Discover Gaaël in our #MADEINLESGETS series, where we explore the talents that bring our resort to life. Today, meet Gaël and his local brand Ambiances des Alpes.
The alchemist of alpine fragrances
In the heart of Les Gets, a passionate woman captures the very essence of our mountains. For 15 years, Gaël has been transforming her childhood memories and the atmosphere of the Alps into unique fragrances through her brand “Ambiances des Alpes”. More than an entrepreneur, she is an olfactory storyteller who translates emotions and landscapes into fragrances. 🏔️
Although production takes place in Grasse, the world capital of perfume, each creation is first born in Gaël’s imagination. She works closely with a professional perfumer from Grasse – a ‘nose’ – to develop unique scents that scrupulously comply with European cosmetics standards.
A diverse range of products
The catalogue is impressive: 50 fragrances created, 25 of which are available in the boutique. Her creations travel beyond Les Gets, as far as Switzerland, Italy and Austria, taking a little of our terroir across the border.
The collection includes room sprays, scented bouquets with sticks, and candles ranging from 165g to 1.5kg. The latter, available with cotton or wooden wicks, are cast in natural waxes, sometimes presented in exceptional glasses for limited editions. 🕯️
The brand has diversified with a range of skincare products: liquid and solid soaps, body and hair shampoos, all infused with the same characteristic fragrances. 🫧
Another way to bring a little mountain and nature into everyone’s everyday life.
The must-haves
Among the most popular and universal fragrances, some stand out and are a huge success wherever they are sold. These favourites include :
Scents that evoke the purity of the mountains and the authenticity of the Alps.
Only in Les Gets
In partnership with the Les Gets Tourist Office, Gaël has created an exclusive olfactory signature: “L’inoubliable”. Currently available in candle form, the fragrance is a subtle blend of fir, honey and mountain plant notes. Created at the end of 2024, this exclusive fragrance is on sale at the Tourist Office in Les Gets.
Close your eyes and let yourself be transported to the forests of Les Gets. 🌲
Gaël and Delphine invite you to come and discover these products in shop.
“Don’t hesitate to come and meet us to find out all about our perfumes and all the other products we offer: household linen, accessories, ready-to-wear and even our frames made by craftsmen in Les Gets”.
📍Where can you find these creations? Michaud Sport and Tête de Radis in Les Gets, as well as in various boutiques in nearby Alpine resorts.
Today, our ambassador, Chef Christophe Pauly, shares with us his recipe inspired by Les Gets.
A lover of Les Gets, he’s been visiting the resort since he was a child, and it’s this same love of the mountains and their terroir that gave him the idea of creating a brand new recipe, ‘Goût de montagne’, stuffed morels, wild garlic and vin jaune. So without further ado, let’s find out how to cook Chef Christophe Pauly’s recipe at home.
To make this recipe, here is the list of ingredients and utensils you will need:
Ingredients :
Poultry meat
1 egg
Butter
Sugar
salt and pepper
Grated Comté cheese
Whipping cream
Morels
Walnuts
Bear’s garlic
Chicken stock (optional)
Yellow wine
Tagetes leaves for dressing (optional)
Ustensiles :
A blender
A piping bag for the filling
Siphon (optional)
Steam oven (optional)
I – Preparing the morel stuffing
To prepare the stuffing, you will need poultry, an egg, melted butter, sugar, salt, grated Comté cheese, whipping cream, a blender and a piping bag for stuffing the morels.
Finely blend the chicken in the blender before adding the whole egg and blending again.
Add the melted butter, sugar, salt and grated Comté cheese to the bird and blend vigorously to obtain a fine stuffing.
While continuing to blend, gradually add the whipping cream to make the stuffing rise. Continue until you have a smooth mixture.
Place the fine filling in a piping bag and leave to rest. Now we can move on to the next step, preparing the wild garlic coulis.
II – Preparing the wild garlic coulis
Carefully clean the wild garlic leaves.
First blanch them quickly in boiling water, then plunge them immediately into a bowl of iced water to fix their beautiful green colour.
Blend the leaves very finely with a little cooking water or chicken stock for extra flavour.
Add a knob of butter to the mixture and season lightly with salt and pepper.
Pour the mixture into a small pan before moving on to the next stage, preparing the morels.
III – Preparing the morels
Clean the morels with a brush and trim the stalks.
