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Val Thorens Skiing Revealed
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Val Thorens lies at the top of the 3 Valleys, and is the highest ski resort in Europe. With Méribel and Courchevel accessible by ski lift, there really are plenty of pistes to keep you busy all season, let alone one week! The ski areas offer something for everyone, from beginners through to experts. In this section you can find detailed descriptions of each area within the 3 Valleys, along with lift and piste maps. We have also included an insiders guide to skiing the 3 Valleys, where we tell you about our favourite runs, and where to find the nicest mountain restaurants. |
| Val Thorens & Belleville Valley Ski Area Description |
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Val Thorens is as good as it gets when it comes to skiing or snowboarding. Because of its altitude, the snow is as perfect as it can be, and the terrain is suitable for almost any level of ability. The Val Thorens & Belleville Valley is vast and wide open, with almost all the skiing above the tree line. Starting from the bottom of the valley we come first to the village of St Martin de Belleville (a great lunch stop). The runs are wonderful; easy, rolling blues and reds. Les Menuires’ best-known ski area is La Masse with its long, challenging reds and blacks. On the opposite, eastern side of the valley is a massive network of blues, reds and blacks, which alone would keep most intermediates happy for a week and gives access to Val Thorens, St Martin and the Meribel Valley. Val Thorens offers the highest skiing, often with the best snow, but is the most affected by high winds. The 3200m high Cime de Caron is a magnet for good skiers because of its long, difficult runs, but queues for the lift can be long. The nearby Funitel Grand Fond is less crowded. At the head of the valley you can ski on glaciers from the top of Glacier or Col chairlifts. Finally the Orelle (‘fourth’) valley is a must – a beautiful, sunny, unspoiled gem. |
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last updated 31-Jan-2008 |
| Three Valleys Ski Area |
The Three Valleys is the home of eight ski resorts that are linked together by a unique network of ski lifts and ski runs. As implied by its name, the area originally consisted of three valleys: Saint-Bon (Courchevel & La Tania), Allues (Val Thorens & Brides-les- Bains), and Belleville (Val Thoren, Les Menuires & St Martin de Belleville). The skiing area has since been extended into a 'fourth' valley, the Maurienne valley that is adjacent to Val Thorens. The Maurienne valley can also be accessed using a long gondola lift from Orelle. The Three Valleys is the largest ski area in the world with 600km ski slopes which equates to 2,500 hectares of groomed runs. The snow cannon count currently lies at 1500! The area boasts 200 ski lifts that can transport 260,000 skiers hourly. Phew!
Everyone but a beginner should buy a Three Valley pass. It’s easy to get carried away and ski into the next valley without realizing it. Take note though, and make sure you don’t miss the last lifts back to your own valley at the end of the afternoon as a taxi home is expensive (lift closing times are printed on the lift map).
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last updated 31-Jan-2008 |
| Meribel Ski Area Description |
The Méribel Valley is in the middle of the three roughly parallel, North/South valleys, making it the idea base for exploring the whole ski area. Around the Altiport you’ll find gentle, tree-lined runs ideal for beginners. Higher up on the Saulire are steeper blues and reds which allow mixed-ability groups to ski in the same area. Over on the western (Tougnète) side of the valley is another good mixture of blues, reds and blacks, and also the two snowparks (open to boarders and skiers). The head of the valley is dominated by the Mont du Vallon, and in the Vallon / Mont de la Chambre / 3 Marches area you’ll find long, steep reds served by high speed chairs and gondola lifts, and the most dramatic scenery.
TOP TIP: ski in the sun on the Tougnète side in the morning, and cross over to the Saulire in the afternoon. |
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last updated 31-Jan-2008 |
| Courchevel Ski Area Description |
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The Courchevel Valley offers a vast choice of skiing in a relatively compact area. Expert skiers will find a wealth of challenging blacks running from the Saulire and Vizelle peaks, including the infamous couloirs. The skiing above Courchevel 1650 is gentler and less busy, with appealing wide blues and reds. Around smart Courchevel 1850 you’ll find lots of gourmet restaurants and easy, well-groomed runs (1850 knows how to flatter its wealthy clients). The tree-lined runs to La Tania and Courchevel 1300 are quiet and lovely, but fairly low, and thus best skied when there’s good snow. |
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last updated 31-Jan-2008 |
| Lift & Piste Maps for Val Thorens |
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The Val Thorens piste map gives good detail of the local area, whereas the 3 valleys piste map gives you a broad picture of how everything is connected. We've added in piste maps for Courchevel and Val Thorens so you can get a better idea of actually how much there is to ski in the whole 3 Valleys area! For a more detailed map when you get on the mountain, pick up a paper copy of the piste maps from the lift company when you buy your pass.
Val Thorens Piste Map
3 Valleys Piste Map (pdf)
Meribel Piste Map
Courchevel Piste Map (pdf)
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last updated 29-Jan-2008 |
| Insider's Guide to... |
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With such a big ski area to explore, it's sometimes good to have a little bit of inside information… For your pleasure, we’ve compiled a list of our favourite runs throughout the Three Valleys and suggested some itineries for you to try. There's also sections on how to get around the whole three valleys area using only blue runs, where you're most likely to find the quietest pistes, and where to find the nicest mountain restaurants for lunch. Happy exploring! ... more |
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last updated 31-Jan-2008 |
| Cross-Country Skiing (Ski de Fond) |
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Get back to nature and explore tranquil cross-country trails at your own pace. There are two different techniques – classic and skating. Classic is the easiest for beginners; you simply place your skis in two parallel groves, push off and glide around the trails. Skating is more energetic and a slightly harder skill to grasp; you push your feet out to either side as though you are ice skating and use your poles simultaneously to gain momentum.
You can hire the comfortable boots and lightweight skis and poles fairly inexpensively from most sports shops and book a group or private lesson to learn the basics from most ski schools or private instructors. For those used to downhill skis, at first you feel precariously balanced and downhill sections are definitely more exciting on narrow skis with no edges! The skis are lighter and slimmer than downhill skis and the boots are much softer and more comfortable.
The tranquility of cross country (also known as Nordic) skiing is perfect for anyone who enjoys peace and quiet, or finds the downhill pistes too crowded or too steep. It is a great form of aerobic exercise and one can be as energetic or slow as one likes, while the relaxed pace makes it a more tranquil way to enjoy the surroundings!.
 | | 'Skating' Style |
Val Thorens only has 4km of prepared cross country trails, but they accommodate both classic and skating styles and are perfect for beginners or those who just want to spend a few hours trying something a bit different. Best of all, the trails are free to use! You can pick up a guide book and trail map from the Tourist Office.
Go further down the valley to Meribel to find 33km of prepared cross country trails, situated at the Lac de Tueda in Mottaret and around the Altiport area of Méribel. A total of 90km of trails are available in Meribel, Courchevel and La Tania. |
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last updated 2-Jul-2008 |
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