e n i z A 5 g 1 A 0 2 M
e n n o u i J t A M r o f
n S P E C I A L R E P O R T i WAter, A treAsure We cAn All enJoy L A c ‘ o L z A i r o v A e n i z r o M
N E W S MountAin biking, ‘ the fAvourite suMMertiMe sport
P R O J E C T ‘ A children's centre in AvoriAz TABLE OF CONTENTS
SPECIAL REPORT 4 to 6 WATER STRAIghT fROm ThE SOuRCE
‘ SPORTS 7 to 9 SPORTS ANd ChAmPIONS
‘ NEWS 10 to 19 mOuNTAIN bIkINg 20 A NEW SkATE-PARk 21 ‘ ANd RuNNINg
PROJECT 22 and 23 AvORIAz TO gET A CENTRE dEdICATEd ‘ TO ChILdREN SERvICES SOCIAL mATTERS 24 and 25 COmmuNICATION: A NEW WEbSITE 26 and 27 ‘ ThE fIRE SERvICE IS RECRuITINg 28 and 29 SEASONAL WORkERS: ACCOmmOdATION ANd JObS
29 ThE SummER PROgRAmmE
30 ‘ TOuRIST TAX 31 ‘ ThE TOWN'S fLOWERS EvENTS 32 ‘ LOCAL INfORmATION
‘ bIRThS, mARRIAgES ANd dEAThS 33 OuR NEW LITTLE ONES ‘ hERITAgE 34 and 35 ‘ SOON A muSEum fOR OuR hERITAgE
Responsable de la publication : Le maire Gérard Berger et la Commission Communication Réalisation et rédaction : Chantal Bourreau Conception graphique : EC Création - La Marmotte Bleue Ce magazine a été imprimé sur du papier labellisé PEFC (Programme de Reconnaissance des Certifications Le groupe Toto sera en concert dans le cadre des Harleys Days Forestières) et dans une imprimerie bénéficiant du label Imprim'Vert : Imprimerie Nouvelle-Sallanches.
2 EDITORIAL
During the Christmas holidays our two stations were in the news for their daily quota limitations. This meant our skiing customers felt privileged, making the most of the snow we had and that other stations dreamed of … But memories don't last long and this episode is already almost forgotten, especially as the season ended better than it started with some great snowfalls and all kinds of events organised that entertained both visitors and residents. This climatic situation made it clearer than ever that links between our two ski stations are essential.
This spring 2015 edition of the Mag is thicker than usual. For once we decided to cover topics related to preparations for the summer season as well as town news. As a result this magazine is a mix of the " Mag " and the pre-season " Letter ".
You’ll find the usual information regarding town news and projects, whether it for young people or the protection of our heritage, as well as a focus on water, flowers in the town, sports and our athletes.
There is also an in-depth report on mountain biking and the efforts that are made to ensure this sport does not interfere with other mountain activities. The interviews highlight the growing importance of mountain biking in our stations and points of view that need to be considered for the future, taking into account economic development and shared space.
We voluntarily postponed an important article on the town's finances. We will give you details in a later issue along with the achievements and projects in our mandate.
In this Mag there are 36 pages of information and news to help you prepare for the summer season, with some great attractions, entertainment and events such as the "Salon de la Pass'Portes du Soleil" and the "Harley Days" that will take over the town.
I hope you enjoy reading this edition of Mag and I wish you a very pleasant summer season.
The Mayor Gérard Berger
3 ‘SPECIAL REPORT WAter STRAIGHT FROM THE SOuRCE
WE hARNESS IT, TRANSPORT IT, STORE IT, TREAT IT ANd PuRIfy IT bEfORE dISTRIbuTINg IT TO CLIENTS … LET'S fOLLOW ThE ASTONIShINg JOuRNEy uNdERTAkEN by WATER, A COmmOdITy ThAT SCIENTISTS CALL ThE " bLue goLd of the third MiLLenniuM".
hOW dOES IT WORk? At the start, the water is underground … this underground water is channelled into collection points. In Morzine the main collection points are in the Vallée de la Manche and at Meuniers. In the Vallée de la Manche there are 4 collection points and one well in use at Erigné (15 metres deep) as well as another that is currently being built at La Mouille where the water is drawn from a depth of 27 metres. There are no water shortages in Morzine but this latest project was launched to prepare for the town's future needs. The water is allowed to settle, filtered and then stored in a reservoir. There are 13 reservoirs in Morzine scattered around the municipality, ranging from the smallest at 30 cubic metres to the largest reserve of 3 000 cubic metres which is located at Meuniers. This reserve is actually divided into 3 reservoirs, one of which is allocated to the Lyonnaise des Eaux who pump out the water needed to supply Avoriaz. It's important to know that Avoriaz is an urban zone that is treated as a single customer. From the reservoir the water is dispatched to the customer’s houses via a network of pipes. 4 WATER QuALITy Throughout this journey, from the collection point to the network, the water is treated to make it drinkable. In Morzine a colourless and odourless uV treatment (ultra-violet rays with a bactericide effect) was preferred over the classic chlorination method. Any water that comes out of a tap must comply with standards set by the Agence Régionale de santé (Regional Health Agency – the analysis results are regularly displayed at the Town Hall and can be viewed on the website). Since the 14th May 2004 the Morzine Water Department has been certified ISO9001, which guarantees the services offered to the 3371 clients in Morzine (not counting Avoriaz) as well as the supply of drinking water in sufficient quality and quantity. In 2004 Morzine was one of the first towns in France to obtain this certification! L'arrivée de L'eau, depuis Le captage At the time it was Paul Boucher (former Director of Technical Services) jusqu'au réservoir who instigated the process. As with any certification there is an annual audit and a reassessment every 3 years. The last one having taken place in 2013, Morzine will have to go through the full certification process with an authorised centre in 2016.
RENOvATION Of ThE NETWORk The drinking water network is very old as the oldest pipes date back to 1934! The network is also extremely vast as it has to supply all its customers: 72 kms! Taking into account that the renovation of a standpipe costs around 350 000€, it is clearly understandable that a programme to replace pipes step by step over several years was necessary. This programme started in 2004 and to date 17 kms have been renewed. Once again quality was of the utmost importance. The old grey cast iron standpipes (with no interior coating) were replaced with wider standpipes made with a better material: ductile cast iron. This has several advantages: it withstands greater mechanical loads with better resistance to shocks and better elasticity than grey cast iron and guarantees complete drinkability as opposed to polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipes.
LET'S SAvE WATER IN OuR dAILy hAbITS Whilst it is a natural resource water is also a finite resource: today drinkable water is rarer and rarer and is becoming a strategic issue in certain regions throughout the world, but also for us in mountainous regions. Since the 2003 drought, and despite what seems to us like periods of heavy rain, the water table in our region has struggled to return to former levels. Our water resources therefore remain strained.
5 PRICE Of WATER IN mORzINE In France, the price* of water varies depending on the town. According to consumer magazine "60 millions de consommateurs" (issue of the 20 th March 2015) the price is 1.50€ per cubic metre in Antibes and 5.17€ in Evreux! The average price is around 3.50€.
In morzine the price of water is 3.21€ before tax. And in the other towns in the valley (prices before tax)? WATER, A COmmuNITy SERvICE • Le Biot: 5.54€ in the village and 6.54€ at the ski station In Morzine the water supply is run by the town: the • Montriond: 3.86€ water department's staff of 4, directed by Guy • Les Gets: 5.52€ Marullaz, is in charge of supervising the sources and • La Baume: 2.81€ the collection points, the maintenance of the network • La Vernaz: 3.80€ and the smaller repair work. Private companies are • La Forclaz: 3.81€ called upon for bigger work. In Avoriaz however, • Saint Jean d'Aulps: 3.03€ drinking water is managed by • Seytroux: 4.08€ “Lyonnaise des Eaux”. • La Côte d'Arbroz: 3.28€ • Essert-Roman: 3.77€ • In Avoriaz the price of water includes the town's costs and the Lyonnaise des Eaux costs.
