Calendar of Events

As I prepare this editorial the winter season draws to a close.  The snow conditions have been good and will end on a high with a major “dump” forecast for Morzine for Easter.  

This summer will see the return of a major event, The Harley Days, featuring the famous Harley Davidson motorbikes.  Morzine will become a bikers Mecca from 11 to 14 July. American Rockers, “Toto”, will headline the festival with a free performance in the Tourist Square.  In addition other smaller concerts will take place in various parts of Morzine. 

Many of the summer activities organized by ARM will also take place including:  Hiking; Bridge; Scrabble; Tennis Tournament finishing with a barbecue for ARM members; cultural Outing; Concert for harp/cello in Morzine Church on august 4^th at 9 pm .  The summer lunch will take place at Montriond “Les Sapins” restaurant at 12 o'clock.

The AGM is a must for members who are present in Morzine on the 5^th of august at 4:30 pm. In addition to ARM business the AGM also features presentations by the Mayor, municipal officials, Tourist Office staff and this year Chief Rescue Center.  This is your chance to keep abreast of developments and to ask questions.

ARM: SUMMER PROGRAM 2015

HIKING

• Walks are classified by level of difficulty. They have evocative names: Hermine, Marmots, Ibex and Chamois, the choice is yours.
• New for 2015: Opening of a "Nordic Walking" section.

BRIDGE and SCRABBLE

• Every Thursday at 8 30 pm bridge tournaments and scrabble take place upstairs at the Old Post Office.  Open to all.

GOLF

• Friendly 9 hole golf competition on 21 August  at Avoriaz at 9 am.  Award ceremony followed by lunch at 12:30 in the Club House.

TENNIS

• Traditional doubles tournament 4 to 7 August open to all.  Final 7August at 4 pm, with the prize giving at 6 pm, followed by an aperitif.

BARBECUE

• The traditional barbeque for ARM members and friends will follow at 7 pm. (registration form in bulletin )

CULTURAL OUTING

• Wednesday, 12 August  to the Gianadda Foundation. This year, Léonard Gianadda  has selected Matisse as his artist.  However, to date we do not know what aspect of his work Léonard  has chosen to show us, as it is varied and prolific. We will have to wait until the beginning of the Exhibition on 19 June to be able to prepare a presentation.  Meet at 9am in front of the Palais des Sports as it is market day.  Car sharing will take place.

CONCERT

• The traditional ARM concert  will take place on Tuesday, 4 August, at 9 pm in Morzine Church.

ARM MEALS

• They have become part of the summer season and are ever popular friendly events.

            - Summer Lunch: Monday, 10 August at 12 noon at the restaurant "Les Sapins"  Montriond Lake.

            - Lunch at the Auberge des Fréterolles  on Monday, 17 August at 12:30 pm PROMPT.

            - The Pot au Feu will take place at Seytroux Mini Golf  on Wednesday, 25 August at noon.

ALPAGE FESTIVAL

• On Sunday, 23 August at the Chardonnières Chalets, Morzine, in collaboration with the Tourist Office and the Morzine Hunters.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

• As a member of the Association, you are invited to attend our AGM on 5 August 2015 at the Palais des Sports in Morzine.

             - 3:30 p.m. Welcome and signing in

             - 4:30 p.m. plenary session

              Agenda and proxy card in the bulletin

This year has seen a welcome number of new, including British, members.

Our friendly organized walks, catering for all levels, are always a popular summer feature. 

The ARM Tennis Tournament took place in fine weather.  However a persistent downpour accompanied the barbecue but that did not spoil the enjoyment of the event.  This year instead of a Summer Dinner we had a Summer Lunch.  This was held at Les Deux Criquets a venue we have used before.  The event was fully up to the high standard we have come to expect from Les Deux Criquets both in terms of catering and entertainment.

The winter beckons and yet more investment has taken place on the slopes.  The Proclou and Seraussaix chairlifts have long been a bottleneck as they receive a lot of traffic from users staying in Morzine but skiing in Avoriaz. These chairlifts also service some of the excellent beginner level slopes in Avoriaz, and are thus frequented by many ski schools. The new Seraussaix chairlift means that there will no longer be an annoying push along the top to get back to Super Morzine. The top of the Seraussaix will be slightly higher along the Super Morzine ridge meaning that it is a short, downhill track (rather than long flat) to access the Super Morzine slopes.  Look out for good deals with ski passes mentioned elsewhere in this Newsletter, as are also details of our December Dinner.

Margaret Hulls

What a great winter season of skiing we had.  Each year sees tremendous investments being made on the pistes.  The New telecabine at Pleney and the Grande Porteur at Les Prodains are very impressive.

