Val Thorens is traditionally always one of the first French resorts to open for the season. After not being able to ski last winter because of the pandemic, CATHERINE COOPER joined thousands of people who could not wait to get back on piste at the opening weekend
More than 15,000 people put their skis and boards back on for the first time in almost two years at Val Thorens’ Grand Premiere opening weekend recently, with 152,000 entries recorded on the ski lifts over the two days.
Some early snowfalls meant around 30% of the area was open and the atmosphere was festive, with people excited to get back onto the snow. The resort had done a good job making sure there was plenty artificially-produced snow to keep skiers and boarders happy.
As usual for the opening weekend visitors were able to try out the latest sport equipment free of charge at the test village and this year more than 1,500 people took advantage of the skis and boards from the 60 brands present.
Not all of the accommodation was open but the vast majority of that that was (around 5,000 beds) was fully-booked. Bruno Gabet, chairman of the resort’s tourist office, was optimistic about the coming season, saying that bookings were 30% up on a typical year with many hotels and residences already fully booked for the key weeks, though admittedly with more flexible cancellation policies than pre-pandemic.
The big news in Val Thorens this year is the opening of the new ‘Orelle’ cable car and the ‘TC Orelle-Caron’ which offers a link between the Orelle resort at 888 metres and Cime de Caron at 3,200 metres – the resort’s highest peak. The idea is that people can then descend to Val Thorens using the Cime de Caron cable car if they wish (even with luggage, apparently) – or, of course, they can ski down.
Also new this year is a designated ski touring zone with a groomed slope and safety patrols (accessed via the Pionniers or Plein Sud lifts) and for bad weather days, a new laser game in what was formerly an underground car park.
I stayed at the brand-new Hotel Marielle, named after French champion skier Marielle Goitschel who was also one of the founders of Val Thorens and the original owner of the building in which the hotel now stands. With 83 rooms and suites including several designed for families it is located right on the piste and while within easy reach of the town centre, enjoys a calm and peaceful spot. It also offers a smart bar, buffet restaurant and a NUXE spa with a generously-sized sauna which has a large window overlooking the pistes.
Skiing in a pandemic isn’t as different to ‘before times’ as you might imagine – in theory you are supposed to wear masks in lift queues and on enclosed lifts, but in reality pulling your buff up over your nose seems to be enough. But you will now need a ‘pass sanitaire’, to prove that you are fully vaccinated or have had a very recent negative test, to buy a lift pass and to get into bars and restaurants.
For now, the French government have said that ski resorts will remain open all season and bar the mask-wearing, it’s pretty much business as usual.
PHOTOS: Val Thorens/T.Loubere
Categories: France