Price of water established on the basis of a home of 4 people using 120 CONSumPTION IN mORzINE cubic metres per year, cost of the water + treatment + subscription + tax. the price differences can be explained by several things: large In France, the average consumption per home (4 people) is around 120 investments (anew treatment centre for example), the difference in the cubic metres per year. In Morzine these figures are increasing, a subscription price, different tariffs according to consumption, the phenomenon which is easy to explain because of tourist activity, be it number of customers … holidaymakers (taking a bath after a day on the piste), business (including jacuzzis and pools in the hotels) or the town itself as Morzine is the biggest WATER TREATmENT: consumer with, amongst other things, the Aquatic Centre. PRICES ARE dECREASINg Due to the variation in visitor numbers, consumption also varies according The SIVOM of the Vallée d'Aulps, which deals with waste to the season, going from 1 200 cubic metres per day in May for the whole water at the Essert-Romand water treatment centre, voted town to 6 300 cubic metres in February (including 1 000 cubic metres for once again to lower the treatment price. Avoriaz)! On the bill you will receive in June (and therefore based on However, over time daily consumption has declined: in 20 years it went your 2014 consumption) the treatment fee will go from 0.80€ from 170 litres per inhabitant to 120 litres. The reason for this seems to before tax per cubic metre of water used to 0.68€ before tax. be the use of modern equipment which uses less water: washing The price of the treatment fee (or fixed share per home unit) machines, dishwashers, toilet flushes and taps equipped with water was also lowered: it went from 55€ to 46€ before tax. saving devices. Let's also not forget that users are more careful now, after For the bill you will receive in 2016 (for your 2015 the rise in prices and with more ecological behaviour. consumption) the decrease will again be meaningful: 0.60€ before tax instead of 0.68€ per cubic metre of water used, and 41€ instead of 46€ for the fixed fee. This decrease is due hOW TO SAvE WATER? to the good management of the centre, the increase in the Saving water is a priority in order to save money, to pollute less and to number of homes and the increase in volumes consumed. preserve this precious resource for the long term. Think about recycling This trend should continue in future years. water (a rain barrel for the garden for example), equip your taps with aerators or use low flow taps, take a shower rather than systematically taking a bath and check for leaks on your taps, as well as between your WORk IN 2015 water meter and the point where the communal water arrives. If you think Replacement of water pipes: your consumption seems higher than it should be, have an authorised • Route de la Plagne, from Morzine 1000 to the Pied de la company check these installations. Vigne roundabout • Route des Ardoisières, from the Meuniers roundabout to You’ll find good advice to save water on the website: the fish farm www.economie-d-eau.com
6 ‘ SPORTS sport WILL GET YOu MOVING!
chArles cAzAux PARAGLIDING WORLD RECORD
hE ALREAdy hAS mANy AChIEvEmENTS bEhINd hIm WITh SEvERAL NATIONAL ANd WORLd TITLES, buT ChARLES dOESN'T WANT TO STOP ThERE. ThIS JuNE IN TEXAS hE WILL ATTEmPT TO bREAk ThE WORLd RECORd fOR dISTANCE.
CROWd fuNdINg This challenge is for more than 503 kms. It requires preparation and organisation. To finance this project Charles called upon a financing platform where he managed to raise 5 235€. Most of this will be used to pay for airline tickets, accommodation, vehicle rental with fuel, equipment and assistance
… A ChARITy PROJECT TOO 20% of this budget will actually go to Rêves, a charitable association created in 1994 with the aim of helping children with serious illnesses make their dreams come true. Something to help them escape their every day lives and enjoy unforgettable experiences that will help them look towards the future (www.reves.fr). For Charles, it's about being able to give a child the opportunity to do a parachute jump. fOLLOW IT LIvE The current world record is held by South African Nevill Hulet at 503 kms (recorded in 7 hours and 40 minutes on the 14 December 2008). Because there are no mountains from which to take off, Charles has planned a take-off with a tow winch, pulled by a plane. If all goes well he will land around 12 hours later north of Hill County in the middle of Texas. From the 15th of June to the 7th of July, along with around 10 other flyers, Charles will take on this crazy challenge to travel over 500 kms in the desert … everything is ready: the map has been studied, the take-off point chosen, the route has been marked … "You will be able to follow my progress live thanks to an internet sat-nav system, the daily news and videos that will show you the exotic scenery!" Charles invites us to follow his adventure on www.airtribune.com/charles
Good luck Charles, all of Morzine is with you …
7 sports PEOPLE OF MORZINE-AVORIAZ
dIdIER bLANC ANd ALEXIS SEvENNEC'S fANTASTIC SEASON
They had a great winter packed with competitions! In January they won Alpiniski in Switzerland, then Alexis won the title of French Sprint Champion and Didier, just behind, was the runner up. At the World Championships in Verbier (Switzerland) in February, Didier came 4th with Valentin Favre, and both of them won a silver medal in the relay race with William Bon Mardion and Xavier Gachet. The Pierra Menta at the start of March saw them finish just off the podium in 4th place but they got their own back a few days later easily winning the 26 th Grand Béal in Arvieux in the Queyras region and this race is part of the French Team Championship. They ended the season by once again winning the Trophée des Hauts-Forts on the 25 th April. A good season for Didier Blanc and Alexis Sévennec! Alexis (aged 27) has been representing Morzine since 2010 alongside Didier (aged 31) who has represented Morzine since 2008. Both of them are members of the French Alpine Ski team.
ANThONy ChALENçON: hANdICAPPEd bIAThLON WORLd ChAmPION On Sunday 1 st February the French cross-country skiers became the world champions at Cable in Wisconsin (uSA) by beating the Russians by 20 seconds or so. The team ran in the "open" relay race, so called because it brings together athletes with various handicaps in one cross-country skiing race. The French delegation was made up of Thomas Clarion and his guide Julien Bourlat, Benjamin Daviet (who did 2 stints in the relay) and young hope Anthony Chalençon with his guide Lucas Deperrex. So well done to Anthony who was outstanding in his first world championship!
SuPPORTINg TOP LEvEL SPORT
ONCE AgAIN ThIS yEAR ThE TOWN hAS A pool of 8 athletes ShOWN ITS SuPPORT fOR TOP LEvEL Morzine-Avoriaz supports 8 athletes thanks to a partnership agreement. SPORTS PEOPLE REPRESENTINg Apart from Alexis SEVENNEC and Didier BLANC in alpine skiing, Anthony CHALENCON mORzINE-AvORIAz IN fRANCE ANd in handiski and Charles Cazeaux in paragliding this pool includes: ThROughOuT ThE WORLd. • Johann BAISAMY, snowboarder, winner of the French half-pipe championship in Avoriaz in 2014 … as well as in 2015, once again in Avoriaz • Yohann TABERLET, member of the French handicapped alpine ski team, who took part for the 4th time in his career in the World Championships last February in Canada. • Cyprien RICHARD, winner this year of a European Alpine skiing cup (giant slalom) • Tristan DuGERDIL, specialist in Crashed Ice, a very popular sport in North America that mixes speed and ice hockey. Tristan finished 9 th in the Red Bull 2015 Crashed Ice Championship.
The town has nominated 3 Ambassadors for 2015: Cyprien Richard, Yohann Taberlet and Johann Baisamy. The town encourages young people in sports clubs with good results throughout the year and gives an "encouragement bonus" of 500€ to those who are particularly deserving. In December the "Cérémonie des Sportifs" (Sports Persons Ceremony)is the opportunity to On the left, tristan DugerDil here with Pacôme make an assessment of the year. schmitt frOm les gets whO cOmPetes with him
8 ThE PORTES du SOLEIL ChAmPION'S RACE
On Sunday 5 th April 642 children from the Portes du Soleil and the Chablais gathered in Morzine for the 35th Champion's Race. For the second consecutive year the Portes du Solei and the Morzine shopkeepers' Association worked together on this event. Aged 6 to 16 the young champions started the day with a skiing race on the Nyon plateau, and in the afternoon they all took part in the huge parade through the streets of Morzine before meeting in the Place de l'Office de Tourisme.
It was there, during the awards ceremony, that they were able to meet their heroes from the Franco-Swiss ski area, including multiple France and World champions: Yohann Baisamy, Anthony Chalençon, Nicolas Thoule, Cyprien Richard, Ben Cavet, Yohan Taberlet and Déborah Anthonioz.
9 ‘ NEWS the future of MountAin
biking mOuNTAIN bIkINg …
IT IS WELL ANd TRuLy PRESENT ON OuR PAThS ANd SOmETImES ALSO IN OuR STREETS, ThESE 2-WhEELEd ThRILL SEEkERS ThAT ROCkET dOWN ThE mOuNTAIN … EvEN If ITS INTEgRATION ANd dEvELOPmENT REmAINS A dELICATE SubJECT, IT IS uNdENIAbLy ThE bIggEST SummER ACTIvITy AT PORTES du SOLEI, ANd ThEREfORE IN mORzINE. ThE bIggEST SPORTS ANd LEISuRE ACTIvITy buT ALSO ThE bIggEST IN TERmS Of INCOmE, ThE ONLy ACTIvITy ThAT CAN mAkE OR bREAk A TOuRIST SEASON … A SEASON WhICh, duE TO ChANgEAbLE WEAThER ANd dECREASINg NumbERS Of vISITORS, IS bECOmINg hARdER TO kEEP gOINg. ThE ENCOuRAgEmENT Of gOOd PRACTICE ON ThE PAThS ANd IN ThE vILLAgE REPRESENTS ThE bEST WAy TO SuPPORT ITS dEvELOPmENT. ThIS IS Why ThE TOuRISm OffICE hAS fOR A LONg TImE NOW mAdE AvAILAbLE A mOuNTAIN bIkINg guIdE fEATuRINg AdvICE ON gOOd PRACTICE, TO REINfORCE ThE PROvISION Of INfORmATION ANd TO TAkE PREvENTATIvE ACTION. AS fAR AS ThE TOWN'S INvOLvEmENT IS CONCERNEd, TO fACILITATE ThE COhAbITATION Of PEdESTRIANS, CARS ANd bIkES, SOmE CyCLE PAThS hAvE bEEN CREATEd IN ThE vILLAgE ANd SOmE bIkE STANdS hAvE bEEN mAdE AvAILAbLE fOR ThE ShOPS, RESTAuRANTS ANd bARS ThAT hAvE ASkEd fOR ThEm. A bIkE CLEANINg AREA WILL ALSO bE PuT IN PLACE ThIS SummER.
