Off piste in Val d'Isere and Tignes
by Steve Ricketts
BASS website 2006
Archive link: https://web.archive.org/web/20060826171439/http://www.britishskischool.com/off.htm
THE WHITE PLANET
The Espace Killy area of Val d'Isere and Tignes has long been known as one of the world's top ski areas and if you believe the local PR; Val claims to be the world's premier resort. Less known about this area is how extensively the off piste opportunities stretch and the wild life they connect us with. There are over 100 kilometers of itinerary runs and tours in the Espace Killy area. These are recommended and well travelled off piste areas. What makes some of them extra special is that they are accessible to even red run skiers with a guide and the proper equipment. The Tour de Charvet has been described as a tour your granny could take. I wouldn't go that far, but I would say it is accessible if you are confident on red runs. Standing at the top of the Grand Pre, looking out over the Charvet valley on a crisp cold morning will take your breath away. Apart from the awesome scenery and excellent skiing, it's worth taking this tour just on the off chance you would get a closer look at the golden eagles that majestically glide along the valley walls.
A slightly more challenging tour is the Vallon de Cugnai. About the level of an average black run, its wide open powder fields are framed by dramatic cliff walls that give this route a cathedral-like atmosphere. Surprisingly, when you are near the bottom, there suddenly appears a little mountain refuge that is open for drinks and sandwiches. You are still in the back country here and it has a real ambiance about the place as if you were there in the 1930s pre-lifts or slope grooming. It's so quiet out there that quite often while enjoying lunch you're privileged to catch a glimpse of a chamoix or two hopping from ridge to ridge across the Valley.
Over in Tignes there is the "Sache". Variations of this tour will have your hair well and truly standing on its ends. You start from the top of L'Aiguille Percee Aguille at 2748m and then rock and roll down to the sleepy town of Brevieres at 1550m where an excellent selection of lunch restaurants await you. In the spring you are guaranteed to see marmottes popping up in all directions. These cute furry mountain rodents, about the size of a large rabbit and just as abundant, are the staple diet of the Lamaguy. These large birds have to be seen to be believed, ask Les (one of the BASS directors) who came across one feeding in the spring. The Lamaguy is a Himalayan Condor that was introduced to the Alps. They can on very rare occasions be seen soaring at great hights with its unmistakable wing feathers spread like fingers on a giant hand. Spot one of these and you have probably seen the Largest bird in Europe.
If you are thinking of leaving the beaten track and trying the off piste this year - make sure you do it right. Take a lesson in off piste techniques, book a guide and make sure you have all the right equipment and know how to use it. To hire back packs with shovels, probes and transceivers is now common place and not expensive. BASS Val/Tignes can get you going with a group or private lesson and then a guide. If you are a red run skier that fancies a go or a hard core back country legend, give us a call to make sure you do it right.
Steve Ricketts
British Alpine Ski School
Val d'Isere & Tignes
UK: 0709 2206 321
France +33 679 512485 (Dec-May)