All skiers are spoiled around Val d'Isere - particularly experienced skiers - and everyone should come here once in a skiing lifetime. The resort has 42 lifts serving pistes from 1,850m to 3,456m. Despite its reputation as an expert's resort, 21% of the pistes are green - 39% are blue, 29% are red, and 11% black. High altitude generally means good ski cover, with an average fall of over 5 metres. The world's biggest snow machine helps keep the slopes in good condition.
Beginners have good nursery areas by the resort, in La Daille, and a new area of safe slopes at Solaise. Beginners should stay away from the runs that finish in the resort, which tend to be crowded and speedy.
Intermediates have loads to enjoy. Try Fountaine Froide followed by Santons for an excellent red and blue descent. Even some of the World Cup slopes are skiable, in part, by intermediates, including the OK run named after Henri Oreiller and M Killy himself. The Pissaillas glacier is the apogee of the resort, and it's a good starting point for blue and red runs. La Face from the Bellevarde lift is good, once an Olympic downhill run.
Epaule du Charvet is one of the hardest blacks you'll find anywhere. The Oakley Valpark is a fantastic quality terrain park. Off-piste in Val d'Isere is world-class, and popular, so be prepared to start early for the best experience. It's also potentially dangerous with avalanche risk very real so be sure to check out local weather reports or hire a guide.
The wider ski area brings the altitude range up to nearly 2,000m, the number of lifts into the 80s, and the length of pistes over 300km. Of these, 170km are categorised as easy (though that's relative here), 78km as intermediate, and 52km as difficult.
There's another glacier above Tignes, the Grande Motte, and it's the start of some unmatched runs of all sorts. Use the lift from Val Claret to get to nearly 4,000m, before skiing 1,550m down on one of the longest verticals in the world.
L'Aiguille Percée, at 2,748m, is another peak from which to descend all the way to the Tignes villages. The Trolles run, a black, is also a must-ski challenge. Head to the Grande and Petite Balmes for some of the best powder above Tignes. There's another terrain park at Tignes, a beginners' Gliss Park and a boardercross course off the Col du Palet Lift.
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