Archive for ‘Val Thorens’
What’s New in the Three Valleys
Meribel, France. Credit: 3Vallees, David Andre
With over 600km of pistes, the Three Valleys (Courchevel, Méribel and Val Thorens) is the largest ski area in the world. This alone is reason enough to plan a trip there but there are also plenty of exciting developments in store this winter. Read the rest of this entry »
Europe’s Most Snow-Sure Destinations
When it comes to unforgettable ski holidays, snow is, of course, a hugely important factor. While we can’t guarantee the snow for your holiday, choosing a high-altitude resort will certainly up the chance of good snow conditions, especially if planning an early or late season trip.
Tignes – Image: Stephane Cande
Discover our pick of Europe’s most snow-sure destinations: Read the rest of this entry »
Ski Cool Gives You Wings! Wingjump Val Thorens
Wingjump Val Thorens (image: Office de Tourisme, Val Thorens)
If you have recently returned from a trip to the Three Valleys, you might have spotted groups of children whizzing about the slopes in Val Thorens with wings attached to their backs (yes that does say wings!). This has nothing to do with fancy dress. In your head you might be picturing some sparkly fairy wings, but think more parachute-like cape and you will be closer to reality.
Wingjump, to give it its official name, is the latest innovative teaching aid to be employed by instructors working for Ski Cool in Val Thorens. Aiming to provide a better sense of balance and instil confidence in learners, the Wingjump is ideal for skiers who are trying to improve their parallel turns. The added feeling of lift that the Wingjump provides encourages you to keep your weight forward, making turns that bit easier whilst allowing you to build up some speed at the same time. And what’s more it’s great fun!
Here’s a clip from Ski Cool’s Facebook page to give you a flavour: Read the rest of this entry »
New in Val Thorens for Winter 2016/17
Val Thorens’ list of superlatives is endless. To name a few, it wins the accolade for being the highest ski resort in Europe (with 99% of its terrain over 2000m no less), the highest part of the 3 Valleys ski area (which also happens to be one of the biggest linked ski areas in the world), as well as for having the longest toboggan run in France, the highest 2-Michelin starred restaurant, the highest ice driving circuits in Europe and the highest mountain zip wire in the world!
November 2016: news just in – Val Thorens has been named the World’s Best Ski Resort 2016 at the World Ski Awards!
Val Thorens – the ultimate ski-in/ski-out, high altitude resort? (image: C Cattin)
The resort of Val Thorens has been undergoing something of a revolution in the last decade, at times seeming unrecognisable from its former self. In the last 5 years alone, it has gone from having zero 5-star hotels to four, three of which were brand new and purpose built with the very best facilities. It’s easy to see why Val Thorens has become so popular as a (very!) high altitude snow-sure resort with a great range of accommodation, plenty of activities, and of course, awesome skiing.
Whilst all this this makes Val Thorens one of the most exciting ski destinations in Europe, the pace of these recent changes means it can be hard to keep up with what’s going on! So here’s a quick roundup of what we can look forward to in Val Thorens for Winter 2016/17. Read the rest of this entry »
Ski Resort News and Updates 2015/16
There’s a lot to celebrate in winter 2015/16, with daily news of superb snowfall and conditions in all our featured resorts. Not only is the snow about as good as it could be, but there are plenty of new developments, innovations and skier friendly offers around too. Here’s a short guide to some of the best ski resort news and updates for this season.
Jackson Hole is 50
Winter 2015/16 marks Jackson Hole‘s 50th anniversary. To celebrate, a brand new lift – the Teton Lift – has been installed and it opens up 200 new acres of terrain on the upper mountain. The resort has produced a series of retrospective videos in celebration of this legendary ski resort too. Here’s Episode 1:
News from the 3 Valleys
Early Season Skiing – France November 2013
Nikki and Nicole from our reservations team have just returned from a few days in the French Alps where they managed to visit a lot of resorts, stopped in on many of our featured properties and also managed to get some fantastic early season skiing and snowboarding in. Here’s a round-up from Nikki and some great photos from Nicole.
Working with Ski Independence definitely has its perks, and this week we were lucky enough to take part in a fam trip to France. Not only to familiarise ourselves with the resorts, but to see all the amazing properties where we send our clients every winter. Knowing the resorts and properties inside-out is an essential part of being in the sales team, it means we can give the very best advice and share our first hand experiences. Read the rest of this entry »
Val Thorens turns 40
At an altitude of 2,300m the French ski resort of Val Thorens is Europe’s highest. In the 1960’s Pierre Schnebelen and his pioneering team lodged their visionary plans with the Savoie General Council to transform the small mountain village of Val Thorens into a thriving ski resort. Despite critics, plans were approved and in the summer of 1971 the first 3 ski tows were installed ready for their opening on the 18th December 1971.
Following a successful opening year, development steadily continued in the small mountain village and come the winter of 1972 the resort established itself with the opening of the local tourist office, ski school and first restaurant. Ten years after opening, in 1981, the project of building the world’s largest cable car began; the Cime des Caron. Ascending to 3,200m and carrying 150 people this marked a new era for Val Thorens and catapulted the resort into becoming one of Europe’s top winter destinations. Read the rest of this entry »
