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Val d'Isere Skiing Area
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Val d'Isere is one of the top ski resorts in the world providing over 150 kilometres of pistes and this, together with vast areas of accessible "off piste", makes it ideal for skiers and snowboarders of all abilities. Skiers seem to outnumber the snowboarders a little but there is a comfortable balance of both sports – each taking advantage of the different areas Val d’Isere has to offer (Le Fornet, Le Solaise and Bellevarde). |
| Val d'Isere Ski Area |
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Val d'Isère is located in a steep valley and it is these steep slopes that have attracted the hard core skiers since the resort opened for downhill skiing in the mid 1930s. There is a vast choice of slopes in the high Alps where intermediate skiers and boarders can sample the stunning views and learn from those on the steeper pitches, on the bumps and in the snowpark. The skiing area in Val d'Isere can be broken up into 3 areas, namely Le Fornet, Le Solaise and Bellvardes,all varying in style and complexity. |
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last updated 13-Feb-2008 |
| Le Fornet Ski Area |
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Situated at the top end of town is Val d'Isere's best kept secret. Le Fornet has some easy long, open and often empty pistes and is guaranteed some good snow since it offers glacier skiing up to 3456m. The area offers 1500m of vertical descent along blue runs all the way from the top of the glacier to the bottom of the resort at 1930m.
Le Fornet also offers some of the most easily accessible and best off-piste in the Espace Killy, with runs like Point Pers and Col Pers offering nearly an hours off-piste skiing for less than a twenty minute walk. Off the side of the piste under the Cascades Chairlift there is a gentle wide open powder pitch that due to the altitude and quiet nature of Le Fornet stays fresh longer than most other areas in Val.
... see "Le Fornet Skiing Area" for more |
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last updated 13-Feb-2008 |
| Le Solaise Ski Area |
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This is the resorts central skiing area and it is probably the most popular and therefore the busiest. Overall, it is the best area for beginner and intermediate skiers but it can be divided into 3 smaller sections.
1. The “Glaciers’ bowl and “L” and “Mattis” - the upper part of this area offers easy skiing on sunny slopes.
... see "Le Solaise Skiing Area" for more |
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last updated 13-Feb-2008 |
| Bellevarde Ski Area |
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Bellevarde offers a wide range of skiing because it has slopes facing three different directions in a triangular shape bowl. The East facing slopes face Val d’Isere itself and include Epaule du Charvet and the ex-olympic Face which are very steep runs and reserved for good skiers only. Santons is classified as a blue run for intermediates but be careful on this slope as it runs through a narrow valley and can get extremely busy and full of moguls by the end of the day.
The South/ South West facing slopes (Grand Prè) which are at the top of the area are fairly shallow but increase in steepness as they get lower down. Finally, the West/North West facing slopes offer an excellent view of the Grande Motte, Grande Casse and the Mont Blanc. This area includes many long and gentle slopes which lead down to La Daille (Diebold and Verte) as well as more difficult options for intermediate skiers (Ok, Orange).
... see "Bellevarde Skiing Area" for more |
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last updated 13-Feb-2008 |
| Beginner Ski Areas in Val d'Isere |
There are two nursery areas in Val d’Isere – one in the centre of the resort and one in La Daille. Here, there are gentle slopes which are ideal for beginners and in addition, there are 7 lifts in total which are completely free of charge - 2 chairlifts (Village & Rogoney) and 3 drag lifts ( la Savonette 1/2 & la Légettaz) in the Solaise area and "Les Lanches" 1 & 2 drag lifts in La Daille.
After feeling more confident on these nursery slopes, the Solaise and Bellevarde areas are a good option as there are several slow and steady runs. Many of the instructors progress in this way with their beginner classes.
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last updated 13-Feb-2008 |
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