Cycling

If cycling is your passion then look no further than Châtel.

Mountain biking

Châtel is fast becoming one of the world’s premier destinations for mountain biking as cyclists have access to over 650 km of marked mountain bike trails in France and Switzerland (Portes Du Soleil area). Châtel itself regularly hosts various world-class European Downhill Cup, Slope and Freestyle competitions.

In the immediate Châtel area alone there are…

13 trails (12 of which are downhill themed),
5 ‘shore zones’,
4-bike parks (1 Four X, 1 Dirt, 1 Faceride zone and 1 Kid’s park)

There are also 24 lifts in the area which accommodate mountain bikes (running July to end of August), and off course the ability to ride to, and in, the other 14 surrounding villages (including Morzine), as well as easy road access to other popular mountain bike resorts like Villar and Leysin

Not to mention the convenient and strategically placed ‘bike washes’ and ‘a bike patrol’ for cyclists in need.

You could also always try out our ‘drop zone’ into the famous foam pit, ideal for those wanting to practice their BIG airs, as well as wall rides and quarter pipes.

Châtel has it all

Utube link Bike park

See our ‘Specialty packages’ for some holiday ideas.

Guiding

In a vast area such as the Portes Du Soleil a qualified local guide would enhance your experience and let you experience some of the farther trails. We can organise a guide to ride with you, who can tailor the rides to suit all ability levels.

Pre-ordered bikes and bike maintenance

Should you decide that carting your bike to France is not an option, we can arrange hire bikes of all types (downhill, cross-country, etc). Its best, if you’d like a bike/s that we pre-order them as they are in demand.

PLEASE NOTE: If the ‘PassPorte Du Soleil’ is your target we will need to secure an entry and bike hire in Early February as it’s a ‘limited numbers’ event and places and bike get snapped up very fast.

Road cycling

The Alps have always been a favorite with ‘roadies’ as many of the mountain passes and climbs are legendary.

Guests can emulate their Tour de France heroes by riding some of the fabled climbs in France. Morzine (part of the Portes du Soliel area) has hosted Le Tour and the Pass du Morgin (also part of the Portes du Soliel) is a 15 km climb up from Monthey on the valley floor.

Alternatively you can always try...

Taking a day trip with us to ride the mythical ’21 bends’ of the famous L’alpe D’Huez climb Alpe d’Huez, and the 21 hairpin turns, remain the most challenging and well-known stage of the Tour de France. Each of the 21 turns is marked to help cyclist’s countdown the 9 miles, and 3,670ft of elevation difference, with an average slope of 7.9 %. Each day during the summer, an average of 1000 recreational and expert riders climb this mythical ascent together.

Period: April-December
Information supplied by the L’Alpe D’Huez website