Skiing Val Thorens
Although it is linked to the wider Trois Vallées area, the resort is surrounded by slopes where you will be hard pushed to exhaust the skiing possibilities. The terrain in the Belleville Valley (which roughly includes Val Thorens, Les Menuires and St Martin) is fantastic.
One thing to bear in mind is that Val Thoren’s height can be a liability during the early winter as the weather can be severe. To compound the problem, there are also very few trees, which means the slightest display of cloud can affect visibility. The solution? Head over in mid February, or even later, to get the best of the snow and the weather.
Top five runs
1. Cime de Caron
Famed for the highest lift in the Trois Vallées, this run rises to a whopping 3,200m. The lofty cable car is a magnet for expert and adventurous intermediate skiers. Apart from the incredible views, you will find the bulk of the steep terrain here.
2. La Masse
Les Menuires, just down the valley from Val Thorens, is a very underrated resort, and the La Masse area above has some great runs for intermediate and expert skiers. This vast, powdery playground is easy to get to and often uncrowded.
3. Fourth Valley
Take the Cime de Caron cable car or the Grand Fond lift . Drop over the back of the ridge and – voilà! – you are in the legendary Fourth Valley, leading down to Orelle. There are red, blue and black runs here to keep everyone happy, as well as a pleasing sense of remoteness.
4. Plein Sud
This is a good place for beginners to hit the slopes as it is where you find the majority of the area’s blue runs, linked by easy-to-use lifts. Later , the Cascades chairlift accesses some of the longer blue runs.
5. Cascades
As well as accessing some gentle blue runs, the Cascades also has something of a short, sharp shock in the form of a steep black run, beloved of fans of moguls and bump.