Val Thorens

The skiing

With its north and north-west facing slopes, the snow conditions remain good for the entire day. The south facing slopes are on the Plein Sud side with sunny terraces for long lunches at La Fruitière/La Folie Douce. However, the resort itself faces south, so the end of the day can be busy coming off the mountain to enjoy the last rays.

The lift systems have received some heavy investment recently, with big gondolas and fast chairs, and drag lifts mostly replaced by magic carpets on the nursery slopes. All the beginner slopes are next to the village and don’t require a ski pass. As you progress there are plenty of gentle and easy blues immediately above the village to improve on. Intermediates are in clover in Val Thorens – you can ski all the way down to Courchevel 1650 in half a morning, or cruise around above Les Menuires. But if you prefer to stay closer to the resort, there’s some of the best terrain around. Full of easy reds and blues (slightly steeper the higher you go), the good snow cover, especially on the Col, gives you perfect conditions.

There is good skiing from the Péclet gondola, with plenty of blues and reds and the Pluviomètre over on Plein Sud shouldn’t be missed. If you’re feeling confident about your skiing, make sure you do the black from the Cîme de Caron – it’s wide and fast especially when freshly groomed. Experts will find that many of the black runs are more hard reds, with some becoming mogulled quite early in the day. Challenging runs can be found off the Cîme de Caron and the Falaise and Variante runs from the Grand Fond gondola. When there’s been good snowfall, we recommend hiring a guide to explore some very good off-piste terrain. On sunny days, the skiing in the wide bowls of Val Thorens is exhilarating. However, the lack of tree cover means that when the weather sets in, lifts and slopes can close, with nowhere but the resort for skiers to go. Some of the pistes can get quite crowded later in the day, so heading over to the “fourth” valley at Orelle is advisable.

The village

Val Thorens has a friendly atmosphere and tends to be full of people who have come to ski, rather than be seen. The investment in high end hotels including three 5* properties, chalets and apartments has seen a rise in the standards of gastronomy, with a number of very good restaurants and bars – Restaurant Val Thorens Jean Sulpice has two Michelin stars, and is definitely worth missing an afternoon on the slopes for. The resort enjoys a sunny position with quite amazing views over the surrounding peaks and is a good place to sit with an aperitif at the end of the day. The centre is compact and pedestrianized, with plenty of shops, and because of its size, there is a good vibe at the end of the day. If you don’t fancy one of the larger venues, the bar at the L’Altapura is an atmospheric place for a drink.

Insider tips for your holiday to Val Thorens

The Cîme de Caron cable car is one of the most spectacular in the Alps, but get there early to avoid the queues.

Useful links

www.valthorens.com