Espace Killy Best Runs

Tour of Tignes (Beginner/Intermediate)

A Tour of Tignes (Beginner - Intermediate) If it’s your first day back on snow, you don’t want to ski anything too steep, AND you want to ski in the sun all day; just spend the day cruising the slopes around Tignes, there's plenty to keep you occupied. Starting outside the Maison de Tignes at Tignes-Le-Lac take the 3-seater PALAFOUR chairlift and cruise down the wide blues Gentiane, Anemone or Combe. Depending on which blue you cruise down on, your can either take the PALAFOUR chairlift back up and ski down to the REPLAT chairlift, or take the CHARDONNET drag lift to end up at the same point. The blues round this area are very wide and not very steep, so perfect for getting those ski legs back. Weave your way back towards Val Claret for a spot of light lunching. After lunch, take a short ride on the 6-seater BOLLIN chairlift. Ski down the wide easy blue to the TUFS chairlift to reach the top of the Toviere area. The culmination of 3 lifts arriving at this point means it’s usually quite a busy spot, nevertheless, if meeting friends from Val d’Isere or after lunch, it’s a good central meeting point where you can choose to ski either into Val d’Isere, or back to Tignes. If choosing the latter, ski down the long blue Piste ‘H’ run to the centre of Val Claret. However, if you suffer from skier claustrophobia be warned… this run is very congested at the top as everyone disperses, and gets quite mogully by the middle of the day. Once past that, the blue run opens out and there’s plenty of piste for everyone! If the intermediates amongst the group like moguls and fancy a challenge, take the option to ski down the Campanules. This run crosses the Piste ‘H’ blue run lower down, so you can rejoin friends who haven’t taken the mogul plunge! Once back at Val Claret, take either the FUNICULAR GRANDE MOTTE or LES LANCHES and VANOISE chairs to the top of the Grande Motte. Although marked as a red run, the piste from the top of the Glacier is wide and generally not too busy. The LEISSE chair adds a bit of variation into the days skiing too. Once you’ve finished in this area, either ski back to Val Claret via the Génépy or Rimaye/Double ‘M’ red runs. Again, be warned, Génépy is not good for boarders as it has a long very flat section at the end; and for skiers, it requires a lot of pole pushing before you rejoin the Prariond run back to Val Claret!

last updated 15-Feb-2008

Tour of Val d'Isere (Intermediate)

Starting from on the pistes in the centre of Val and taking either the OLYMPIQUE high-speed gondola, or the BELLEVARDE CHAIR, up La Face, or from La Daille you end up on the Bellevarde area. From this area and La Toviere run high above La Daille, you have the whole of the Espace Killy ski area at your feet! If you want to stay in Tignes, head down the easy blue Creux run. If you fancy something a bit harder, the sometimes moguled Variante Rocs (red) run to the bottom of the TOMMEUSES lift offers a good alternative. From here you can carry on down the Oreiller-Killy piste to La Daille via the Ok (red), Piste ‘G’/Raye (Black) or Triffolet (red) runs. (Incidentally, this is where the Critérium de la Premiere Neige take place – the first event of the World Cup season). Once in La Daille, take the FUNIVAL funicular train back to the top of the Bellevarde face where you have two options to take you back down into Val d’Isere; either the challenging 1992 Olympic downhill run, La Face (pronounced "Fass") or, if you don’t fancy a thigh burning Olympic experience, opt for the cruisey red piste under the Fontaine Froide chairlift, which joins the blue Santons run back to Val d’Isere. (As a variant to the Santons run, you can also opt for the ‘seriously challenging’ Epaule du Charvet black piste run – one of the steepest blacks in Europe apparently! Check out the latest conditions on the La Face at our La Face Webcam. Note: During and after periods of high snowfall it is possible the Santon's and Epaule du Charvet runs are closed. Due to its slope angle and mountain contours, this area is highly prone to serious avalanche slides, so closed piste warning signs MUST be adhered to. If you see somebody ducking under the rope in front don't assume it's safe to follow! Under these circumstances, take the Fontaine Froide chairlift. At the top you can take the small pulley (no name) to the OLYMPIQUE bubble, and if La Face really 'isn't your bag, baby'; there's no face lost (no pun intended) in taking the bubble back to the bottom.