10 MountAin biking, THE FAVOuRITE SuMMERTIME SPORT IN MORZINE
Why hAvE mOuNTAIN bIkERS ChOSEN mORzINE?
hOW fINANCIALLy ImPORTANT IS IT fOR ThE SkI LIfTS?
WhAT AbOuT fOR buSINESSES?
hOW CAN WE ENCOuRAgE mOuNTAIN bIkERS TO bETTER RESPECT ThE ENvIRONmENT?
WhAT CAN WE dO TO CONSERvE OuR REPuTATION WhILST mAINTAININg SummER vISITOR NumbERS?
To try and answer these questions le mag went to interview some of those who enjoy mountain biking in Morzine. A mountain bike instructor, the director of Portes du soleil and of the lifts, people renting equipment, the head of development for the activity and professional filmmakers ... they all have their say and tell us what place mountain bike occupies in the summer season.
MORZINE AND MOuNTAIN BIKING IN NuMBERS Last year the Tourism Office conducted a poll with mountain bikers to find out what customers were expecting and how satisfied they were with the facilities on offer. A sample of 503 questionnaires was closely examined … What makes mountain bikers choose Morzine? Suggestions to improve and develop the sport • The size of the resort (lifts and tracks), its central position in • In 1 st position: improve the maintenance and drainage of the tracks for the PDS and easy links: +45% 30% • The atmosphere, the services and the shops at the ski station: • In 2 nd position: create more tracks for different styles and levels for over +42% 20% • The quality of the tracks represents only 12% of the criteria for choosing Morzine … and we know that the quantity and A clientele with a strong purchasing power variety of the tracks, along with the possibility of choosing • Over half the mountain bikers are senior and middle management, various activities (downhill, enduro …) and different levels • 70% take advantage of their stay to purchase mountain biking (beginner, experts …) are the main criteria taken into account equipment in the station's shops, when choosing a ski station! • Nearly 45% of them spend between 50€ and 150€ in this kind of shop • More than 85% of them come to Morzine for downhill with an average spend during the stay of 131.25€! mountain biking!
11 AlAin bArbier
neW in Morzine this suMMer!
TO IMPROVE COHABITATION BETWEEN ALL MOUNTAIN DWELLERS:
DIRECTOR OF SA DU PLENEY, THE COMPANY THAT MANAGES THE PISTES IN VALLEE DE LA MANCHE AND NYON MORZINE, ALAIN BARBIER SAW THE BIRTH OF MOUNTAIN BIKING IN PLENEY AND HAS ARE BETTER ADAPTED FOR FOLLOWED ITS DEVELOPMENT OVER THE WALKERS! PAST 25 YEARS.
Will there be anything new this summer? We created a new red track that will arrive at the foot of the cable car lift. It will be an addition to the US existing black and 2 blue ones … but it's a bit N B OW o complicated to extend the network much further T ine t Morz because we are confronted with a terrain that is e of om entr Or, fr hard to maintain and very steep, so it degrades the c s d' rom Mine l very quickly and then there are many property F des unti e Lac th July owners … but there is a good level of satisfaction th 10 t, the h gus t Au amongst users and this despite bad weather like he 16 hour t very we had last summer. On top of that the new cable ses e 6pm bu m to car is also a great improvement: there are no more m 9a fro day. steps, be it at the top or the bottom, and the every turnaround is quicker. Morzine was one of the very OPENING OF first stations to develop mountain biking with the first permanent downhill track in the 90s, it's a real THE NYON complement to the winter season. The revenue RESTAURANT however only represents up to 3% of the annual income. Every day in July and What do you do for the maintenance of the August. tracks? ET We have 3 people dedicated to mountain biking, FORG they are in charge of opening, supervising and ON'T D cable maintaining the tracks. There is also a company léney the P until that does some work for us, Trombert Espaces g of th une penin 13 J Verts, who do work requiring large machinery. First O the r from tembe car th Sep ) of all we have to maintain and improve what we 4 strians the d pede ift already have … we are considering unique kes an airl tain bi te ch (moun Poin signage better adapted to the activity as well as he La ntil of t th y u solutions to separate pedestrians and mountain ning Jul Ope the 13 t bikes. This summer the Nyon restaurant will be om st gus fr 1 Au he 2 only) open so hikers can eat on-site. t trians (pedes
12 JeAn-noël cAlvet
how is SerMA trying to develop mountain biking? The station was a pioneer in Portes du Soleil, developing mountain biking at the end of the 80s. Then funnily it lagged behind, even if efforts have been made in the last 2 years to return to the top of the game. It's different here because unlike Morzine mountain bikers are not in the station but ride around the 2 sectors of Super-Morzine and Lindarets, quite far away from the centre of Avoriaz. There Super-Morzine tracks have been more and more used over the last 2 or 3 years as our resort corresponds better to the change in practices. It's no longer just people looking for fast downhill tracks, but also mountain bikers looking for some more fun sites, especially with the growth of enduro. We try to respond to these requirements with better adapted routes. We use small machinery to avoid damaging the terrain too much, we put signs up to avoid riders going everywhere … a lot of them try to freeride under the cable cars. It's a very interesting area but there are the Zore chalets at the bottom, it's on private land whereas above it's communal … it's hard to manage with all the property owners.
IN CHARGE OF DEVELOPMENT POLICY FOR MOUNTAIN BIKE TRACKS AND PROMOTION OF THE ACTIVITY FOR SERMA, JEAN-NOËL CALVET HAS BEEN WATCHING HOW HABITS HAVE CHANGED IN ORDER TO TRY AND CATER FOR MOUNTAIN BIKERS.
CRéATION DE LA PISTE cap canaveraL SUR LE SOMMET DES CRêTES DE ZORRE What do you do to limit bad behaviour? We learnt a lot with Super-Morzine … we know we have to maintain tracks regularly so they don’t go off route. That means you need staff and equipment to intervene as soon as it rains for example. If they are better prepared the tracks will get less damaged and the users from lesser maintained resorts will come to us as a result … working on your tracks guarantees success! We are using the experience we gained with the Super-Morzine area to refurbish the town-owned area of Lindarets. The objective this summer is to slow them down by reworking the track with more bends and a more rugged terrain, using the texture of the soil and roots.
What do you do to improve cohabitation with pedestrians? You have to separate the tracks when you can. For example, on the Super-Morzine ridge we made a new path linking the Joux-Verte to the Super-Morzine cable cars. However it’s a pity that hikers don't have a real path going from Avoriaz to Lindarets. They use the path under the chairlift which isn't adapted to walking and they end up sharing with the mountain bikers.
Mountain biking's future in Avoriaz? Our main aim today is to catch up on the time we have lost during the last few years because without mountain bikers it's not really worth opening the lifts in summer … but we must cater to all needs as there are also those having a walk with friends and families …
L'éqUIPE DES 6 BIKE PATROLS D'AVORIAZ
13 eric bAud
Why turn to mountain biking? In 2000 I decided to open the shop in summer specifically because mountain biking was starting to develop and I felt it was a good opportunity. We'd all tried other things before: grass skiing, climbing, hiking … but there wasn't enough business to stay open, it was a very short season and there wasn't the same life in the streets of the town as there is now … Today mountain biking represents 100% of my turnover in summer and, maybe not a third, but a good quarter of my annual turnover. It's quite simple: here around the cable cars there is nothing else to do, and it applies to the other businesses too, bars, hotels … It's true for the whole of Morzine, all the sports shops more or less live off mountain biking. If tomorrow mountain biking died out I'd close down, and I wouldn't be alone! Whoever hasn't understood that mountain biking is what makes Morzine live in summer, hasn't understood anything …
IN CHARGE OF THE Baud What are the other commercial advantages of mountain biking? Francois Freeride SHOP Mountain biking has enabled a longer season: before it was only a few weeks from the start of July JUST AT THE BOTTOM OF until the 15 th August. Now summer starts at the beginning of June and ends on the 10 th September. THE PLENEY CABLE CAR, Mountain biking also attracts foreigners that wouldn't come without this activity: we see ERIC BAUD IS PERFECTLY New-Zealanders and Israelis as well as Europeans who don't come in winter such as Germans, PLACED TO OBSERVE ALL Italians and Spanish. Mountain biking has given Morzine a new image. The other advantage of this THE CHANGES IN MOUNTAIN clientele is its strong purchasing power: you have to have the means to pay 80€ per day for bike BIKING: IN SUMMER HIS rental! The average French family just aren't at that level. This is true for a shop like mine as well as SHOP IS ENTIRELY for the others: bars, restaurants, accommodation … DEDICATED TO THE ACTIVITY.
