Ski area for skiers

Downhill skiing and snowboarding are amongst the most popular winter sports and understandably so, as there is no feeling on earth like that of your first run of the day on a virgin piste, making fresh tracks with the sun on your face, whilst surrounded by bright white vistas and snow capped mountains. Not to mention the clear fresh air and the challenge of the next and subsequent runs.

The ski resort of La Clusaz offers all this and more, catering for beginners, intermediates and experienced skiers or boarders. Combined with the resorts of Le Grand Bornand and Manigod the skiable area opens up to 220km of well maintained pistes, offering a variety of skiing and scenery, and sporting events (see below).

Once a month La Clusaz offers the fantastic opportunity of going moonlight skiing. This unique event is unmissable and if you are lucky enough to be staying when it's a full moon, it's worth making the extra effort to strap on your skis for the 2nd time. The pistes re-open at 9pm, the bars are open and alive with bands and DJ's and glowing freebies are handed out so you can see fellow skiers on the slopes. If you can't make it for the full moon, don't worry la Clusaz still has floodlit skiing every Thursday night in the town centre and main slopes

La Clusaz provides a wide range of beginner slopes on the lower slopes near the town centre and on the Beauregard plateau, which is served by a high speed cable car. The Beauregard area has lovely gentle green runs to progress to, including one long one which takes you around the base of the mountain back to the village.

For a first experience of chair lifts, the long tree lined runs from the Cret de Merle to La Balme and back, provide a lovely long gentle solution. Most of the beginners slopes are in close proximity to the mountain restaurants or town centre, which makes La Clusaz an ideal beginner site for skiers, and parties of mixed abilities.

Beginner lessons can also be taken at the Croix Fry area of la Clusaz, which provides quieter, gentler slopes, served mainly by drag lifts. For a change of scenery, Le Grand Bornand offers a great place for beginners to spread their wings, progressing on to the gentle slopes of La Joyere, Gettiers or Chinaillon. 

If you are confident skier/boarder on blue and red slopes then La Clusaz offers an abundance of skiing with some fantastic wide long runs. Often called the 'Fridge' by the locals because of it's cold north facing slopes the pistes at La Balme (up to 2,400m) offers the best runs, which hold their snow late into the season.

The Aiguille is the second highest ski area and is the start point for the longest piste, a real top to bottom leg burning challenge with stunning views. Half way down the mountainside are the more popular pistes of the Cret du Merle, the snow park and boarder cross course. The Etale and Col de Medassier ski areas of La Clusaz are the third highest and offer some steep reds, which provide a great opportunity for some downhill racing. Manigod and Beauregard are good areas for pottering amongst the trees and enjoying the scenery. The runs are shorter and easier than their grading suggest and they provide a means of completing a full circuit of the La Clusaz ski area, which makes for an excellent day out.

For a change of scene Le Grand Bornand provides some fab long wide blues to practice your technique. Tolar or Lachat are the best fast reds, allowing to the superb Maroly area, challenging snowpark and boarder cross. 

Although not top of the resort listings for advanced skiers, La Clusaz offers some fantastic off-piste and demanding black runs at Etale, Combe de Fernuy and La Balme. The off-piste is awesome when the powder is fresh and guiding with tuition can be arranged if you are not a confident off-piste skier. The Col de Balme also offers some extreme off-piste trekking on the 7 remote Cols of the Aravis. You definitely need skins and a guide for these and January or February is the best time to tackle them, when the avalanche risk is lower.

Further afield Le Grand Bornand offers two black runs on Lachat plus a new free-ride area, which is well worth a try. The best off-piste however is to be found in the Maroly area, which usually remains untouched for quite a while after the powder has fallen.

The snowparks in both La Clusaz and Le Grand Bornand are remodelled every year to be challenging but offer maximum pleasure and safety. These sculpted snowparks are composed of three graded jump areas, rails, boxes and of course fab 80m half-pipes. But if you fancy riding in a naturally sculpted snow park La Balme is a fantastic natural playground where all the top riders hang out. 

If you would like to have a more detailed look at the layout of the pistes in the Aravis area, then one of the best we've found is this interactive map of the Aravis ski area...