Val Cenis Advanced & Expert Skiing

Val Cenis is not ideal for advanced or expert skiers who prefer to stick to groomed terrain or patrolled ski routes as the extent of challenging piste skiing is limited to just five black runs. 

The steepest black run is the M. Jaco Met run off the Met charilift at the highest point in the ski area (2,800m), which is often a mogul run. With relatively low numbers of skiers moguls to cause the formation of moguls, bump aficionados only have the short Moraine black above Lanslevillard off the Plan Cardinal charilift in the shadow of the Glacier de l’Arcelle to keep themselves amused.

The Vers Mont Cenis black is little more than a narrow trail, while the Ouillon and M J Berche are little more than linking runs. The Solert and MJ St Genix red runs are are sufficiently steep and challenging in part to justify some sections being classified as black, but overall they are classified as red runs.

Buying the Eski-Mo pass and taking advanatage of the free shuttle bus brings Valfrejus, La Norma and Aussois into range for Val Cenis based advanced skiers. Valfrejus has two long wide black runs from the top of Punta Bagna (2735m) which deserve their grading and have plenty of off-piste to the side of them. La Norma’s black runs are predominantly through the trees, although there is one at the top of the resort (2750m). Aussois has three balck runs, and one is a monster, running all the way from the top of the resort (2750m) to the bottom (1500m) although it flattens out near then end. But it faces south, so the quality of the snow can be a problem.  

Although on-piste terrain includes relatively few black runs, advanced skiers can get plenty of enjoyment skiing intermediate pistes and those that enjoy skiing off-piste can find extensive freeride opportunities throughout the Haute Maurienne valley.