Ski La Plagne - Ski or Snowboard in La Plagne

Ski La Plagne - Ski Resort and Snow Summary

La Plagne (Paradiski), Savoie, France (1250m to 3250m)

La Plagne came top in a computer assessment of 3000 ski resorts world-wide. It has 10 different bases, six purpose - built, four traditional, offering the ubiquitous 'something for everyone'. The resort has pioneered the installation of high capacity chairs , especially 'six-pac' six seater high-speed detachable chairs (capacity 3000 skiers per hour each). La Plagne was lift linked to nearby Les Arcs for the 2003-4 season after many years of planning. La Plagne is also famous for offering additional on-slope activities including the popular Olympic bob-sleigh run available for recreational use.

La Plagne Ski Facts

La Plagne in brief La Plagne Ski Resort is:- Excellent for Expert Skiers. Fantastic for Intermediate Skiers. Excellent for Beginners. Fantastic for Snowboarding.

for Expert Skiers for Intermediate Skiers for Beginners for Snowboarding    18 Black Runs    33 Red Runs    69 Blue Runs    10 Green Runs 225km Downhill Pistes 90km Cross Country Trails 109 Ski Lifts 2000m Max Vertical 3250m Highest Lift 2100m Resort Altitude 1250m Lowest Piste Full Page Map of La Plagne

The French ski resort of La Plagne (in Savoie) is part of the Paradiski Area with access to 425km of downhill skiing, with 475 individual pistes, served by 141 ski lifts. In addition to the skiing in La Plagne itself (225km of pisted ski runs), the appropriate ski Lift Pass will allow you to ski or snowboard in the other Paradiski ski resorts of Les Arcs, Montchavin-Les Coches and Peisey-Vallandry.

The ski resort itself is above 1500m, so skiing or boarding back to the resort is usually possible. With pistes above 2500 metres, skiing and snowboarding is assured throughout the season.

Snowmaking :- La Plagne is able to augment natural snow, on 50km of ski runs, with 359 Snow Cannons.

Ski Lift Capacity :- The 109 Ski Lifts of La Plagne are able to uplift 129,000 skiers / snowboarders per hour.

Skiing in La Plagne

On the slopes La Plagne can offer something to suit all tastes. There are wide motorway pistes, short sharp blacks and terrain that varies from glacier to powder snowfields and forest. All in all the 225km (140 miles) is the largest amount of skiing offered by one resort anywhere and the 2000m top-to-bottom vertical is pretty vast also. If that's not enough for you tickets purchased for six days or more also valid for a day each in other top Savoie Alps destinations from the '92 Olympics such as the Espace Killy and Trois Vallées. More convenient though is the Paradiski link be the spectacular Vanoise Express double-decker cable car to the Les Arcs ski domain across the valley, more or less doubling the skiing available from your doorstep. Indeed Paradiski is one of the world's biggest ski areas.

All of the skiing above the altitude villages is also above the tree-line and most of it below their level is below it - on trails cut through the forests down to Plagne Montalbert and Montchavin Les Coches. The runs down to Champagny are over the back of the snowbowl. The vast majority of the skiing appeals to recreational skiers, more than the 'die-hard' variety who will find a more limited number of blacks than at some of the other top resorts. For those with a bit of realism who don't need the machismo image that they aren't actually a part of in order to enjoy their annual skiing week though, La Plagne can't be bettered.

Experts will be happy anyway, especially if they sign up with one of the ski schools to tackle the under-rated off-piste or attempt the sheer near 2000m vertical down from the north face of the Bellecôte glacier, one of the world's longest and toughest runs . Beginners also have some good nursery slopes, a huge choice of tuition deals and a free surface lift by every village of La Plagne.

La Plagne's commitment to winter sports has long been evident with its own Club des Sports established in 1962 to encourage domestic talent. Famous Club members include Eric Labourex, five times Freestyle World Cup circuit winner) and most recently Jean Luc Crétier, winner of the Men's downhill at the Nagano Olympics. There are no less than 11 different Ecole de Ski Français operations in business from the different villages. Each offers a wide variety of tuition options but also individual schools have unique ideas. The ESF in Montchavin for example has a guided off-piste 'Ski total' course whilst Plagne Bellecôte's school has carving-ski courses.

At Aime la Plagne the 'Modern stages' package introduces students to the different modern methods of sliding as well s offering advice on improving technique and powder skiing. Apart from the ESF there are yet more choices the Oxygène school operating out of Plagne Centre or Eric Laboureix's 'El Pro' school. Evolution 2, based in Montchavin limits class sizes to 8 participants.

Good skiers may wish to participate in the popular free night-time (floodlit) parallel slalom races at Champagny on Tuesday evenings during the Christmas and February holidays. There are cups for winners and prizes for competitors. Finally cross-country skiers have about 90km (57 miles) of loipes to enjoy.

Snowboarding in La Plagne

La Plagne's boarding keeps getting better with ever more parks and ever bettewr high speed chair lifts to get to them. There is plenty of wide open cruising runs and the ski schools will show you the best of the powder fields. There is a boarderX now. Terrain parks are lopcated at Belle Plagne, Montchavin and Champagny with a half pipe in Bellecote.

La Plagne Après Ski

There are many late night bars and video bars with karaoke and concerts for night owls, each with their own atmosphere. In Plagne 1800 the Bar Etoile and Couleur Café are popular and Bar La Nice the most famouds, whilst in Plagne Centre the No Blem Café, which sometimes has live music, is the place to be after dark. The Matafan Bar in Belle Plagne has a rustic French ambience and the Lincoln Pub in Plagne Soleil is another good choice. There are of course just a few of the many and later on there are also five discothèques to choose from.

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