Val Thorens in France, Europe's highest resort at the top of the world's biggest ski area, the 3 Valleys, has announced the results of its summer investment programme including piste layout improvements, more snowmaking, a four million Euro spends on upgrading its busiest lift, and a new avalanche training park.
The resort's Plein Sud piste, which four fifths of all 3 Valleys skier traffic passes along, had a 'tricky section' for novice skiers and boarders but this has been realigned and widened to make it easier for all.
Snowmaking has also been expanded with 15 new soundless snow guns in place at the base of the slopes – Val Thorens offers a snow cover guarantee for much of the season and is usually among the first three resorts in France to open, in the latter half of November, each season.
Also new on the slopes is an avalanche training park with eight beacons to discover when testing avalanche safety equipment. Free to use for all, the park will be used for training and teaching safety techniques.
Finally, again with an eye to improving the busiest sectors of the resort, 4,3 million Euros has been spent on upgrading the resort's busiest lift, the Péclet Funitel, the first major lift reached from the resort to the Péclet sector. After extensive user testing last season and a dedicated customer comment website, new cabins each capable of carrying 22 skiers, 19 seated, have been installed, which together with new automation at the stations has increased capacity on the lift by 25% and 'comfort' by 60%.