La Plagne
La Plagne is a great place for beginners and intermediates with just over 80% of its pistes being red or blue. These stretch throughout the villages making it easy to explore with a mixed-ability group.
Intermediates can clock up the kilometers on some excellent rolling blues and there is also enough challenging terrain to keep stronger skiers entertained. Head over towards Vanoise to take the gondola over to Les Arcs with your group for a ‘ski away day. For challenging reds, head for La Grande Rochette and the other runs off the back of Les Verdons.
Advanced skiers are catered he also as La Plagne offers several engaging black runs plus a huge amount of excellent off-piste. There are big cliffs and steep powder fields under the Inversons chair, but what experts really come here for is the Bellecote glacier, featuring three of the most famous off-piste descents in the Alps, including the legendary North Face but should only be attempted with a mountain guide.
If you havent had your fill then there is aways the four freestyle parks, three boarder-cross courses plus a half-pipe and mogul run.
Les Arcs
With some of the best-mantained pistes and one of the smoothest snow and lift systems, Les Arcs is hard to beat.
For the beginners don’t be put off by the lack of greens runs as there are plenty of simple blue runs dotted around all the villages to get you going.
For intermediates, Les Arcs has it all, every lift has at least one intermediate trail leading from the top and daily grooming maps are available so you can take your pick of the lovely smooth corduroy.
If you are looking to build speed and confidence Vallandry is the place for you. If it’s the distance you’re after, the 7km run from the top of the glacier down to the village of Villaroger will get the blood pumping and if the snow has been falling it can get super powdery towards the bottom.
Les Arcs skiing also boasts free-riding terrain so good that the large Apocalypse snowpark, fast boardercross, and half-pipes on offer stay relatively uncrowded.
Advanced skiers should tackle the steepest run in the resort, Robert Blanc, a challenging bumpy black. If your knees can take it, one of the longest and hardest technical mogul runs can be found left of the TC Du Varet gondola up in Arc 2000 or ride the deep powder in the open bowl left of the Transarc cable car.