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Mountain Biking World Cup Les Gets

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On the 2 nd July my best friend Lissy arrived in Morzine after deciding she also wanted to embark on a summer of adventure and applied for the same job as me. We spent her first few days showing Lissy around, familiarising her with all our favourite spots in the town and at the lake. A place where we loved to grab a midday coffee was Solide café who served up the most delicious coffee and had a variety of tasty breakfast and lunch options. On the 5 th and 6 th July, we ventured out of Morzine and into the next town, Les Gets where the Mountain Biking World Cup was hosted. We got a pizza lunch on the main strip in town and then headed up the hill to catch some of the downhill racing. The atmosphere was unmatched with people cheering and pulling old chainsaw motors in the attempt encourage the riders by making as much noise as possible. Later, the excitement continued in the town where hundreds of people gathered into the bars and throughout the streets to commence the festivities...
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Bikes, Floods and Goats: Discovering Morzine

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At the end of June, Faye and I were keen to get some bike riding in so made it our mission to nab some of the hotel’s bikes. A mission which proved not so impossible when the bike mechanics kindly let us borrow a couple without any resistance. We set off, racing down the hill towards the river and carried on in the direction of Montriond until the end of the trail. A very popular route for an easy ride or gentle stroll, ideal for families with small children. That evening, we had work to get to but a storm from the previous night had led to flooding on the road of our usual commute. We wouldn’t have been able to carry on without wellies so needed to take a detour, the long way round, and let our manager know we were running a little late. The weather in the alps is something to be weary of, I believe unpredictable is the word to describe it. We experienced several storms over the summer which brought thunder & lightening, heavy rain, and even hail ! Despite temperatures reaching al...
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Barbeque Bonanza: BBQ on the banks of Lac de Montriond

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  As the middle of June brought brighter and warmer days, we spent much of our time at Lac de Montriond soaking up the rays. Dipping in and out of the water and pick-nicking on the grass made this working season feel more like a 4 month summer holiday. The lake has a restaurant on each end which we made sure to try out, usually opting for a fresh fruit sorbet to cool us off.   Le Verdoyant and L’Auberge du Bout du Lac both offer traditional alpine meals such as Tartiflette and charcuterie, both with opposing yet equally unbelievable views of the lake. However, if you are more of a DIY person when it comes to lunching there are also built in barbeque grills where you can bring your own coal and meat to serve up a feast right on the lakeside. We did this on a few occasions in order not to splash out too much in the restaurants. Speaking of barbecues, there is a must visit pub in the town of Montriond that allows you to bring your own meat on a Tuesday evening to be cooked fo...
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Musical Cows

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My second week in Morzine saw several rainy days, where we pondered what to do with ourselves.  Faye, Nathan and I decided to explore some more and picked out a hike to the Cascade de Nyon which  is one of the many waterfalls dotted in and around Morzine.  The path led us up into the trees where we saw the high ropes ziplining course and where you can go  canyoning. The wet weather made the mossy banks and sappy bark feel very atmospheric. The water,  however, was freezing so we did not brave the dip on this occasion. From there we followed a path which led us out into a field of cows, big and small but all decked in  bells. The sound of which was truly magical, the three of us stood in awe listening to the musical clang  which sounded like a real orchestrated piece.  Bells still ringing in our ears we headed back towards the town centre where we stopped for a hot chocolate at the local boulangerie to warm up our soggy bodies. Next, it was time ...
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Morzine to Lac de Montriond Hike

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After the lengthy process of obtaining a visa and the right to work in France as a British passport holder,  I finally arrived in Morzine on the 7 th June 2024. I began to meet the first of what would be my 18  house mates living in Chalet Thalassa. We were shown to our rooms, and Faye and I, still strangers to  each other were both relieved to find out we had been placed together in the best room of the house.  After unpacking our lives out of one singular 23kg suitcase each we were keen to get some food from  the supermarket, which we soon found out to be a 20 minute walk downhill but we spent the time  getting to know each other and sharing our excitement for the summer ahead.                                                    The weather remained pretty gloomy for the first couple of weeks in Morzine but we had heard of the ...
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About Sunny Peaks

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  Hello all, my name is Ciara McKechnie and I am a third year French and Marketing student at the University of Strathclyde. I very much enjoy studying and living in Glasgow however, my true passion lies in the highest peaks of the European Alps. Therefore, I have decided to begin documenting the summer I spent living and working in Morzine, a thriving alpine village set deep in the Chablais mountain range between Lake Geneva and Mont Blanc, by the France-Switzerland border. This blog will tell you all about what I got up to in my free time between work this summer and will also give you recommendations for visiting the beautiful town of Morzine. If you are interested in all things alpine, you have stumbled upon the right place !
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