Fly to ski

Peter wrote:

Not everybody wants to ski

Actually we once did a non ski winter day trip to Samedan with passengers who can not ski. There is a mountain called Muottas Muragl within walking distance (30min) of the airport. A very scenic place where you can walk at 2500m in the snow with incredible views. Just beware of the sleigh run. That one is not for beginners.

Peter wrote:

The Big Q is what kind of skiing is reasonably reachable from Lausanne.

Villars-Gryon-Les Diablerets, Glacier 3000 or Portes du Soleil for example. It takes 1 hour by car to Villars or Gryon, or just 1,5 hours by public transportation. The ski area is really nice and you have a bus transfer between Diablerets and Glacier 3000. The train goes straight into the ski area and slopes, just like Wengen (Jungfrau Region). There are also quite a few ski-in, ski-out accommodations.

If VFR conditions apply and you’re fine with 700 m grass runway, you can also land at Bex (LSGB), which is even much closer to those ski areas. Customs is free of charge, but only for Intra-Schengen flights. As snow is not often a topic down in the main valley, the airfield is open all year round.

I went on flying trip to Alps, I landed in Annemasse (LFLI) and rented car via OuiCar app, I agreed with the host to get it delivered & returned to airport (then drop him & me back at convenient place), then drove to visit family in Lausanne before coming back to meet up with friends in Avoriaz

Morzine is 1h car drive from Annemasse then 15min in télésiège to Avoriaz

Avoriaz was fully booked for the whole week between Xmas and Nye, so we end up staying in Morzine, I highly recommend les Prodins for staying or eating: “hotel & restaurant” sits conveniently near cable car station from Morzine to Avoriaz

The weather was very warm this year: 0C at 6000ft, ideal for flying but not skiing: only Avoriaz has snow but plenty of it !

Annemasse

Annecy

Les Prodins

Cars are not allowed in Avoriaz, everyone parks in Morzine

enjoying the free ride

Some connoisseurs will know the place

No cars back to horses (like Zermatt)

Looks fun but no idea WTF was this dance & music was about

The village

Yes this end of year was exceptionally very warm: no snow in Mt Saleve, not much over Jura or toward Lausanne and nothing in Morizine…

Cervinia is slightly deeper in Alps, so it keeps temps very low from southerly winds, slightly further, Bormio in Italy had 2022 ski olympics this week in an ideal CAVOK cold weather !

I went to Avoriaz about 25 years ago. Cars aren’t permitted in the village, so anything heavy is moved around on horse-drawn sleds. It’s very pretty but if there’s no fresh snow then the village is basically paved with a mixture of snow and horse droppings. It took a long while before I got all the little bits of well-chewed grass off my boots!

Yes it’s horse only in Avoriaz, however, it is still convenient to park in Morzine, take the télésiège and “push your stuff”

I was in Zermatt while ago, same no ICE cars are allowed nearby (maybe since 1970, even before 1987 “climat change”), these days people can sneak with EV like Teslas but you have to park it inside and take EV taxis