Grand Massif Summer Activities

Morillon and Samoens are located in the Giffre valley and are part of Le Grand Massif mountain range. This location is perfectly situated for summer activities.  It is an area of outstanding natural beauty which is protected by the French Government. There is an endless list of outdoor activities on offer for families and adrenaline junkies alike. Exact opening dates for activities can be checked at the links provided on this page – various activities are not available at the start and end of the summer season.

For a more comprehensive list of actives available please click here for the Morillon Tourist Office and here for the Samoens Tourist Office.

Annecy Day Trip

Each Wednesday during the summer we offer a day trip to Annecy leaving 09:00 and collecting at 17:00. The cost is £40 or €45 per person with a minimum of 6 people.

Yoga in Samoens

During the summer we have 2 yoga sessions each day Monday –  Saturday inclusive. The classes take place at 7:15am and 5:30pm in The Barn at Ferme St Christophe and are available to any guests staying at our chalets in Le Grand Massif (both Samoens and Morillon). Our teacher’s classes are usually a vinyasa-flow style focused on a specific theme or working up to a particular pose, with an emphasis on how the poses make you feel, rather than how they look. The cost is £10 or €11 per class or £100 for the full week. For more information on our yoga sessions in Samoens please click here. 

Self Guided Walking in Samoens and Sixt

We offer self-guided walking day trips on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. We provide transport to and from the start points, a packed lunch, detailed route guides and maps, and in-resort concierge during the walks. The hikes are around 12km each day and involve between 500 – 1000m of vertical incline. The walks provide an amazing way to see the stunning local scenery including unparralled views of Mont Blanc. We have some walking itineraries in the Giffre valley close to Samoens but also options in Sixt Fer a Cheval – in particular the stunning Bout du Monde (End of the World) walk along with Refuge de Sales. For more details of our self-guided walking options please click here. Please also note that we provide local routes and maps provided by the tourist office free of charge if you prefer to go for shorter walks in and around Samoens and Morillon

Samoens Leisure Park

This is a great facility that has a number of activities on offer. The 25 metre outdoor pool is open between June and August and has a shallow children’s pool , a water slide and a cafe.

Click here for more information on prices and opening times for the swimming pool.

The actual park is enormous, and is a great place to chill out and relax in the sunshine. It really is quite a stunning place, not least because it is overlooked by the famous and rather enormous Le Criou mountain.

Activities include:

• Tree-top adventure park
• Tennis
• Lakeside golf range
• Archery
• Boules
• Football pitch

Morillon Lac Bleu

The famous Lac Bleu lake is located just a 3 minute walk from Chalet Mautalent in Morillon. It is a large man made lake that is nestled right in the centre of the valley. Swimming and sunbathing is the order of the day, and there is also a great little restaurant and bar to the side of the lake. You can go also go horse riding, hire kayaks or play mini golf.

Le Grand Massif Mountain Biking

Morillon and Samoens are part of Le Grand Massif mountain range. Cable cars in Le Grand Massif are open from June – August which opens up the vast VVT (Velo Tout Terrain) mountain bike area. Le Grand Massif has a huge amount of trails and descents and benefits from being less busy than neighbouring Morzine (25 minute drive away). There are a number of places to hire mountain bikes from in the valley. All of our chalets have secure indoor bike storage.

For more information on the mountain bike trails and lift opening dates please click here.

Le Grand Massif Road Cycling

Unsurprisingly the area has a huge amount to offer road cyclists. The northern Alps are very much a haven for cyclists wishing to take on the famous Cols of the Tour de France. The valley is beneath the famous Col de Joux Plane that has been the location for a number of historic battles during the Grand Tour. The valley offers a number of routes for beginners, intermediates, and experts. There are a number a places to hire road bikes from in the valley. All of our chalets have secure indoor bike storage.

Le Grand Massif Water Sports

The river Giffre runs right down the middle of the valley. Not surprisingly there are a huge number of water sports on offer. They include:

• Rafting: take an inflatable caone ride down the river. Not for the faint hearted – expect to fall in!
• Canyoning: Similar to rafting but without the raft! Canyoning involves climbing, swimming, sliding and jumping your way down the rivers.
• Water Skiing
• Kayaking

For more information on prices and opening dates for rafting please click here.

Parapenting

This activity involves launching yourself off the top of a mountain while attached to your instructor and parachuting your way down into the valley. There are a number of companies that run courses to enable you to parapente solo.

For more information on prices and opening dates for parenting click here.

Golf

There are a number of courses in the surrounding area, the closest being Les Gets (15 minutes drive). There is also the world famous Royal Club in Evian, a 1 hour 15 minute drive from Morillon / Samoens. Needless to say all the courses in the area benefit from outstanding views across the Alps.

Tree Top Parcours

While attached to a harness this activity involves swinging from the trees like Tarsan! Available in both Morillon and Samoens, there are various ladders, bridges, swings and cargo nets suspended from the trees that are a huge amount of fun to play around on. A perfect activity for anyone who has tried ‘Go Ape’ in the UK.

Via Ferrata

A sort of hybrid between climbing and mountaineering. The routes in the Alps were originally set our during World War II to allow troops to complete the mountain passes quickly and safely. The best trails start in Sixt-Fer-Cheval, a 10 minute drive from Samoens.

Massage and Pampering

We recommend Affinity Alpine Massage in Morillon and Samoens. Clare Mcfarland is a qualified holistic and sports massage therapist based in the Giffre valley. She offers a number of treatments in the comfort of your chalet throughout the summer. Treatments vary from the sport specific deep tissue and myofacial release to the more relaxation style of holistic and aromatherapy massage.

For more information please click here.