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In
recent seasons the Southern French Alps
have finally been catching the eye of
skiers from the UK, who can no longer
ignore the combination of heavy snowfalls
(among the highest in the Alps) and
enviable sunshine figures. To anyone who
has yet to ski there it all sounds just
too good to be true, but the statistics
don’t lie. Between them, the
Hautes-Alpes, Alpes de Haute-Provence and
Alpes Maritimes live up to their
exotic-sounding names by offering great
skiing, usually in the kind of weather
which allows you to appreciate some of
the most impressive mountain scenery
you’ll find anywhere. Not
surprisingly, countless French families
have been skiing in the Southern Alps for
generations, many having invested in
their own private ski apartment, which
tells you that they’re more than
convinced about the overall
concept.
If you’re planning on skiing the
Southern Alps for the first time, though,
many of the names will probably sound
unfamiliar, but choosing needn’t be
a shot-in-the-dark, as each area has its
own distinct character. This makes
finding your ideal destination a lot
easier than you might imagine. For
example, experienced skiers and
mixed-ability groups will find options
for all levels in Vars, whose own
extensive terrain (including world-class
free-ride and speed-skiing areas) is
linked with that of Risoul 1850 to form
La Forêt-Blanche. Fans of
multi-domain ski areas have further
options, the first of which links Pra
Loup and Val d’Allos. The resulting
Espace Lumière area is
particularly suitable for those who like
to cover a lot of distance, in this case
between radically different village
developments. If, on the other hand,
you’re looking for more compact,
unpressured, go-as-you-please terrain
with some steeps at hand when
you’re ready to step up a level,
you’ll find Le Dévoluy
(combining La Joue du Loup and
SuperDévoluy) should fit the bill
nicely.
Which is not to say that the
area’s individual ski areas are
short on variety. Resorts like Puy St
Vincent, Les Orres, Orcières 1850
or further south still in Isola 2000 all
offer reassuring areas for raw novices to
find their feet while their experienced
and advanced companion skiers can head
off to explore more challenging terrain
elsewhere on the mountain.
Depending on your chosen location,
travel options from the UK include budget
flights to Marseille, Grenoble and Turin,
convenient Eurostar/TGV rail links or the
time-honoured self-drive routes via
Grenoble and Gap.
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Forêt Blanche
The
large skiing area La Forêt Blanche
is located in Haute Alpes and connects
the two resorts of Risoul and Vars and
creates one of the largest ski areas in
the Southern Alps. La Forêt Blanche
has 180 km of slopes and 57 ski lifts
which connect the slopes between 1605 and
2750 meters altitude.
As the
name suggests the ski area of La Foret
Blanche is set amidst a snowy forest of
larch trees and provides some great tree
line skiing as well as stunning scenery.
The ski area caters well for beginners
and intermediates as well as providing
some more challenging run and off-piste
for the more advanced skier.
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Risoul
Risoul
is an attractive & convenient purpose
built resort, set amongst the trees with
views over Ecrins National Park. Started
up in 1977 built in a traditional style
it embraces the classic French
atmosphere. It is a high resort so is
reasonably snow-sure, and benefits from
an excellent snow and sunshine record.
There is a good range of accommodation
here to suit all budgets and plenty of
restaurants and lively bars.
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Vars
Vars
is a traditional French resort which
benefits from high altitude and enjoys
almost 300 days of sunshine a year. Vars
has good skiing particularly for
intermediate and beginner skiers. The
whole area is accessible via green and
blue runs; you can even ski between
Risoul and Vars on just blue pistes.
Those Expert skiers also have a choice of
10 black runs and plenty of off-piste.
The resort offers some good boarding and
there is a snow board park. Again there
is a good range of accommodation here to
suit all budgets and plenty of
restaurants and lively bars.
Espace Lumière
The
Espace Lumière links the villages
of Val d'Allos and Pra-Loup and has
created one of the largest skiing areas
in the Southern Alps.
The
Espace Lumière provides over 167km
of pistes and 51 lifts
It is
great for all types of skiing; downhill,
cross country and snowboarding, providing
enjoyment for beginners and the more
experience skiers alike. The Espace
Lumière also has the
label
Family Plus Montagne so it is a perfect
location for the family!
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Val
d’Allos
Val
d'Allos is entirely timber-built,
creating a unique warm and friendly
atmosphere. Founded in 1937 as a purpose
built resort, it boasts miles of skiing
but without the crowds of other larger
resorts. The resorts and pistes are much
quieter that the famous resorts of the
Northern Alps and prices here are much
cheaper. There are lots of activities for
all ages on and off the slopes.
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Pra
Loup
Founded
in 1961 as a purpose built resort, Pra
Loup is considered one of the best
resorts in the Southern Alps. The winter
sunshine in the resort is above the
average of the other Alps resorts, with
approximately 300 days of sun a year
creating a warm and friendly atmosphere.
The resort boasts miles of skiing but
without the crowds of other larger
resorts.
