Morgins Mountain Biking

Morgins is a lift-served mountain bike venue in the Portes du Soleil, on the Swiss side of the French-Swiss border in the Valais. A ten-person gondola, opened in 2023, carries riders up to La Foilleuse at 1,850m for four graded downhill trails running green to red, and there is a pump track in the village plus a waymarked gravel route along the Vièze valley for a mellower ride. Morgins is smaller and quieter than its purpose-built neighbours in the shared Champéry-Morgins-Les Crosets bike park, but it sits close to Champéry and Les Crosets, and the French resort of Châtel is a short ride across the border.

The Trails

• La Quatreans (green/blue), 2.5km: the easiest of the graded descents, with shaped berms and a gap jump for riders who want to push on.
• La Carigole (blue), 3.2km: a flowing, berm-heavy intermediate run.
• La Tobogane (red), 2.3km: berms, jumps and roots.
• Le Madze (red), 2.6km: the other red descent, similar in character to La Tobogane.

There is also a pump track in the village, close to the M3S bar and ski school, laid out as a circuit of rollers and berms. The Bike Skill Zone at Le Géant, in the village, runs instructor-led workshops on cornering, obstacles, race preparation and jumps.

Morgins is one of the four Swiss villages in the shared bike park with Champéry, Les Crosets and Champoussin, and a Portes du Soleil pass also opens up Châtel across the border and, further round the circuit, Avoriaz, Morzine and Les Gets.

Gravel Riding

A waymarked gravel and forest-track route runs from Morgins along the Vièze valley toward the French-Swiss border, mixing 4x4 tracks with short sections of quiet road, so download a route or use GPS navigation before you set off. It suits a mellower day off the lift-served trails, on a gravel bike or hardtail.

Admission and Prices

Riding the graded downhill trails needs a lift pass for the Morgins gondola, which carries bikes at no extra charge. A one-day adult pass covering the Champéry, Les Crosets, Champoussin and Morgins lifts (the "3CM" area) costs around 35 Swiss francs, with a six-day pass around 178 francs, though this Swiss-area pass is not sold on every date of the season. A pass covering the full cross-border Portes du Soleil network costs 45 francs for one day and 230 francs for six days at the ticket office, and a little less if you buy online.

Prices are correct as of September 2026 but subject to change, so check current rates on the Portes du Soleil Suisse SA website before you go.

Guides, Shuttles and Hire

The gondola is the uplift here: the Foilleuse gondola carries bikes from the village centre to the top of the trails, and the linked Portes du Soleil lifts take you on into the rest of the network, so there is no need for a van shuttle. Bike hire and servicing are right by the gondola, and coaching and guided days are run from Morgins and neighbouring Champéry.

• ESS Morgins Bike Academy: the Swiss Ski School's summer mountain bike courses in Morgins, including Swiss Cycling Academy 4 Kids workshops for 6 to 12 year olds, downhill introduction days for 12 to 16 year olds and private lessons. The kids' workshop week costs CHF 199 and a downhill introduction day CHF 95.
• J and J Sport: bike and e-bike hire, servicing and sales from its bike shop opposite the Foilleuse gondola, on the Route de France in Morgins.
• Ride Switzerland: bike school with group and private coaching in downhill, enduro and e-bike riding, half and full days and kids' camps across the Portes du Soleil, based in Champéry.
• Snowline: downhill, enduro, mountain bike and e-MTB hire for adults and juniors, plus a workshop, from two shops in Morgins, one on the Route de Bas-Vièze by the gondola.
• Wheelside: guided downhill, enduro, cross-country and e-bike days and technique sessions across the Portes du Soleil, departing from Morgins and Champéry, based in Monthey.

Some of these operators publish little online, so contact them before you travel to check they're running.

Prices are correct as of September 2026 but subject to change, so check current rates with the operator.

Getting There from the UK

Geneva is the nearest airport, at around an hour and a half by road, either round the south shore of Lake Geneva via Thonon and over the Pas de Morgins, or on the Swiss motorway via Lausanne and Monthey. It has the widest choice of flights from the UK. Transfers run from the airport, or you can continue by train.

By rail, take the Eurostar to Paris and a TGV Lyria to Geneva or Lausanne, then Swiss trains to Monthey, either directly or via Aigle on the Aigle-Monthey-Champéry line. From Monthey, bus 61 climbs through Troistorrents to Morgins, stopping at "Morgins, poste" by the gondola. Bikes need planning at every stage: Eurostar and TGV Lyria take bikes only boxed or bagged, or in limited reserved spaces, so check before you book; Swiss intercity trains need a bike ticket and, from spring to autumn, a bike space reservation; and bus 61 carries bikes on a rack at the back, so space is limited. Local Chablais trains take bikes space permitting.

Driving from Calais or the Channel Tunnel is around 900km, roughly nine hours on toll motorways via Reims and Dijon to Geneva, then along Lake Geneva to Thonon and up the valley through Abondance and Châtel to the Pas de Morgins. If you drive on Swiss motorways you need a vignette. A car makes it easy to bring your own bikes and to reach the other Portes du Soleil villages.

Once in Morgins, the main access point is the Foilleuse gondola base station on the Route de Bas-Vièze, a short walk from the village centre with parking nearby.

When to Go

The lift-served season usually runs from late June to mid or late September, with the lifts running every day in July and August and a reduced timetable either side, and the dates vary each year, so check the timetable before you book. Not every Portes du Soleil lift opens on the same day, and Champéry's lifts often close earlier than Morgins'. July and August are the busiest months, with French and Swiss school holidays, the French public holidays on 14 July and 15 August and Swiss National Day on 1 August. The Pass'Portes du Soleil mountain bike festival fills the network for a weekend each summer, usually in late June. Early September is often the sweet spot, with quieter trails and settled weather.

Morgins sits at 1,350m and the gondola tops out at 1,850m, so it is lower and milder than many Alpine bike parks, but it can still be cool at the top and conditions change quickly. Summer thunderstorms tend to build through the afternoon and can close the lifts, so start early, carry a waterproof layer and check the forecast each morning.

Where to Stay

Morgins itself is the natural base for this bike park: the gondola leaves from the village centre, the pump track and the hire shops are a short walk away, and the village is quieter and more relaxed than the bigger Portes du Soleil resorts. Champéry is the bigger Swiss base, with the World Cup track and its own train station, while Châtel, just over the border, suits riders who want to spend most of the trip on the French side. Monthey and Troistorrents, down the valley, are on the train and bus line and can be cheaper.

Accommodation in Morgins is mostly chalets and apartments, with a handful of hotels and group lodges. Ask the tourist office about current visitor offers, but plan on buying a separate bike lift pass.

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