There were two major lift openings for bikes this weekend in the PDS. Pleney is now officially open for the season, but although exciting, it couldn’t tempt us away from the lure of an early opening in Chatel.
Instead of following the crowds and heading straight for the Pleney Mainline, we jumped in the car and drove the hour long trip round to Chatel.
If you’ve been following Bikepark Chatel on Facebook, you’ll have seen how much work has been put in since the lifts closed for bikes at the end of last summer.
Tracks that were previously a chore and were only ever used as a means to get from A to B are now a joy to ride. Breaking bumps, the plague of any bikepark, have been almost completely eliminated and the new sections of track the team have built are quirky, imaginative, fun, fast and in places absolutely terrifying.
Unfortunately due to some heavy rain the night before and more rain expected, only around a third of the tracks were open. But what we did manage to ride was all in the best condition we’ve ever seen it.
There’s another two weeks until the area opens fully, plenty of time to get the tracks ready and add a few finishing touches here and there.
With the addition of a pumptrack, more on which coming soon, Chatel have really upped their game this summer.
We’re really very excited about heading over there this season, and with the Avoriaz shapers putting in the hard graft to make the links between Morzine, Avoriaz and Chatel more accessible, it’s going to be even easier to get there.
Chatel Area Preview – Morzine Source Magazine from Morzine Source Magazine on Vimeo.
Stay tuned for more Area Preview videos from Morzine, Avoriaz and Les Croset. Plus some detailed ‘top to bottom’ looks at the new tracks in the area.
And yes, that did hurt quite a bit.
