Detailed off piste information - Courchevel Valley

** Off-piste skiing and snow boarding is dangerous **

Usual warnings apply - Shovel, probe, transceiver (and know how to use them - especially how to use a grid search with the analogue types). Ski or board with someone who knows exactly what they're doing and remember that simply going down marginal areas one at a time and waiting for that person to move to a safe area will save lives.
Meribel Valley	La Tania	Belleville Valley	Val Torens

The Courchevel Valley

The Courchevel Couloirs can be seen from almost anywhere in Courchevel. They snake down the North Col of Saulire, thin ribbons of snow separating the ribs of rock. Before attempting them for the first time, ski down Combe de Saulire and traverse left off the piste. One passes successively on the left the exit from Sous-pylons (right under the cable car), Emile Allais (the narrowest, steepest and longest) and Grand Couloir (the widest, and generally considered the easiest). Get a feel of the steepness and snow conditions and watch two or three groups skiing (or falling) down the couloirs. The bad news is that falls are frequent, the good news is that they seem to rarely cause injuries (other than to pride). Now make up your mind, but err on the side of caution, this is serious skiing.

The Couloirs can only be approached by taking the 140 man Saulire telepherique (cable car). 95% of the passengers turn left on leaving the lift, the intrepid few advanced or expert skiers turn right. The runs are currently listed as black itineraries. The couloirs are approached via a 2-3m wide gently descending beaten track along the ridge between Courchevel (right) and Meribel (left). At the start of the path there is normally a blackboard giving guidance on snow conditions. (Usually a warning that the runs are only open to very good skiers.) Intermediate or weak advanced skiers should not attempt these runs except with a professional guide or instructor. If in doubt you can visit the pisteurs in the first aid station on the far side of the cable car. They are usually helpful about giving advice. Before committing yourself to the path look left down the steep slope into the Meribel Valley. This is Couloir Tremplin, its more difficult than the Courchevel Couloirs but you may wish to attempt it later.

Sous Pylons is the easiest to find. There are various variations of entry and two alternative exits. All are clearly visible from the cable car and can be reconnoitred during your ascent. Much of it is also visible from the upper station platform. Entry is from the ridge path and usually involves skiing through a cornice where there may be short drop off. This is tricky only if the couloir is icy. Sous Pylons looks the steepest narrowest and most intimidating couloir but I always think that it is the easiest

Grand Couloir is by convention the easiest Couloir, and most people ski it first. Ski down the path and look into a shallow bowl with unpleasantly uneven and awkward bumps. This is your last chance for a change of heart and an easy retreat. If you don't fancy these bumps you probably shouldn't be in the couloirs, you'll have to take off your skis and retreat back up the path. There are two possible entries to Grand Couloir. The most popular lies straight down the fall line of this upper bowl towards the lowest point of a shallow crest directly ahead. On arrival at the crest you look straight down a steepish slope towards Courchevel 1850. This is Grand Couloir. It may be slightly tricky getting started (particularly if snow boarders have cut up the entry) but the further you go the easier it gets. To reach the alternative entry traverse high left in the shallow bowl around the shoulder above the main entry. This gives access to the upper (northern) arm of Grand Couloir which is narrower and slightly steeper. Usually the snow is better on this arm and you get a longer more dramatic run.

Emile Allais lies between Grand Couloir and Sous Pylons. This is the most difficult to find, but careful reconnoitring during the cable car ascent will help to pinpoint the two possible entries. Technically it is probably the trickiest, but because fewer people attempt it the snow is usually better than Grand Couloir. If you thought that Grand Couloir was fun rather than frightening you will definitely enjoy Emile Allais. If you came off Grand Couloir glad that it was over, don't attempt any of the others.

Couloir Tremplin descends on the Meribel side of Saulire. One can reconnoitre Tremplin from the bottom by traversing right of the Saulire-Meribel piste. The piste is technically no more difficult than some on the Courchevel side.

BUT: 1). A slip near the top is potentially more dangerous, the gully is narrow in places and there are a few awkwardly placed rocks;

2). Also, it receives sun in the afternoon and on old snow tends to be icy in the morning. Tremplin becomes unskiable long before the north facing Courchevel couloirs. After fresh snow one can enter Tremplin straight from the Saulire cable car. This rapidly deteriorates exposing loose rocks under the snow. It then becomes necessary to traverse in from successively lower levels off the path leading to Grand Couloir. Take it gently at the top, you have to watch for rocks and think out the turns.

I should mention Death Couloir because you will hear people talking about it. Forget it. This is a very unofficial route on the Meribel side and should not be attempted. It may be possible with a professional guide (unlikely). You would be in big (and expensive) trouble if you got into difficulty on it. You risk losing your pass if your caught skiing it. If your this macho try working off your excess testosterone on the off-piste climbs on the Courchevel side instead.