Now we can look forward to our summer events.  This year the annual Summer Dinner has been replaced by a Summer Lunch which will be held at the Le Deux Criquets at Nyon on 11 August.

ARM has proposed a new summer activity “Fete de la Montagne”.  This has been taken on board by the Morzine Tourist Office.  The date proposed is 24 August and there will be a host of events on offer.  These may include walks in the high pastures with and without guides, introduction to climbing, a hunting club exhibition, donkey rides, alpine music to name but a few.

As always we cannot stress too highly the friendly nature of the ARM which provides an ideal opportunity to become integrated with French way of life.

The AGM is well worth attending.  This not only deals with ARM matters but also includes presentations by the Tourist Office and the Mayor.  A session for questions follows the Mayor’s presentation.

Summer Programme 2014

Referring to the calendar of our proposed activities for July and August 2014 you will see that we are retaining our walks, cultural outings, tennis tournament, golf tournament, concert, barbeque and lunches.  We would appreciate any suggestions you may have for new activities.  Since last year we are still looking for one or more facilitators to organize a weekly petanque tournament.  This tournament would be open to all comers and not just ARM members.

Resume of programme of activities:

Hiking

• André PAROIS has constructed a programme of particularly attractive walks (see elsewhere in this newsletter) which take place every Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 8 July to 26 August. There is something for everyone, whether it is a leisurely walk or a more challenging hike.

Bridge - Scrabble

• Every Thursday at 8.30pm, 10 July to 21 August, bridge tournaments and scrabble take place upstairs in the Old Post Office.
• These tournaments are open to all.

Golf

• On Friday 18 July and 22 August (dates to be confirmed, please consult the ARM Notice Board in the Tourist Office), friendly 9 hole competitions (see entry forms => Golf). Meet at 9 am at the Avoriaz Golf Club.
• The competition on 22 August will be followed at 12.30pm by lunch at the Clubhouse (to be confirmed).
• Friday, 25 July putting contest. For meeting time please consult the ARM noticeboard in the Tourist Office.
• These tournaments are open to all.

Tennis

• The traditional doubles tennis tournament, open to all, will begin Tuesday, 5 August. It will close Friday, 8 August followed by a presentation of awards at 6pm. The traditional barbecue for ARM members and friends will follow at 7.30pm (registration form => Tennis).

Cultural Outing

• Wednesday, 13 August, meeting at 9am at the Palais de Sports, for the traditional outing to the Gianadda Foundation at Martigny.

Concert

• The traditional ARM Concert, harp/cello, will take place on Tuesday, 5 August at 9pm in Morzine Church.
• Open to all.

Annual General Meeting (AGM)

If you are present in Morzine you should attend and participate in the AGM of our Association which will take place on Monday, 4 August at 4.30pm at the Palais de Sports.  Presentations by the Mayor, municipal officials and Tourist Office staff will be made. Refer to the Notice of the Meeting and the Agenda in this newsletter. In case of absence you can give a proxy vote (see form for your use in this newsletter). Thank you for depositing your proxy form in the ARM letterbox in the Tourist Office in good time.

Please note that the AGM will be preceded at 3.30pm by a Welcome Meeting for new ARM members.

 "Bon appétit"

Regular convivial get-togethers around a good table (or at least we hope so... )

• Friday, 8 August, barbecue which closes the tennis tournament (see registration form => Barbecue).
• Monday, 11 August, the summer lunch at “Les 2 Criquets” Restaurant (see registration form => Les_2_Criquets).
• Monday, 18 August, lunch at the “Auberge de Fréterolles” farm (see registration form => Fréterolles).
• On Friday, 22 August, lunch after the golf competition to be confirmed (see registration form => Golf). 

NOTE

1 - The organization of certain activities requires prior registration using the forms contained in this bulletin.

Thank you for using this method of registration and strictly observing closing dates where they are given.

2 - Do not hesitate to regularly look at the ARM noticeboard in the Tourist Office in order to check the latest information regarding these activities (for example, weather forecasts can lead to changes in our programme of walks).

The event organisers at the Tourist Office are equally at your service.

Happy holidays! ...

Another wonderful winter and summer season in Morzine and its surrounding resorts has come to an end; several snowfalls have already taken place and we look forward to another good winter.

In Morzine there are two exciting new lifts to sample with one already up and running and the other promised for December.  Namely the new “gros porteur” at Prodains whose construction is amazing with the exit at Avoriaz hewn out of solid rock with an accompanying escalator.  A new lift with a large capacity at Pleney is promised for December.   Access to these lifts has been designed at ground level thus avoiding the need for stairs.

