Val d’Isère - The Slopes
Sitting in state at the head of the rugged Tarentaise Valley, the imposing contours of Solaise and Bellevarde guard the town.
Bellevarde, with its rocky mohawk hairstyle, stands sentinel over the Tignes reservoir and flags the way to the Tignes Valley. Heading in the opposite direction is the other mountain directly accessible from the resort; Solaise, which gives way to a sunny plateau of gentle slopes. Follow these across the Col de l'Iseran to the Pissaillas glacier.
Glancing at the piste map doesn't show too many blacks but the culture is to let long sections of the reds get bumpy so there is plenty to keep experts amused. The Solaise bumps are legendary and on the opposite hill, the Face (used for the World Cup downhill) is as pimpled as a teenagers chin.
Intermediate appeal is the sturdy foundation Val d'Isère's success is built on. The glacier runs have virtually guaranteed great snow and are perfect for confidence-building, as are the runs on the Solaise plateau. Tackle the tree-lined runs from Solaise to Le Laisinant and Le Fornet. Across the valley most of the runs in the Bellevarde area fit the intermediate bill - long, sweeping and fast.
Beginners find their ski legs on the nursery slope in the heart of the village, which is excellent for parents who want to keep an eye on their progeny. Once the basics have been mastered though, it is not the perfect progression resort as the runs down to the resort bases are steep, busy and cut-up. It's a great place to learn but not so good for your second week.
No-one can argue with Val d'Isère's dazzling off-piste; not many other places can rival the variety or quality of powder accessible from the lifts. Debutant powder hounds should try the Tour du Charvet and the Col Pers, which is practically an entire valley. The highlight happens beneath "Mickey's ears". Two satellite dishes on Bellevarde's rocky outcrop, they signal the start of the Couloir des Gendarmes. Take a straight line down, pick your way through the trees and end up on a postage stamp the wrong side of the Tignes reservoir. The only way out is by helicopter.
Let it all hang out at the terrain park on Bellevarde. Good snow is guaranteed at 2,500m, there is a well-maintained half-pipe, small, medium and large air tables, hips and quarters plus handrails and a boardercross. There is a good park vibe with music decks and deckchairs. Two drag lifts and a small chairlift service the park.
The Espace Killy lift system is one of the best in the Alps. The only time the queues form are at ski school hour at key resort-level lifts although recent improvements have seen replacements by fast and efficient new mega-lifts. There are still one or two old chairlifts which are scheduled to be upgraded.
With the complete Espace Killy weekly ski pass you get a free day in another Savoie Olympic resort. You can also buy a certain number of days to be taken at your leisure throughout the season. Valley-only passes are also available. From 2006/7 Val d'Isère is introducing a hands-free system.
Check the kids into the "children's village" (3-8-year-olds) for the day where they can meet English-speaking friends, play around in the snow and get used to wearing ski boots.
