Skiing in Tignes
Tignes has few beginner slopes; the ski area is mainly made up of long cruiser runs as well as accessible and inspiring off piste.
Tignes Ski Area Overview
Overall Tignes is best suited for skiers who want to build upon existing skills. There are few beginner slopes and the ski area is mainly made up of long cruiser runs ideal for intermediates and, for more advanced skiers, accessible and inspiring off piste.
The area has 67 runs, six slalom stadiums, a mogul field, two halfpipes and a snow park. Should they be needed there are also 193 snow cannons.
Wth the resort at 2,100 meters (6,890 feet) and rising to 3,450 meters (11,319 feet) Tignes’s high altitude means it always has a good snow covering and there are regular snowfalls of classic light, dry powder. Tignes itself divides up into four different skiing areas: The Grande Motte, The Palet, Tovière and Brévières sectors.
The Grande Motte
The Grande Motte and Col Du Palet peaks are both directly accessible from Val Claret. The underground Funiculaire train running up the mountain is the fastest way to the Grande Motte cable car. It runs every 15 inutes and is impressively quick and efficient. Alternatively, if it is a nice day, you can take the more scenic route via the high speed Lanches chairlift and then the Vanoise chair to reach the cable. Once at the top of the cable car (capacity 115) you can admire the amazing view, pick your route down and enjoy the snow. All of the runs on Grand Motte are north facing.
The Palet
Col du Palet is reached by taking the Tichot chair and the newly installed Grattalu lift. Some of lifts on this side are slow and in need of renovation but the ski runs over here are apt rewards for the time taken. If you want to try Tignes’ latest Freeskiing project SPOT (Skiing the Powder of Tignes) then take the Col des Ves lift.
Toviere and Brévières
The Toviere and Brévières sectors are reached from lifts located in Tignes-Le-Lac. To get to Toviere take the Aeroski gondola. From this point you can ski back down to Le Lac, investigate the La Daille valley towards Val d’Isere (you will need an Espace Killy pass to get back though!) or head towards Val Claret. To get to the Brévières sector take the high speed Palafour chairlift, then ski to the Aiguille Perceé lift and admire Tignes’s famous rock formation – ‘the Eye of the Needle’. From the peak here you can either explore runs down to Les Brévières, Les Boisses or ski back to Le Lac.
Beginner Skiing in Tignes
Although Tignes is primarily a resort for intermediates and advanced skiers, it does have some good beginner areas to offer.
Although Tignes is primarily a resort for intermediates and advanced skiers and boarders, it does have some good beginner areas to offer. Le Bollin in Val Claret next to the main ski lifts is one of them and has some good local bars nearby, making it a handy place for not so confident skiers to practice and then meet up with friends later in the day. Lower down in Rosset and Lavachet are some gentler slopes which are used for learning and practice by various ski schools. Even further down in Les Brévières, Pitôts is the closest beginner slope. There are five free beginners’ lifts in these areas. If you only want to admire the amazing views or meet friends for lunch in a mountain restaurant, but don’t fancy the ski down, it’s possible to buy pedestrian tickets for some lifts.
Ski Schools & Ski Lessons in Tignes
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Intermediate Skiing in Tignes
Well-groomed runs, consistently good snow and a huge ski area combine to make Tignes an intermediates’ paradise.
With its 38 blue runs and 17 red runs Tignes is an intermediates’ paradise. Well-groomed runs, consistently good snow and a huge ski area combine to make Tignes exactly the sort of destination for any skier aspiring to further their technique and ability. On the whole the runs are long enough to satisfy most skiers or boarders while the efficient lift system ensures that everybody gets to the top of the mountain quickly.
The descent from the very top of Grande Motte is an ideal intermediate run: a wide slope with a testing gradient that allows you to go at either a slower pace or straighten up and speed off.
For scenic and relaxed skiing, and if the weather is good, head towards Tignes’ famous geological attraction, the ‘eye of the needle’. This is a completely natural rock formation.that protrudes from the Aiguelle Percee peak. Be aware, though, that a few of the lifts here are slow and can be very uncomfortable and cold if it’s windy or cloudy.
If the snow is good, and it usually is, the long black run down to Brévières (called Sache) is well worth while. It gives strong intermediate skiers the chance to improve balance, technique and stamina. At the end there is a real sense of achievement and maybe more importantly a restaurant, a bar and lifts back to Tignes-Le-Lac. All of the runs are well marked and the chances of unintentionally veering off-piste are minimal.
Advanced & Expert Skiing in Tignes
The abundance of off-piste skiing, including some excellent off piste itineraries, makes Tignes a favourite for advanced and expert skiers.
It’s advanced skiers and boarders who benefit most from what Tignes has to offer. At first glance there seems only to be a handful of black runs, but it’s an abundance of off-piste skiing, including some excellent lift-accessible off piste itineraries, that really makes Tignes so popular with good skiers.