Can more improvements be made? Today Morzine is resting on its laurels … it's time to realise that there's work to be done, the Tourism Office, the town hall and the lifts, to develop this activity and not let Morzine's tracks become passageways between Les Gets and Avoriaz, to solve problems such as with land owners who have tracks through their property…
14 céline gros
WITH HER 14 WORLD AND EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP MEDALS, 49 PODIUMS IN WORLD CUPS AND 7 CRYSTAL GLOBES CELINE KNOWS WHAT SHE'S TALKING ABOUT! AFTER HER CAREER ENDED CELINE STARTED HER OWN SCHOOL, THE CELINE GROS RIDING ACADEMY. SHE GIVES US THE CHAMPION'S POINT OF VIEW.
According to you, what are Morzine's strong points and assets for mountain biking? Morzine is part of the big Portes du soleil resort. I think this is a major asset for the station as riders can come from all the stations, whatever their level and riding preferences. Morzine is lucky to have several bike rental and bike shops that are very dynamic; they are competent and have good quality equipment.
Your customers: why do they choose Morzine-Avoriaz to go mountain biking? Many of them come as a family, that's why they choose Morzine, it has a good reputation as a family station with many activities. The new cable cars are appreciated for their speed, their ease of use and their location right in the centre of the village where riders can find everything to refuel, have a drink or do some repair work for example.
What should be developed, created, improved to make it even better? I'm often told there are not enough tracks in the Pléney area and that it's a pity there isn’t a small pump track or a small park with obstacles for the kids … for adults there are many natural tracks so people often get confused between these "non-official" tracks and the permanent ones. Finally, one big drawback is that when it rains all 3 tracks very quickly become unusable and customers ask to go elsewhere … Ideally there would be new tracks created or variations of the existing ones, and it would be good to look a little closer at maintenance because last year I had a lot of disappointed customers who wouldn’t set foot in Morzine again and who preferred to finish their holidays in other stations. in your opinion, what efforts should be made to separate the pedestrian and mountain bike tracks? I think walking and mountain biking guides should be made with clearly marked routes showing which ones are just for pedestrians and which ones are dedicated to bikes. A clear and visible signage system would also help improve the situation… It's indispensable, especially at the summit of the Pléney. We could go for signs or videos like the Squizz ones used in winter for the lifts. Another solution, probably harder to put in place, would be to have a sector reserved for mountain bikes (Pléney) and one for pedestrians (Vallée de la Manche for example).
15 lucAs stAnus
Why does Morzine attract mountain bikers? Morzine is very lucky to be situated at the heart of Portes du soleil . Mountain bikers also come looking for a village atmosphere, restaurants and other summer activities like a swimming pool or summer luge … there are also a lot of shops selling high quality mountain bike equipment and providing skilled services. There are also some very good mountain biking schools in Morzine … But as far as tracks are concerned, Pléney is probably not developed enough. More fun equipment is also lacking, such as a bike park or a special area for youngsters and beginners to learn how to handle the bikes … with only the existing tracks in Pléney there is not enough to keep riders in Morzine; the other stations in Portes du soleil , like Châtel, Avoriaz or Les Gets are Morzine's biggest competitors. If Morzine was isolated and alone, riders would not come. Another problem is that PROFESSIONAL VIDEO MAKER, many people simply cross Morzine going from Les Gets to Châtel for example, without even LUCAS STANUS RUBS SHOULDERS stopping … Basically people stay in Morzine for the atmosphere, the restaurants, the shops, the WITH THE MOVERS AND SHAKERS accommodation … but they go and ride elsewhere! IN MOUNTAIN BIKING ON A DAILY BASIS: BRANDS, MANUFACTURERS, EVENT ORGANISERS, SPECIALISED MEDIA AND RIDERS SUCH AS CEDRIC GARCIA OR JULIEN ABSALON …
in your opinion, what should be done to rectify this? Some new tracks should be made, and they should all be better maintained, that's a really weak point when it rains and riders head off to other areas … but having nice tracks is not enough nowadays … you have to associate champions with the station's branding as Les Gets did with Fabien Barrel, Julien Absalon and others … These champions would represent Morzine in competitions but also in promotional videos for their sponsors which get millions of views on the internet. The lack of mountain biking events is also a weak point. This summer Samoëns is going to host a world cup: I'm sure everybody will then want to ride where the world's best go to ride! We saw it at Les Gets with the world championships in 2004 … and it would be good to do some promotion, some advertising in the specialised media.
Which do you think are the stations competing with Morzine, in haute-Savoie or elsewhere? Many stations are currently developing! That's the case for those in Tarentaise with Méribel, Tignes and Val d'Isère, but also Les Saisies, Samoëns … it's happening everywhere!
16 soMe recoMMendAtions FOR MOuNTAIN BIKERS
The countryside is a free area that is open to all … it must be respected and shared … On your mountain bike you must also think of others! bE AWARE! Not all tracks you use are public! At Pléney, from a line well above the Hameau des Mouilles and up to Fys, going above the Attray chalets, all the land and forest belongs to private owners who have allowed mountain bikes and walkers to use the paths on their land. It's the same at Super-Morzine, from above the Maisons de Zore to the village of Montriond and the cable cars. You are on their property, please respect it! To ensure they continue to allow this access, and to respect nature, you are requested to only fORbIddEN TRACkS! use the clearly marked tracks, to not cut branches and to not damage the trees. Please also avoid too much skidding which damages the track.
During your outings you may have come across one of these signs that forbids mountain biking on certain tracks. Please respect this ban which is justified by elements you may not yet see (work, herds lower down, a rocky ridge, a natural track, chalets …)
IN ThE vILLAgES… Please respect the rules of the road and the signs. In Morzine the footbridge and the Rue du Bourg are two places in particular that attract pedestrians and families. You must get off your bike to go over the footbridge. Going up Rue du Bourg the wrong way is not actually forbidden as speed is limited to 30 km/h, but drivers on the road may be surprised to see you coming: common courtesy and respect for other users is essential. Please respect the town centre, get off your bike on steps and don't block the pavement which is reserved for pedestrians.
CIvIL bEhAvIOuR Certain tracks are reserved for one single activity (walking, mountain biking, horse riding), but most tracks used by mountain bikers are open to all. Caution and politeness are essential in order to live side by side with other users. A ring of your bell to warn others you are coming is greatly appreciated. Saying "hello" costs nothing. Whatever you do, don't frighten a herd of animals, slow down when you approach them and be sure to close gates behind you. Never go at full speed and always slow down when you overtake a group of people or a herd. When descending, the rules are the same as in skiing, the person uphill is responsible for the safety of all the users below him: if you overtake walkers it's up to you to be careful! Any self-respecting mountain biker is conscious of protecting the environment and brings back his rubbish. Respect the paths, fauna and flora by staying on the tracks.
17 bruno cherblAnc
DIRECTOR OF PORTES DU SOLEIL, BRUNO CHERBLANC IS BEST PLACED TO APPRECIATE THE ECONOMIC RETURNS OF MOUNTAIN BIKING.
What is Morzine's place in Portes du Soleil? Morzine's advantage is its situation in Portes du Soleil (PDS); in winter people come skiing in Morzine, in summer they come mountain biking in PDS … whilst it's difficult to ascertain the economic impact of mountain biking we do know that 70% of the revenue from the lifts in summer comes from Le Rablais, so at Portes du Soleil and thanks to mountain biking.
is mountain biking a money making activity for Portes du Soleil? Aside from accommodation and shops we can take a look at the revenue from lifts which has been on the increase since 2001 (see table opposite). You can't really say mountain biking is a money making activity for lift companies as summer revenue represents at most 4 to 6% of their annual income. But even if the income is limited, it adds to our reputation and it is important to keep up with the competition at the moment as stations such as Aravis, Verbier in Switzerland, Les Saisies or Tignes are all targeting this audience too. Doing away with mountain biking would be a disaster, especially for some equipment rental businesses, accommodation and restaurants who would close down … we'd have ghost towns in summer.
What is PdS's position in the world of mountain biking? PDS has the advantage of being an early mover, so it is already well known for mountain biking. The resort also has 24 lifts to move around between stations: it's unique in France! The great diversity of stations, each of them with their own characteristics, is another asset: Châtel has very technical tracks suited to experienced riders, Morzine-Les Gets has more accessible tracks as well as downhill ones, Avoriaz is more about enduro …
And the future? We are currently surfing the wave of enduro which is a godsend for us as our resort is perfect for that activity: the Pass'Portes is a good example of that. However, enduro makes less use of the lifts when compared to downhill so it raises questions about the future. Currently it's the lift companies that are investing in the construction of tracks … the towns should maybe start to feel a little concerned too because mountain biking is the biggest money generating summer activity and it benefits everybody: businesses, accommodation, restaurants …
18 the pAss'portes event IS NEARLY READY
Over 3 days, on the 26 th , 27 th and 28 th June, this event will take over the centre of Morzine with a 2015 edition that will be even bigger than in 2012 when it last came to Morzine. Everything has been done to concentrate the event as much as possible in the centre of the station: in the Place de l'Office de Tourisme, La Taille de Mas du Pléney, La Combe in Zore and also the Route de la Plagne up to the petrol station. Nearly 80 exhibitors have confirmed their presence and even those this number has not increased, the stands have become much larger with several metres of frontage. As far as entertainment is concerned, there'll be something for everyone: - For kids the "Ziganimes" (a fun circuit with unusual bikes) - Mountain bike trial shows in the streets throughout the 3 days - Musical entertainment with parades and concerts in the Rue du Bourg - New: a fun mountain bike race through the streets of Morzine on Saturday 28th June - Free mountain bike test drives, entertainment and competitions organised by the exhibitors - Two night treks (as opposed to one last year) - Treks for kids, treks for girls etc. …
PASS'PORTES IN NumbERS • A turnover of over 2 million euros during the 3 days in all the stations (excluding transportation) • 4 500 hotel nights generated by the event over the 3 days (2 nights per participant on average and 4 to 5 nights per exhibitor and event staff) • 6 400 places available for the rando raid with 9 starting points • An undeniable success! the registration website opened on the 11th february 2015 and was immediately overrun with 2 625 people registered throughout Portes du Soleil within 20 minutes! A big success for Morzine with places for the 3 days of racing fully booked , 1930 people registered within 20 minutes and the Saturday race being fully booked in just 8 minutes!