last updated 24-Apr-2008

Highs & Lows of Tignes (Intermediate/Advanced)

Highs and lows of Tignes (Intermediate – Experienced) From Val Claret in Tignes, take the FUNICULAR GRANDE MOTTE or LES LANCHES chairlift and VANOISE chairlift before continuing the ascent to the very top of the GRANDE MOTTE CABLE-CAR (La Grand Motte is the highest massif in the Espace Killy and is the only part of the ski area to open in every season - this is high altitude glacier skiing!). Descend the glacier via the Rimaye and Double M runs, stopping to admire the spectacular views across the valley to Mont Blanc and Les Arcs. Once back at the bottom of Val Claret, take the TUFS chairlift to the top of the Toviere ski area. Descend via the red Cretes and Combe Folle ski runs until you meet with the steep (and usually mogully) Trolles run. There’s a large flat section right at the bottom of this run before arriving into Tignes-Le-Lac, so some speed is advised from at least half way down the end of this run. It's a scary prospect, but if you don't, it’s a long walk in! Walk round to the back of the Maison de Tignes and take the 3-seater PALAFOUR double chairlift. Be warned, this is a very slow chair. Once at the top, ski down the easy blue Lys run. (Top Tip: If you're a boarder this is a good area to 'jib' around. It's wide and open, and there's plenty of room for both skiers and boarders to keep apart. Sometimes there's good home made jumps around the corner to the left of the Palafour chairlift. It's not been uncommon for us to spend a lazy sunny afternoon jibbin' around here!!). If you would prefer to carry on, ski on to the Aiguille Percee chairlift to the top of the L’Aiguille Percée Area. Once on the chair, sit back and admire the interesting geological rock formations and ‘Eye of the Needle’. When you get off the chairlift, there’s a track which runs to this 'interesting' rock formation. There’s a sneaky unpisted but marked black run down the back but unfortunately (for skiing), this area is south facing and catches a lot of the beautiful Espace Killy sunshine. The snow quality on this run therefore suffers, and coverage over the rocky terrain can sometimes be rather patchy in places. Moreover, you may have to take your skis / board off to get to the start of the run. (Unless coverage is good, it’s best to avoid taking the bottom out of your skis or board). After admiring the view, carry on down the Cornice run. Halfway down there’s an option to take either the black Sache or Silene runs. Both are equally challenging, full of moguls and definitely not for the faint hearted! If you select the Sache run you will automatically end up in Tignes Les Breviere. If taking the Silene option, you will need to descent to Les Breviere using the red Chardons and Pavot runs. These runs are not too steep for the intermediate skier, nonetheless depending on snowfall, they can be particularly icey. There are a few restaurants in Tignes-Les -Breviere so it’s a good place to aim for lunch. If the weather’s nice, enjoy a leisurely lunch and post lunch snooze in the deck chairs before some afternoon’s hardcore piste action.Top Tip: this route is best done in the morning!

last updated 15-Feb-2008

Black Run Challenge (Advanced)

