Les Gets Snowboarding: Terrain, Park Access and Pass Choices
Plan a Les Gets snowboarding trip around two sectors, park and fun-zone access, learning areas and choosing between the local and Portes du Soleil passes.
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Les Gets rewards boarders who plan by geography rather than by ability. The official Les Gets-Morzine area covers roughly 120 km of marked slopes across two complementary sides, served by around 50 lifts and 15 fun zones, so a single day can be as wide or as contained as you choose. The first decision is which side to start on, because Mont Chery and the Chavannes side are reached from different parts of the village and ride completely differently.
Mont Chery or Chavannes: Choosing Your Starting Sector
The Chavannes side is the linked sector: it is joined to Morzine and suits all types of riding, which makes it the natural default for a first morning while you work out how the lifts interconnect. Mont Chery sits on the south side of the village and is described officially as mainly red and black runs with Mont Blanc views, so it is not the sector to pick if you want an easy warm-up lap. Choose based on where you are staying: starting on the wrong side means a village traverse before you have even clipped in.
For boarders, the practical difference is more about flow than difficulty. The Chavannes side connects onward, so you can extend a day towards Morzine without changing plans; Mont Chery is its own outing, quieter and more self-contained, and better treated as a half-day once you know the conditions. Reading the piste map before you commit means fewer wrong-lift mistakes on day one.
Park and Fun-Zone Access for Snowboarders
Les Gets officially lists 15 fun zones in the local area, a category that covers mini-boarder features, a timed slalom, a snowpark and the themed Espace Grand Cry children's area. That is the documented provision, and it is worth treating the local area's fun zones as the realistic target for a boarder who wants park-style features without leaving the Les Gets-Morzine lift system. Specific jump sizes, rail line-ups and boardercross details are not published by Les Gets Tourisme or the lift company, so check the current season's park information rather than relying on older descriptions.
The Portes du Soleil side is where the wider picture changes: the linked international area is credited with around 30 developed sliding areas across its resorts, but that figure belongs to the whole cross-border domain rather than to Les Gets itself. If park laps are the point of your trip, plan them locally and treat the bigger area as a bonus rather than the reason to upgrade. Confirm which features are built in the week you travel, because sliding areas are added and shaped through the season rather than fixed in advance.
Learning Areas and the Beginner-to-Blue Progression
The official ski area description confirms a dedicated learning area and a full range of slopes from beginner upwards, which is the part that matters most to a first-time boarder. Learning zones with easy conveyor-style uplift remove the tow-bar problem that puts many new riders off, and the Chavannes side's suitability for all levels makes it the sensible base for the first two or three days. Lesson booking, group sizes and meeting arrangements are set by the individual schools, so confirm those directly rather than inferring them.
Progression from the learning area onto easy blue runs is the realistic goal of a first week, and the local pass covers that ground comfortably. There is no need to buy the larger area pass to learn to ride, because beginner and early-intermediate terrain sits inside the Les Gets-Morzine boundary. If your group is mixed, the linked Chavannes side keeps beginners and confident riders on the same lift network without splitting the day.
Local Les Gets-Morzine Pass vs Portes du Soleil
The local pass covers the Les Gets-Morzine area: officially around 120 km, with run and lift counts published as either 71 runs and 47 lifts or 74 runs and 50 lifts depending on which Les Gets page you read, plus 15 fun zones. Treat the figures as approximate and assume roughly 120 km of local riding with about 50 lifts. For most boarders staying a week in Les Gets, that is a genuine week-long product rather than a stepping stone to something better.
The Portes du Soleil upgrade is a different kind of commitment. It links 12 French and Swiss resorts and gives access to over 600 km of slopes, with published figures ranging from 600 to 650 km depending on the source, so it is a cross-border touring pass rather than a bigger local one. Buy it if you plan to ride towards Avoriaz, Chatel or the Swiss villages; skip it if your days will start and end in Les Gets.
Lift Links towards Morzine and How Far to Push It
The Chavannes side is the connection point: it is linked to Morzine and described as suitable for all types of skiing, which for a boarder means a route out of the village without a bus or a car. Riding across to Morzine and back is a reasonable day inside the local pass, and it gives a change of scenery without the planning overhead of a full circuit. Check the day's lift and link status before setting off, because connections are conditional on the season's operations.
Pushing further into the wider Portes du Soleil circuit turns a normal day into a logistics exercise: you need an early start, a clear plan for the return leg and a realistic read of your group's pace. If a big linked circuit is the goal, our Alpe d'Huez Snowboarding guide covers how that resort's terrain, parks and practicalities compare. That is the trade-off the upgrade pass buys you, and it is worth it only if you will actually use it more than once. If you are unsure, ride the local area first and decide from there.
Booking Sequence: Passes, Refund Terms and What to Confirm
Both Les Gets pages state that ski passes booked through the official channel are cancellable and refundable without fees up to the day of arrival in the resort. That term is the reason a boarder can commit early rather than waiting: it removes most of the risk from buying before travel. Confirm the current wording yourself at the point of purchase, because booking conditions are set by the vendor and can change.
Work through the sequence in this order: fix your dates, choose the sector you will base your days around, then decide local pass or Portes du Soleil, then book hire and any lessons. The beech-wood reloadable pass option shows passes can be reloaded online for later trips, which matters if you expect to return. Leave prices out of your planning assumptions until you see the live booking pages, since they vary by date, duration and age.
Plan Your Snowboarding Trip
The useful planning order for Les Gets is geography first, pass second. Decide whether your days start on the linked Chavannes side or the separate Mont Chery sector, then choose a pass that matches the ground you will actually ride rather than the ground you might. Around 120 km local with 15 fun zones is a credible week for most boarders.
Before you travel, check the live booking pages for current pass terms, refund conditions and prices, and check the season's park and lift information close to your dates. A scheduled winter season is conditional, so no single lift or link is guaranteed. Do that and the rest of the trip falls into place.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Les Gets good for snowboarding?
Yes. The local area has fun zones including a snowpark, a learning area and two distinct sectors, and the linked Chavannes side connects to Morzine. Most boarders can base a full week locally without upgrading.
Does the Les Gets-Morzine pass include the Portes du Soleil?
No, they are separate products. The local pass covers the Les Gets-Morzine area only, while the Portes du Soleil pass adds the wider cross-border domain of 12 resorts and over 600 km of slopes.
Is there a terrain park in Les Gets for snowboarders?
Les Gets officially lists 15 fun zones locally, and those include a snowpark alongside mini-boarder and slalom features. Specific jumps, rails and shapes are not published in advance, so check the season's park information before you travel.
Can snowboarders take lessons in Les Gets?
Yes, lessons are available in the resort and the learning area is part of the official ski area provision. Group sizes, languages and meeting arrangements are set by each school, so confirm those details directly with the school you book.
Sources
Useful notes for your next ski trip
Optional updates to our Alpine resort guides.
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