Stuff them with your fine stuffing using a piping bag.
Make a small slit in the top of each morel to prevent the stuffing escaping during cooking.
Steam the morels at 70°C for 4 minutes, or poach them in vegetable, poultry or mushroom stock if you don’t have a steamer.
Remove the morels to a paper towel-lined plate and leave to rest until you can move on to the next step.
IV – Preparing the walnuts and sabayon
Blanch the walnuts in boiling water, then peel them.
Halve the walnuts and set aside for the final decoration.
To make the sabayon, gently whisk the egg yolks with the yellow wine in a saucepan over a low heat.
Stop the sabayon cooking by adding a teaspoon of whipping cream and salt. Option: you can pour the sabayon into a siphon if you have one, add two cartridges of gas and keep it in a bain-marie at 60°C.
V – Finishing and serving
Now that you’ve finished your preparations, it’s time for the final step in making your delicious dish.
Lightly brown the stuffed morels in a frying pan with a knob of butter, seasoning with salt, and finish by baking in the oven at 180°C for 3 minutes.
Remove the morels onto kitchen paper to remove any excess fat.
Arrange the dish in a soup plate, carefully pouring over the wild garlic coulis first.
Then add your morels in the centre and add the walnuts.
Cut a few pieces of Comté cheese into pastilles and add them to the dish.
Finish by adding your sabayon. You can add a few tagetes leaves to add a final touch to your recipe.
All that’s left to do is serve and enjoy your dish with your partner, family or friends!
Tip: to make this recipe even more local, you can replace the Comté cheese with Tomme cheese from the Les Gets Perrières farm.
Are you coming with your family for the first time (or not) and you don’t know which slopes to choose to have a great time all together and for all levels? Here’s our selection of the 5 must-do family runs in Les Gets! ❄️
1 – A paradise for beginners: The Mappys area ⛷️
Imagine a place where learning to ski is equal to pleasure. Nestled at the arrival of the Chavannes gondola, this area dedicated to beginner skiers is a place where every skier feels safe to learn, away from the hustle and bustle of the main slopes.
Designed as an ideal learning ground, this site offers a safe and suitable environment for new skiers and beginners. Its innovative equipment includes two conveyor belts, a snow wire and a cable car.
Accessibility on foot is an added bonus, making it easier for families and accompanying adults to come and cheer on the apprentices.
New: The Bubble Magic carpet ❄️
This year marks a revolution in comfort for beginners with the Bubble Magic Carpet. Gone are the unpleasant sensations of face-whipping snow and icy wind. From now on, the ascent becomes a moment of pleasure, whatever the weather conditions.
2 – The legendary Indian Trail: a fun forest trail for all the family 🪶
In the middle of the forest, the “Piste des Indiens” is a green run designed especially for families. With its bumps and banked turns, it offers a dynamic and fun experience. 🌲
The route winds through the trees and features a number of fun modules: tunnels, obstacles to avoid, bison decorations and other visual surprises. Original photo points line the course, adding a touch of fun to capture those unique moments. What’s more, the entire trail is equipped with sound to ensure total immersion and make the adventure even more memorable.
3 – The Tulipes blue run: the ideal place for your first turns 🌷
A well-deserved lunch break in one of the restaurants at the top of the Rosta chairlift, then off to the Reine des Prés piste!
A first step towards self-confidence? You’re on the right track: it’s like the Rolls-Royce of the field.
Take your time and capture a magical moment with your family, with Mont Blanc in the background, before heading off on the blue Tulipes piste! Depart from the summit of Ranfoilly (1826 m), where you can enjoy breathtaking views all the way down. An adventure to match the panorama! 🏔️
5 – Parallel slalom: Race your friends ⛷️
Challenge your little bro’ like a pro!
Change slopes and test your skills on the permanent timed parallel slalom at Mont-Chéry. Located on the Oursons piste, this free slalom is open to all and accessible via the La Grande Ourse chairlift.
The whole family can enjoy challenging each other on a double timed course. On your marks… ready? Get skiing! ⏱️
The Ourson piste offers the perfect opportunity to enjoy a fun and dynamic experience while taking in the beauty of the mountains.