Pra
Loup is best suited to intermediate
skiers and snowboarders but there is some
terrain for beginners and advanced
skiers. There are 4 km (2.5 miles) of
cross country ski trails at Pra Loup. For
snowboarders, there is a terrain park and
a half pipe.
Dévoluy
The
ski resorts of SuperDévoluy &
La Joue du Loup are connected and
together make the ski area of
Dévoluy, one of the largest ski
areas of the Southern Alps. The 100km of
varied slopes and the modern and
efficient lift system make this ski area
a super ski playground for all! The
Dévoluy ski area caters for all
levels, but particularly enjoyable for
beginners and intermediates. For the more
experienced skier, there are plenty of
off piste runs available. Snowboarders
are also well catered for, with a
dedicated 'surfzone' snowpark. Cross
country skiing consists of 80km of runs
dispatched onto 17 circles through the
beautiful and charming forest areas of
the Southern Alps.
SuperDevoluy
View
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SuperDévoluy
SuperDévoluy is a family
orientated ski resort which offers a
friendly atmosphere and great sunshine
record. Purpose built in the 1960's, this
great ski resort is almost unknown
outside of France and offers an infinite
range of snowy landscapes: deep valleys,
limestone cliffs, lush alpine pastures
and peaks.
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La Joue du
Loup
La Joue du Loup is a small, purpose built
resort situated on the border of the
Isere and Hautes-Alpes regions, ideally
located between Grenoble and Gap on the
border zone between the northern and
southern Alps. The picturesque
Joue-du-Loup holds a real village
atmosphere, is family orientated, but yet
remains one of the un-crowded resorts
with an extensive ski area. The
après ski is quite lively, with a
good selection of around 10 French and
Savoyard restaurants. There is also 1
night club and a piano bar for those
looking to carry on until the early
hours.
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Les Deux
Alpes
The
resort of Les Deux Alpes is situated in
the Isère department of the French
Alps at the point where the Northern and
Southern Alps meet.
Les
Deux Alpes is one of France's oldest and
most prestigious ski resorts.
At an
altitude of 1650m and surrounded by
glaciers Les Deux Alpes offers year round
snow, glacier skiing and out of season
ski and snowboard camps.
With
225kms of piste, a vertical descent of
over 2000m and a highest skiable peak of
3568m, this resort is snow sure because
of its large glacier, one of the largest
in Europe. Les Deux Alpes is mostly
treeless ski terrain, and over 75% south
facing, meaning blue sky skiing all
winter long.
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Les
Orres
In the midst of a large forest this
friendly and modern ski resort is one of
unspoilt beauty. Les Orres looks down
upon the Durance valley and the lake of
Serre-Poncon and can be found in the
region of Queyras. The relaxed and
amicable atmosphere is good for both
families and couples. The ski resort of
Les Orres is good for intermediate
skiers, with 88km of lift served runs.
The well designed ski lift system means
keen learners can progress smoothly from
blues to reds and access the whole
mountain. There are 40km of cross country
ski trails with a high number of scenic
routes through the forest, which also
provides good shelter in bad
weather.
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Isola
2000
Isola 2000 is located in the Southern
Alps and it is just an hour and a half
drive from the beaches of the
Mediterranean. This purpose-built car
free resort has a great snow records due
to its high altitude. The slopes are
designed in a horseshoe shape around the
resort. The 3 sections of slopes have
something to offer all levels of skiers.
The St-Sauveur section is best for
experts as it has some of Isola's most
challenging runs as well as great off
piste. Intermediates have a great pick of
slopes in the Pélevos section and
for beginners the best slopes are in the
heart of the resort.
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Orcières
1850
Orcieres 1850 is a small ski resort in
the Ecrins region which is a great choice
for family ski holidays. With skiing up
to 2725m, Orcieres 1850 has a stunning
location and friendly French atmosphere.
Orcieres 1850 has a magnificent
recreational centre called the Grande
Ourse with swimming pools and flumes, a
bowling alley, fitness centre, cinema and
bar. Orcieres 1850 does not offer the
most challenging skiing but is the
perfect resort for beginners and
intermediates. There are plenty of red,
blue and green runs to test yourself
on.
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Puy Saint
Vincent
Surrounded by areas of natural beauty and
comprising an array of chapels and
traditional wooden and stone buildings,
Puy St Vincent is rich in natural and
religious heritage. It is a perfect blend
authentic village atmosphere and the
advantages of a modern resort. It is
located in the largest park in France,
the 92000 acre 'Les Ecrins' offering
magnificent views over the Ecrins Massif.
The resort offers a beautiful ski area
with an excellent variety of runs, and is
located within its own microclimate that
produces both good snow and sunshine in
large quantities. The resort is family
orientated and offers great value. The
resort is good for intermediate and
beginners with gentle slopes for
learners, and good skiers will enjoy the
black runs and off piste areas, along
with a snowpark for avid boarders which
is flood lit at night. Puy St.Vincent
itself has 60km of piste, but lifts give
you access to 281 individual pistes in
the Grande Galaxie Ski Area, including
resorts such as Alpe d'Huez, Les Deux
Alpes and Vaujany.
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