Croix de Verdon is a clear escalation of challenge. All of the four couloirs listed so far were listed routes on my last visit. (Rules change from year to year so check with the Tourist Office when you get out there). However there are further opportunities for the more adventurous. Set off as if heading for the upper entry to Grand Couloir. Continue traversing left across the top of the upper branch to the foot of a snow field. You can't go too far or you'll finish up traversing on rock. Normally you won't be the first skiers there (the pisteurs and lift attendants have an unfair advantage) so you should be able to follow their tracks. In any case, take off your skis and set off straight up the fall-line, either kick steps or follow the existing track. The climb looks vertical but is actually quite comfortable and short (about 50m vertical). At the top is a very narrow snow ridge, definitely insufficient room for a picnic, indeed its usually only comfortable for one person to put on skis at a time. The reward is the longest couloir, sufficiently steep and narrow to look terrifying from below, but actually gratifyingly easy after the steep climb.

Per ardua ad astra, if you want to venture further you'll need to work harder. Croix de Verdon is just the start. The possibilities of climbing up the ridge and descending on the Courchevel side continue. However my personal experience ends here. Further progress clearly means more arduous climbing. If in the slightest doubt, hire a guide.

Les Creux and the Aiguille de Fruit

Easily the highest mountain at the Courchevel end of the Trois Vallées the Aiguille de Fruit provides splendid off-piste skiing on its lower slopes. While the Couloirs provide dramatic skiing, those preferring isolation may prefer the Aiguille de Fruit. This is a lonelier world. There is always someone passing by in the Couloirs to help pick up the pieces, but if something goes wrong on the Col de Fruit you are unlikely to be so lucky. Be cautious, and be sure that someone knows where you have gone.

With one exception the skiing lies in a gigantic Creux Bowl stretching from Vizelle in the east to Chanrossa in the West. Reconnoitre the terrain first looking across and down from Vizelle. Next ski down the easy red Creux (q.v.) stopping to look up at the ridge on your right. Finally go up the Chanrossa chair where you get further views into the bowl. Initially the bowl does not look promising. First, its obvious that there are avalanches down the Aiguille de Fruit. However, there's a pisteurs hut at the top of the lift at Col de Chanrossa. They of course flag if the area is open or closed, they also tend to get the first shot on the traverse. I usually like to call in any way to check on snow conditions. They can tell you if its fluffy, heavy or crust. They also know that your out there if you do have problems. Second, there are no open slopes with even gradients and beautiful sets of linked turns. That's part of the charm of the skiing. The area is full of complicated tricky bits of snow that will test any skier and there's usually still untracked snow three or four days after the last fall. Third, the bowl looks like a trap with long hikes out from the bottom. There will be a bit of walking at times at the bottom but this usually leads to gentle down slopes that bring you back out at the Creux chair complex. The lift company usually bash a piste into the bowl to assist easy exits.

One should start the skiing by going up the Chanrossa Chair. A few years ago this was all off-piste but the company have now marked the area to the left of the lift (looking down the mountain) as a black run. They have also cut a path to detour round the most difficult parts so that even good intermediates can descend without problems. (See intermediate adventures.) Advanced and expert skiers have not been forgotten. The area to the right of the direct Sous-Pylons is a glorious un pisted black bumps field with a vertical fall of about 400m. The area is normally fenced off to discourage casual interest, but when snow conditions are adequate the pisteurs leave a narrow gap to permit entry. Choose your route carefully and this can be very steep and exciting. However it receives sun all afternoon and can also be icy and dangerous in the mornings. Treat it with caution. If you get on to the bumps and decide that you can't cope with them you are better to keep traversing of to your right where the slope gradually gets less steep and where it nis often possible to find patches of deep snow. The Chanrossa bumps can be technically very difficult and the slope is steep enough to be potentially as dangerous (or even lethal) as The Wall in Avoriaz or the off-piste bumps at Mont Fort, Verbier. Treat them with respect.

The deep snow skiing is to the left of the piste (looking down). From the top of the chair turn right and ski off the left hand edge of the piste onto an obvious traverse. This traverse is avalanche prone but if dangerous the entrance will be very obviously closed. If in doubt enquire at the pisteurs hut at the top of the lift. The traverse sweeps round for about 1.5 Km on the north face of the Crete de Chanrossa towards the Aiguille de Fruit. Gradients off the traverse vary significantly from place to place so that you can choose something that suits your ability. Nowhere is it very steep and it tends to become easier towards the very far end. The slopes are predominantly north facing and surprisingly lightly skied.

There are also runs on the east side of the Chanrossa ridge (Courchevel 1650).

