If you're an intermediate skier, the Portes du Soleil is one of the best ski areas in Europe to develop your confidence and explore a huge variety of terrain.
With hundreds of kilometres of wide blue runs, confidence-building reds and beautifully groomed pistes, there's no shortage of places to improve your technique while enjoying some of the best scenery in the Alps.
For this guide, we're classing an intermediate skier as someone who is comfortable skiing blue runs and is beginning to explore easier red runs, or someone looking to refine their technique before progressing onto steeper terrain.
After many winters teaching across Morzine, Les Gets, Avoriaz, Châtel and the Swiss side of the Portes du Soleil, these are the intermediate runs we recommend most often to our guests.
"One of the biggest mistakes intermediate skiers make is rushing onto difficult runs too early. Spend more time perfecting your technique on enjoyable blue runs, and the red runs will feel much easier when you're ready."
If you're looking to build confidence and enjoy long, flowing turns, Morzine is a fantastic place to start.
A great area to explore is the Pléney side of the mountain. From the top of the Pléney gondola, head towards Le Belvédère before skiing down Les Granges. This lovely blue run offers plenty of width and a gentle, consistent gradient, making it ideal for intermediate skiers looking to refine their technique.
There is one short steeper section near the beginning, but don't let that put you off. It quickly eases into a flatter section before bringing you down towards the Les Troncs chairlift. It's a brilliant run for practising smooth parallel turns and building confidence on slightly steeper terrain.
From there, make your way over to the Nyon area. The long blue pistes here are generally quieter than those on the Pléney side, giving you plenty of space to work on your rhythm, balance and technique without feeling rushed.
If you're looking to progress during your holiday rather than simply clock up kilometres, this is one of the best places to spend a morning.
Start your day in Nyon if you can. The quieter slopes and consistent gradients make it one of my favourite areas for intermediate skiers to build confidence before exploring the rest of the mountain.
Looking to improve your technique even faster? Discover our Private Ski Lessons in Morzine and explore the mountain with one of our experienced local instructors.
Les Gets is one of the best places in the Portes du Soleil for intermediate skiers. With its wide pistes, gentle gradients and beautifully groomed slopes, it's the perfect resort for building confidence while enjoying relaxed, flowing skiing.
The blue runs from the top of the Les Chavannes chairlift are some of the best in the area. They're wide, well maintained and ideal for working on your rhythm, balance and confidence. One of the widest pistes sits directly beneath the chairlift, giving you plenty of space to practise without feeling pressured by steeper terrain.
During busy holiday weeks, I'd avoid skiing all the way down to the bottom of the Les Chavannes chairlift if possible, as this area can become quite congested. Instead, use the Croix chairlift or the nearby drag lifts to return to the top and enjoy more laps on the quieter upper slopes.
If you're ready to tackle your first red run, Rhodos is an excellent choice. Although it's graded as a red, it's one of the gentlest in the area and provides a great introduction if you're looking to take the next step beyond blue pistes.
If you're building confidence on red runs, Rhodos is one of the friendliest places to start. It's challenging enough to help you progress without feeling intimidating.
Staying in the area? Read our Where to Stay in Morzine, Les Gets & Avoriaz guide to find the best accommodation for your Portes du Soleil ski holiday.
If you're an intermediate skier, Avoriaz is one of the best places in the Portes du Soleil to develop your skiing.
The resort offers an enormous amount of confidence-building terrain, with wide pistes, consistent gradients and plenty of space to practise. Whether you're looking to refine your parallel turns or simply enjoy long, flowing descents, there's no shortage of excellent runs to explore.
One of our favourites is Combe à Floret, a long blue run above Les Lindarets. With its gentle pitches and varied terrain, it's the sort of piste where you can settle into a rhythm, enjoy some beautiful scenery and gradually build confidence throughout the descent.
Another excellent warm-up run is the blue piste from the Proclou chairlift. It's incredibly wide and forgiving, making it perfect for your first run of the day or for practising new skills. During peak holiday periods, however, the queues at the bottom of Proclou can become quite long. If you ski here around lunchtime, you'll usually find the queues much shorter, even during the busiest weeks.
From Avoriaz village, take the Stade chairlift and enjoy the wide blue run back towards the top of the Prodains Express cable car. It's another fantastic option for intermediate skiers and an ideal place to continue developing smooth, confident parallel skiing.
If you're spending a full day in Avoriaz, start on the Proclou slopes to warm up before exploring Combe à Floret later in the morning. It's a great combination for building confidence while covering some of the resort's best intermediate terrain.