Montagne Verte and Alpinexpress are two associations working towards a low-carbon future, where people live in harmony with mountain territory and its biodiversity in the Haut Chablais region. To inform, inspire and encourage residents and businesses to reduce their environmental impact. 🏔️
DISCOVER ALPINEXPRESS PASS 🚞
Alpinexpress aims to facilitate and encourage travel to the alps. The scheme aims to make rail travel more attractive and accessible, while helping to protect our mountain environment.
In collaboration with several local partners, they are now offering exclusive benefits to passengers who choose to travel by train, to encourage more sustainable mobility. 🌲
For example, the AlpinExpress pass includes the Portes du Soleil ski pass or the Les Gets-Morzine and Alta Lumina passes…
Climate change is one of the major issues of our time, and the tourism sector plays a significant role in it.
Emissions from different modes of transport – Emissions per passenger and per km travelled
The facts: compared to flying, train travel has around 80 times less impact on the climate, taking into account all environmental impacts, not just CO2 emissions.
When it comes to ski holidays, studies show that travel accounts for almost 60% of CO2 emissions. The journey to the ski resort is therefore the most decisive factor in the ecological impact of a holiday.
Opting for a more environmentally-friendly mode of transport is therefore a concrete way of making holidays more sustainable, enabling everyone, at their own level, to contribute to the fight against climate change. 💪🏼
The idea is to have simple guides to help tourists get on the train: how to cross Paris, how to cover the last few kilometres between the station and the destination, and practical information like where to find toilets or whether cash is needed for the bus!
‘We’re seeing an increase in demand for the pass! We’ve gone from 30 in 2023 to 142 in the 23-24 winter season. And for this winter, we’ve already issued 70 passes!’ – Sara Burdon, General Secretary at Montagne Verte
LA BIOCYCLETTE, MÊME EN HIVER ❄️
Recovering bio-waste to protect the planet. 🌍
But what is it? Food waste collection by bike, helping businesses to comply with the new 2024 regulations and turn their food waste into biogas. Reduce your food waste management costs and improve your attractiveness: two birds with one stone! ♻️
Review of the year
5 tonnes of organic waste collected this winter by BioCyclette
5 tonnes of organic waste collected this summer by BioCyclette
12 tonnes of CO2eq = equivalent to 62,172 km by car
For bio-waste collection, please only dispose of food waste before table service (bread, vegetables, coffee…) 🥖🫑☕
Does not handle: meat, fish, bones, plastic, aluminium, paper, cardboard, edible oil 🍗🐟🥡
But what are the benefits for your company?
Prove your compliance with the 2024 regulations;
Reduce odours and increase your attractiveness as an employer;
Outsource your internal bio-waste management costs;
Reduce your RS Redevance Spéciale ;
Demonstrate your commitment to your customers;
Associate your name with an eco-friendly approach.
If you have a business but don’t yet have a solution for sorting your organic waste, don’t hesitate to contact Montagne Verte:
Sunshine, snow and stunning panoramic views, Les Gets resort has so much to offer! Less than one hour from Geneva, between Lake Geneva and Mont Blanc, this little piece of paradise provides a unique experience in the heart of the wonderful Portes du Soleil ski area. So, here are 7 ideas for skiers of every style and level to try in Les Gets.
1. Alpine skiing ⛷
You’ll find Les Gets in the Portes du Soleil ski area, one of the world’s most vast, linking 12 French and Swiss resorts and 600 kilometres of slopes.
At Les Gets you’ll be at the foot of the slopes, with easy access to the 120 kilometres of slopes that cross the pine forests and alpine pastures of the Les Gets-Morzine ski area. This winter playground offers a huge variety of skiing, from beginner slopes to technically challenging runs for the experts.
For those who love the freedom of going off the beaten track, Les Gets has some great routes for you to try:
“Les Maisons Larges”: starting from the Ranfoilly chairlift, this relatively easy route takes intermediate-level skiers to virgin territory in a stunning setting with views of Mont Blanc. This route is ideal for those trying off-piste skiing for the first time, accompanied by a professional mountain guide.
“Les Crêtes du Chéry”: at the top of Mont Chéry, a 360° panoramic view of Mont Blanc and the surrounding mountains sets the scene for this route. For intermediate-level skiers, this 650m descent takes in the traditional village of Mont Caly and winds its way through forests and mountain pastures before finishing in the Perrières area. For your own safety, you must be accompanied by a professional.