Look out for good deals with ski passes mentioned elsewhere in this Newsletter.  Note that some need to be purchased before certain dates.

It would be great to meet up with more ARM English members at the Christmas Dinner on 27 December.

Margaret Hulls

First some sad news.  Our treasurer, Jacky Lecointre lost his wife after she suffered a long illness.  I am sure all members will join me in offering our heartfelt sympathy. Jacky feels that a continued participation in the running of the ARM is the best way of dealing with his bereavement.

On a brighter note, all those who took to the slopes this winter will surely agree that this must rank as one of the best seasons ever.  Morzine-Avoriaz continues to invest in its annual improvements on the slopes.  A major investment has been in a new high tech lift, one of only six in the world which is replacing the old cable car at Les Prodains.  The lift will have twelve cabins each carrying 35 passengers. 

As usual the main Christmas event was the very successful Dinner that took place at the restaurant “La Chaumiere” at Montriond on 27th of December.

Let us hope that this summer will be every bit as good as the winter season has proved to be.  I look forward to meeting new English speaking members at our numerous summer activities.

The ARM programme of summer activities ...

You will see from this programme that we are continuing with our usual activities during July and August 2013.

• Every Tuesday from 9th July to 20th August: "Promenons-nous ensemble " - family rambles. Meet at the Tennis Club House at 8:30 am.
• Every Thusday from 11th July to 22nd August (excluding 15th August anticipated change to 14 august): Bridge and Scrabble tournaments - 8:30pm - proposed venue is a room on the first floor of the Library. Open to all.
• Thursays 25th July, 1st August, Wednsday 14th August "Marchons d'un bon pas" - rambles for experienced walkers. Meet at 7 am at the Tennis Club House.
• New in 2013: "Friday rambe" Friday 12th July to 16th August. Meet at 8 am at Tennis Club House.

Golf 

• Friday, 19th Juky : a friendly 9 hole golf competition. Meet at 9:00 am at Avoriaz Golf Course (Click to display registration form)
• Friday, 26th July: putting competition. For further details please consult the ARM notice board in the Tourist Office. Open to all.
• Friday, 16th August; a friendly 9 hole golf competition. Meet at 9:00 am at Avoriaz Golf Course (Click to display registration form). After competition there will be lunch at 12:30.

Monday, 5th August: Annual General Meeting of the ARM at 4:30pm at Palais des Sports. Presentations by the Mayor and municipal officials and officials from the Tourist Office (Click to display agenda). The Meeting will close with a friendly drink. The ARM welcomes new members for an introductory meeting at 3:30pm. 

The traditional ARM Concert will take place on Tuesday, 6th August in Morzine Church at 9 pm. Open to all.

The Doubles Tennis Tournament will take place from Tuesday, 6th August to Friday, 9th August (Click to display the Entry Form). Awards will be presented after the finals on 9th August at 6 pm. A barbeque for ARM members and friends will follow at 7:30pm.

Two cultural outings are offered by Monique Trimphe on Wednesday, 24th July (Salomon Foundation displays Marc Desgrandchamps) and 7th August (Gianadda Foundation in Martigny : Modigliani and School of Paris)

Jean-Marie Grandhomme organizes the traditional summer meals (Click to display the Registration form):

• On Monday, 12th August there will be a dinner at the restaurant "Le Cret".
• On Monday, 19th August there will be lunch at "Fréterolles" above Les Mines D'Or.

We regret that the Dance Training Course organized by Muriel and Guy has had to be cancelled this year due to personal reasons but it is hoped they can be included in next year's programme.

We are always looking for new areas of activity. If you have a particular interest that you feel might be of general interest to ARM members please let us know.

Since last season Morzine, at ARM's request, has provided an appropriate venue for pétanque tournaments. So we are looking for one or more members to undertake the organization of this activity.

The walks for ARM members take place on Tuesdays, Thurdays and Fridays. The choice of the destination is mainly dictated by the weather. It will be decided early in the week and posted in the Tourist Office.

Please do not hesitate to consult the ARM regular board display in the Tourist Office for the latst information on our activities.

The Pléney gondola will be replaced with new lift equipment for winter 2013/14.  This key new lift will provide improved capacity and better access to the winter ski area and for summer Mountain Biking in Morzine .  Ground level access to the top and bottom lift stations will make for quicker access and ease of use.

As we await the opening of this new lift, and due to the scale of the works involved, the Pléney gondola will be closed for the 2013 summer season.

