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Our 5 Favourite Off-Piste Runs in Val d’Isere
If you love off-piste skiing and escaping the marked runs, then Val d’Isere is one of the best ski resorts in the Alps. You’ll find some of the best off-piste in the Alps, and thanks to its altitude, there are reliable snow conditions. From wide-open powder fields to steep chutes, there’s some incredible off-piste in Val d’Isere.
Five of our favourite off-piste spots are: La Banane, La Table d’Orientation, Le Couloir des Pisteurs, Le Couloir du Lavancher, and La face nord de la pointe pers. Read on for more details about each one.
With so much incredible off-piste skiing in Val d’Isere, choosing five off-piste runs is almost impossible. We have tried to include a run from each main off-piste ski area to give you a taste of the incredible terrain available.
La Banane
Easy access straight from the Olympique cable car opens up multiple options.
La Banane is one of the most popular off-piste routes in the Espace Killy. Offering a 900m vertical drop with absolutely no effort. However, if you want fresh tracks, you must be up early. The easy access means it quickly tracks out.
The southeasterly aspect means the slope gets a lot of sun exposure, and the snow quickly transforms. As always, when skiing off-piste, you need to be incredibly aware of the weather and the impact this has on avalanche danger.
Check out this Video of Leo Tailleffer off-piste on the bottom half of the Banane run.
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If you’re new to off-piste skiing, this is a great run. You don’t need to hit all the bumps and jumps and can enjoy a long uninterrupted descent.
To find the start of the run, follow the Piste de Face from the top of the Olympic cable car. When the piste bends to the left, continue straight through a gap in the rocks, usually blocked by a danger sign. There is a prominent rock on the right-hand side. As you progress down, you need to be aware of a rock band that will run on your left-hand side. Depending on snow conditions, there are a couple of couloirs and ways to get through. They can be pretty narrow.
La Table d’Orientation
A short but steep walk from the Olympique lift, perfect for experienced skiers.
La Table d’Orientation is an incredible couloir opening onto a wide open powder face, offering beautiful views of Val d’Isère. If you’re lucky enough to ski this on a powder day, it will be a run you’ll never forget. As off-piste skiing goes, this ticks every box. There are incredible views, you’re away from the crowds, and there is a great challenging descent.
As you exit the couloir, be aware of off-piste skiers below you. You’ll join the Cairn off-piste run, which can be quickly and easily accessed from the piste and, as such, is often skied first. Even if there are no skiers, you might need to be aware of tracks, especially if you’re travelling at speed.
Here is Planks athlete and local legend Tim Blake joining the main couloir from an alternative entrance of the skier’s left.
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And a second showing the regular entrance.
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To access this off-piste run, you exit the Olympique Cable Car, turn right and follow the tracks towards a series of aerials and a metal staircase. Climb to the top of the stairs and proceed along the ridge until you reach a couloir on your right between two big rocks.
If the first couloir is already tracked out, you can explore what locals call the back door. As you look down the main couloir, turn to your left, and you’ll see the start of a Via Ferrata sneaking behind the rocks. Follow this for 20 m, and you’ll find a second couloir that’s rarely skied.
Le Couloir des Pisteurs
A steep and narrow North Facing Couloir. In some places, it is only 2 – 3 metres wide.
When viewed from the top of the Olympique lift, this couloir looks steeper than it is. It got its name from the myth that only the pisteurs (ski patrol) could ski it. The is a much smaller, easier couloir called moniteurs (ski instructors), but we’ll try not to take that personally.
While not as steep as it looks, a fall at the top of the couloir could have serious consequences.
Head up the grand pré chairlift as if following the tour de Charvet. At the top of the lift on your left, you’ll see a ridge running out towards the rocher du Charvet. Follow this fridge for about 200 m. If you’re the first person and are breaking trail, watch your step as there are many holes in the rock below the snow that are very easy to fall into. About 30 m before the very end of the ridge, you’ll find a funnel-shaped couloir on your left. This is the start of the run. It is essential to ensure you’re in the correct place as there is a false summit with a funnel-shaped couloir. However, this couloir leads to massive cliffs.
The top 50 m of the couloir are the most challenging. It is pretty narrow and can often be quite chopped up, depending on how often it has already been skied.
At the end of the narrow section, you’ve three main options. The left-hand option will drop you into a nice wide couloir protected from the worst of the wind and often has incredible snow. If the visibility is poor, this can also be a great option, as the rocks give you more definition. The centre line is the easiest of the three and stays nice and wide without being too steep. The far-right line is the shortest but other than the narrow section about 2/3 of the way down. There is nothing to worry about. If you take the right or centre options, you must be aware of the second rock band, and either traverse to your left or memorise the way through it.
Les Danaides
An incredible two-part descent. Starting with a great open face before funnelling into an incredibly fun tree run with many different drops and features.
The top section of this run is visible on the piste map and starts from the top of the old Solaise chair lift. However, the whole run should be skied with caution as there are several rock and cliff bands if you take a wrong turn. The terrain isn’t as sedate as it looks on the piste map. From the top of the old chairlift, ensure you don’t go too far skiers right, as you’ll end up above large cliffs that overhang Piste L.
The first 30 seconds of this video in show the top of the Danaides trees. The following minute is mainly shot on the east face of the Charvet, another run that could easily be included in the top 5 off-piste runs in Val d’Isere.
La face nord de la pointe pers
An incredible 1350m north/northeast descent accessed by a mere 100m of vertical ascent.
Pointe Pers starts with a super steep 45-degree face, which can be accessed at three different points. The first entry you arrive at is generally the safest and most accessible. The 2nd entrance is the most exposed and takes you onto the face above a cliff band. The last entrance is either brilliant or a complete no-go. This runs from the most westerly point of the ridge and, in good snow conditions, is a great little gulley.
After the initial steep pitch, the face mellows out and opens into a wide glacial tongue. Here, you can let your skis run and enjoy carrying some speed as you carve GS turns.
Before you ski this face, you must check whether the gorges Malpasset are open. As this will affect how far you can continue down the valley. If the gorges are closed, and you want an easy traverse out. Then we suggest traversing left before the black rock shaped like a shark fin. If you stay high and traverse left, you’ll find yourself back in Val d’Isere.
If the gorges are open, or you don’t mind a quick skin, you can ski down to the refuge de Prariond. We believe even if you have to skin out, it is worth the work. Please don’t try and go through the Gorges if there is thin snow cover and they’re marked as closed. They can be incredibly dangerous.
To access Point Pers go to the top of the Montet ski lift and walk up to the ridge that heads west past point pers, which you can see on the left. You can hike this, but it is considerably quicker and easier if you use skins. Whichever entrance you use, be aware of cornices along the ridge, several of which overhang massive cliffs.
A QUICK REMINDER ON OFF-PISTE SAFETY
Off-piste skiing and snowboarding are incredible ways to escape the crowds and explore the mountains. But it can also be dangerous. You must carry all necessary avalanche safety equipment, including an avalanche transceiver, shovel and probe. You can buy all the avalanche safety equipment from Ellis Brigham in-store and online.
We recommend attending a mountain safety course to learn the essentials. Including how to assess the avalanche risk, navigate safely off-piste, and perform rescues. If you’re heading off-piste but don’t feel comfortable with the above, then it is likely that you may be better placed to explore these runs with an off-piste guide or as part of an off-piste course. New Generation Ski School offer off-piste courses in Val d’Isere for all levels of skier or boarder.
Whether you’re just making your first turns away from the groomed slopes or have years of experience ski touring, our guides will help you find the best runs, and while we can’t guarantee a powder day, we can find you the best snow!
