skiing, snowboarding and xcountry skiing

[odile]

any keen snowlovers who like any of the above 3 related sports?

[Pickles]

If you mean within your region, then yes, we have been cross-country skiing at La Vattay in the past, and at Les Rousses and in the valley around Mijoux/Lelex. La Vattay we found to be well-organised, as was Les Rousses, but in both cases the season was short. Mijoux/Lelex was even shorter and less well organised. The key problem for us was that outside of the French holiday season, the facilities were not really open and tracks were not maintained, even when there was snow. The second problem was that we found the hotels/guest houses in the area to be quite poor. This is some time ago and I note that the ones at which we stayed are now under new management, but it was enough to convince us to stick to Austria and Switzerland for the most part, although we do make forays up to the small ski station at Prat-Peyrot in the Cevennes and occasionally into the Pyrenees around Font-Romeu when they are convenient to us (we also found decent cross-country skiing in the Haut-Savoie around Samoens and La Grand Bornand).

Regards

Pickles

[Pierre ZFP]

I just booked up to go skiing with my youngest son in Chatel, Portes du Soleil.

Never been there before but it looks nice.  Anybody been there?

I booked on the Chatel tourist office website, the website is very pretty but making a booking was next to impossible, fortunately the tourist office people were brilliant and very helpful when I phoned them.

 

A tip if you are thinking up x-country skiing,

start with a small country [:D]

[odile]

Hi Pierre,  we have been to Chatel many times with school trips. It is a great area - the resort if fairly low so you can;t always ski back to village- but there is plenty at the top. It links really well to Chapelle d'Abondance. It is one of our favourite slopes, and never busy and with a nice traditonal chalet-restaurant at the top. We also love the chalet Neuf slope, with fantastic views to Morgins and the Dents du Midi from the top - and good slopes to go down to Morgins when the snow is good, or half way down. The you can also go by bus from Chatel to the Lingua area for day for a change, and also ski over from Super Chatel towards Torgon (Torgon and Morgins being in Switzerland). Chatel is a traditional village resort - plenty of restos, shops, cafes, but with a family feel. A great resort - enjoy.

[Pierre ZFP]

Thanks for the info.  It sounds just like my sort of place.  I couldn't stand the kind of resort where you must have 'this years colours' etc or if you had to wait hours for the ski lifts.  Nearly all my ski stuff comes from Decathlon and if I wait long enough, my ski kit may come back into fashion!

Just last night I got a Newsletter from Chatel saying the resort was now open as they had a fall of 1.3 metres snow!!  I'm really looking forward to it now.

One more question please.

I'll be driving there from the north (Possibly Luxembourg, possibly direct from Dunkerque) and all the route finders (Google Maps, Michelin etc) want to take me East of Lake Geneva, ie through Switzerland and into Chatel.  When I look closely, the last few Kms look pretty hairy up steep hairpin bends.  Although this is the shorter route, and I already have a vingette for the Swiss roads, I'm thinking that it might be better to take the longer route to the West via Geneva.  What do you think?

[seb47]

Pierre

We love the Portes du Soleil ski area and though we've never stayed in Chatel understand it is similar in character to Morzine where we have stayed several times. We used to drive from Calais via Reims, Troyes, Dijon and the A39 to Bourges en Bresse then Geneva. You can travel south from Luxembourg via Metz and Nancy to link up with the A31 for Dijon. Annemasse to Thonon les Bains then Chatel should be easy. Our route took us via Cluses and Les Gets to Morzine which was only slightly windey (as in bendy rather than breezy) for the last few kms.

Not sure of your skiing standard but if you get the chance take a look at the (Swiss) Wall above Champery on the way to Avoriaz. Never skiied it (black and extremely moghuly - we know our limits) but you can take the chair lift to the top, admire the view, have a coffee then get back on the chair for the journey down. Your son would love it - spectacular views all round.

We will probably head for Andorra this year as it is only a 3 to 4 hour drive.

Peter

[odile]

Hi Pierre,   the advice you got is quite right. for Morzine it is better the other way, but Chatel is only just across the Swiss border. to avoid tolls from Luxembourg aim for Basel, then towards Vevey on Lake Geneva, then Villeneuve, then ... gosh my memory is plaing up - up via Monthey. Will have to check that bit. I love the bowl at Champery/Les Crosets, with the wall- but you would have to drive to link up from Chatel.

[odile]

Where do you get itineraries from? I Google Touring club suisse, then itineraires -

By the way if you do go from Chatel to tour de Don (towards Torgon) - make sure you walk over to the edge at the top of the lifts to see the view over Lake Geneva and the famous Chateau de Chillon. Don't go too close to the edge as there is always a corniche of snow protruding, with nothing under- dangerous!

If we are there at the same time, I'll try and spot you. You will be the one wearing a whole-in-one fluorescent suit, purple and apple green. Right?

[odile]

Hi Pierre -- how did you get on in Chatel? Which route did you take in the end.     Saltuations et bonne annee   Odile