VISITOR TRAFFIC IN PDS
Mountain bike Mountain bike Pedestrians Pedestrians turnover Visitor traffic turnover Visitor traffic * Summer 2004 565 097 € 347 312 Summer 2010 1 372 175 € 657 308 353 458 Summer 2013 1 754 455 € 821 417 600 000 € 655 000 Summer 2014 1 704 611 € 725 137 600 000 € 634 000
Mountain bike traffic numbers Morzine Les gets Avoriaz Châtel Summer 2013 fermé* 247 031 231 020 167 250 Summer 2014 88 637 226 707 292 530 243 381
*Turnaround of the Pléney cable cars for information: the figures for 2014 are down because of bad weather
19 pArc des dereches A NEW SKATE PARK
ThE SkATE PARk hAS ENJOyEd A LONg LIfE … buT dILAPIdATION ANd NEW SAfETy STANdARdS mEANT IT WAS TImE TO ThINk AbOuT REPLACINg IT.
WALLRIDE SKATE PLAN POOL TENNIS BANK LIFT
SKATE RAMP
PE DE ST RI AN W AL KW A PUMP TRACK PEDESTRIAN-PARENT Y SKATEBOARD AREA TRAINING AREA FOR BEGINNERS
GRASS
DRANSE RIVER
The refurbishment of the skate park is topical as the councillors were keen to keep this activity open for everyone. They also wanted to bring together those using the facilities and those with experience in that area, an association of young skaters from Morzine, run by Damien Tréthau. QuICk uPdATE ON ThE The project was finalised with the Skatepark Service Conseil design office. AQuATIC CENTRE mORE vERSATILE This spring the indoor pool opened on the 30 th The park will be open to all, beginners and experts, very young children who come with their May (Monday to Friday, 12 noon to 7 pm, parents, teenagers and even older people. This means the new skate park will benefit everybody! weekends 11am to 7pm), the outdoor pools will You'll be able to skateboard there, but to adapt to new demands and new activities there will open on the 26 th June until the 31 st August also be a pump track for bikes (mountain bikes or other bikes). during which time the whole aquatic centre will be operational (Monday to Friday from 8am to WhAT IS A PumP TRACk? 7pm, weekends from 10am to 7pm). You just need to translate word for word: a ‘track’ and ‘pump’ which describes the bending To adapt to the drop off in users as early as and pushing movements of the arms and legs on the bike. using pumping movements on the September, and to respond to the local bumps and holes, the rider increases speed without pedalling. population who were disappointed at having no pool in November, the councillors wanted to try RObuST ANd duRAbLE EQuIPmENT out a new formula. This means the swimming The materials chosen will ensure the long-life of this new skate park. To avoid noise and fragility, pool (all pools) will be closed from the 3rd concrete has been chosen over wood. Only the skate ramps will be made of metal. September, but will reopen for the All Saints The work started in May and it should be open by the start of July! (Toussaint) holidays on the 17 th October and will Total cost: 220 000€ stay open for the whole winter season. Opening times and prices: www.parc-dereches.com.
20 Morzine MountAin running POPuLARISING MOuNTAIN RuNNING
WITh 8.5 mILLION RuNNERS IN fRANCE, ANd AN INCREASE Of 2 mILLION RuNNERS bETWEEN 2013 ANd 2014 *, ThE RuNNINg mARkET IS ThRIvINg, AN OPPORTuNITy mORzINE SImPLy CAN'T mISS…
* study by Kantar média in march 2014
The Tourism Office has decided to position the town as a "running" destination for runners as well as their families, by creating a full offer for the summer 2015 season. Morzine Mountain Running aims to reach a wider audience by making mountain running more accessible. dEdICATEd ROuTES fOR ALL LEvELS • 5 initiation routes in the Vallée de la Manche, of 3 to 25 kms in distance, in concentric circles so users can progressively increase the length of their runs or modulate their run as they like • 2 discovery routes in the Vallée des Ardoisières • A 1 vertical kilometre workshop on Ressachaux PERmANENT dEdICATEd SIgNAgE Th 8 TRAIL • Colour-coded level of difficulty (green, blue, red, black, super black) dES hAuTS-fORTS • Regular arrow signs (around every kilometre and at each intersection) indicating the distance and difference in height 16th August 2015 muLTISPORT guIdES A mountain race linking Morzine with Avoriaz, the Trail • Practical mini-guides with advice and itineraries des Haut-Forts will enable you to discover the most • Waterproof foldable mini-maps beautiful panoramas of Portes du Soleil with two • Mobile app routes to choose from: • the long route of 43km (approx. height gained A dISCOvERy WORkShOP fROm ThE 5 Th TO ThE 11 Th JuLy 3200m) On the programme: initiation workshops, discovery outings, speakers (physical • the short route of 23km (approx. height gained preparation, nutrition, osteopathy, testing of running gear …) 1750m) Both races finish in the centre of Avoriaz. A WEbSITE The routes passes by the Haut-Forts, the highest point It will summarise everything that is on offer: itineraries, advice, downloadable guides, as of Chablais and Portes du Soleil and enabling you to well as the Trail des Hauts-Forts and a community of runners to share advice & itineraries take in several cols and to discover the most beautiful and to find people to go running with. corners of the area: the Pleney ridges, the Valley de la Find it all at: www.morzinemountainrunning.com Manche, the Mines D’Or lake, the Col de Cou, the Vanet summit, the Col du Fornet, Morzinette… This tourist activity is currently being developed. It will be available at the end of June and will be the theme of a marketing campaign to increase the attractiveness of Morzine in For more information: w ww.morzine-avoriaz.com summer. Section: Events
21 PROJECT ‘ A children's centre for bAbies, toddlers And children
WITh ThIS buILdINg AT ThE hEART Of ThE SkI STATION AvORIAz WILL hAvE A CENTRE WhERE ALL ChILdRENS SERvICES WILL bE gROuPEd TOgEThER fOR RESIdENTS ANd hOLIdAy mAkERS.
A buILdINg IN hARmONy WITh ThE REST Of ThE STATION With wooden facades, irregular roofs that support the snow, a bioclimatic concept making the most of its orientation… the children's centre fits in perfectly with the A PROJECT IN CONJuNCTION station architecture. WITh ThE CChC Since the 1 st January 2014 the Community of the towns of the haut Chablais (CChC) is the It's the first big project of the mandate, spurred on by the urgent need to provide authority responsible for the crèches. for this better conditions and areas that are adapted to the requirements of the ever project a convention was signed between the increasing number of children. The station has developed since its creation in the two parties so that the CChC could delegate 60s and its extension in 2010, but the facilities hadn't evolved and the conditions the job of project management of were rather precarious: porta-cabins for the school, various scattered sites which construction of the crèche to the town of prevented the grouping of services, difficulties providing meals for the children … The solution of a single site catering for all the station's needs was a must: school, Morzine who will make decisions regarding crèche and day care centre. Because it could be extended, the current school architecture and how it is fitted out … was chosen to house the new children's centre. It is important to note that this however, the cost of the work for the crèche project was done in tandem with the staff already in place (childcare staff and will be taken care of by the CChC, an amount teachers), and in collaboration with the Enfants d'Avoriaz association and its of 903,600€. president Céline Casier.
22 1. ThE SChOOL It had become obsolete and no longer corresponded to modern day teaching requirements, partly because of the fact some classes were in porta cabins that had been gradually installed to provide places for the growing number of children. Given how far away the school of Morzine is, the councillors considered it was indispensable to keep a school in Avoriaz. The presence of a school is an important factor in improving living conditions for year-round inhabitants as well as a retaining the loyalty and the quality of seasonal workers. What's more, with the COST Of ThE PROJECT creation of the after-school activities (Temps d'Activités Périscolaires), the total cost for the project is 4,240,000€ all taxes the need for extra rooms was greater than ever. Finally, the question of included, divided as follows: the children's meals urgently needs to be sorted with the need to • 240,000€ of grants from the departmental Council for the increase the kitchen area. This project is about modernising the existing rebuilding of the school, building and increasing the area dedicated to children. This area will • 903,600€ from the CChC for the crèche work, almost double in size to 1,553 square metres to cater for the station's • 3,095,000€ from the town of Morzine (including 545,000€ future needs. of tVA which can be claimed back) 2. ThE CREChE Currently located on the ground floor of the Carolina building, the crèche PROvISIONAL PLANNINg welcomes the children of families living in the station (permanently or Start of the work in April 2016 and delivery of the building seasonally) during the winter and summer seasons. With the changes in autumn 2017. in the PMI (Protection Maternelle et Infantile, or Maternal and Child the work has been organised around the winter season and Protection) standards, especially with the new minimum area per child, disturbance to school activity will be limited so lessons can the number of places available would have gone from 18 to 15. This continue during the work. new crèche programme will mean there will now be 21 places available.
