Samoens Ski Area
The Grand Massif Express connects the village of Samoens with the Samoens 1600 ski area, with its nursery slopes, ski-school and choice of cafes. Spend time to look around and enjoy the view: summits of the Tete des Saix, the Grandes Platieres, The Dents Blanches and, just over the horizon, Mont Blanc. A glance at your piste map will remind you just how extensive the area is; the network of lifts and runs stretches up and above Flaine, and over to the East, to Morillon and Les Carroz.Start exploring by skiing down the gentle blue Demoiseaux, to the new, 6 seater high speed Chariande Express chair lift which takes you from 1600m to the top of the “Tete de Saix” ski area. Try some of the gentle blues, and easier reds, have a coffee then decide whether to go further afield for the rest of the day. There is plenty of choice:
Recommended is the wonderful piste des Cascades. It’s 14km long, running from the summit of the Grandes Platieres at an altitude of 2,500m. Down to the village of Sixt, 1700 m lower. It’s a great run across mountain pastures, national parks and through forests on one of the finest pistes in the Alps. You might even spot a chamois!
If you fancy something less taxing, work your way across the beautiful mountain towards Marvel: an easy, tree-lined run which leads down to Morillon. In an hour or so, you could be enjoying a fantastic lunch at the Igloo restaurant at the end of the run. Then you can choose whether to take the bus back, or ski back, selecting a route to test – or relax – your legs!
New this year, is a wide, long and bump-free run which snakes its way down from the top of the Tete de Saix, avoiding the bottle necks, taking you directly back to 1600. Unless, of course, you decide to have a beer or vin chaud on the new sun-drenched terrace restaurant, half way down the blue Dahu run, while you watch the experts tackle the challenging blacks!
A popular half-day expedition is to go back up to Tete des Saix,and weave your way down the network of blues and reds to Les Carroz. (1140m) The attractive wooded area is a scenic treat, with runs like La Forestiere to enjoy. At the small resort of Les Carroz, there are several good eateries, and you can get back over to Samoens 1600 in time for the last Express back to the village.