Zoe Gillings is Britain’s most successful Olympic snowboard cross athlete of all time. Zoe fell in love with the Portes du Soleil area at an early age and Morzine, with its mixed terrain, has always been a favourite. Ten years in the Portes du Soleil has seen Zoe compete in two Olympic Games, win world cup snowboarding competitions and regularly stand on World Cup podiums. For the last 4 years Zoe has been, and currently maintains the position of Great Britain’s highest ranked Olympic snowsports athlete.

Here’s Zoe’s take on the resort of Morzine:

“Ideally placed between Avoriaz and Les Gets, Morzine has a fantastic selection of tree lined runs where kids rarely get lost and access by road is easy. It boasts a vibrant night life and even an ice hockey rink! Though these days closely linked with Avoriaz, Morzine has kept its identity as one of the preferred resorts of the Portes du Soleil, with larger pistes and an “old town” feel bringing together excellent riding, a vast selection of restaurants and a fun night life. The only drawback with Morzine is sometimes a lack of snow, but being on the doorstep of higher resorts removes this problem and a little known gondola at Ardent takes you straight into a nice Portes du Soleil circuit where the snow is in abundance.”

For more info on Morzine and other resorts in the area check out Snowfinder Portes du Soleil, including Zoe’s favourite runs in both Morzine and Chatel. You can follow Zoe at www.zoegillings.com.

Pat Sharples is one of the leading names on the British ski scene. He started skiing at the age of 6 and by 16 had decided to leave school, and England, to work out in Courchevel. Living in Les 3 Vallees for 12 years, Pat developed a talent for freestyle mogul skiing and then hit the freeride tour in 1996. He’s competed in a number of big mountain freeride and freestyle competitions around the world and has graced a number of ski magazine from covers. Nowadays he runs the Salomon Freeski Gromcamps, works tirelessly to promote skiing around the UK and makes the occasional TV appearance!

Here’s what Pat has to say about Courchevel:

“Courchevel is one of the biggest resorts in Europe, is known for attracting the rich and famous and be the place to be seen in, but you can’t forget that it’s one of the best ski areas in the world with great off-piste, legendary couloirs and the perfect place for taking the whole family as it has something to offer everyone! The huge amount of terrain means you can go back there year after year and never get bored as there is so much to cover. The lift system in incredible and you hardly ever find yourself in lift queues. I love the atmosphere in resort, specifically 1650. You can also find untracked snow if you know where to look, even after weeks without a snow fall if you’re prepared to hike a little. I lived in Courchevel for 12 years and that included spending some summers there too. It’s my first choice of place to go, even now!”

Here’s even more info on Courchevel and the 3 Valleys ski area, including some of Pat’s favourite runs.