In the spring, after the snow has disappeared, the sun starts to shine the mountain biking season
starts again in Portes du Soleil. During the winter Portes du Soleil is the largest ski area in Europe,
during the summer this area is most popular among bikers. Due to the versatility of the area,
Les Portes du Soleil is suitable for both beginners and advanced sporters.
During the entire summer mountain bikers come and go.
For enthusiastic mountain bikers Portes du Soleil is the ideal area. It consists of over 600km of mountain bike trails. With a chairlift the bikers can go up the slope with their bike and from there the descent begins. Several paths have been laid out, so that there is something for both young and old and the inexperienced and experienced. There are beautiful paths through the woods that lead to spots where challenging stunts can be performed. World championships are even held here. Enjoy stunning views as you cross down the trails. There are green, blue, red and black mountain bike trails in the region. There are big drops, gap jumps, steep single tracks and winding forest paths. Along the way there are mountain restaurants and picnic areas where you can rest and have food and drinks.
The Portes du Soleil consists of 12 villages: Abondance, Avoriaz, Champéry, Châtel, La Chapelle d'Abondance, Les Gets, Montriond, Morgins, Morzine-Avoriaz, St Jean d'Aulps, Torgon and Val-d'Illiez Les Crosets Champoussin. Beautiful routes have been set out from all these places. All twelve villages are accessible with 1 lift pass. So there is a huge range of routes for if you want to go cycling. Get in the elevator at any one of the villages and let yourself be taken up the slopes. From the top you can take a descent of your choice. It doesn’t matter in which village you come out, you can go up another mountain with the same pass.
During the last weekend of June the Pass'Portes du Soleil MTB Festival is held! More than 6000 mountain bikers from all over the world participate. The Pass'Portes du Soleil is a mountain bike tour that takes place at an altitude of 1000 to 2250m and that goes through both France and Switzerland. The 80 km long circuit goes through the entire Portes du Soleil and makes use of 15 lifts. Along the way you can relax in one of the various mountain restaurants. The tour lasts one day and participants can choose whether they want to start on Friday, Saturday or Sunday. You can start in any one of the affiliated villages.
Another big event during the summer months is the 'Châtel Mountain Style', a spectacle where pros can cross around on the piste 'The Face' in Châtel. The best freeriders in the world show their impressive stunts. In the bike park in Châtel you can find about twenty descents that vary in difficulty. There are also several fun zones, shore zones and a kidsshore. In addition, there is also a slope style with a Live Park so that your stunts can be captured on video. Protected with helmet, knee and shoulder protection, you can go over walls, bouquets, raised bends, ramps, step-ups and shore sections at great speed.
For all those who would like to cycle with the touring bike in this beautiful region there are also possibilities. Around Geneva, the terrain is fairly flat and you can cycle well, with or without electrical support. A popular route is to cycle completely around Lake Geneva, a trip of over 174 km where you cycle through beautiful areas.
Through the Portes du Soleil there are many roads on which you can and may also cycle. So you don't always have to go off-road to enjoy the beautiful French Alpine landscape. Plan a beautiful route alone or together with your partner or friends, conquer the challenging cols and enjoy the beautiful views or a terrace along the way.
La Chapelle d'Abondance is an ideal destination for cyclists and mountain bikers.
There are plenty of cycling routes around Abondance both easy and more challenging.
The rise of e-bikes makes cycling though the mountains possible for everyone.
