Freeride skiing
Tignes’ reputation for freeriding is well established: the resort is internationally renowned for its incredible off-piste area, accessible via the lifts (or after a short walk for the more sporty). It’s not (just) chauvinism to say that the Tignes – Val d’Isère area is one of the best freeride spots in the Alps.
Freeriding in Tignes is almost a religion!
Postcard turns or memorable plant faces: when it’s good, you have to give it your all! So get your board out of the cupboard, put on your skis or snowboard, and come and caress the last of the fresh snow with your spatulas!
Whether you want to run from the ski lifts or explore the Vanoise National Park, the linked area of Tignes – Val d’Isère offers an infinite number of possibilities if you want a change from the groomed slopes which are too quiet for you.
Let’s get to the point
The powder! The pow! When you’ve got snowflakes for religion, there’s nothing more exciting than a big fresh snowfall. It heralds an exceptional freeride session, with untouched, obstacle-free pistes at altitude and zigzags right through the larch trees near Tignes 1800 and Les Brévières. An indescribable feeling of freedom: floating above the ground, frictionless, soft and light.
The Tignes – Val d’Isère ski area offers freeride fans a life-size playground in which to make their mark. With its XXL dimensions and variety of exposures, you’re sure to have fun all winter long, from the first snowfalls until spring for those who love the little frisette of April.
Fine weather, fine snow
The day after a heavy snowfall, you’ll need to be quick on your feet to be the first on the resort’s legendary spots! Freeride is one of the most popular disciplines in Tignes, so it only takes a few hours for off-piste enthusiasts to scratch the most accessible areas with their spatulas. Early in the morning, you’ll see them leaving their accommodation with their ‘fats’ slung over their shoulders, ready to do battle with ‘Chardo’ or ‘Mickey’s ears’.
Not quite sure which way to go to find THE best slope? During your holiday, make life easier for yourself: let yourself be guided by a specialised instructor! They know the area like the back of their hand (and the snowfall record since the start of the season), and will be able to take you to the areas best suited to your needs and ability. Large, gentle slopes accessible from the lifts and easy to ride, small, narrow, technical couloirs for the more experienced skiers, small, well-hidden combs that have benefited from the latest easterly returns… The Tignes ski area is full of ‘secret spots’ for beginners and experienced snowboarders alike.
Let the powder do the talking… in complete safety!
Freeride means unsanitised wilderness. As a result, an off-piste session is never to be taken lightly. As well as the technical skills required, it’s essential to learn the basics of safety so you can deal with the real dangers (avalanches, ‘sharks’ = rocks emerging from fresh snow, etc.).
Because we’re passionate about skiing in Tignes, we’ve done everything we can to ensure you get started in the safest possible conditions:
- Test your ability to ski on all types of snow on the Naturides, safe, marked but ungroomed black runs, accessible by ski lift.
- Call on one of Tignes’ many guides and instructors specialising in freeride to teach you the basics (support, body position, safety, rescue, etc.) and take you to the best fresh snow spots.
- Consult the BERA (Bulletin d’Évaluation du Risque d’Avalanche) before setting off to choose the least exposed slopes (and know when to give up if conditions are unfavourable!)
- Hire your essential trio of avalanche transceiver, shovel and probe, or even a rucksack with an integrated airbag, from a sports shop in the resort; and check that your avalanche transceiver is working in transmit mode at the avalanche transceiver check points located throughout the Tignes ski area.
Silence… it’s alive!
Freeriding, as the name suggests, gives you an immense sense of freedom, sometimes far from the ski lifts. It gives you a real connection with nature, reminding you that you are very small in the face of the mountains that surround you. And that it’s our duty to preserve this incredible environment, which generates such powerful emotions.
While the flora rests during the long winter months, the fauna does not. Ibex, chamois, ptarmigan… Many animals thrive in the Vanoise National Park and the surrounding Nature Reserves. To protect them and avoid wasting precious energy trying to escape, always observe them from a distance and as discreetly as possible.
