Skiing is always a fun activity to break away from an insanely busy work schedule or to spend with family and friends. While a lot of places in Europe have become popular holiday destinations, it’s also a good idea to veer away from the usual tourist spots and visit places that you don’t hear about quite often.
Spending your ski holidays in the French Alps is slowly becoming a norm for people who love to travel. Individuals who have never experienced snow in their lives would definitely enjoy the experience of playing in ice or spending their cold holidays at famous ski resorts.
If you’re looking for somewhere new to spend your next ski break, consider Flaine in your bucket list of places to visit.
Book Your Next Holiday in Flaine
Flaine is located in the Haute-Savoie region nestling at the summit of the Grand Massif, one of the largest ski areas in France. Famous for its challenging slopes, Flaine is the perfect resort that will make your next ski holiday something to remember.
While on holiday, consider Flaine as your home away from home. Being in a different place and away from the city life, Flaine will make you feel instantly welcome because everything that you will need is almost just a stone’s throw away. Shops, restaurants, supermarkets, and ski lifts are all within your reach.
The slopes in Flaine are gained notoriety for the level of difficulty. It boasts of at least 265 kilometers of skiing area. Whatever your skill level in skiing is, you will definitely have a great time in the snow – from building a snowman and throwing snow balls, to paragliding over the high slopes and snow driving.
Flaine prides itself as a family-friendly resort. In fact, if you’re staying longer, schools in Flaine can accommodate children from age 3 and older.
The Slopes of Flaine
The Grand Massif is considered as a huge playground for both novice and expert skiers. Riding the jumbo gondola will bring you to the highest point of the Grand Massif. Two fast chair lifts, the Aup de Veran gondola and the Tete des Verdes are linked going to the other fast chairs leading to the mountain.
The well-known Cascades blue leads away from the lift system to the outskirts of the Sixt, up to the valley from Samoens. The drop may be about 1,700 meters. The Grand Massif offers about 64 kilometers of tracks but there are only about 13 kilometers around Flaine itself.
One popular location in the Grand Massif is La Combe de Gers, a semi-circular bowl which has much of the slope in the shade that makes it a must-visit ski area all season long.
The Lifts
The year 2013 saw the development of an additional fast route that led to the replacement of the Diamont Noir double chair. However, a number of slow-moving lifts inside and outside of the Flaine bowl still exist today. The construction of new lifts have eased the problem especially during peak season.
Col de Pierre Carree
The Col de Pierre Carree is the highest and snowiest Nordic skiing area in the French Alps with an altitude of 1,844 meters. A 5-kilometer skating and classic country ski trail can be accessed by free shuttle bus from the resort. Lying on the Grand Massif, this Nordic skiing site has about 30 kilometers of trails, and is a mere 30 minutes away from the resort.
The Lost Terrain
Years ago, skiers enjoyed a park in the Grand Massif, but it has since been scrapped and replaced with banks and trails in the forest. People who have visited the place said that it wasn’t as challenging as they though it was.
The Snow at Flaine
Snow is excellent as most of the main bowl faces north-west. Snowmaking is evident on the lower runs. The entire place is well-maintained to ensure that it attracts visitors even during the off-peak season.
Skiing in Flaine For All Skill Levels
Whether you are a champion skier or a newbie, Flaine has the ability to make your skiing experience magical and memorable. Here are some tips to put your skiing skills to good use:
For experts
Anyone would be in awe as soon as they encounter the ski experts bragging about their skills in skiing. Flaine is known for its challenging terrain, but much of it is off-piste.
Some ski areas may look safe, but you should be aware that “looks can be deceiving” and that utmost care should always be taken. The Flaine bowl has rock crevasses and potholes and should be avoided just like anyone would when encountering a glacier.
The Diamant Noir, considered a black piste, is close to the line of gondoloas. It can be a tricky path due to its narrowness and the thick density of people. The first piste is known to be the steepest, while a steep off-piste through the crags can be seen on the skier’s left of Diamant Noir.
Considered to be the best snow area is the Lindars Nord chair, which has a great slope that most people go to.
The Gers draglift is perfect for on- and off-piste experts because its terrain normally has good snow from top to bottom. The Onyx piste reaches to an almost 45-degree angle on off-piste slope. There are other black pistes that go down from Tete des Saix going to Samoens.
For intermediates
With its wide variety of pistes, Flaine is also great for people with intermediate skiing skills. Faust is a great carving territory, while Mephisto is a popular spot among skiers.
Some flat sections along the resort-level green Epices and on blue Serpentine were reported to be difficult for children. An alternative way of going to the Areolle green is to drive over the hill to the Vermont valley where a fast chair lift can be used.
For beginners
There are ski and snowboard schools in Flaine that will help you learn how to play in the snow. Friendly instructors are available to provide ski lessons that best suit your discipline and requirement.
For snowboarders
The variety of terrains fits perfectly for snowboarders and freeriders, especially since there are so many off-piste with interesting turns. Chairs and gondolas can now be used in going to these pistes. The Aujon draglift has been marked as one of the difficult pistes in the area.
Other Flaine Activities
Flaine always comes up with fun-filled winter activities for tourists to ensure that they will have such a great holiday experience. Apart from the usual ski activities, visitors can enjoy paragliding, ice quadbiking and buggy driving, ice driving and steering, snowmobiling, snowkiting, and the Big Air Bag.
Flaine Developmental Plan
Seeing its potential of becoming one of the world’s best tourist destinations, Flaine is set to undergo several construction projects to help improve its facilities and be able to serve more people most especially during the peak season. The goal is to make Flaine more stylish and modern to fit the ever-changing taste of tourists.
The next time you plan your ski holiday, you don’t need to have second thoughts to experience a different of fun. Be open to see different places such as Flaine, so that you can enjoy a new kind of skiing experience with your family and friends.
