Activities and Attractions near French ski chalet and apartment for holidays in the Rhone Alpes

Activities

Winter

There is skiing and snowboarding for all standards. There are 35km of pistes (23% black, 54% red, 15% blue, 8% green) at your disposal, accessed by the four chairlifts, three quads and one six-seater. There are gentle greens and blues, wide and fast reds and challenging blacks, awesome off-piste with no lift queues and an incredibly cheap lift pass. Two lovely rustic mountain restaurants sit at the top of the first lift or, of course, you can ski back to the chalet for lunch. Mountain guides are available to access the spectacular ski and snowboard touring available; for those who'd rather not hike to the powder, heliskiing/boarding can be arranged locally. You could also try a guided snowshoe trip through the forest and hidden villages.

For those who feel the need for more mileage or variety after a few days, other resorts such as Les Arcs, Val d'Isere, Tignes and La Rosiere are all a short drive away and the Sainte Foy lift pass entitles you to large discounts or free days at these resorts. But you will always find yourself drawn back to Ste Foy's wonderful ski area which has converted many sceptics.

Summer

The French Alps are proving to be one of the fastest growing summer holiday destinations. Chalet Morion is nearly as busy in the summer as in the winter season - and its easy to see why. Unlike in some ski resorts, in the summer the pistes above Sainte Foy revert back to green pasture and it is a tranquil, beautiful place to relax and enjoy the spectacular scenery. It is surrounded by the Vanoise National Park - one of the most prestigious in France - and the Grand Paradis National Park. Walk around the chalet through larch forests, alpine meadows, historic villages and numerous mountain lakes, watching out for ibex, chamois, marmots and eagles.

There are more than 70kms of footpaths between 1000m and 3749m in altitude, to satisfy every level of ability between gentle strollers and mountaineers. You can even stay in the mountain refuges for a true taste of the high Alpine.

Many of the trails mentioned above also double as mountain bike routes and there are many options (either easy or challenging) straight from the chalet door. In 2013 a shuttle service runs from 8th July to 29th August, ferrying bikers up to a height of 2100m From there you can access many miles of mountain biking pistes, a new downhill mountain bike course and bike skills minipark. Trails are divided into family, all-mountain and cross-country categories.Detailed trail descriptions and maps are available, listing technical sections and route highlights. Several of the area's best free ride descents start around the chalet and run to the valley floor where the shuttle minibus can collect you. Mountain bikes can be hired in resort, the tourist office organises 'taster days' and local guides are available if required.

For a change from Ste Foy, try Les Arcs on the other side of the valley which runs many of its ski lifts for hikers and bikers in the summer and is renowned for having hundreds of kilometres of marked pistes to match your ability level. From easy green pistes to world class competition descents there is something to suit all levels of ability. Road biking is very popular with famous local climbs including the Cormet de Roseland and Col de l'Iseran accessible straight from the chalet door..

Rock climbing is popular - from sport climbing on nearby rock outcrops (grades from 4 to 8a) to high alpine mountaineering around two of the highest peaks in the Vanoise - Mont Pourri and Sassiere. There are 'Via Ferrata' and 'Via Cordata' nearby. The Isere river in the valley bottom and Bourg St Maurice are home to world class canoeing with instruction available for all levels. Whitewater rafting is also popular, along with the new adrenaline sports of hydro-speeding and canyoning. Other sports available locally are horse riding, para gliding, tennis (in Ste Foy main village) windsurfing and golf (courses in Les Arcs and Tignes). In the resort are two bouncy castles, a volleyball pitch, table tennis and mini-golf. New for 2012 was a family aerial adventure park.

There is glacier skiing and snowboarding in Tignes for those who can't survive until the winter snow. Less energetic are the festive fete days throughout the area with demonstrations of traditional arts and crafts - or simply lounge on the chalet's south and west facing balcony admiring the views over the Mont Pourri, Aiguille Rouge and Dome de Turia.

Activities near by

Adventure park, Bird Watching, Boules, Canoeing, Canyoning, Cycling, Diving, Fishing, Golf, Gourmet dining, Gym, Hiking, Horse riding, Kayaking, Mountain biking, Paragliding, Photography, Photography, Rambling, Riverside activities, Rock climbing, Sightseeing, Skiing, Snowboarding, Spa, Swimming, Table tennis, Tennis, Tree adventure park, Via Ferrata, Walking, Water sports, White water rafting, Wine tasting, Yoga

Organised activities

Skiing

See Local guide and map for information on nearby towns and facilities.