Want to progress even faster? Our Private Ski Lessons in Avoriaz are tailored to intermediate skiers looking to build confidence and explore more of the mountain.
If you're looking for quieter slopes and relaxed cruising, the Swiss side of the Portes du Soleil is well worth exploring.
From the top of either the Planachaux chairlift or the Les Crosets eight-seater chairlift, you can follow a long blue run all the way back down into the village. The piste winds gently around the mountain, combining rolling terrain with spectacular scenery, making it an excellent choice for intermediate skiers.
If you'd prefer an even more relaxed descent, simply follow the cat track sections. These reduce the gradient and provide an easy, enjoyable cruise back towards the village, making them perfect for building confidence while taking in the views.
The Swiss side often feels noticeably quieter than some of the busier French resorts, making it a fantastic place to escape the crowds and enjoy a more peaceful day on the mountain.
If you're skiing during a busy holiday week, spend an afternoon in Les Crosets. The quieter pistes and relaxed atmosphere make it one of my favourite places for enjoyable intermediate skiing.
Looking to discover more hidden corners of the Portes du Soleil? Read our Most Scenic Ski Runs in Morzine, Les Gets, Avoriaz & the Portes du Soleil for more local favourites and spectacular viewpoints.
If you're staying in Châtel, make your way up the Pré la Joux chairlift before heading towards Cornebois.
This is one of the best cruising blue runs in the area, offering a gentle, rolling gradient that's perfect for intermediate skiers. The piste is long enough to enjoy without ever feeling intimidating, making it an excellent place to practise smooth parallel turns and build confidence on slightly steeper terrain.
Cornebois is one of those runs that encourages you to relax, find your rhythm and simply enjoy the skiing. With its consistent pitch and wide-open feel, it's easy to see why it remains one of our favourite intermediate runs in Châtel.
Cornebois is the sort of run you'll want to ski more than once. Once you've found your rhythm, it's a brilliant place to work on smooth, controlled turns while enjoying some of the best cruising terrain in Châtel.
Planning your Portes du Soleil ski holiday? These guides will help you discover even more of the region.
The Portes du Soleil has hundreds of kilometres of intermediate terrain, and these are just some of our favourite runs for developing your skiing. Every skier progresses at a different pace, so don't be afraid to explore new areas and gradually challenge yourself on slightly steeper slopes when you feel ready.
One of the best things about being an intermediate skier is the amount of terrain that's now open to you. Instead of focusing on ticking off the hardest runs, concentrate on skiing well, building confidence and enjoying the variety that each resort has to offer.
Intermediate skiing is all about consistency. Spend time refining your technique on enjoyable blue runs and gentle reds, and you'll progress much faster than constantly pushing yourself onto terrain you're not quite ready for.
If you're looking to improve your technique, build confidence on red runs or simply discover some of the best hidden pistes around Morzine, Les Gets, Avoriaz and Châtel, a lesson with one of our instructors is one of the quickest ways to get more from your ski holiday.
We'll help you choose runs that suit your ability, refine your technique and explore the very best intermediate skiing the Portes du Soleil has to offer.
All five areas offer excellent intermediate terrain, but Avoriaz stands out for its huge variety of wide blue runs and gentle red pistes, making it one of the best places in the Portes du Soleil to build confidence.
We'd recommend Rhodos in Les Gets. It's one of the gentlest red runs in the area and an ideal step up from confident blue skiing.
If you're looking to escape the busiest slopes, head over to Les Crosets on the Swiss side of the Portes du Soleil. The relaxed atmosphere and quieter pistes make it a fantastic choice for intermediate skiers.
Absolutely. Intermediate skiers often make the biggest improvements with a lesson, as small technical changes can dramatically increase confidence, efficiency and enjoyment across a much wider range of terrain.
About the Author
James Lockerbie is a BASI Level 4 ISTD ski instructor, BASI Trainer and Examiner, Swiss Brevet holder, and co-founder of Pulse Snowsports. Having taught skiing across Morzine, Verbier, China and the UK, James has spent many winters exploring every corner of the Portes du Soleil. His recommendations are based on years of coaching guests and helping intermediate skiers build confidence while discovering the very best terrain the region has to offer.
Explore more ski advice, resort guides, instructor training articles and mountain stories from the Pulse Snowsports team.
Whether you're looking to improve your skiing, prepare for instructor qualifications or pursue a career in the ski industry, our training programmes provide a clear pathway from BASI Level 1 & 2 through to advanced ISIA Level 3 & 4 development.
We use cookies to improve your experience and measure website performance. You can accept cookies or continue with essential cookies only. For more information see our Privacy Policy.
