Morzine and Avoriaz HOFNAR Snowboarding Week
Morzine is a long-established alpine village bursting with charm, surrounded on all sides by mountains. It is a lively resort popular with British snowboarders and seasonnaires with attractive wooden chalets and not a high rise in sight. Together with the nearby Avoriaz it forms part of the huge Portes du Soleil ski area - one of the largest ski areas in the world. At just 1 hour and 20 minutes from Geneva airport, it is one of the easiest and quickest to get in to the Alps. The historic town remains a 'real' French town with market on a Wednesday and a year round population. There is a large range of shops, restaurant and a few nightclubs. At a relatively low altitude of 1,000 metres (3,300 feet), you may see some rain in Morzine , particularly in early and late season, but this is a reality of the place and you shouldn't let it put you off as it will be snow further up the mountain! For my week in Morzine I stayed at Chalet Skade, run by Dan and the team at H.O.F.N.A.R., a little-known but small and friendly travel company. H.O.F.N.A.R. generally attracts young people in their twenties and thirties. It's a really sociable week delivering plenty of laughs, some great skiing and snowboarding, a few big nights out and an excellent chalet.
Accommodation
Morzine is known for its range of great, rounded and very affordable chalet packages. I found H.O.F.N.A.R. based on their seemingly endless 5 star reviews on Trip Advisor and it certainly lived up to expectations. The H.O.F.N.A.R. trips are led by the charismatic owner Daniel James who acts as chalet host and piste guide alongside the fantastic Dublin duo Ali and Marsha. Daniel was described by the Guardian newspaper as an “ebullient, overgrown schoolboy”, which I think is about right! Dan is obsessed with skiing and knows the Portes du Soleil ski area like the back of his hand. There is no-one better to show you the best ski-ing and snowboarding whether on or off piste. Chalet Skade is your home from home. You can feel free to wander around in your pyjamas and help yourself to anything in the well stocked fridge. There are 5 rooms (three triple, two twin / double) housing 13 guests with no bunk beds. There is a log fire, guest computer (as well as wi-fi), flat screen TV and (small) DVD library, a sauna and even a hot tub in the garden!
The chalet is just a seven minute walk from the Super-Morzine lift and H.O.F.N.A.R. has a deal with the local hire shop so even if you're not renting you can store your kit there - meaning no lugging equipment and heavy boots around town. I would highly recommend going with Dan and the team but if H.O.F.N.A.R. doesn't sound like your bag, check out Cold Fusion Chalets, Rude Chalets, More Mountain and Riders Refuge as alternatives.
The H.O.F.N.A.R. Experience
H.O.F.N.A.R. trips are different to the regular skiing / snowboarding chalet holiday. They were started as a result of owner Daniel Janes realising as he got further away from university all his friends were settling down, having children, not being available, not going out, not going on holiday, not doing STUFF. Most of the people that go on the H.O.F.N.A.R. trips are in their twenties and thirties, most come on their own and there are no kids! The chalet hosts are carefully selected. There is no 'them and us', your host is effectively on holiday with you and will be with you throughout your stay, from making breakfast in the morning, to hanging out with you on the mountain, to cooking you dinner, to leading the all important apres ski. During the days everyone tends to head up the mountain - usually splitting into smaller groups depending on ability etc. Generally Dan will set a plan so people to choose to meet the group for lunch but this is entirely optional so if you fancy going off further afield into Avoriaz and don't want to have to ski back again for lunch time this is absolutely fine too. Each week is slightly different depending on the guests. The week I was there we have a few big nights out mixed with chilled nights in. Speaking to Dan, some weeks are quiet boozey, some aren't, although if you're idea of apres ski is a Horlicks by the fire maybe H.O.F.N.A.R. is not for you. Expect a really sociable week, plenty of laughs, some great skiing and riding and a whole load of new friends.
What's Included
Here's what's included in the H.O.F.N.A.R. trips...
- Shared accommodation in the awesome Chalet Skade
- 4 evening meals. On the other evenings guests eat out as a group with the particular nights decided during the week, depending on what everyone wants to do
- Breakfast every morning, including a fry up on one of the days. Guests are encouraged to raid the table to make up packed lunches
- Welcome drinks
- Open fridge policy
- Snacks and waffles available at all times
- Unlimited soft drinks, tea, coffee, hot chocolate, beer and wine
- Benefit of being part of a small group of like-minded people
- No kids!!
- H.O.F.N.A.R. host who does everything from preparing your meals, to hanging out with you on the mountain, to leading the all important apres ski
Transfers from / to Geneva airport are not included in the price, but H.O.F.N.A.R. can arrange these for you with their partners Ski-Lifts for £55 per person return.
Slopes
There are two main skiing and snowboarding options on either side of the valley - either Morzine and Les Gets (pronounced "le jeay") starting at 1,000 metres or the higher and often more popular Avoriaz resting on a plateau at 1,800m. Terrain varies from the long, wide, tree-lined slopes of Morzine to the more challenging slopes of Mount Chery. All in all, you'll find 430 pistes spanning more than 650km accessible from 209 lifts, of which very few are drag lifts. The vast area has something for everyone - from super cool jump parks such as 'The Stash' to wide open easy runs, from the scarily steep 'Swiss Wall' to gentle pistes through the trees. There are 7 snow parks and 3 border cross which are ideal for all abilities, although on the snow park front The Stash probably leaves experts best catered for!
What better way to end the blog than with a sample of Dan's jokes to give you an idea of what to expect. I've gone with the cheese one liners but there are many more...
Which cheese would you use to coax a bear down from a tree?
Camembert
Did you hear about the explosion at the cheese factory?
There was de brie everywhere
How did Mr Cheese paint his wife?
He Double Gloucester
A kid threw a lump of cheddar at me
I thought ‘That’s not very mature’
Which cheese is made backwards?
Edam
What did the cheese say when it looked in the mirror?
Halloumi
