Skiing in La Plagne
La Plagne has been linked with the Les Arcs ski area since the 2003/4 Season, resulting in a massive ski area to rival The 3 Valleys and Espace Killy - giving 240 pistes over 425km of skiing. Thus, in theory, with a 6 day lift pass, it is possible to ski 40 different runs each day without doing the same one twice!
| Paradiski Area | |
|---|---|
| Resort height: | 1250m-3250m |
| Km of piste: | 425km |
| Green pistes: | 12 |
| Blue pistes: | 132 |
| Red pistes: | 65 |
| Black pistes: | 29 |
Belle Plagne is ideally suited to take advantage of this extensive area - being only 2 lifts away from the impressive Vanoise Express telecabine - 200 skiers and boarders on a double decker telecabine; we don't know of a bigger, faster or smoother one. 4 minutes to cover the 2km across the valley. That's 30km/hr average - including stopping and starting! 2 new 6 packs are being put in to make the return back to Belle Plagne as effortless as possible. As a trip over there for the day (Discovery Pass) costs only about £10 extra on your weekly lift pass, it is well worth it, if only to experience this amazing telecabine
Further info on La Plagne Area is below:
La Plagne is one of the most popular destinations for skiers and snowboarders travelling from the UK. In the Resort-Seekers bible 'Where To Ski And Snowboard', La Plagne is ranked in the top 4 - worldwide!
The resort excels for the intermediate skier or boarder. The piste network has extensive blue and red runs connecting it, so there are no 'beyond-ability' sections on the lift map for the majority of skiers and snowboarders. Thus, this allows access to the top of the glacier at one end of the resort, to the many tree-lined runs at the other; picking up any of the 10 villages that make up the area in between.
This does not mean advanced skiers and snowboarders are neglected. 'Fall-line Skiing', the free-skiers magazine, refers to La Plagne as having '…some scary off-piste'. There are seven blacks to test you - and when the fresh snow falls, the tracks under lifts, between runs, and from the glacier, are evidence of many routes away from the pistes that can be sampled.
Off-piste, a guide is recommended; especially to take advantage of the routes off the north face of the glacier (3250m) - dropping 2km vertical into Nancroix (1200m) making for one of the truly classic Alpine descents.
And for those Tricksters amongst you, the Half-pipe and Boarder Cross are only 1 draglift away.
For beginners there are free lifts and nursery areas on which you can practice.
As evidence of the resorts commitment to continually improving access to visitors, the lift system is constantly being upgraded. The highlights being:
- 2002-3: New 6 man express chair from Bellecote to Roche de Mio
- 2003-4: Telecabine link with Les Arcs area, doubling the number of pistes, with over 400km of skiing. All-new Roche de Mio Gondola doubling capacity from Plagne Bellecote to 2700m.
- 2004-5: New 8 pac express chair on the Arpette Lift, doubling capacity from Plagne Bellecote towards Montchevin n/ Les Arcs.
- 2005-6: New 6 pac express chair from La Roche, opening up the Aime 2000 area, and speeding up the return from Montalbert.
- 2006-7: New 6 pac express chair from Les Coches, speeding up return from Les Arcs / Les Coches area.