Skiing with eagles in the Alps: Inside one of France’s most sustainable ski resorts

By&nbspNatalie Marchant

Published on 25/10/2025 - 8:02 GMT+2

Flying down nan pistes takes connected thing of a caller meaning erstwhile you’re pursuing a white-tailed eagle and his handler connected nan sunny slopes of Morzine.

This majestic vertebrate of prey was erstwhile astir extinct successful nan French Alps. The opportunity to skis pinch nan largest eagle successful Europe is portion of wider conservation efforts to reintroduce it to nan Lake Geneva region and Upper Rhone Valley.

It really is rather nan experience, pinch nan vertebrate swooping down nan slopes alongside Les Aigles du Léman laminitis Jacque-Oliver Travers – often to nan astonishment (and amusement) of different group connected nan piste.

But it besides has a much superior purpose of educating visitors connected nan value of preserving nan alpine situation for early generations.

Sustainability connected nan slopes

Sustainability and conservation are taken very earnestly successful nan Portes du Soleil skis region. Alongside eco-friendly measures specified arsenic hydroelectric power, water-efficient snow-making and biogas produced from section nutrient waste, biology nonprofit Montagne Verte has been championing sustainable solutions for nan Morzine area since 1901.

These efforts tin use visitors too. The AlpinExpress Pass rewards travellers who trim their c footprint by travelling to nan mountains via train pinch discounts astatine a scope of restaurants, retailers, accommodation and activities, while Montagne Verte’s second-hand apparel shop successful Morzine encourages a information manner of outdoor and manner equipment.

This committedness to sustainability is possibly astir evident successful nan municipality of Morzine’s snow-covered and higher altitude neighbour, Avoriaz 1800.

Perched connected a cliffside plateau that was erstwhile location to a fistful of herdsmen and their animals, nan 1960s purpose-built skis edifice has stunning panoramic views crossed nan French and Swiss Alps. It is, successful galore ways, nan eventual ski-in, ski-out destination, and wherever I had nan pleasance of staying successful hillside Chalet Kipnuk, tally by VIP SKI.

Architecture successful harmony pinch nature

Avoriaz is celebrated for its tall, angular and reddish cedarwood-fronted buildings designed successful an integrated architectural style that mimics nan surrounding upland landscape. It was revolutionary astatine nan time. The gem successful its crown – Les Hauts-Forts 2, designed by Jacques Labro – was only this year designated a historical monument by France’s Ministry of Culture.

Many of nan buildings tally up nan mountainside and look nan little municipality centre, meaning their beforehand doors are often astatine nan apical of nan building alternatively than nan bottom. There are besides nationalist elevators scattered crossed nan spot for group to easy move betwixt nan levels.

But possibly Avoriaz’s astir distinguishing characteristic is that it has ever been wholly car-free, pinch group getting astir by foot, by skis aliases by horse-drawn sleigh. Indeed, nan jingles of nan sleighbells each astir you only adhd to nan magic of nan spot erstwhile you virtually consciousness for illustration you’re connected apical of nan world, pinch nan clouds successful nan vale beneath you.

Skiing nan Portes du Soleil region

Now for nan skiing. The Avoriaz skis area itself is location to 35 skis lifts, 53 slopes, 4 snowparks, 1 boardercross and 4 snowcross tracks. It is besides cardinal to nan Portes du Soleil area that spans 12 resorts, including Morzine, 208 skis lifts and 307 runs crossed nan French-Swiss border, pinch stunning views complete Lake Geneva erstwhile nan unreality lifts.

Obviously, nan perfect measurement to get betwixt them is by skis aliases by snowboard, though nan champion measurement for non-skiers to get betwixt Avoriaz and Morzine is by nan Prodains Express cablegram car, which besides dates backmost to nan 1960s and is different item of precisely really forward-thinking nan designers of nan purpose-built edifice were backmost then.

And location really is everything here. With pistes for each abilities, including wood runs, beginner zones, snowfall parks, free thrust zones and more, leisure skiers and precocious skis racers alike are apt much than capable to support themselves occupied – though only nan astir master skiers should effort nan notorious Swiss Wall, which starts successful France and ends successful Switzerland.

Beyond nan pistes

Avoriaz was nan first spot I ever tried my manus astatine skis touring – that is, stepping up a upland connected skis and not conscionable skiing down. While it is undeniably harder work, slow making my measurement done woods and up routes that would different not beryllium unfastened to regular skiers was surely a much meditative measurement of enjoying nan beautiful landscape.

Notably, it besides afloat justified a slap-up repast astatine legendary apres skis barroom Le Folie Douce afterwards.

That wasn’t nan only non-ski activity I did here, either. I besides tried my manus astatine fatbiking – electrical upland bikes pinch wider tyres for snowfall – which was bully fun, though I’ll admit to bottling trying to move while going downhill for fearfulness of falling into a snowfall drift. Then location was ‘avokarting’ that progressive hurtling down nan upland connected a three-wheel cart, complete pinch hydraulic brakes and, thankfully, a debased centre of gravity. It is an acquisition champion described arsenic for illustration Super Mario Kart connected snowfall and was arsenic nosy and silly arsenic that sounds.

But my lasting representation of Avoriaz and Morzine will undoubtedly beryllium nan stunning panoramas crossed nan French and Swiss Alps.

Skiing pinch an eagle is 1 thing, but nan closest you’ll get to emotion for illustration you’re flying for illustration 1 is by admiring nan views from nan 350-metre-high and 15-metre-long vertiginous solid footbridge astatine nan aptly-named Le Pas d’Aigle (the Path of nan Eagle).

Only accessible to skiers and snowboarders by chairlift successful nan wintertime months, nan 360-degree position stretching from Mont Blanc to Lake Geneva really reminds you why we request to activity truthful difficult to sphere these landscapes for generations to come.