Chatel
Also known as: Chatel Bikepark / PdS
Plaine Dranse alpine bowl, Swiss border ridgelines, and links toward Morgins/Champery in the wider network.
Who in your group rides what
Whether everyone in your group gets a day at Chatel - the grades on offer, the named zones, and how mixed abilities split up.
~2 green, 4 blue, 4 red, 9 black plus a slopestyle line (French/Portes du Soleil grading; counts vary by source).
Beginners lap greens/blues off Pierre-Longue; advanced riders shuttle Rochassons for black DH and slopestyle. Lifts provide descent-only uplift so a group can split by grade and meet at Plaine Dranse.
Good for mixed groups and progression - dedicated skills/fun areas plus greens for beginners and blacks for experts.
The riding
Forested loam, roots and rock in Pre-la-Joux; machine-built jump/flow lines plus natural steep DH.
Full range: mellow greens to steep, technical natural black DH plus jump/slopestyle and drop zones. Forested with moderate exposure.
Colour-graded and signposted park trails; Trailforks app recommended. Well-marked fun zones (slopestyle, shore, drop, dirt).
Popular but generally less crowded than Morzine/Les Gets core; busy on peak summer weekends.
Season & conditions
2026: weekends 13-14 and 19-21 Jun, then daily from Fri 26 Jun to Fri 11 Sep; Friday night sessions 12 Jul-22 Aug.
Mid-June to mid-September.
Friday late-night riding sessions in peak summer; slopestyle/newschool zones; hosts events within the Portes du Soleil calendar.
Afternoon thunderstorms and slick roots after rain; cooler, wind-exposed upper sectors.
Getting there & gear
MTB lift pass required - ascent packs (e.g. 3/6/10 ascents ~EUR22/37/52 online) or Portes du Soleil multi-day pass; no lottery.
Permits and operators change - confirm before booking.
Drive/shuttle from Chatel village up to Pre-la-Joux/Plaine Dranse (~10 min); ~1.5 hr from Geneva.
Pierre-Longue and Rochassons chairlifts serve the park; free/paid local shuttles link Chatel village to Pre-la-Joux. Geneva nearest airport.
Full-suspension bike and protection advised; wash station on site; water at village and mountain restaurants. Mobile coverage moderate.
Bike shops, rentals, wash station, cafes in Chatel and at Plaine Dranse; toilets at lift stations.
Chatel-based bike schools and rental shops; Portes du Soleil operators (Atlas Ride Co and others).
Hazards & rescue
Steep natural black lines, jumps/drops in slopestyle zone, other riders and weather change. Valid pass needed for cross-border links.
Not required; self-guided normal. Coaching and guiding available locally.
Lift-served bowl with quick exits to Pre-la-Joux; French rescue via 112; bike patrol on park.
This profile is desk research, compiled from public sources - not a first-hand mountain-bike network report. Coordinates are approximate.