Enormous area, with great skiing for all abilities
 

As a ski resort we think that Châtel is hard to beat.  It has an ideal combination of great snow, fast access to skiing and a near-limitless area to explore, as well as the charm and beauty of an authentic alpine village.  

 

As part of the vast Portes du Soleil ski domain the area offers over 200 lifts and 650km of pistes in 12 interlinked resorts and 2 countries.  Châtel itself has a huge variety of skiing - from the pistes that lie on the sunny slopes above the village and feature spectacular views and an infectious, relaxed vibe, to the north facing slopes accessed from the Pré la Joux and Linga lifts.  Access to all of this skiing is easy from Chalet Isobel - take a look at our location.

 

Châtel’s geographical location, in the most northerly part of the French Alps, combined with the “lake effect” of Lake Geneva, produces a microclimate which ensures optimal snowfall throughout the winter.  

 

When all of this is added to Châtel’s proximity to Geneva international airport and rail stations at Thonon and Aigle (both with high-speed services from Paris, London and Switzerland), it has made the once-remote border village into one of the most desirable destinations for skiers searching for a traditional Alpine experience coupled with unlimited skiing.  

 

Something for everyone

 

Not only is the ski area enormous but there is also great skiing for all abilities.

 

• Beginners:  As an example, Super Châtel is a wonderful area for beginners with plenty of greens and easy blues, which criss-cross between France and Switzerland and give beginners a great chance to move away from learner slopes at the bottom and start to explore the mountains.  At Pre-la-Joux there is a beginner slope, as well as a lovely green piste snaking all the way down from Plaine Dranse.

 

• Intermediates:  The intermediate skiing is utterly endless with twelve different resorts to explore.  The circuit is a classic route, which starts and finishes in Châtel and travels through 6 different resorts and takes in some fantastic blues and cruisy reds.  We think the runs around Linga/ Pre-la-Joux are the best in the whole of the Portes du Soleil.

​

• Advanced/ experts:  For advanced skiers there is an abundance of powder bowls, couloirs, jump parks and mogul fields.  The Torgon Freeride, for example, is a controlled off piste zone ideal for people looking for something a little bit extreme, or perhaps give your knees a test on the moguls down the lovely black Les Renards run above Plaine Dranse.