Skiing
Beginners
Both
resorts are great for beginners with some perfect nursery slopes and some
easily accessible green runs. Combine this with the great instructors we
use and it's the ideal place to learn to ski.
La Clusaz has some flat and wide nursery slopes around the village, as well as at the top of the Beauregard cable car with wide gentle greens and easy drag lifts on the plateau. We also like the green at the bottom of La Balme for beginners as it's a nice smooth piste with a gentle drag lift (which the friendly lifties will slow down for first-timers!). Manigod is another area that has some good gentle blue runs, with simple to use lifts.
Grand Bornand has an extensive nursery slope area at the top of the Rosay cable car, including ski-gardens and play areas for the kids. This is where many of the lessons start from and there is a good choice of long, gentle green runs which allows you to cover some distance around the mountain but without any steep or scary bits. Access to the mountain restaurants is good from the green runs, so mixed ability groups can all still meet up for coffee, lunch etc. As well as an extensive nursery slope area - Grand Bornand has some brilliant confidence building blue runs which are always a favourite, and where you can put it all into practice! And of course - with few people, wide pistes and plenty of space you can relax without worrying about anyone else! Also - our ski team will be on hand to make sure you know where to go, what to take and what to expect. We were all beginners once!
Intermediates
Intermediate
skiers will be in their element with some excellent mountain cruising. There
is a good range of blues and reds which make the most of the linked ski
regions and cover some distance through varied terrains.
The tree-lined blue runs down to the village from Beauregard and the wide runs of the Aguille are always favourites in La Clusaz. Manigod and Merdassier provide another quieter area with many blue runs through the trees and, although shorter in length, there is a great choice on consistently good snow conditions.
All areas are linked by both runs and lifts to guarantee that you can ski the best of every area within the week. Grand Bornand provides some great chances to cruise on blues - with the "hidden valley" of Col des Annes giving a run of around 2.5km, ideal for a spot of "shoosting". The reds are brilliant for building confidence on steeper slopes with varying steepness, but wide well groomed pistes and no scary cliff drops off the side! The Grand Bornand area is very well served by fast new lifts including the new 6-person chair to Maroly - and makes for easy navigating.
After fresh snow, La Balme offers some serious powder with a huge expanse of off-piste as well as red and blue runs and Grand Bornand also adds to the fun with plenty of good powder runs. All of these are accessible to the intermediate skier!
Advanced
Although
the area does not have many official black runs, you can still find plenty
of good fast pistes to thrill you. Etale mountain has a steep red, as well
as a few challenging black runs, one of which becomes mogully and very tough
- definitely a thigh burner! La Balme is the best area for advanced skiers,
with the biggest and steepest runs for both on- and off-piste descents.
It has some good speed skiing reds and the descent from top to bottom will
severely test anyone's downhill ability! The large sheltered bowl is the
highest point in La Clusaz as it rises up to 2600m, with amazing views across
to Mont Blanc. It gets the best snow in the resort and because of its height
and aspect it keeps it very well. La Blame is definitely the place to go
on a fresh powder day - a few times each season you can experience waist
deep powder.
Grand Bornand has some long steep red runs, as well as a couple of very challenging black runs. The top of Lachat (reached by a fast 6 person chair lift) provides access to Piste 2000 run which is a fabulous long red, looping all the way down to the village if required. Or take the more direct route off the side with a black run reserved for only the most competent (or crazy!) skiers. The Snow Parks in both La Clusaz and Grand Bornand are open to skiers and boarders alike. It's not just boarders who enjoy the parks and natural terrain kickers - La Clusaz is home to many professional skiers and riders such as Candide Thovex who will often be performing their tricks on skis with rails and jumps.
For those prepared to work a little harder the ski touring possibilities are amazing in the resort with many hidden areas, such as Bellachat just off La Balme, offering fresh snow routes where you can carve your own tracks! Please ask us for details if you are interested - we can hire touring skis and provide guides. Also, once again we have linked up with a local company offering extreme skiing/boarding and off-piste guiding in the Aravis mountains. Ideal for advanced skiers and good value for some unique backcountry and off-piste adventures.