3. ThE dAy CARE CENTRE A fuNCTIONAL buILdINg Note that the architects De Jong (who already designed the Outa Aimed exclusively at tourists, the current day care centre next to the nursery at Morzine) have used their experience to make the most crèche offers 30 places, but once again modern day minimum standards of this hill that the school was originally located on. The project for space would have meant losing around 10 places, with the offer makes best use of the orientation of the site for light in the rooms already being much lower than the demand for young holiday makers. as well as for sunlight in the outdoor areas. Likewise, these areas This project will bring the number of available places up to 50. open onto the attractive countryside. The three separate sections (chèche, nursery and school) each have their own facilities (courtyard, toilets, canteen, cloakrooms…) and are independent of each other, whilst all sharing the same roof.
23 ‘ SOCIAL AffAIRS coMMunicAtion: STAY CONNECTED WITH THE TOWN!
SINCE AuTumN 2014 ThE PubLIC RELATIONS COmmISSION hAS bEEN WORkINg hARd TO ImPROvE mEANS Of COmmuNICATION.
In collaboration with the same service PubLIC RELATONS IN ThE SERvICE Of ThE providers as before, La Marmotte Bleue for the municipal bulletin and Motiv'Oxygène for LOCAL POPuLATION website hosting, the new public relations It's about facilitating the transmission of information both ways between the service will enable the organisation of an town hall and citizens, and grouping together communication from various efficient method of providing information, it will communal services including: town planning, technical services, human create fun and practical tools that promote the resources, the financial department as well as the Palais des Sports, which exchange of ideas. The aim is to provide the is managed by the town under its new family brand "Parc des Dérêches". population with continuous and accessible Basically the public relations commission would like to get citizens to information, but also with the chance to participate in the analysis of town life, whilst providing an attractive and interact with users. simplified view of the administrative world that can sometimes seem complicated.
24 A fACELIfT fOR ThE TOWN'S WEbSITE If you haven't seen it yet, you should know that the website (www.morzine.fr) has changed appearance since the start of January 2015 thanks to a complete reworking of its tree view. This being a long and laborious job, the work on the website is still in progress and we are hoping to have it finished by the end of the NEW: first half of 2015, with all functionalities available, more complete sections and a satisfactory level of information. SEARCh NO LONgER, More dynamic and practical, the public relations commission had the concept of ThE TOWN COmES TO yOu a blog in mind when creating this new website, with 7 "news" sections that will be updated regularly and with the most interesting articles highlighted. dIRECTLy! The menu has also been rethought: the idea is to develop the essential and If you are not comfortable with social networks, an practical sections with a freedom of navigation that is pleasing and simple. automatic transmission of information service is now available. In the section "Mairie en ligne" (town hall on line) you can subscribe to the regular ThE TOWN ON SOCIAL NETWORkS newsletter that includes the same practical news as you'll find on Facebook and Twitter, but you'll If public relations through social networks might have seemed arcane five years receive it via email! ago, it is now a fact of life, it's in a community's interest to use them. On the one hand the idea is to target a new population and on the other hand to interact with readers, followers and subscribers. Getting information to circulate spontaneously is a priority for the public relations service. So, since January 2015, the town has had a Facebook account: Mairie de Morzine-Avoriaz, and a Twitter account: @MairieMorzine. You simply need to "like" us to stay connected!
TEMPOrarY NEWS PErMaNENT News + NEWS: Growing up in information Discovering Your Town Hall Lifestyle Facebook /Parc des Morzine-Avoriaz Morzine Culture Dérêches.com/ Prices/timetables Avoriaz
Town hall on WEBSITE NEWSLETTEr line 4/5 times per year: Parc Promotion dES dérêchES SITE WEB News www.parc-dereches.com MaIrIE www.morzine.fr NEWS
PracTIcaL INFOrMaTION: LaST MINUTE Municipal decrees affecting traffic MUNIcIPaL BULLETIN Sports/cultural news, avalanche/ storm alerts, events Le Mag: spring and autumn Town news
La Lettre: winter/summer FacEBOOk : Practical information and MaIrIE INFO Marie de Morzine preparation for the season Registration TWITTEr : on the website @MairieMorzine
25 becoMe A volunteer fireMAn … WHY NOT YOu?
The Morzine emergency services are having the same recruitment problems as the rest of France. Our lives are busier, individualism is taking over, the difficulty of finding a job to start a career, longer studies, lack of time … There are many reasons young people (and others too!) don't find themselves entering a fire station. What you should know is that volunteer firemen (sapeurs pompiers volontaires, or SPV) experience some extraordinary moments and talk about it with passion and conviction. This is why Le Mag gave them a voice, to try and convince those who are still hesitating to join the emergency services.
IN hAuTE SAvOIE 3 000 SPv ShARE ThE SAmE COmmITmENT SO Why NOT yOu? By learning first aid you will be able to save lives but this knowledge will be an asset throughout your whole life, at both a social and a professional level. • The training is long? Nothing is impossible, you can spread it out over 3 years … • Not enough free time? There will only be a few night watches per month, even less if there is enough staff. • Not sure you're up to it? The fire brigade is a big family where those with experience will be there to give you advice, to reassure you and provide training …
fLORA bAud (24 years old – Laboratory technician) 6 years ago I had a desire to help others, especially saving people. We're a team at the fire station. It does require time but it's very satisfying to feel like I've been useful after an operation … I couldn't live without it! There's a lot of adrenaline… for those being saved as well as our team … being a girl is also an advantage. I work in Switzerland as a lab technician, and it was a real asset as my employer gave me the opportunity to become a " samaritan" , which is a first aid worker within the company. I'd like to say to those who are still uncertain: "Come and see, come and meet us, ask us questions, come and see the atmosphere here …"
26 ERIC dELLAmAggIORE COmE ANd JOIN uS! Just as the national recruitment campaign says … (53 years old – Law teacher) "don’t let the lack of firemen become our next emergency …" The conditions to fulfil are: • You must be between 18 and 55 years old, • You must live in France and benefit from civil rights, • Fulfil the medical fitness requirements The best thing to do is to head to the fire station and meet the head of the centre Michel Lavanchy. After a chat, some information on the initial training and a short visit you'll soon be convinced! Tel: 06 81 05 60 95 Or by email: [email protected]
ChRISTOPhE ROdRIguEz
(39 years old – Water services in Avoriaz) I joined the fire station in 2012: I read in the Municipal Bulletin that they were looking for volunteers. My father was a fireman in the Nièvre region. I wanted to play an active role in society. Today we live in an individualistic world but we have a social role to play, it's civic engagement. I had a bit of free time … now it takes up 7 nights a month but it would be better if there were more of us… Being a fireman also helps you to integrate when you're not local, you meet lots of people … it's a real profession but I see it as added value to your everyday life too, in the street, within your family, with your neighbours … it's being a citizen with knowledge of others as when you're a fireman there's a lot of human interaction: 75% of our missions are to help people. It can also boost your career as it can be a useful network of people. Personally I think the fire station would be the perfect place for civic service. For young people it's very important and beneficial as there's a lot of goodwill, a feeling of comradeship and shared moral values. It's also an asset in your job, I can see it as a trainer: being a fireman requires strict timekeeping as well as presenting well and relating I started at the fire station in 2011. I work in Avoriaz and heard there to others. was a need for volunteers. My grandfather had a long career in the Most of all it's a fantastic human adventure! emergency services … as I had a bit of free time I went to meet the firemen in Morzine. I wanted to give something back, to feel useful … what attracted me was the sense of self-enrichment and the variety of the missions. We mainly help people but we also intervene in road accidents and forest fires. That's what makes volunteering so interesting, you never know why you're going to be heading out, missions are extremely varied and diverse. And we're in contact with all sections of the population: it's a genuine public service. The work is also very technical: here in Morzine we are lucky enough to have all types of vehicles, specialised lorries, the big ladder, vehicles with caterpillar tracks … it's fascinating! It takes up time but now I'm hooked! My employer let me have special working hours so I could do my training. At work I am now in the Hygiene and Safety Committee … being a fireman enables me to see things differently…
27 IN THE SKI STATION no seAsonAl Workers … no seAson!
WhAT AbOuT RENTINg yOuR fuRNIShEd APARTmENT TO A SEASONAL WORkER? Every season our ski stations recruit many seasonal workers who are not all housed by their employers. The lack of reasonably priced accommodation is a recurrent problem which can hinder employment or lead to difficult living conditions that will negatively impact the ability to work. The "housing committee" of the Community of the Towns of the Haut-Chablais (CCHC) which is responsible for seasonal workers is trying to find a solution by making an inventory of available housing that could be let to seasonal workers throughout the valley.