Whatever your level and for safety reasons, you need to be fully equipped (AVD, shovel, probe) and accompanied by a mountain guide:
And finally, don’t forget to check the weather and the avalanche bulletin before you leave.
4. Ski touring 🎿
Do you love exploring unspoilt natural scenery, spending time in vast, immaculate white spaces, escaping far away from the crowded slopes? Well, ski touring could turn out to be your favourite sporting activity this winter.
And you’re in luck, because Les Gets resort has a number of safe, waymarked routes available for nature lovers to discover the wilder slopes in the Mont-Chéry area.
When you head out from the Les Gets village, at the base of the Chamois run, follow the trail until you get to the top of Mont Chéry, where you can enjoy an unbeatable view of the Mont Blanc mountains.
Following last year’s success with “climbing skins” (necessitated by the COVID situation), a new trail has been created for this season. You can get your skins out at Les Chavannes. This new slope is accessible to all and has no technical difficulties.
The trail starts in the village, joins the lac des Ecoles and winds along the chemin de la Mouille Ronde, through a lovely wooded setting, with an intimate, unspoilt feel, away from the main ski area. Only the last section of the trail runs close to the slopes, near the top of Les Nauchets.
Stats: 490 metres of elevation gain over a distance of 3.6 kilometres.
Cross-country skiing is a Nordic skiing activity that is accessible to all and will open up some stunning winter landscapes for you to rediscover and explore. Just like ski touring, cross-country skiing is a free activity.
Les Gets resort provides waymarked routes that are kept safe and well-maintained by our team, so that you can enjoy Nordic skiing on the slopes of Mont-Chéry and Chavannes.
Experience the incredible delights of sliding on the snow, while being towed by a horse. Originating from Scandinavia and over 4,000 years old, experience an amazing adventure to the clip-clopping rhythm of your equine companion’s hooves. It’s best to have some experience of skiing before trying out this activit
If you’ve tried out one, all six or even none of these six types of skiing activity, I’m sure that you’ll sample the après-ski, a mountain essential!
There’s nothing quite like enjoying a drink with family or friends after an exhausting day.
Whether you prefer a stylish atmosphere, music or a high altitude environment, the bars in Les Gets are ready to welcome you so that you can make the most of your stay.
Your week of skiing is just around the corner and you’re getting excited. And yes, almost two years without skiing is a long time! So, you’ve booked your accommodation in Les Gets, arranged time off work and bought all your equipment. Well, that’s all well and good, but you’re leaving soon and not sure how to get organised. You really don’t want to ruin this skiing holiday!
Don’t panic. We’ve prepared a to-do list for you to use so that you won’t forget anything.
1. Check the webcam and the weather forecast❄️
Our webcams give you one-click access to information about snow conditions in the ski area as well as the weather forecast all year round. This is really handy so you know what to pack.
If you’re travelling by car, check the road conditions so you won’t get any nasty surprises. And remember that you must have winter kit on all roads and motorways in the Haute-Savoie department.
So, get your winter tyres, snow chains or snow tyre socks ready!
For an easier option, you can always car-share with someone else or come by train or bus. There are lots of options for getting to Les Gets.
3. Check parking facilities 🅿️ and how to get around in Les Gets🚌
Once you arrive in Les Gets, you can leave your car in the car park and get around by foot, shuttle bus or little train.
The local authority has decided to provide free parking. All outdoor parking for tourist vehicles is free in the village. During the winter season, the car parks in the centre are in a blue zone, where parking is limited to a maximum of two hours between 8am and 6pm.
Colour-coded parking discs for the different resorts are freely available from the town hall reception or the Tourist Office.
To help you get around, there are free shuttle services to the main parts of the village and during the skiing season, a shuttle service operates between resorts. Whether you want to travel by bike, hire a GetsLib electric bike, have a wander on foot or travel on the little train, you’ll be able to move around safely and enjoy a spot of shopping in the town centre, where roads are fully pedestrianised at certain times of year.
You’re guaranteed our best prices online and it also means you won’t need to queue at the ticket office to buy or top up your pass.
Just go to https://www.lesgets.com/en/lift-pass/, select your ski area: Les Gets Morzine or Les Portes du Soleil, the duration of your stay and the number of people travelling with you. Simple as that!