The one thing Tignes really lacks is some decent tree runs. Because of its high altitude trees don’t feature, but on the plus side this means all of the slopes are incredibly open and on a clear day it’s easy to pick out the best runs and jumps.
Off-Piste Skiing & Freeriding in Tignes
Few resorts in France can match the beauty and grandeur of Tignes’ off-piste skiing. This is high altitude freeriding at its very best. And with an Espace Killy pass, there is even more available just a few lifts away in Val D’Isere.
The off-piste skiing in Tignes tends to be of quite a different character to that in neighbouring Val d’Isère – mostly higher and in general above the tree-line, which gives it something of a lunar landscape. One thing which is true of the off-piste of both resorts, however, is that to realise its full potential, whilst keeping you safe, you will need to hire a guide. See the separate Tignes Ski Schools & Guides and the Val d’Isere Ski Schools & Guides for more information.
Val Claret Off-Piste
Some of the links between the two sectors are in fact off-piste, and one of the easiest and most pleasant routes across to Val d’Isère from Tignes is L’Arriere des Campanules, in the Val Claret area, reached from the top of Tovière. You head down towards the lower section of the Génépy piste, and on to Tignes Val Claret. In the opposite direction – from Tignes back to Val d’Isère, is La Familiale. It too is reached from any of the Tovière lifts, and brings you to the bottom of the Tommeuses lifts which link the two resorts.
Perhaps the easiest off-piste run for would-de be off-piste skiers to learn on is Lognan, reached from the Grattalu or Merle Blanc lifts across the valley. You begin by taking the Lognan piste for about 600 metres. Where the piste separates into red or blue alternatives, there are a number of off-piste variants. You can chose whether you want to ski on down to the Grand Motte base area or the Val Claret bus.
Accessed with a 20 minute ridge walk from the top of Tovière, the Couloir Gendarme (just below a jutting rock which stands, policeman-like above the chute) can involve being roped down a tricky section until the couloir opens up to provide a wide and wonderfully long untouched snowfield.
Another off-piste route into Tignes from Val D’Isere is from the top of the Borsat Express lift. Simply hike up to the top of the ridge and ski down on the Tignes side to skiers left of the Isolee piste until you meet the Blue Genepy curling down from the Grande Motte. Be careful: there are rocks here particularly near the top and avalanches can occur. If in doubt, take a guide.
Grande Motte Off-Piste
The Grande Motte, with the highest slopes in the entire Espace Killy, has a number of options. At the base of the glacier, reached by the Grande Motte funicular, La Langue du Glacier is wonderfully scenic without being difficult. Although it’s steep, it’s also wide enough to make even intermediates feel fairly unthreatened.
On the Grande Motte glacier itself, the North Face run, is fairly easy but can be chilly, and although they are not as major threat, there are crevasses, especially in lean snow years (when at least you’re more likely to be able to see them) and if you wander too far away from the main route.
The North Face of Pramecou “is maybe the most beautiful north face in the Espace Killy” say Steiger and Bonnevie. “The approach is magnificent, opposite the Grand Casse, and with a spectacular first descent.” It is also very difficult technically, with a slop reaching 45o. The run is reached from the top of the Grande Motte funicular, and means a walk of 15 minutes or more. A rope and skins are advised. Much less challenging but a delightful alternative is the Tour de la Grande Balme (AKA Tour de Pramecou) , which involves significantly less danger, though there is still potential avalanche danger. The Couloirs de la Grande Balme are much more serious, and should only be attempted by experts. The Couloir de la Petite Balme – from which you end up skiing down to the Génépy piste, and on to Tignes Val Claret – is very dangerous if you take a wrong turn.
Lower down La Grande Motte, at the top of Lanches chair, traverse around an untouched bowl (a favourite of guides) and end up at the foot of two runs, nicknamed ‘Telegraph’ and ‘Telephone’. If timed right, from mid morning to early afternoon, both offer virgin powder snow, first-rate fall lines and rock jumps aplenty. Alternatively a ten minutes’ or so walk from the bottom of the glacier button lift, Rosolin, brings you to the edge of one of the best runs in Tignes. Ski through a magnificent powder bowl and you will get to the top of three couloirs, simply nicknamed one, two and three. From here you decide which one you want to tackle and then ski down to Les Lanches chairlift.
Massif du Lavachet Off-Piste
Mickey’s Ears (Les Oreilles de Mickey) in the Massif du Lavachet/Tignes le Lac area, provide one of the best known and most enjoyable off-piste areas in Tignes – overlooking the resort’s famous dam. Unlike many other Tignes’ off-piste spots, this area does include gladed skiing. It also includes some tough challenges: slopes as much as 45°, and the possibility of slides and collapsing cornices. The run gets its name from the attenae and satellite dishes attached to the relay station at the top of the Pointe du Lavachet. It’s reached by taking any of the lifts to the top of Tovière. There are a number of variants, including one all the way back to La Daille (Val d’Isère). The Tufs Couloirs, close to the piste but very narrow, are also accessible from here.