To ensure MTB activities, the local councils and the lift companies of Morzine-Avoriaz and Les Gets, will put in place the following solutions:

• Early opening, from the 15^th of June 2013, of the Super Morzine gondola and the “Zore” chairlift.  From the 28^th of June, an earlier opening time of 08:30am and a 50% increase in the flow-rate will ensure free-flowing traffic.
• A bus service adapted for carrying Mountain Bikes will be run daily between the resorts of Morzine and Les Gets from the 28^th of June to the 1^st of September 2013 (dates inclusive).  This bus service will be reserved for those with a Portes du Soleil lift pass.
• The Mountain Bike tracks between the resorts of Morzine and Les Gets will be marked out, signposted and maintained.

Further steps are also being examined to safeguard Mountain Biking in the Pléney area, and improve the flow capacity of the lift links between Morzine and Les Gets, by way of the the “Crusaz” and “Mouilles” chairlifts.  More information will follow on this subject as soon as possible.

Reminder of lift opening dates:

• Les Gets: Every weekend from the 25^th of May and every day from the 15^th of June to the 8^th of September 2013.
• Morzine: Every day from the 15^th of June to the 1^st of September.
• Portes du Soleil:  The lift links will open for the Pass’Portes du Soleil VTT, on the 28^th of June, and will run until the 1^st of September 2013; allowing access to the 23 lifts open this summer and linking the 12 resorts of the Franco-Swiss area.

Everyone involved in the resorts of Morzine-Avoriaz and Les Gets is working tirelessly to make sure that Mountain Biking, which is vital to our local tourist economy, goes ahead this summer.

All other infrastructure in the resort of Morzine will run as normal for the summer 2013 season:

• The “Crusaz” chairlift for pedestrians and summer toboggan.
• The “Pointe de Nyon” chairlift for pedestrians.

With the approach of winter, our thoughts turn to skiing.  There are various discounts to be obtained by ARM members and residents  and a full translation of these will be found in the English section of the ARM website.  Some offers need to be purchased on line by specific dates before the end of 2012.

We are still looking for more English members to join the wonderful friendly organized walks which take place during July and August – there are two levels of difficulty catering for all abilities.  We continue to look for new activities that could be of interest to our members.  Do contact me if you have any suggestions.

Do you have any friends or neighbours in France would like to become ARM members?

Margaret Hulls (pathulls@btinternet.com)

New members are always welcome particularly to enjoy the numerous activities on offer.  Please tell your friends.  Two new activities are being considered for addition to future programmes.   First, a revival of an old favourite, petanque.  This suffered from the loss of a suitable playing area but a new area adjacent to the Tourist Office is now available.   Volunteers to lead this activity please step forward.  Second, it is proposed to introduce a cycling activity subject to sufficient member interest.  Both road and off-road cycling would be covered.  Already we have two keen cyclists in both disciplines that are prepared to organize routes etc.  I would be prepared to act as coordinator.  

Things are happening in Morzine.  Already there is a new Aquatic Centre as part of the swimming pool.  The lift from the Palais de Sport area to Morzine Town should be fully operational.

Looking forward to meeting new and old friends at the AGM on 6^th August.

Margaret Hulls

The ARM Programme of Summer Activities

You will see from this programme that we are continuing with our usual activities.  As always, these will take place in a friendly and convivial atmosphere.

You will find under the leadership of our respective organisers: weekly "Bridge and Scrabble" evenings; cultural outings; hiking including "Walk at a brisk pace" and "Let's walk together"; the tennis tournament; the golf tournaments and of course ... the meals. The traditional summer dinner will be held this year in the Restaurant  of the Champs Fleuris Hotel"; the Tennis Tournament barbecue; the lunch at the Auberge de Fréterolles; the end of the golf competition and a "Pot-au-Feu (summer stew)”, which we hope will become a tradition.

Sadly Muriel and Guy, are unable to run their dance lessons this year but hope to return next year.

As this newsletter goes to press, we are considering the resumption of the weekly petanque (bowls) tournament that we had to abandon due to lack of land. The latest information is that a new petanque area will be available by the Tourist Office.  ARM volunteers  are urgently needed to host these tournaments. Further details of this new activity will be posted on the ARM notice board in the Tourist Office.

We wish you all a pleasant stay in Morzine this summer.