Buy or reload your lift pass
You’ll then be able to collect your pass:
At the Click & Collect pointsaccessible 24 hours a day located at the central ticket office in Chavannes, underneath the departure point of the Chavannes cable car(297 route du Front de Neige, Les Gets)
At the Perrières ticket office, at the departure point for the Perrières ski lift (free parking) (Route des Pesses, Les Gets) (only during the winter season)
Tourist Office (89 Route du Front de Neige, Les Gets)
Chéry Nord, at the departure point for the Chéry Nord ski lift (167 route de Taninges, La Côte d’Arbroz) (only during the winter season)
At a ticket office
Chavannes Central Ticket Office, Perrières Ticket Office, Tourist Office Chavanne haut (3900 route des Chavannes, Les Gets) (only during the winter season) Turche Ticket Office(935 Route de la Turche, Les Gets) (only during the winter season) Chéry Ticket Office (2673 route des Grandes Alpes 74260 Les Gets)
5.Book or prep your equipment in advance🎿
If you have your own skis (or snowboard) at home, get them ready by waxing and sharpening them.
What’s the purpose of waxing and sharpening?
Waxing the base of skis helps provide optimal glide for faster and more exhilarating descents. Sharpening skis is important to ensure they can properly grip the snow so as to prevent uncontrolled sliding.
If you’re a DIY enthusiast at heart, sharpening and waxing kits are available on the internet and in several stores. There are a number of tutorials on the internet to help you.
Otherwise, when you arrive at the resort our professional ski techs will be on hand to prepare your skis for perfect performance.
And while we’re on the subject of professionals, you’ll also need them if you want to hire your skis. Once again, by booking online, you’ll save money on equipment hire costs.
Visit this page for a list of sports shops in Les Gets.
6. Book your ski lessons ⛷
Whether you want to learn how to ski, become more confident or perfect your skills, professional instructors are on hand to help you progress and enjoy the skiing experience.
Below are details of the École du Ski Français (French Ski School), the International 360° Ski School and independent ski guides based in Les Gets. Why not get in touch with them and book your next ski lesson?
If you’re not keen on checking the ski area map every time you reach an intersection on the slopes, then maybe you should take some time to have a look at the Portes du Soleil resort map. There are 12 ski resorts between France and Switzerland, 293 marked trails and 209 ski lifts, so there’s plenty to keep you busy for a while
Do you want to explore all the valleys and see all the peaks? You can start to plan and memorise some of the ski and snowboarding trails. For example, which is the most direct route to Chatel or Avoriaz from Les Gets? Or, how do you pop over to Morgins or Champéry in Switzerland?
Can you also name the peaks in the Haut Chablais and Valais regions? If you want to impress your loved ones, we recommend that you download the PeakFinder or Peaklens app so you can easily identify the surrounding summits.
There are so many things to do in Les Gets. So, it’s always best to check the entertainment schedule before you go so that you won’t miss anything. Culture, leisure, sports, traditional activities: there’s something for everyone!
In Les Gets, we appreciate the good things in life, especially when they’re local, fresh and made with love.
Our producers, retailers and restaurant-owners all have their own way of showcasing the resort’s fine foods and high standards. Standards that have been passionately maintained over the years, taking pride of place when it comes to gourmet cuisinebased on locally sourced, seasonal produce.
We know that packing for a skiing holiday can be tricky. With a huge pile of equipment to remember and bulky jumpers taking up all the space, it can be a real pain.
So, here’s a little list of things to remember that could come in handy:
You can never be reminded often enough about the 3-layer principle which will keep you warm and dry throughout the day:
breathable 1st layer: avoid cotton and opt for synthetic fibres or merino wool (a must!)
thermal 2nd layer: a down or fleece jacket
waterproof and windproof 3rd layer: ski jacket and trousers
Ski socks – remember to pack several pairs
Gloves or mittens, glove liners for those who feel the cold
Ski goggles or visor
Backpack with hydration pack, water bottle and picnic
Sun cream and protective lip balm
Ski pass
And don’t forget your anti-Covid approved mask or neck warmer for the ski lifts and queues. If you like, you could get yourself a Les Gets branded mask and neck warmer from our online shop or from a ticket office.
As a reminder: here are some examples of approved masks and neck warmers: – Disposable surgical masks – Category 1 “general public” masks for non-medical use – Category 2 “general public” masks for non-medical use
