Face piste at Val D'isere - how difficult?

FEWER hotheads maybe, but the OK gets very. very, very busy towards the end of the day as people head for the scrum that is otherwise known as the bus queue at La Daille!

Hey, that Bellevarde chair lift takes you half way up (to practise)... suggest you do the first one at 9.30am, freshly pisted.
Then, when you've mastered that take the olympic bubble to the top and fling yourself off. Myself, I take the face in sections, there are steep icy bits, but they are always followed by welcome flat bits to catch your breath. While you're standing there wondering what the hell you're doing, some young whippersnapper will fly down past you, you will only see a blur.... very fast, but if you choose your timing, very do-able.

:-)

OK piste is a great run, great feeling entering the finish at La Daille & seeing all the international flags flying. Take a bow & just pretend you finished a world cup race, that's what I do.
:D
Finn

Been down a few times now. Iam not a great skier but believe it's a more mind over matter slope. Yes it's steep in places but so wide that you don't have any trouble putting in turns.
Certainly a morning run as the others have said above.
My freind has got to the mid point and bottled it so many times as he believes it's too steep. More mind over matter.
Lost a ski the first time i ski'd it and run a 5.5 din and the only thing was that 5.5 was not high enough. Run at 8 din now when doing the face and no problems since.

OK piste is Ok. That's it really. It's gentle compared to the Face.

On the Face, are the steep bits very long or narrow?
I dont mind steep so much as long as there is room to turn. I dont even mind ice so much as you can slide. I think vary narrow slopes that scare me most where I cant turn.

I think it is the Etroits lift that seem to take you half way up the "OK" run.

I did Face on my third week skiing which involved a lot of side slipping as it was very mogully. I have done it a few more times over the years and it gets easier as you know what to expect but its still a challenge.

As mentioned before it starts off like a blue but then you get the narrow road bit which if busy can be unnerving. This only last for a relatively short time before the left turn onto the bigger, wider and steeper part of the piste. It very much the same all the way down from there. I did it last in March last year just after the world cup, they were taking down the stands on that day, and there were patches on clear blue ice on it but no moguls.

My one piece of advice is do not hang around on the road bit as you may bottle it and never get onto the best bit. just go to the bottom of the road, as in the video, slow down and then turn left onto the wider, steeper piste. Before you know you will be at the bottom and having a celebratory beer with tired legs.

If in doubt of your ability, don't do it...... ski within yourself 8)

Wickers the Wise has spoken.

Good advice.