SUMMER PROGRAM 2012

JULY

Tuesday, 10^th July: - "Let's walk together" (less demanding walks) – has unfortunately  had to be cancelled due to lack of a guide

Thursday, 12^th July: - Bridge and Scrabble – 8:30 pm - the Old Post Office Room opposite the Mairie (open to all)

Tuesday, 17^th July: - "Let's walk together" – Around Mont Chéry - Meet at 8:30 am at the Morzine Tennis Club (ARM Members)

Thursday, 19^th July: - Bridge and Scrabble – 8:30 pm - the Old Post Office Room (open to all)

Friday, 20^th July: - A friendly 9 hole golf competition at – 9:00 am at Avoriaz  Golf Course - Registration form attached to newsletter (ARM Members)

Tuesday, 24^th July: - "Let's walk together" – Le Mont d’Hermone - Meet at 8:30 am at the Morzine Tennis Club (ARM Members)

Wednesday, 25^th July: - Cultural outing – From Fragonard to the Present - Meet at 9:30 am at the Morzine Tennis Club or 10:30 am at the Palais Lumière Evian (ARM Members)

Thursday, 26^th July:

- "Walk at a good pace" - Le Mont de Grange - Meet at 7:00 am. at the Morzine Tennis Club (ARM Members)

- Bridge and Scrabble – 8:30 pm - the Old Post Office Room (open to all)

Friday, 27^th July: - Putting contest – 2:30 pm at the driving range at Avoriaz Golf Club (open to all)

Tuesday, 31^st July: - "Let's walk together" – Gers par Ledédian - Meet at 8:30 am at the Morzine Tennis Club (ARM Members)

AUGUST

Thursday, 2^nd August:

- "Walk at a good pace” – Lac de Gers, Col et Tête Pelouse  - Meet at 7:00 am at the Morzine Tennis Club (ARM Members)

- Bridge and Scrabble – 8:30 pm - the Old Post Office Room (open to all)

Monday, 6^th August: - Welcome to new and future members and presentation of the ARM – 6:00 pm Palais des Sports followed by - Annual General Meeting of the ARM at 6:30 pm at with presentations by the Mayor and municipal officials from the Directorate of the Office of Tourism. See attached agenda in Summer Newsletter (open to all) The Meeting will close with a friendly drink.

Tuesday, 7^th August:

- "Let's walk together" – Les Alpages de Semy - Meet at 8:30 am at the Morzine Tennis Club (ARM Members)

- ARM Concert - Harp / Cello.  9:00 pm at the Morzine Church - Free (open to all)

Tuesday, 7^th August to Friday, 10^th August - Tennis Tournament doubles (open to all) - Registration Form attached

Wednesday, 8^th August: - Cultural outing to Gianadda Foundation, Martigny - Meet at 9:30 am at the Morzine Tennis Club or 10:45 am at Martigny (ARM Members)

Thursday, 9^th August:

- "Walk at a good pace” – Les Chalets de Sales and the passage of Dérochoir - Meet at 7:00 am at the Morzine Tennis Club (ARM Members)

- Bridge and Scrabble – 8:30 pm - the Old Post Office Room (open to all)

Friday, 10^th August: - Tennis Tournament Finals -

• 6:00 pm Presentation of prizes
•  7:30 pm End of Tournament BBQ (ARM Members and friends)

Monday, 13^th August: - Summer Dinner at the Restaurant  of the Champs Fleuris Hotel – meet at 7:30 pm. Registration form attached (ARM Members and their friends)

Tuesday, 14^th August: - "Let's walk together" – Les Mines d.Or (new route) - Meet at 8:30 am at the Morzine Tennis Club (ARM Members)

Thursday 16^th August - Bridge and Scrabble – 8:30 pm - the Old Post Office Room (open to all)

Friday, 17^th August: - A friendly competition of golf (9 holes) – 9:00 am at Avoriaz Golf Club – after the competition a friendly lunch at 12:30 pm (the venue will be specified later on the ARM notice board in the Tourist Office). Registration form attached (ARM Members)

Monday, 20^th August: - Lunch at l’Auberge de Fréterolles – 12:30pm – See registration form attached (ARM Members and their friends) Possibility of car sharing from l’Mines d’Or

Tuesday, 21^st August: - "Lets Walk Together" – to be decided depending  on the number of ARM members present in Morzine on this date (ARM Members)

Thursday, 23^rd August: - Bridge and Scrabble – 8:30 pm - the Old Post Office Room (open to all)

Finally Jean-Marie Grandhomme will prepare a “Pot-au-Feu” at the Mini-Golf restaurant, Seytroux.  Date to be advised

During the meeting held on 8 August 2011, your Committee members drafted the provisional schedule of activities for summer 2012.

You will find below, this DRAFT schedule (in French) for the months of July and August.   We hope that many of you will support and participate in these friendly activities.

Save the date! ...

You may notice that there are no innovations compared to previous years, but if you want to see new activities, do not hesitate to make suggestions to us and we will help you to implement them.

(Clic on the table to increase)

=> Let's tidy up the village