The ski resort of Chatel in the French Alps combines traditional Alpine architecture and old world charm with exciting skiing. All the chalets are made from wood, and the balconies are still carved by the farmers with immense skill during the winter months. There are picture postcard views everywhere you look: beautiful chalets, majestic mountains and no cables at all as they are buried underground. Chatel is justly proud of its long-established peaceful farming tradition and the local Abondance cheeses.
As it is linked with 14 other resorts in the Porte du Soleil including Avoriaz and Champery, skiers book flights to Chatel for unbeatable extensive skiing, particularly for cross country and intermediate downhill skiers. For more adventurous skiing or snowboarding the new Rossignol snowpark is the place to go. Extreme sports are popular in Chatel: there is a tradition of night skiing, scuba diving through holes in the ice during the winter, and paragliding and mountain biking in the summer. Such activity holidays are usually organized by independent locally connected companies, rather than package tours, combined with a Chatel flight.
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Peak season:
The ski season runs from December to April. As it is a preferred resort for families it is most busy during school holidays and cheap flights to Chatel are hardest to find during this time.
Off season:
The summer season in Chatel is particularly popular with cyclists. Mountain biking is one of the most popular sports, along with hiking and swimming.
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- Get your snowboard to the snowpark among the pine trees of Superchatel. There is an 800m run, Boardercross, and a 1200m run halfpipe, which even has a turbo machine to create those interesting shapes. Professionally tended, this is an excellent place to practice your new moves. Don’t worry if it is late in the season – the snow quality is usually top class as Chatel has a microclimate which means the snow stays longer than places nearby.
- Take the little train for a ride round the area. A cute old fashioned miniature engine and open carriages will take you round the village and a guide will explain proudly all about the region. It runs every Tuesday throughout the year and much more frequently during the winter.
- Knock on the door of a chalet that offers cheese for sale and you will be buying direct from the farm. This is a working village not a tourist resort and you can buy straight from the source.
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