PISTE MAP
SKI Area
There is plenty of skiing for all abilities including a free lift or two for beginners and over 425km of runs for those that like to experience the variety on offer. La Plagne has plenty of skiing for a short break but if you really want to get a feel for the whole Paradiski, you can take the Vanoise Express over to Les Arcs and take advantage of the lovely wide pistes amongst the trees. This is a great option for a lunch stop one day, particularly if you're staying for a full week.
La Plagne’s sparkling reputation as the ski resort that caters for all often precedes itself. Perhaps with the exception of The Three Valleys, the sheer variety and extent of the skiing in La Plagne is unparalleled by other ski resorts. From a vast selection of wide cruisy blue runs to the more challenging steeper and narrower reds and blacks, there is enough here to keep everybody occupied - and for a long time too! That’s why, for a short ski break, La Plagne provides more than enough skiing for the entire group. However, if you really want to go exploring, combined with Les Arcs, the Paradiski ski area has over 425km of piste making it one of the largest ski areas in the world.
Moreover, La Plagne not only offers picture-perfect scenery, extensive terrain and pistes to suit every ability, but the vast majority of runs are blue/red resulting in a ski area best described as an intermediate's paradise. Beginners are equally well catered for, with generously sized beginner areas and at least one free lift in each village. Lastly, the experts in the group will be spoilt for choice by the diverse range of challenging blacks dotted around the resort. Snowboarders also have more than enough to get excited about with plenty of wide pistes, an awesome snow park and three boardercross runs.
Take a look below at our breakdown to find out more information relevant to your ability:
Advanced
Le Colossus, the formidable-looking black that runs into Belle cote can offer a challenge to most, especially as the last run of the day when the thighs are burning and the late afternoon shade has left the cover firm. Roche de Mio is also a great spot for experts and offers some various options down the hill, including a couple of tricky black runs.
A great spot for expert skiers is up on the Glaciers with some challenging reds and blacks that are bound to get the adrenaline coursing through your veins. It is not an area to head to though for skiers who are not comfortable on a red run as there are only black and red runs to choose from at this point.
Intermediates
Smothered with an almost endless supply of blues and reds, the La Plagne ski area is an intermediate's dream and the perfect place if you enjoy clocking up some mileage and journeying far and wide. We recommend The Geisha, accessed from the top of Le Grande Rochette. This long cruisy blue is ideal for groups that consist of mixed ability levels as there are also some more challenging alternatives available with intermittently spaced red options branching off from the main run.
Lower end intermediates will revel in variety on the Arpette - which offers plenty of options, with something to suit each ability level.
From the top of Roche de Mio, there are plenty of options ranging from long sweeping blues to narrower, steeper and occasionally bumpier reds. If conditions allow, for higher end intermediates and confident red skiers, try the ominously titled, but fairly reasonable, Hara-Kiri.
Beginners
Due to the vast amount of progressive terrain available, La Plagne is an ideal place to learn how to ski or snowboard. Most villages have generously spaced nursery areas, each with their equivalent ‘first timer’ zones. Specifically, we recommend the beginner areas situated in Plagne 1800 and Belle Cote complete with fenced off areas and moving carpets tactfully placed on terrain that is wide, open, flat and uncrowded. Additionally, there are plenty of runs to progress onto. For example, from Belle Cote, you can take the Arpette chair to a point where you are met with a selection of long sweeping blues with terrific views - a true beginners’ playground. The runs leading down from the Arpette chairlift are also a perfect spot for those beginners who feel that they are perhaps outgrowing the lower nursery slopes and want to start heading higher in search of new terrain that offers fresh challenges.
Snowboarders
La Plagne offers a lot to the keen snowboarder. Whether fully competent or just starting out there is plenty to keep you engaged throughout your ski weekend away. For the snowboarder looking to jib and flip their way through the weekend, the largest park around La Plagne can be accessed by either the Col de Forcle drag lift or the Les Blanchets chairlift and, with some impressive features lining the run, is definitely worth a visit. Whilst there are quite a few draglifts in the area, most of them have chairlift alternatives, or they are simply for the parks and nursery slopes so it is not something expert snowboarders need worry about.
Off-Piste*
For those that really want to go exploring, we certainly recommend that you hire a guide and enjoy the vast off-piste opportunities available in La Plagne - it's fantastic! And we recommend this not just for safety reasons, but because there are some truly remarkable areas that the guides know which mean that you will be the only skiers with tracks down the run. A great spot to head to is off the back of the Roche de Mio if you fancy some untouched powder which is easily accessible. If conditions allow then grab a guide and head up to the glacier for stunning conditions and fresh tracks in some great areas.
* Ski Weekends strongly advise that off-piste skiing should only be undertaken when in the company of a professional ski instructor or guide.
To find out more about skiing in La Plagne, feel free to contact one of our friendly Ski Experts on 023 8020 6971 or email sales@skiweekends.com