hOW dOES IT WORk? The CCHC and employers will vouch for payment of the rent during a fixed period of 5 months. An inventory of fixtures will be done at the start and the end of the season to ensure your property is not damaged. For you, as an owner, this would be a safe rental with guaranteed rent payments.
fOR WhICh OWNERS? For all owners, in Morzine-Avoriaz and the neighbouring towns, who can provide accommodation for a single worker or a couple. Think about it, this kind of rental could solve your problems if: • You are renting less and less by the week because you don't have time to dedicate to it … • You have work to do so that your furnished apartment adheres to the new standards … • Managing your property on the internet is not for you … SEASONAL • You're looking for a simple and efficient way to avoid your furnished apartment being empty WELCOmE POINT most of the time … • You are no longer available to greet holidaymakers at weekends no matter what time of day ARE yOu INTERESTEd? it is … Then contact the person in charge at the Community of the Towns of the This winter 2014/2015 a first step was made with 3 owners: 2 restaurant owners and a holiday Haut-Chablais centre manager who benefited from this system which worked well for the tenants, as well as Tel: 06 43 37 70 62 or by email: the owners and the employers. [email protected]
28 AtoutSaison : AN ASSOCIATION Of suMMer progrAMMe PubLIC ANd PRIvATE SECTOR EmPLOyERS ‘6TH & 7 TH –13 TH & 14 TH JUNE FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT OF THE MOUNTAINS 20 TH JUNE A.P.E. CAR BOOT SALE 21 ST JUNE MORZINE-HAUT CHABLAIS CYCLOSPORTIVE AtoutSaison is a group of employers set 21ST JUNE FETE DE LA MUSIQUE up as a non-profit organisation. Its aim is to 26 TH TO 28 TH JUNE PASS'PORTES DU SOLEIL MTB provide public and private sector companies 4T TH & 5 TH JULY BRASS BAND FESTIVAL with seasonal staff. 3 recruiters created this group: the Community of the Towns of the Haut-Chablais (who offers seasonal jobs, including in summer for road and path 42nd Haute-Savoie Brass Band Festival, maintenance for example), SERMA and the organised on the 4th and 5th July by the edelweiss Société des Parkings d'Avoriaz (Avoriaz Car of morzine brass band Park company), the latter two offering many • saturday at 8.30pm: gala concert with the national Police Brass Band as a guest winter jobs. • sunday: parade in the streets of morzine and The idea is to provide work all year round in concerts at the Palais des sports the same area. For example, a job at the lifts in Les Gets in winter and in Morzine in summer for the maintenance of the town's green areas … or at the Avoriaz car park in winter and as a carpenter in Le Biot for the 5TH JULY LA CREVE COEUR (MOUNTAIN RACE) rest of the year, as AtoutSaison is aimed 9TH TO 17 TH JULY 2ND INTERNATIONAL CHESS OPEN (IN AVORIAZ) at all kinds of companies, big or small … This 11 TH TO 14 TH JULY MORZINE HARLEY DAYS type of multi-activity system already exists, 19 TH JULY THE ODYSSEY OF THE OHBAC (WIND INSTRUMENT CONCERT) but only informally and for the seasonal 18 TH & 19 TH JULY ARDENT 4X4 TRIAL workers who have been living in the valley for 23 RD JULY FETE DE LA MONTAGNE (IN AVORIAZ) a long time. But having many seasonal 29 TH JULY TO 1 ST AUGUST LIND'ART FESTIVAL contracts often increases instability which 2ND AUGUST 1 DAY – 1 COL (cycling up the Joux-Plane) then makes it impossible to get a mortgage 8TH AUGUST LA PLAGNE NEIGHBOURHOOD CAR BOOT SALE or benefit from training. 9TH AUGUST CYCLE ASCENT MORZINE-AVORIAZ . 13 TH AUGUST FETE DE LA MONTAGNE (IN AVORIAZ) 15 TH AUGUST THE "EDELWEISS" CHARITY FAIR SO hOW EXACTLy dOES IT 15 TH TO 21 ST AUGUST DANCE FESTIVAL (IN AVORIAZ) WORk? 16 TH AUGUST HAUTS-FORTS TRAIL The employee signs a permanent contract 17 TH & 18 TH AUGUST 2 DAYS OF CLEARANCE SALES with AtoutSaison who will make him 18 TH TO 23 RD AUGUST OBJECTIVE TIBET (conferences and workshops with Tibetan monks) available to 2 employers depending on the 29 TH & 30 TH AUGUST SUPER MORZINE DH CUP (Fun mountain bike gathering) season, which makes it possible to have a 29 TH & 30 TH AUGUST FOOTBALL EVENT (2016 Euro of the Mountains) year-round job. The benefits are obvious for 3RD TO 5 TH SEPTEMBER MONT BLANC – MORZINE RALLY the employee (same advantages as a 12 TH & 13 TH – 19 TH & 20 TH SEPTEMBER ART CAGETTES (MAKE SOMETHING OUT OF CRATES) year-round worker) but there are also benefits for the employers that can the win the loyalty of their staff and train them without fear of The 67th Rally will stop over in Morzine them leaving for a competitor. at the start of September AtoutSaison is also thinking about training their staff, mainly during the autumn, the quietest time of the year.
For information contact the "Seasonal Welcome Point".
29 ‘ tourist tAx … SOME NEWS Some new arrangements concerning the tourist tax now apply as a result of the 2015 finance law (article 67 on the reform of the tourist tax). TOuRIST TAX RATES The Municipal Council took these changes into consideration on the 29 th April. (Per night)
Here are the main changes: Hotels, tourist residences, furnished accommodation and all • The scale has been changed with the creation of new categories and other establishments with the same tourist classification: new rates 5 star 2.00€ • The rate limits are now indexed each year according to changes in the 4 star 1.80€ cost of living 3 star 1.20€ • Obligatory exemptions have been reviewed and reduced to 4 2 star 0.90€ • Reductions for large families have been scrapped 1 star 0.75€ • Online reservation platforms will be able to collect the tax in the name 4 and 5 star holiday villages: 0.90€ of the accommodation provider
The new rates will be applicable as of the 1 st December 2015, all other 1, 2 and 3 star holiday villages, bed & breakfasts and all changes have been applicable since the 29 th April. hotels, tourist residences, holiday villages, furnished accommodation and similar accommodation awaiting Details at www.morzine.fr classification or without classification: 0.75€. Or with the manager: [email protected] Tel 04 50 79 04 92
Laurence "My university training in law and economics along with my professional experience has made me SChNEIdER familiar with administrative law and public finance" explains the new Director of Finance. This New Director of Finance position is under the authority of the deputy head of finance (Lucien Rastello). In addition to the day to day management of the accounts, her mission will be to bring a financial perspective to the preparation, setting up and monitoring of the Councillors' decisions, to secure financing for projects that are yet to come and of course to balance the finances. The finance department relies on 4 agents, 3 of which are in charge of the 7 town budgets and the fourth in charge of overseeing taxes. "I've joined a competent, experienced and very motivated team. They gave me a warm welcome" the director is pleased to announce.
mariana It was the wish of the members of the Public Relations Committee to create a part time job to SORIANO, improve interaction with the local population. This is why the job also includes relations with the Head of Public Relations associations. Mariana Soriano took the job as Head of Public Relations in November 2014 after a year at the administrative department of the Palais des Sports where she was working on the promotion of the Parc des Dérêches brand. With a diploma in marketing and tourism development, and having recently finished studying, Mariana does her best to apply her theoretical knowledge to the complexity of real life situations. "I'm relying mainly on the experience of those who have been working in the field for many years. I have everything to learn from them. Little by little I'm getting there …" New at the town hall, she declares she was welcomed in the role by her team and her superiors. An adventure that is only just starting!
30 ‘ floWers FOR ALL SEASONS!
SPRINg fLOWERS hAvE APPEAREd IN ThE STREETS Of mORzINE SINCE ThE ENd Of APRIL.
The town of Morzine obtained its 3 rd "Flower" in 2010. Constant work in the flower beds is essential to hang onto this award. With this in mind, and because flowers are a big part of a pleasant welcome to tourists, the members of the Lifestyle Commission decided to increase flowering in the spring season. Starting at the end of April, the red and orange calyxes of tulips and the yellow cups of narcissus started appearing on roundabouts and in flower beds … "last autumn we planted over 3 000 bulbs, narcissus, tulips, daffodils as well as fritillaries. we tried to diversify the colours and varieties for each roundabout … luckily there is no major deterioration to mention, as opposed to other years. the aim is to have flowers around the village as soon as the start of may. we also installed new flower boxes in front of the tourism Office, and the Place de la mairie was particularly well looked after with wallflowers, daffodils and pansies … but in June it must all come out to put in the summer flowers as morzine must be in full bloom by the 20 th June. the commission members chose a principal theme of red and white flowers for summer … in late-autumn we will plant some chrysanthemums and such flowers in the village's squares. like that we will have 3 seasons of bloom" explains Daniel Muet, head of flower displays and green spaces.
