 #18 Val Thorens / 3 Vallées, France
3 - 10 April 2010
By whatever standard you use, Val Thorens is the top resort in Europe, lying at 2300m. This high elevation makes all the difference in the world for both the amount of snow it gets as well as the snow quality. And, by this, we mean powder. That is why we call this trip "Ski Canada but without jet lag!".
The numbers are only part of the story. There are over 554 km. of marked runs-about the length of the Autobahn from Frankfurt to Geneva. There are over 200 lifts-interconnected. Even more amazing, you can choose among over 20 different descents, each over 6 km. in length. The list of superlatives goes on and on and on.
Make sure your ski boots are comfortable. The lifts run from 09:00 to 17:00. And, we meet every day for Apres Ski at 17:00 at 3000m to recount our ski adventures and relax as the sun slowly falls behind the mountains. Sometime around 18:00, we ski the last run-all to ourselves. And, because we have "summer time" in April, the Alps stay bright until well past 20:00!
Because we are skiing in April, we get the best of both worlds-great snow due to the high elevation and warm temperatures due to the angle of the sun. Sure it can get cold, but the odds are, you will be skiing in garden gloves and a shell and not much more.
In spite of the 554 km. of marked terrain, we do our best to avoid it. There is even more off-piste available. And, when you ski Val Thorens, we have a plan of attack to bring the best of the 3 Valleys to you in 6 days.
Each day, a different ski safari is offered. Our gold standard, the 10,000 vertical meter day enables you to ski 10,000 vertical meters in one day, explore the entire dimension of the 3 Valleys Circuit, and neither ski the same run twice nor take the same lift twice. Snowboarders can make it as well, but it is tougher for them.Those who make it even receive a certificate.
Even more challenging is "Martin Luther King Day". This has nothing to do with the Civil Rights movement. It does, however, demand courage as we ski only black runs on this day-officially 71 to choose from-including some descents that are frightfully steep.
Another tour we offer is our "Off Piste" Special. The highlight of this day is the "Vallon du Lou" descent where you can actually "waterski" across a semi frozen lake. Those who make it consider it the highlight of their week. Those who don't get
totally wet.
Val Thorens also has a dynamic apres-ski life, but if you are in your boots 10 hours a day like most of us, you may not even want to consider going out after midnight. But, they even offer breakdancing lessons if you like.
And, you can rent snowmobiles, go snow shoeing, or cross country skiing if you prefer. There is also a huge indoor pool and sauna facility nearby. The apartments are relatively spacious and all offer Internet and TV.
The only thing wrong with the trip-you have to wait till the end of the season for it. |
