The season in Saint Sorlin d'Arves has a later start than many French resorts, commencing around mid-December and running through to mid-April. Altitude stands at 1600m, and the majority of the pistes are aimed at the intermediate skier, with 40% blue runs and 30% red runs. Beginner slopes are located near to the village stacking up at 20% of the overall skiable area, and there are limited black runs. In Saint Sorlin d'Arves there are 20 chair lifts giving access to 120km of ski terrain, and one blue cross country ski slope. The lifts open at 9am and close at 5pm.
Les Sybelles
The wider area of Les Sybelles offers further ski opportunities and is actually the fourth largest ski area in France. The entire 310km area offers 20 green slopes, 40 blue slopes, 31 red slopes, and five black slopes, topped off with two snowparks.
Of course, any ski resort is only as good as the snow that falls on it, but visitors to the Les Sybelles area can rest assured that they're well catered for. A total of 514 snow cannons ensure the area is well equipped to produce snow when necessary. This also guarantees that links between resorts have good snow cover, enabling ski in ski out versatility. The slopes are continually well groomed which is a big plus for the intermediate and beginner skiers.
For those who just cannot get enough of skiing, two resorts in the area actually offer a night ski option. La Toussuire has skiing under the floodlights on an easy slope, ideal for beginners really wanting to put the practice in. La Chal in Saint Jean d'Arvesalso offers a night ski option, but both resorts limit the operating times so it is advisable to check in advance.
Black runs in this area are limited, but this does actually have its advantages. More experienced skiers tend to head elsewhere, looking for more numerous black runs and extensive challenging terrain. Therefore the difficult runs in Les Sybelles tend to be rather quiet. Head for the short, fierce mogul run named P.Ramuz or the longer J.N Augert, both of which are equally challenging. For intermediate skiers looking for a quiet place to practice, the blue Vallons run situated at the back of the resort offers a 3km run, far away from the hustle and bustle of the lifts and busier slopes.
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