The Aiguille du Chardonnet Off-Piste
There are several off-piste runs that come down to the bottom of the Merles lift from the top of the Grattalu lift. Some have very steep entry points. The simplest to reach (and shortest) is the couloir directly below the Merles chair, accessed from the blue Lac run.
Vallons de la Sache and Sachette, and Le Glattier Off-Piste
The Vallon de la Sache is one of the classic Tignes runs – a beautiful long run with a 900 metre (2,953 feet) vertical drop. You reach it via the Aiguille Percée chair or the Marais chair. This is a run which any reasonably experienced off piste skier or boarder will relish. To reach it just turn left off the Corniche run. There are multiple entry points. Don’t descend too low because the valley becomes steeper and steeper (and is impassable to all except extreme skiers by the end). Fortunately the traverse you need to take you back to the safety of the Black Sache piste is pretty obvious – at least in good light.
Vallon de la Sachette takes you one further valley away. Entry is via one of two steep couloirs that you reach by traversing left, along the ridge from the top of the Aiguille Percee. The valley itself is very gentle but has ‘an away from it all’ aura and often lovely snow. Gradually it merges into the Vallon de la Sache. Again don’t descend too low.
Glattier refers to both the broad slopes and the narrow valley that descend down to the road running between Tignes 1800/Tignes les Boisses and Tignes Le Lavachet. You reach it from either the Chaudannes or Aiguille Rouge lifts. It’s very easy to take a wrong turning and have to do a lot of walking (yet another reason why you should hire a guide). If all goes well however, you ski down the road not far from the designated bus stop, where you wait for the ski bus. But it’s not a very frequent service, so it’s best to check the timetable before setting out.
Espace Killy Off-Piste
All the Val d’Isere off-pitse is easily accessible to Tignes skiers with an Espace Killy pass. Further details are in our separte Val d’Isere Off-Piste section.
Apart from such a wealth of off-piste in the Espace Killy, there is also the possibility of some epic inter-resort guided tours, such as the one between Tignes and Champagny or between Tignes and Peisey which include some of the best off-piste skiing in the Paradiski ski area (La Plagne and Les Arcs). Both require taxis back from Villaroger or Bourg St Maurice to return to Tignes or Val d’Isere which your guide will arrange.
Even closer to Val D’Isere and Tignes, is the small ski station of Sainte Foy Tarentaise. Most Espace Killy lift passes cover one day here, and it’s a good optional extra to have, when Val D’Isere and Tignes are very crowded and all the off-piste is very tracked out. Hire a guide to take you there and they will show you why St Foy has a such a good reputation for off-piste skiing.
There are also ski tours from the top of the Val D’Isere ski area to Bonneval sur Arc. Bonneville sur Arc is an isolated, picturesque mountain village with its own small ski area with a lift reaching to 3000m and plenty of freeride opportunities. It’s also linked by bus and lift pass to the larger Val Cenis, so it’s a nice place to stay in for a night or two. The return trip on skis is much harder so many skiers opt to go back by helicopter. The road back to Val D’Isere is closed in winter.
Boarding & Freestyle in Tignes
Tignes has much to offer freeriders and boarders, including the dedicated SPOT area.
Tignes has much to offer freeriders and boarders, including a dedicated area, marked on the piste map as SPOT (Skiing the Powder of Tignes) in the Col des Ves sector. It comprises of different zones for different disciplines: backcountry, freeskiing, boarder cross and an Avalanche training section. The run Col de Ves is an ungroomed off-piste area, however it is patrolled.
In 2004/5 Tignes had two halfpipes: a 70m beginners’ halfpipe and a 120m expert one that complies with FIS standards. A tow rope operating alongside takes riders back to the top. The whole resort is boarder-friendly and repair kits/tools can be found on most lifts.
Mountain Restaurants in Tignes
Within the Tignes ski area there are ten mountainside restaurants, nearly all located at the top of lifts.
Within the Tignes ski area there are ten mountainside restaurants. Menus consist mainly of pasta dishes, salads, omelettes and steaks. Nearly all are located at the top of lifts and serve lunch until about 2pm. As with most mountain restaurants food is expensive, but there are also some (not so good) self-service stations. For those who want to relax in the sun after a few runs there is the Tavernes de Neiges at the foot of the Val Claret lifts but for a better view try the Panoramic restaurant atop of the Funiculaire.
Generally the food is good but Tignes is not known for amazingly high culinary standards. If you want to lunch in style then head over to Val d’Isere where you will find fancier menus, longer wine lists and higher prices.