Val D’Isere is ridiculously massive and it has so much badass terrain within eyeshot that it will blow your mind. Regardless of its pricey infrastructure, tickets are not too expensive at all. Who knew? It took us three days to cover the ginormous expanse of mountain and we didn’t even get to every single area.
There’s an incredible double black as far as you can go on the skier’s left into Tignes. This area descends into some really outstanding terrain. You feel like you have left the rest of the mountain and other skiers behind as you drop in. Ahead: several kilometers of steep, hard terrain covered in powder. Really, truly the longest run of good hard empty terrain with deep snow I have ever skied in-bounds on a ski hill. The fabulous scenics extend for as far as you can see and at the bottom of the run that-almost-never-ends, you get spit out at a really great lunch spot on the river that serves big beers and the best spaghetti since Italy.
On this mountain, you will find the terrain you like.
POWDER: it’s either there in spades or still there from the dump last week. Most Brits (who seem to be 80% of the crowd) don’t seem to like powder that much and the regular chi chi clientele are either lunching or hunting for designer goods, not fresh snow. We saw this big ridge covered in powder on our way up the chair and couldn’t imagine that it was accessible since it hadn’t been skied. From the top however you could see a few tracks heading across to it. We followed those tracks out into a bowl completely drenched in powder. We then proceeded to do four runs of said powder. A few others caught on but the slope generously provided for all guests attending and then some.
STEEPS: oh you’ll find them, you can actually see them descending from the top all the way down to the valley or even off the side of the cat track. The terrain, while considered off-piste, is accessible, safe and in-bounds. You won’t end up in a crevasse a la Zermatt or hiking out for two days a la Revelstoke if you venture off the groomers.
GROOMERS: take your pick, slow and windy, steep and bumpy, skinny and frumpy (it just rhymes).
TRAILS: this mountain has a lot of really cool runs, runs that you wouldn’t encounter elsewhere. One of those, Vallee Perdue, is actually set within rock walls. You can descend narrow pathways carved out between huge boulders. While it is classified intermediate, when you come upon groups carrying their skis, too afraid to turn in the narrow, rocky corridors, you realize that it’s harder than it looks on a map. This run is a classic. It reminds you of being a kid and trying to get through trails and pathways you know your parents told you not to. A must-do for all Val D’Isere skiers.
RACE COURSES: There are two permanent racecourses set up on Val D’Isere. One is a parallel GS and the other is a solo course, set higher up and actually quite super awesome. You can really get your speed up. Mark and I raced a few (o.k. more than a few but whatever) times in the course and I have to say that racing in shaped skis is different. In a good way but I always crash. Mark too. We raced each other and apparently were taking things too seriously and ended up both crashing crazily and loosing both our skis one pool and a hat.
Check out the many giant restaurants with great outdoor patios up on the mountain. At lunchtime, things really rock. We grabbed some burgers and beers and were serenaded by live horn players in the crowd. The live entertainment often continues for the rest of the day and there is even a V.I.P. section for those who wish to buy a whole bottle of booze or champagne. A lot of skiers really pack it in at lunch and just hang away the rest of the afternoon on a patio surrounded by beautiful vistas.
For Après, head down to the village to Moris Pub. As you enter, the vague smell of puke will instantly let you know that this is where those serious about Après skiing have been hiding. Expect striptease with ski boots still on, body shots at the bar, ski boots still on, and the best ski boot break dancing you can imagine (can you imagine?). I also have a sneaking suspicion that the not-bad-at-snowboarding Brit girls especially picked out their long underwear to be Après skiing hot. A size too small hot chillies shirt that ends above trendy snowboarding pants accented with a leather studded belt make things oddly steamy.
There are more restaurants and pubs than you can shake a stick at (what does that mean anyway?) and they are always full of revelers. Delicious French cuisine abounds but lighter fare from street venders exists as well. While most hotels book for an entire week only, it is possible to find accommodation for a few days especially last minute, even during high season.
Val D’Isere really surprised us with its phenomenal selection of expert terrain. Because the mountain is so huge, it is impossible to run out of places to explore. And because the clientele skews intermediate, and tends to prefer both shopping and drinking to skiing, the powder holds up and the crowds hold down.
It is also a great place for families. With restaurants bordering the base, you can easily mom and dad tag team watching the little kids and then heading for some runs. There are a lot of lessons going on for all ages and abilities.
Be sure to say hi to the local dogs that roam free and greet tired skiers as they come in after an intense day on the mountain.
