Polarsteps Travel Editor (and intermediate skier) Matt Bainbridge traveled to Les Gets and Châtel to stress-test the slopes in one of France’s largest ski areas, the Portes du Soleil. He shares his experience and advice for eager learners looking to level up.

Let’s go, Les Gets!

Les Gets makes things easy from the start. The Chevannes chairlift sits right in the village center, so you can be on the mountain within minutes of leaving your accommodation. No lengthy walks in ski boots or cramming into packed shuttles, just straightforward access to the slopes. 

What quickly becomes apparent is how much space you have to work with. The runs are wide and gently curving, offering space to practice big turns without fear of faster skiers breathing down your neck. On my second morning with local guide Clara, I watched the pistes absorb dozens of skiers without ever seeming crowded, and I barely queued for any lifts — even on a Saturday.

But it's not just about width. The slopes in Les Gets are designed with options. Take the descent from Ranfoilly summit (1,826m), one of the area's tallest. The main piste down is comfortably red, but an adjacent blue offers an alternative if you're nervous, tired, or conditions are shaking your confidence. These branching runs allow you to push yourself without fear of fully committing to something beyond your ability.

For intermediates curious about off-piste skiing, Les Gets offers a low-stakes introduction. The tree-lined runs between lifts, particularly around the Les Gets Bowl, give you a taste of powder skiing in tried-and-tested terrain. The snow was deep during my visit, which provided me with a soft(ish) landing for my first clumsy attempts. The trees keep you oriented and the exposure is minimal. If things get uncomfortable, there's always a groomed run nearby.

Once Les Gets starts feeling manageable, the connection to Morzine opens up steeper terrain, but there's plenty here to keep beginners and intermediates challenged for at least a few days. 

Runs to try in Les Gets:

• Cyclamens (Blue): Wide, gentle, perfect for morning warm-ups and building rhythm

• Sauntenailles (Red): From Ranfoilly summit, ideal for testing yourself

• Les Gets Bowl area: Tree-lined runs for venturing off-piste

Ramping up in Châtel

Where Les Gets keeps things compact and accessible, Châtel is more dispersed. The Super-Châtel gondola anchors the village center, but reaching the Petit-Châtel, Linga, or Pré la Joux lifts requires using the free local shuttle. It's a slight trade-off in convenience, but what you gain is better connectivity to the wider Portes du Soleil network, including resorts on its Swiss side.

The terrain around Châtel still caters to all abilities, but challenging runs are more readily available. Linga and Pré la Joux offer access to steeper pitches, and the natural links toward Avoriaz mean you can ease yourself into a bunch of blues before graduating to any reds. It's the next step up from Les Gets with more scope to push your boundaries.

I experienced this firsthand while skiing with guide Christophe, a local who snowboards these mountains with infectious enthusiasm. From the top of the Chaux des Rosées chairlift, we carved through a total whiteout along the ridgeline adjacent to the France-Switzerland border, then descended via the Pré la Joux piste back below the treeline. The exposure felt more significant than Les Gets, with just enough elevation gain to give that feeling of advancing your progess.

If Les Gets is your introduction to off-piste skiing, Châtel is where you start refining the technique. The tree runs demand more attention with deeper snow and steeper inclines, but you're still within the safety net of a resort environment, with groomed runs nearby if needed.

Runs to try in Châtel:

• Combe à Floret (Blue): A long, wide, and cruisey run from the top of the Prolays lift in Avoriaz

• Pré la Joux (Red): One of Châtel’s best-loved reds, great for learning to carve with confidence

• Linga area: Off-piste and tree runs for intermediates ready to progress beyond the Les Gets Bowl

Exploring beyond the pistes

Les Gets and Châtel offer multiple ways to experience the mountain terrain outside of downhill skiing. Ski touring flips the entire experience upside down. Instead of riding lifts to the top, you climb on skis fitted with special skins that grip the snow and prevent you from sliding backward. Your bindings are free at the back, allowing you to raise your heel in a walking motion. Once satisfied with your elevation gain, you adjust your gear and ski downhill as normal.

It's brutally hard work. After lunch at Chez Denis, a tiny chalet serving hearty Savoyard specialties in a woodsmoke-scented dining room, Christophe led us into the forest beside the Prè la Joux chairlift. We trekked uphill for two hours through deep, unblemished snow, forging a fresh path while zig-zagging through the trees. The experience of ploughing through that pristine powder made every bead of frozen sweat worthwhile.

For intermediates comfortable going off-piste, ski touring offers a whole different adventure, with expert guidance for safety. Both Les Gets and Châtel have rental shops offering touring gear, plus access to local guides with advanced knowledge of the surrounding terrain.

Snowshoeing provides a gentler alternative for those less interested in the technical aspects of ski touring. The same deep snow and backcountry terrain is accessible on snowshoes, offering peaceful forest walks and mountain views without requiring downhill skiing skills.

Summertime on the slopes

Image: Les Gets Tourisme

When the snow melts, Les Gets and Châtel transform into mountain-biking destinations. Les Gets particularly shines, with 128km of tracks and three adapted lifts operating through summer. The terrain that makes these villages ideal for beginner-to-intermediate skiers translates well to mountain biking, with varied trails and clear progression from easier to more technical routes.

Like during the ski season, Les Gets provides an accessible introduction to the slopes for mountain bikers, while Châtel offers more advanced tracks for experienced riders.

The focus factor

One of the biggest advantages of Les Gets and Châtel for skill-building is what they don't offer: wild après-ski scenes and packed party bars. Both villages are deliberately low-key, catering primarily to families and skiers more interested in progressing without hangovers holding them back.

This isn't to say the villages are boring. Les Gets has a more modern feel, with contemporary restaurants and spa facilities tucked into traditional-looking buildings. You'll find bars serving locally produced wines without the rowdy atmosphere that dominates more party-focused resorts. Châtel leans more rustic, with traditional wooden chalets and a dining scene rooted in agricultural heritage. The village is one of the original Portes du Soleil resorts, and its streets showcase that history.

What both villages share is excellent Haute-Savoie cuisine. Expect cheese-heavy menus featuring tartiflette (potato casserole with reblochon cheese and lardons), raclette (melted cheese scraped over potatoes), and fondue. These aren't light meals. After a lunch of tartiflette, I took several falls on the slopes and blame the dish entirely.

Châtel offers an additional draw with its proximity to dairy farms in the Abondance valley. On my final morning, I visited GAEC Barbossine, a cooperative farm where 35 local producers collaborate to make Abondance cheese, which, like Champagne, is AOC-designated. The farm's matriarch, Corinne David, explained how the valley's wildflowers add flavor to the milk, and her son, Julien, introduced us to the cows. The pastoral scene felt worlds away from the slopes, reminding us that there’s more to discover beyond the pistes of the Portes du Soleil.

Getting to Les Gets & Châtel

By train:

• Take the Eurostar to Paris Gare du Nord, the metro to Gare de Lyon, then the TGV train to Bellegarde-sur-Valserine, followed by a taxi to the villages. The expected journey time is around 12 hours from Amsterdam.

By air:

• Geneva Airport sits about 90 minutes from both villages by (shared or private) road transfer. Flying is faster than the train but has a significantly higher carbon cost.

Between villages:

• Les Gets and Châtel connect on snow via the Portes du Soleil network

• Shuttle buses are limited, so most visitors either ski the traverse or arrange a taxi

• Consider basing yourself in one village and making a day trip to the other via the slopes rather than relocating