The Slopes
The
ski resorts of Grand Bornand and La Clusaz are perfect for both skiers and
snowboarders of every level. With a good mix of runs and terrains, you'll
never be bored with a week on the slopes. Offering 220km of exceptionally
well maintained pistes the skiing in these traditional resorts compares
favourably to the 152km in nearby Chamonix. Whether you're skiing as an
individual or in a group of differing standards we are confident of being
able to meet all your requirements. See our photos
page for a taster of the slopes and pistes in the region.
The pistes vary in height from 1500m to 2600m, meaning you can enjoy a range of skiing from high plateau to tree lined runs and everything in between. In January and March the pistes are quiet and queues for lifts are unheard of. The majority of the lifts are mainly chairlifts, good news for all boarders, unless you venture over to the Manigod and Merdassier sectors where there are more button lifts.
Snow cover is never a problem higher up (3m of snow depth) and lots of investment has gone into snow canons to ensure a great skiing surface is maintained throughout the season, even on the well-used runs back down to the villages and lower lifts. Both resorts hold their snow very well and provide good conditions all season. Even during the 2006/07 season where resorts all over the Alps were suffering, our guests managed to ski every day of the season.
In
addition to the ongoing efforts of the incredibly hard working resort staff
to ensure the pistes are always skiable, the Etale sector in La Clusaz has
been regenerated during the summer of 2007. They have taken out the cable
car dating back to 1961 and replaced it with a highspeed gondola/chairlift
duo running up to a mid-station, after which a cable car takes you to the
summit of Etale. They have also re-graded several runs here, opening up
the sector to all levels of skiers, and putting in an additional 50 snow
cannons to ensure good snow coverage throughout the season.
Grand Bornand also has an ongoing project of replacing and upgrading their lifts and developing the capacity of all sectors. Most recent has been the new high speed 6-person lift of Floria along with regrading of the pistes to ensure a smoother run down to Chinaillon. This comes after the previous years development of a new reservoir for snow cannons and an extension to the network of artificial snow making machines.
In addition to the downhill skiing there is more than 120km of cross-country ski trails in the area, based in the Vallee du Bouchet in Grand Bornand and on the plateau of Lac de Confins above La Clusaz, both with a dedicated ESF school. There is also plenty for non-skiers to do.