The more difficult skiing in the Creux Bowl is approached from the Creux Noir chair lift. If you turn right at the top of the chair there is the choice of a difficult red piste back down to Creux, or you ski off the other side of the ridge down towards Mottaret. The start of the Mottaret run is clearly signposted (when open).

Most of the off-piste skiing is to the left of the chair (looking up the mountain). It is possible to walk (there's no need to take off one's skis) along the ridge for about 1.5 Km. One can descend almost anywhere on the left hand side. There are various small precipices, and the gradient varies sharply from place to place. So its best to plan an approximate line of descent during your earlier reconnoitre. On the whole the gradients are steeper and the descent more satisfying the further one proceeds along the ridge. Finally one arrives at a rock face at the Col de Fruit, from this point it is possible to ski very close to your tracks from the longest traverse off Chanrossa.

There is one last run to describe. Though one can in principle ski anywhere on the Courchevel side of the ridge (the Creux Bowl), the other side of the ridge is the Parc National de Vanoise, an alpine wild life reserve. It is absolutely forbidden (ABSOLUEMENT FORMELLEMENT INTERDIT) to ski anywhere in the park. There is one exception. Traverse along the ridge to the Col de Fruit. Keep your eyes open to the right because the domain is rich in alpine wild-life. Eventually you reach a final saddle before the ridge ends in a vertical face. On the right is a magnificent snow field directly under the west face of the Aiguille de Fruit. It is permitted to ski this field, you can ski straight down or traverse south before descending. You may not traverse to the right.

At the bottom of the snow field lies the Allues brook. Cross the brook as soon as is practicable and ski over gently sloping lightly wooded meadows to the Ski de Fond above Mottaret. Alas you now face a 20 minute walk along the Ski de Fond Piste before you arrive at the lift. This trip takes a good half day. Its probably advisable to take a picnic or at least a snack. There are several places at which you will feel like stopping for a rest. There is nothing technically difficult about this route, it is easier than much of the skiing into the Creux bowl. But the distance and the isolation suggest that beginners at off-piste touring might be wise to seek a guide or ski school instructor to lead the trip. Apart from the walk along the ski de fond this is one of the nicest runs in the Alps.

Courchevel 1650

There is little of interest for the advanced skier in 1650, this area is more a playground for beginners and intermediates. There are some off-piste runs on the eastern slopes of the Chanrossa ridge. These provide long runs back to Courchevel 1650. They are probably of more interest to advanced intermediates. They provide a wonderful introduction to this type of off-piste skiing and are best attempted with a ski-instructor or guide. Enquire at the Tourist Offices to see if any trips are planned. There is also good tree skiing for all in bad weather.

Col de Loze to Le Praz and La Tania

There was always good off-piste skiing on the slopes of the valley to the north-east of Loze. The opening of the La Tania resort and the new Telecabine, and the provision of the Col de Loze lift from Meribel have much extended the available area. It is particularly suited to those just starting to enjoy off-piste skiing or to the less adventurous advanced skier. The slopes are north facing and relatively little skied so its possible to find good snow well after other areas are skied out. The off-piste is easily accessible, rarely far from the piste and retreat is easy if the conditions are not to your liking. Much of the area is lightly wooded so it can also be an attractive venue in poor visibility.

Vizelle

Vizelle is a much underestimated area. In any other resort it would be featured as the showpiece. In Courchevel it is a forgotten area on the way to somewhere more interesting. It has no less than three significant black pistes (each over 500m vertical descent) and two interesting reds. Between these lie extensive off-piste terrain with steep north, south, east and west facing slopes. The best of these is Suisse. Suisse taken direct under the lift is an exciting testing run with several very steep stretches. Technically it is probably much more difficult than the Couloirs. The challenge is somewhat spoilt by the ease with which one can retreat from the difficult parts of the slope back to the prepared piste. However this does make it a very good area for people wishing to extend themselves physically without the associated danger of isolation. As the fresh snow deteriorates the area turns into an excellent bumps field with big, varied moguls. It is usually very quiet.

The other is Couloirs des Belges. It was posted for decades as a red run and in normal snow conditions was arguably the trickiest red run in the alps. narrow, relatively steep and fiercely mogulled it can be a test even for decent advanced skiers. It is very short, but also provides a good trial for the longer couloirs which one can see immediately opposite. Finally on Vizelle I should mention a patch off off-piste snow lying between the Vizelle top telecabine station and the Combe de Saulire piste. It is accessed from a path blasted to enable weak intermediate skiers an easy way to bypass the steepest part of Combe de Saulire. It is nothing very special but the steepness of gradient and the feel of the snow approximate to that found in the couloirs. It is also very easy to escape off it by traversing left. It is therefore the ideal place for someone fancying the couloirs to test whether their technique is up to the challenge.

back to top of page