holiday Tips, Morzine

Morzine is an excellent choice for a family ski holiday with childcare. From private nannies and crèche to ski nurseries and ski lessons starting from as young as 3 years of age: discover the childcare options available for your chalet holiday.

Continue reading...

Snowshoeing in Morzine

August 9th, 2023 Holiday Tips, Morzine

For a lot of people, snowshoeing conjures up images of grizzled mountaineers slogging up ice fields with the best part of a wooden tennis racket strapped to each foot. But snowshoe trekking is becoming more and more popular as a way of venturing deeper into the natural environment and escaping the…

Continue reading...
Luxury Catered & Self Catered
Chalet Holidays in Morzine