15 black run challenge – Contenders…. Are you ready!?! For the 2004/05 season, there were 16 black runs in the Espace Killy area, some of which were upgraded from reds to blacks due to their technical requirements and skill level. These are some of the toughest blacks you will find anywhere, with two runs having been used during the men’s Olympic downhill 1992. These black runs are namely Campanules, Epaule de Charvet, Face, Foret, Leisse, Oeillet, Piste ’G’, Piste ‘S’, Primeveres, Raye, Sache, Silene, Trolles, Tunnel and Ves. If you and your group are up for first lifts, a serious leg and knee knackering, hard core challenge; then try skiing all backs in the Espace Killy area in one day! You might also want to book the services of your friend, or a taxi, to take your tired and weary bones from Tignes Val Claret back to Val, if that’s where you’re staying. (Be warned, some blacks will not be open, depends on snow coverage and lifties!) Start of by getting the free bus up to the area of Le Fornet, Val d’Isere. Take LE FORNET cable car and ski down on the Fornet run. This has to be one of the hardest of the black runs you will encounter. It’s covered head to foot in moguls, so good to get the knees in gear for the rest of the day! Take the FORNET and VALLON DE L’ISERAN cable cars before taking the 6-seater LESSIERES "up and over" chairlift. Continue down the wide and easy blue, Lessieres run to take the GLACIER EXPRESS and ski to the 3000 drag lift to complete the 3000 and Tunnel runs. (Note: The 3000 and Tunnel runs are frequently not open. It depends very much on snow conditions.) If you are lucky with the weather, snow and manage to squash these two in, then take the LESSIERES chairlift back down to the DATCHA lift. After following the easy blue to the top of the Solaise ski area, descend via the steep, gun barrel Piste ‘S’ which is certainly black, jet black! Hopefully by now you’re back at the bottom of the Bellevarde and Solaise ski areas. Take the L’OLYMPIQUE gondola and ski the Olympic La Face run. It has to be said though, that this ranks as one of the less terrifying black runs in the area. Although fearsomely steep and typically very icy in places, it’s also very wide and open. Take the L’OLYMPIQUE bubble back up and descent the red run under the FONTAINE FROIDE chairlift before skiing down the Epaule du Charvet. (Note: If there has been heavy snowfall, it’s possible this area will be ‘closed’. Take note of these warnings as the aggressive and steep mountain contours means this is a high risk avalanche area.) Follow the easy, flat Santons blue run back to the Solaise / Bellevarde area. It’s now time to head towards La Daille for the Piste ‘G’ and Raye runs. Take the L’OLYMPIQUE bubble back up, and hoon it down either the Orange or Ok runs, maybe stopping off at Le Folie Douce for a quick refreshment. After completing Piste ‘G’ and Raye, take the DAILLE bubble back up and ski over to the TOMMEUSE 6-seater high speed chairlift heading towards Tignes. At the top of the Toviere area, descent towards Val Claret via the mogul field of Campanules. This run is very intensive on the knees, and snow cover sometimes poor. Cut right when you reach arrival of the BOLLIN chairlift and head towards the TUFS chairlift. At the Toviere area again, take the quiet red Cretes and Combe Folle. Join the Trolles run and ski towards Tignes-Le-Lac. This is an easy black, steep, but not full of moguls. You have to get a fair bit of speed up from about half way down the final descent, to ensure you don’t have a long walk out at the bottom. Now take the slow 3-seater PALAFOUR chairlift descending via the Oeillet and if safe to do so, scooting across to complete the Primeveres before doing the PALAFOUR chairlift again, except this time taking skiing towards the AIGUILLE PERCEE to descend via the steep and seriously challenging Silene. Ascend via the MARAIS chairlift, this time taking the earlier right hand option of the equally challenging Sache down to Tignes Les Brevieres. It’s a bit of a wiggly weavey route to get to the remaining 2 black runs. Next head for the COL DES VES. Take the SACHE bubble and MARIAS chairlift. Ski down the red Cyclamen, joining the bottom of the blue Perce-neige run heading for REPLAT and MERLE BLANC chairlift. Descent via the very easy wide Grattalu towards the COL DES VES long 3-seater chairlift. After completing the Ves run, head back down to Val Claret and the FUNICULAR. So.... this is it… the last run of the day…. It’s probably very late afternoon now, and you’re absolutely knackered. Ski the final black of the day, Leisse which is short, but sometimes quite mogulled before ascending via the LEISSE chairlift, now STOP!! This is a brilliant place to finish the day. Take a moment to observe the entire Espace Killy region that you have just covered!! Descend down to Val Claret for a well deserved LARGE pint of beer!! WELL DONE!!