The ski areas of Val d’Isère and its neighbour Tignes combine to form the massive Espace Killy. Reaching across the Alps, it has miles-upon-miles of snow-covered mountains. Whether it’s backcountry powder or long wide pistes that get your heart racing, Val d’Isère has access to it all. Val has a well-deserved reputation for its excellent off-piste but there is plenty of on-piste skiing to keep everyone happy from beginner to expert. And the fast modern lift system will ensure you spend most of your time flying down the perfectly groomed slopes. For more information on the ski area check out our Val d’Isere piste map on the Resort overview page.
Where to ski in Val d’Isere?
Beginners are best to head to Solaise to learn the basics and build up confidence. It’s possible to go up the mountain and ski in dedicated beginner zones (Madeleine on the Solaise and Verte on Bellevarde) whilst intermediates will appreciate the Arcelle, a fantastic long red. Advanced skiers can’t spend a week here without trying the infamous Olympic run ‘The face’. Snowboarders have been in love with Val d’Isère for a long time, and this is no surprise given the almost endless terrain and one of the largest snowparks in the world – The Oakley ValPARK.
Off-piste skiing in Val d’Isère
Off-piste skiing in Tignes and Val d’Isère is some of the best in the world and the resort has maintained a progressive attitude to the use of ‘out of bounds’ terrain.
However accidents do happen. Almost every year a skier or snowboarder is killed accessing off-piste terrain so make sure you fully understand what you are doing when you ski off-piste. A good company for backcountry information in the Espace Killy region is Henry’s Avalanche Talks (HAT).
Ski schools in Val d’Isere
There are a good range of ski schools in Val, ranging from small to large and many who have specilaised programmes for children. There are also a number of guides available.
Ski rental in Val d’Isere
Val d’Isere is a large resort so you will find a good selection of rental shops, many that you can book online before you go and some deliver your equipment to your accommodation. All MadDogSki visitors who book with SkiSet get a 45% so they are worth checking out.
