Tignes must be on your “to ski” list. The Tignes-Val d’Isère ski area is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful and largest ski areas in French Savoy and all the Alps, go there. On piste, off piste, freestyle, freeride or free-rando… it’s an essential destination for free spirits. Whatever you like to do, there is a perfect place for you!
Tignes ski resort sits 2,100m above sea level and at the heart of the western half of this vast linked ski area in the upper Tarentaise valley of the central French Alps. It’s perfect for intermediate and advanced skiers and snowboarders, and the resort also has good off-piste amenities and lively nightlife.
Architecturally, it is a high-rise mini-metropolis in an otherwise uninhabited kingdom of snow and ice, divided into two main resorts, Tignes-le-Lac and Val Claret, facing each other side of the frozen lake.
There are all kinds of terrain
The variety of terrain is vast: from the intoxicating glacial heights of La Grande Motte at 3,456m, to the long searing cruises to the bottom of the Brévières valley; and from the quiet powder fields around the Col des Ves, to the bustling groomed motorways linking Val d’Isère via the Col de Fresse and Toviere. It has ski touring slopes for beginners, two snow parks and family fun areas for all sports enthusiasts or groups.
The majority of the 300km ski area is an intermediate paradise, with extensive blue and red runs. There are nearly 30 black runs marked on the piste map, although advanced thrill seekers will look beyond the piste map to the true powder potential this area has to offer, with some of the routes off -the most extreme and exposed track. in the Alps, for those who have the talent and the courage.
The Grande Motte glacial massif is the most emblematic sector of Tignes. This imposing peak of permafrost allows the resort to roll out the white carpet earlier than any other French ski resort; opening in October and remaining open until early May, with snow sports on the glacier also available during the summer months, when conditions permit.
More than a ski holiday
Snowboarders, telemarkers and snowscooters of course already know this, but ski areas are certainly not just for downhill skiing. Tignaddicts may have their favorite ski slope (Génépy? Double M? Maybe La Sache?) and memorable moments hitting the slopes, but the Tignes/Val d’Isère experience wouldn’t be complete without:
- Take the time to go to DC Park to observe the pro-freestylers.
- Take part in a crazy boardercross race – solo or with a group of four ski-mad buddies, tackle the banked turns, rolls, jumps and tight curves of the expert boardercross course.
- Go hiking or cross-country skiing in mixed terrain at Les Chartreux and Les Brévières.
- Try an adrenaline-pumping activity like a Bun J Ride (that’s bungee jumping on skis!), snowkiting, tandem paragliding, snowmobiling or microlight flying.
- Go under the ice, with an ice dive in the frozen lake.
- Learn about ski touring on the Petit Col and Palafoulée slopes, safe and groomed to work on your cardio and descend on marked trails.
- Plus, whatever your age, it’s never too late to start! Young or old, discover the 123 Ski Start zones, which include 9 free ski lifts leading to soft green slopes, and playful “Turn & Run” slopes with steep turns, woops, mini-slalom, tunnel, mini canyon, bells and even xylophones to learn while having fun.
Get off the tracks
Tignes ‘Mountain Shaker’ (4-12/03/2022)
The 3 major Mountain Shaker events in Tignes, which take place from March 4 to 12, celebrate the culture of slopestyle and snowboarding. Things kick off with the French Freeride World Qualifier on March 4th and 5th in the ‘Tufs’. This geological curiosity, which overlooks Lake Tignes and draws a garden of highly photogenic corridors, will see pro and amateur riders compete in 4 freeride competitions over two days.
Next up is the FISE XPerience series, March 8-9, when the Skateboard World Tour comes to town, for two days of demonstrations and competitions on five stages in the 500 square meter indoor skatepark.
Finally, from March 8 to 12, it’s the Slopestyle Skiing World Cup, which takes place on the iconic Double M slope, a well-known slope that hosted the X Games Europe four years in a row from 2010 to 2013.
MORE INFO: fr.tignes.net
Getting to Tignes
Tignes is 3 hours from Geneva airport and 2 hours from Chambéry. If you prefer to take the train, it’s about a 45 minute drive from Bourg St Maurice.
Stay safe: be prepared
For the latest information on Covid-19 safety measures at the resort, see en.tignes.net
