Le Pleney — arguably the greatest single hill in downhill mountain biking. Its official trail, Mainline (known as Le Noire), is famous among riders around the world and is largely responsible for putting Morzine on the map. From World Cup pro's to downhill novices, it's a symbol of Morzine, one of the first trails everyone rides on their pilgrimage to the European capital of mountain biking.
Around 2006/7, "off-piste" trails began emerging from this main run. These steep, woodland lines—cut in by locals—had names like Club Tropicana, Pedro’s, Potato, ATM, Step Up, and Step Down. Characterful and raw, they were a testament to Morzine’s underground trail-building culture.
Over time, these unofficial trails became central to Le Pleney’s identity. Riders would warm up with a few laps of Mainline before heading into “the singles.” While none of these were officially sanctioned, they weren’t disrupting the official trail network or crossing problematic land boundaries, so local authorities largely turned a blind eye.
The Rise — and Oversaturation — of Lines
Just before the COVID-19 pandemic, more trails began appearing, often ending at the road between Morzine and Les Gets. Though never formally shut down, these trails were flagged—they crossed multiple private land boundaries and began raising eyebrows.
Post-COVID, mountain biking saw a massive boom everywhere, and Morzine was no exception. With more tourists, seasonnaires, and global riders than ever before, the pace of trail building, of cutting in lines, exploded. From 2022 to 2025, any semblance of structure among the unofficial trails was lost. Pleney became saturated with lines—many straight down the hill, others dropping riders out onto the road below, sometimes on blind corners. The danger became real. Multiple near-misses, serious injuries, and even a fatality have occurred in recent years. Rescue operations here are nearly impossible: there’s no vehicle access, and the dense forest blocks helicopters.
So why were these trails built? Because they were fun. But also, because Pleney’s official trail offering didn’t meet rider demand, especially for steep, technical lines.
The best hill on earth
A Turning Point
In recent years, heavy mountain storms have brought another consequence: mudslides. After some storms, mud from Pleney has flooded the streets of Morzine. These newly cut, fall-line trails acted as drainage channels, funnelling dirt and water into town. The damage and ecological impact is no longer ignorable.
In 2025, trail management was handed over to a new organisation, with new trail management. While the lift infrastructure remains with Le Pleney’s original operators, the new appointment of the 'Morzine DLM' marks a fresh start for trail development.
Their vision? New official trails. Expanded terrain. Lift upgrades. A network that finally meets the scale of MTB tourism demand. The Pleney lift itself is one of the fastest in the world, taking just minutes to move four riders and four bikes uphill, and a trail network that meets these demands is what is needed.
But There’s a Catch
For this vision to be realised, a line must be drawn—literally and figuratively. Certain zones, particularly those that end at the main road, must be closed. They were never official in the first place, but the difference now is enforcement. The Mairie (town hall) has ordered that police issue fines to anyone caught riding in these areas. Police will patrol exits, and signage is already in place.
But here’s the truth: signs and fines have never stopped riders before—and likely won’t now.
What should stop us is the risk of losing everything.
If we—locals, seasonnaires, and tourists—respect this request and leave these high-risk zones alone, we could finally get what we’ve always wanted: steep, techy, sanctioned trails maintained by a proper crew. The demand is clear. The lift companies want to deliver. But they can’t while the current chaos continues.
Yes, it’s frustrating. One could argue that new trails should be built before shutting others down, but politics doesn’t work that way. These rogue trails were never legal, so this isn’t a “closure” so much as a correction. And sanctioned trail development will take time, possibly several seasons.
New 2025 Morzine Map
Where you can ride
You can see the areas on the map which are restricted; in reality, they always have been, only now it's different. You now not only risk fines for riding in the zones you also risk the future development of the trail network. There are some classic areas which have some of the very best freeride lines that are not restricted and which are still possible to access. These areas have great potential, but again, they need to be managed and ridden with consideration. These are the areas that have the potential to be developed in the future with more engagement in deeper conversation with the new lift operator and management team going forward.
Why are we writing this
We've sat down with Le Pleney on multiple occasions over the years, both advocating for new trails, better maintenance and to gain a better understanding of what the future of Le Pleney will be.
We do not think the messaging is clear, it's confusing. We feel and hope that riders will respect an area being deemed out of bounds if they understand why, and if they know that in doing so there can be a positive.
There are some amazing creations across some areas of Le Pleney that really do increase the probability of issues.
While some are on land owned by the very people that build, others are not.
The trails are what people want to ride, technical, natural in parts, crafted in others. But though they are the vision of what Pleney could be in the future, they are being built without permission from the landowners. They are being built without knowledge of the ecological impact of drainage and forest sustainability.
So Are Pleney Steeps Finished - Absolutely not!
We’re simply reverting to the pre-COVID map. There are still steep trails. The essence of Pleney remains intact. Nothing meaningful has been lost—yet.
This isn’t about saving frogs or birds. It’s about saving the hill itself. Unless we allow the ecosystem and the management plan to catch up, we risk losing more than a few raked lines. We risk losing the very future of Le Pleney.
If we want sanctioned steeps, legitimate progression, and a long-term vision, we—the riders—must step up.
#ONEPEDALAHEAD