ThEy LOOk AfTER ThE gREEN AREAS Daniel Muet and Arnaud Bersat (in the photo), along with SolèneTrombert, are in charge of the green spaces. The service also includes three staff members to mow the lawns and two more to clean the roads (weeding etc). In Avoriaz, two staff members from technical services look after the green areas (watering, disposal of dead flowers …), that's almost 120 pots throughout the streets of the station as well as flowerbeds and window boxes at the various public buildings. The maintenance of the green areas is under the responsibility of ALDA (the Estates Association) that since this year has been invoicing the town hall for the work.
31 ‘locAl neWs RETIREmENT fOR LIONEL TOPhIN After working 30 years at the technical services department of the Morzine town hall, Lionel Tophin finally retired from community service on the 31 st March. Born in 1954 in St-Quentin in the Aisne region, Lionel has always been a keen skier and hiker, so it was logical for him to come and live in Morzine. In November 1981 he started his career in the technical services department as a locksmith, then progressively climbing up the ladder he became head of the municipal garage until 2011 when Jean-François Premat took over. From time to time Lionel could also be found dancing with the Morzine Folk Group of which he was a member for a long time. He will use his retirement to explore the mountains as well spending some time cooking, as he is quite a master chef.
fAREWELL TO fRANCOIS dIdES He passed away on the 31 st January at the age of 65. A great mountain and skiing enthusiast, François was in charge of the three-star Alte Neve hotel. He spent a lot of time working on the economic development of Morzine as a member of the Hotelier Committee and of the Tourism Office. He put a lot into skiing: he was the trainer of the French Alpine ski team, he was responsible for the creation of the Montriond ESF (ski school) and he was an active member of the ski-club. He shared his knowledge and experience with the town during 3 terms. His first tour of duty was as a Municipal Councillor for Francis Richard from 1989 to 1995. For the 2 nd term from Management and Sports Associations Commission. His 3 rd term from 2001 to 2008 1995 to 2001 François was deputy mayor to Claudius was with François Passaquin at the head of the municipal team where he was in Baud and vice-president of the Sports Park charge of the Tourism and Sports Commission.
Why hAvE vIdEO PROTECTION?
Five hundred euros: that's the bill that a group of young Brits had to pay. They were rather surprised to be woken up the following morning by the town's police force with the gendarmerie in tow. Thanks to video protection and the civic spirit of one inhabitant, these youths were arrested and had to pay for the damage they had caused: signage, town equipment and plant pots knocked over … all that after a little too much to drink. It's a pity such accidents occur when it's quite possible to have some holiday fun whilst abiding by the law. At the end of the day, 500€ for one beer too many is a high price to pay, but it is unacceptable to allow people to get away with such acts.
32 b I R T h S , m A R R I A g E S A N d d E A T h S O‘uR LITTLE AddITIONS
7th June Lumi RICHARD for Lumi Tessa Simon and Capucine ANTOINE 26 th July Corentin HARDY for Elwen Jérôme and Magaly BIGET 31 st July Noé CAPLIER LECONTE for Jean-François and Julie LECONTE 24 th August Axel MORALLET for Vincent and AuroreTOuRNIER 30 th September Jimy PREMAT for Alain and Dorotée JACQuET 1st October Lara CHAuPLANNAZ for Yannick and Mélissa PEILLEX Harvey Maël 18 th October Maïly LENVERS for Lionel and Florence COQuILLARD Lowen 21 st October Hugo ZuRCHER for Thibaut and Sabine BOuSSAND 27 th October Tessa PASSAQuIN for David and Axelle BOuRON 2nd November Mathis CLERC for Stéphane and Justine MAZuER 15 th November Elwen BERNA ERSKINE for Yoann and Julia ERSKINE Naomie Romy 17 th November Maël HENRY for Mickael and Elodie LONGLOIS Nina 8th December Harvey FOLKES for Peter and Amelia PuMPHREY 15 th December Lowen BAuDRY for Aurélie 26 th December Noan PAILLAS KERVELLA for Julien and Nolwenn KERVELLA 13 th January Romy BAuD for Adrien and Pauline RICHARD 4th February Naomie BRON for Raphaël Nicolas and Valérie HEDOuIN 24 th February Nina CAZENAVE for Lenny Mathieu and Marion LEJAY Nolan & 10 th March Lenny YAVANOVITCH VERNAY for OuR dEAR dEPARTEd Parker Christophe and Sandrine VERNAY 26 th March Nolan & Parker CRuCHANDEAu for 4th October Eugénie BAuD, née MICHAuD – 91 years old Hugues and Hannah COLLIS 19 th October Gilbert DEFFERT– 88 years old 6th April Raphaël BLANCHARD 19 th December Marie RICHARD, née BAuD – 93 years old for Aurélien and Julie GENESLAY 20 th December Cyril GREVAT– 60 years old 3rd January Denise ROSSET, née BAuD – 65 years old OuR NEWLy WEdS 9th January Jean Jacques TOuRNIER – 69 years old 16 th January Laurence BRIOIS, née CEILLES – 93 years old th 18 th October Anthony DEFFERT & Caroline PERNET 26 January Marie RuELLO, née TROMBERT – 100 years old 27 th January Marie ROSSET, née PAGE – 90 years old 15 th November Antony RICHARD & Mélodie SAuLNIER 30 th January François DIDES – 65 years old 12 th December Ian BAILLIE & Victoria BONNEY 31 st January Pierre BEARD – 82 years old 13 th December Alexis BERTHOME & Laure COLLART-DuTILLEuL 1st February Laurent LANDRAT – 52 years old nd 22 December Michel GRANGE & Chrystelle RICHARD 9th February Paulette GESNYS – 88 years old th 24 January Sébastien BALP & Béatrice QuOST 22 nd February Lucienne BAuD, née PREMAT – 93 years old 14 th March Pierre MATHIS & Nathalie PIERRAT 11 th March Martial BERGER – 59 years old 14 th March Jean-Baptiste MACHuT & Caroline CAMBAY 25 th March Véronique LENVERS, née BRAIZE – 44 years old 11 th April Fernando LANCA & Sopio GIORGOBIANI 7th April Joseph GILARDI – 90 years old 19 th April Jean René PREMAT – 93 years old 33 ‘ hERITAgE
deAr inhAbitAnts of Morzine And the vAlley,
e Heritage Aociation has been working for nearly ten years now on the creation an area dedicated to the history our village.
e architeural proje is underway and the big them that will diate the museum's content have already been agreed. e creation this heritage museum will be a reality before the end the cuent municipal term.
As well as its cultural aspe, this space must be a genuine addition to the isting tourist aractions already on er with the aim bringing more diversity to the activiti on er. Indeed, if you believe that Morzine is simply a ski station you would be very wrong. It also has a rich cultural and architeural heritage ich once highlighted in this location will justify our oeive 20 000 visitors per year.
We deliberately wanted this proje to be done for and by the people Morzine. at’s y it is so important in 2015 to take stock everything that could help us enrich the permanent hibition, and also the temporary hibitions that have an innovative character ich should encourage visitors to come back.
34 A cAll for donAtions
is aeal is aimed at everybody: if you own or know people likely to own items that illustrate at life was like in Morzine and the vall in tim gone by such as old oes, tools, iconographic documents, lms, cial documents, phos … Tell the Morzine History and Heritage Aociation about them.
An information desk has been opened at the former fort house on the Route d Bois to answer all your qutions, to make aointments to drop , lend, tell us about or to pick up oes or documents, or simply to take phos or scan them and make an inventory them.
We understand that certain items can be dear to you and you wouldn't wish to give them away. It would still be useful for us to take a census them and maybe even boow them for a temporary hibition on a spific theme.
Terms and conditions will aly to any donation or loan, and the ociation will have the nary insurance in place to ensure the prervation the items you have entrusted to us. If you wish, the name the donor or lender can be featured on the item.
is rord the memory Morzine can only be a succ if everybody contribut fully.
e town and the ociations are counting on you, and thank you in advance for your collaboration in this joint proje.
e Mayor e Prident Morzine History and Heritage Gérard Berger Bernard Bu
Morzine history And heritAge by email: [email protected] by post: Association histoire et patrimoine – Morzine library by phone: 06 70 63 86 32 – 06 32 33 14 94
35 Morzine hArley dAys, WelcoMe toto
froM the 11 th to the 14 th July 2015 Over 10 000 motorbikes, each one more beautiful than the next, and no less than 30 000 people are expected at the station which every two years welcomes Harley Davidsons. Roaming musicians, day rides, rocking concerts at night … with on Monday 13/07 one of only four concerts given by Toto in France in 2015 as well as the ladies of rock: Beth Hart, Joan Ov Art and Sofaï • Test drives of the new Harley Davidson 2015 range with the Experience Tour • Bike show organised by the magazine Freeway to elect the most beautiful customised bike • Free guided rides every day with the Alpes Spirit Chapter and the Morzine Alpes Club • Grand parade opened by the Ladies of Harley with a 25 km round ride through Montriond, Avoriaz and all the neighbourhoods of Morzine during the afternoon of Sunday 12 th July.