A week on skis in Val d’Isère

From the village, you can trace much of the Face de Bellevarde with your eye. What lies beyond the ridge takes a little more exploring. Give Val d’Isère a week and there’s time to ski over to Tignes, spend a morning at the far end of the valley above Le Fornet and go back for a second run on the slope you liked best.

Day one on Solaise

Ride the Solaise gondola together on the first morning, even if the group plans to split up. Beginners can find their feet on the gentle slopes served by the Pim Pam and Poum conveyor lifts. Anyone taking a day off skis can use a pedestrian pass to ride up, then follow the marked trail to Lac de l’Ouillette if it’s open. Meet back near the upper gondola station for lunch. A ride down in the gondola makes for an easy finish if a first run all the way to the village feels too ambitious.

Day two on either side of Bellevarde

The Olympique cable car climbs above the Face from the village. This is the slope where the men raced in the 1992 Winter Olympics, and the rooftops of Val d’Isère sit at the foot of the descent. It’s a run for strong skiers who are comfortable with the conditions that day. To see a different side of the mountain, follow the OK, or Oreiller-Killy piste, down to La Daille and ride the Funival funicular back up. Both runs start on Bellevarde and finish in different parts of the valley, worth remembering when you make lunch plans.

Day three above Le Fornet

Start in the hamlet of Le Fornet. The cable car and then the Vallon gondola take you towards the Col de l’Iseran. On a clear morning, if the upper lifts are open, spend a few hours on the pistes in the Pisaillas sector. Friends on foot can meet you back in Le Fornet. A marked winter trail follows the Isère from the main ski area in the village, through Le Laisinant to the hamlet. Check that it’s open before arranging to meet.

Day four across the ridge in Tignes

Over breakfast, check the lift report and pick which side of Tignes you want to ski. From Bellevarde, the Tommeuses chair takes you to the Col de Tovière for the descent towards Tignes le Lac. For Val Claret, head for the Borsat chair and the Col de Fresse. Picking one of the two gives you a morning to enjoy the skiing on the far side.

For a first visit, Tignes le Lac has an easy landmark to remember for the journey home. The Tovière gondola takes you back up towards the Val d’Isère side. Before setting out, check that your lift pass covers both resorts and look up the closing time of the link you’ll need on the way back. Agree on an earlier time to turn for home, especially if several groups are meeting for lunch.

Days five and six on your own terms

Keep a day free for the high runs that were in cloud earlier in the week. If the wind lingers, the shuttle between La Daille and Le Fornet makes it easy to call it a morning and return through the village. On the final day, let everyone pick a run they’d like to ski again. Anyone lingering over lunch at L’Ouillette can meet the others back at the chalet, with no last lift from Tignes to catch.

The first run starts at the chalet

Before settling on an address, find out where the first ski lesson meets and how someone finishing at midday would get home. A base close to the Funival suits a group keen to spend several mornings on Bellevarde. If lessons start at Solaise each day, being near the main village lifts matters more. Trace those two journeys on a map when comparing chalets.

Explore EDEN’s chalets in Val d’Isère