On any decent powder day, locals from surrounding resorts are often to be found in and around Chatel. They come for its off-piste playgrounds including the Hidden and Happy Valleys where cliffs, windlips, cornices, powder fields and natural hits a plenty can be found.

A new super-speedy six-man chair offers access to the Linga area where big stashes of fresh are often left for those that know where to look.

Smooth Park in the Super Chatel ski area is perfect for beginners and intermediates to practice hitting interesting and well shaped features while Avoriaz provides bigger boxes and rails to get creative on.

We are also just a couple of chairs from The Burton Stash in Linderet and the  parks of Le Croset in Switzerland.

Alpine Retreat is also the place to try this seasons boards from Never Summer

Brothers Tracey & Tim Canaday started making their boards way back in 1983.  Based in Denver Colorado Never Summer has now been officially producing snowboards since 1991. What separates this company from many other snowboard brands is that each and every board is still hand built. Never Summer is one of very few snowboard brands able to do this.

They eschew high profile advertising campaigns and sponsorships preferring instead to spend on improving the workshop where the boards are lovingly produced.  This means that the boards sell themselves on performance alone and Alpine Retreat is currently the only place in the Portes Du Soleil where you can try them out!

We could go on but why spoil the surprises before you get here…