More 3 Valleys What’s New – This time it’s Val Thorens

Following on from our Updates from S3V (the lift company for La Tania, Courchevel and Mottaret). and news on the 4 new ski lifts for the Three Valleys plus our building / construction work update we’ve got the latest from Val Thorens.

All will be pulled together in our comprehensive annual What’s New in The Three Valleys update in October.

The Ski Area
The last couple of years have seen plenty of new replacement lifts go in across Val Thorens, this year more emphasis on the skiing and boarding experience.

There’s a push on family friendly but fun runs being made starting with the Funslope which will be almost 1km long with jumps, tunnels, banked turns and even sound effects!

At the other end of the scale is Fight Ski Club – A World Cup class Ski Cross track with video cameras and automated timing technology (rather like the BMW automated timed runs at the Stade in Courchevel).

Dedicated areas are to be made available for the growing sport of Ski Touring. A different piste will be allocated am & pm for Ski Touring and will be open outside the normal hours.

Digitalized Snow Groomers are new this season – Looks like it’s a tracking system for the piste bashers that should lead to better snow and water management for the snow cannons.

New augmented reality binoculars will be freely available at the Cime Caron and Col de le Chambre summits – makes those orientation tables look a bit old hat as the surrounding mountains will be named as you look at them – can’t wait!

A new red piste named La Chasse towards the bottom end of Val Thorens below the Pluviomètre piste has been created. This has been planned for some time and originally was going to be a direct link to Les Menuires. Disagreements between SETAM (Val Thorens lift co) and SEVABEL (Les Menuires / St Martin lift co) have meant the new run will be in the VT sector only and continue all the way down to the valley floor (with bridges across the main road and river) to the Boulevard Cumin blue piste. From here you can ski to Les Menuires or back in to the Val Thorens via the Plan de l’Eau chair.

Ski in/out access from the piste to Restaurant Chez Pépé Nicolas will now be possible too – the off piste run from the Les Menuires direction is detailed in the video below.

No more news has been received on the proposed development of “Le Borgne” area above La Folie Douce between the 3 Vallées link and the Peclet Funitel. The plan was to use the old Portette lift here but permission was initially refused – the lift has been placed in storage and is apparently up for sale. The Stade drag lift which is also near to this area had been rumouored to be replaced but this is not happening this Summer at least.

Anyway – Where would they put their logo on the Piste Map?

New Hotels, Restaurants, Michelin Stars, Pampering, Language Lessons and Activities
Another new 5-star hotel (Val Thorens fourth) opens this Winter. Le Pashmina markets itself as a luxury mountain refuge complete with “Igloo-Pods” which are glass domes on the roof so you can sleep under the stars.
There are 42 rooms, 8 apartments, 2 chalet apartments, a Spa and 2 (gourmet) restaurants.

Val Thorens has another Michelin Star this Winter – this time Jéremy Gillon who has run the L’Epicurien Restaurant for 7 years – and are launching the new VTPass with discounts on various activities plus a 24 hour concierge service will be available so you can get that champagne breakfast delivered wherever you are…

11 – 13 April sees some 60 Michelin-starred chefs compete in parallel slalom. We hope to see La Tania’s own Michelin Chef Julien Machet from Le Farçon competing in this!

Other new activities this season see language lessons with your ski lessons (French or English lessons available), snowshoeing with a bit of yoga thrown in and new ice driving facilities at the Alain Prost Ice Driving Track.

Val Thorens Early Season Events
Ski Force Winter Tour – Test out all the latest ski equipment 21-22 Nov
Rock On Snowboard Tour 28 – 29 Nov
Trophee Andros – Car and motorcycle Ice Racing 4 – 6 Dec
Ski Cross World Cup 11 – 12 Dec