ESCAPADE 2024: Katie, Matt, Bex and Jonas

10 January 2024

As expected there has been another Escapade in a Day completed this season…

Katie, Matt, Bex and Jonas all completed the famous 3 Valleys Escapade on Wednesday 10th January 2024skiing from the first lift of the day right to the final lift with a couple of runs added onto the end of the route for fun (despite some very sore legs).

Katie had completed it once before back in 2019 and was determined to complete it again to prove she was not getting old!

The route was as follows and fortunately there were no shut pistes or chair lifts. 

1. La Tania Gondola

2. Dou Des Lanches

3. Golf

4. Rope Tow from top of Golf

5. Legends

6. Olympic

7. St Martin 1

8. St Martin Express

9. Bettex

10. Pointe de la Masse

11. Reberty

12. Bruyères 1

13. Bruyères 2

14. Funitel Peclet

15. Portette

16. Thorens

17. Peyron

18. Bouchet

19. Orelle Caron

20. Pionniers

21. 3 Vallées

22. Mont Vallon

23. Pas du Lac 1

24. Pas du Lac 2

25. Chanrossa

26. Chapelets

27. Ariondaz

28. Aiguille du Fruit

29. Tovets

30. Foret

All in all a fantastic day out with Bex managing to do it all on a snowboard, not easy with a number of flat sections! 

ESCAPADE 2024 – What’s this all about…

The 3 Valleys Escapade was the lift company promotion of visiting (originally in 2006) 14 points across the Three Valleys and gaining a certificate & badge over the period of your holiday – doing it in a day was a bit tricky though!

It all started out as a late night “is it possible?” discussion – the history and our original route from 2006 are here

Originally punch cards had to be stamped at each check point until electronic passes arrived and then the use of a lift was recorded – now we use Apps such as Ski Tracks or Relive to prove our route.

Note that the Escapade is no longer officially promoted by Les 3 Vallees from Winter 2017 but we still record successful tracks for anyone who is interested in being in the sought after La Tania Escapade Hall of Fame

The original Escapade took 30 lifts, around 13000m vertical with 70km length and by 2016 reached 34 lifts, 17000m vertical (twice the height of Everest) and around 100km. The latest ESCAPADE route

This is NOT a race

ALWAYS CONTROL YOUR SPEED. You do this entirely at your own risk, act responsibly, take full ownership for your own actions and all of those with you, respect other people (& the mountain), ski & ride within your limits, always obey the skiers & snowboarders code, observe all signs, pay attention to all notices, advice & instructions from Pisteurs, only ski off piste if fully equipped & knowledgeable, it’s not a race (you won’t be insured), think about the safety of others as well as yourself but above all, think of other people, take care, don’t wreck things for others & don’t even think of blaming anyone else if it all goes wrong…..

Changes through the years
2006 – First year and cards with hole punches stationed at lifties huts are used.
2008 – Electronic lift analysis is now used – no use hiking out the 4th Valley now!
2010 – The piste map did not include the top of the 4th Valley and the Col lift in Val Thorens.
2011 – The X-Wing Discovery was launched but only had 10 check points and doesn’t count!
2012 – Peclet included and Biollay / Vizelle used for Saulire access.
2015 – Foret used instead of La Tania gondola.
2016 – Mont Vallon is included for the first time plus the Montaulever drag lift.
2017 – Chapelets replaced by Petite Boss drag and La Tania’s Bouc Blanc chair replaces Tovets.
2018 – The new Roc de Tougne chair replaces the drag lift of the same name.
2019 – Legends replaces Roc de Fer and the Montaulever drag in Les Menuires has been removed.
2020 – Cime Caron now back in use.
2022 – New Pointe de la Masse and Orelle-Caron Gondolas (for example) could be used.
2023 – Using the new lifts, we ski all the resorts, all the perimeters and classic peaks – ESCAPADE 2023
2024 – No changes to 2023 route!