Lovely Les Crosets
The Portes du Soleil is named after a pass, Gates of the Sun, which gets the sun throughout the day because of its position on south-facing slopes. The combination of sunshine and a wealth of activities makes Portes du Soleil an irresistible year-round destination. There is an endless array of mountain refuges and restaurants to enjoy whilst exploring the mountain slopes.
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Les Crosets, situated at an altitude of 1,668m, is located in a beautiful sunny bowl between Champéry and Morgins in the middle of the Portes du Soleil ski area, the largest internationally linked ski area in the world. The village comes alive in the summer with beautiful flower displays, busy restaurants and bars, and the speciality food shops mean you can stock up on locally made sausages & cheese.
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Come to Les Crosets for the Winter Wonderland experience and/or the Summer Surprise!
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Winter Wonderland
With 600 km of skiing in 2 countries, Portes du Soleil is the biggest international ski area in the world. Here skiing is a journey, with different panoramas and routes to look forward to every day, and each of the12 village resorts offers a charm of their own. The area offers 209 lifts, 308 ski slopes, 30 snow parks, boarder-cross and ski cross and spreads over 1,036 square kilometres.
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For those new to skiing, Les Crosets is an excellent choice - especially when staying at Swiss Mountain Escape as it is located directly opposite the nursery slopes.
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For intermediate skiers there are blue, red and black runs all available locally and perfect for getting your ski legs strong before heading across into France.
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For experienced skiers, it is possible to reach Avoriaz in 20 minutes, Super Morzine in 50 minutes and Mont Chery on the far side of Les Gets in 1.5 hours. The slopes of Chatel or Morgin are less than 40 minutes away on skis. Just two lifts is all it takes to reach the famous 'Swiss Wall' (Le Mur de Chavanette) which is rated as Europe's longest piste drop and in the top 10 of the world's hardest ski runs.
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For off-piste skiers, we recommend hiring a local mountain guide. Check out the Combe de Bonnavau, the Aiguille des Champeys, Pierre Plate couloir towards Tovassière, or for real experts the Pointe de l'Au couloirs.
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For freestyle skiers and boarders, the iconic Superpark is located right in the heart of Les Crosets. Accessible in mere minutes via one of the fastest ski lifts in Switzerland, there is a wide variety of jumps, slides and other features. There are now 2 different snow parks and a space reserved for professionals, for a grand total of over 8 different lines.
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A full interactive piste map of the region is available here.
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In addition to skiing and snowboarding, it is possible to go cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, husky sledging, ice skating, horse-drawn skiing, fat biking or ride on a skido.
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For non-skiers or those looking for a relaxing break from the ski slopes, the pretty village of Champery is 15 minutes drive. Or if you fancy having a day trip to the warmest thermal waters in Switzerland, Les Bains de Lavey can be reached within 45 minutes drive. Montreux, Sion & Martigny are also close by for day trips. The possibilities are endless!
Summer Surprise
In summer, hiking and biking are obvious activities. But how about abseiling, climbing, rafting, horse riding, tennis, fishing, farm tours and paragliding?! These are just some of the other things you could get up to on holiday in the area... or you could relax and enjoy the spa and wellness options.
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There are 400 miles of marked hiking routes and more than 25 lifts open throughout July and August to help you navigate your way round the valleys. Then there are some 650km of mountain biking trails with 8 permanent downhill courses. Chairlifts are specially adapted to carry bikes so it's easy to get off the beaten track!
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The Portes du Soleil Multi Pass is free with payment of your Tourist Tax when you stay overnight. It is your golden ticket to 60 free activities and 60 more discounted activities over the summer months:
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Sports as Deval’Kart, archery, tennis, swimming-pool, pony rides, paragliding, fitness, climbing, downhill scooters.
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Heritage tours as visit of the old mill on the time river, traditional cheese-making demonstration or Dents du Midi tourist train.
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Bike rental.
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Family activities such as Escape Game or Accrobranche.
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Pedestrian chairlift access to La Foilleuse chairlift, Mossettes, Marcheuson or Champéry cable car.
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Come, rediscover the Alps in summer!
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