Peisey-Vallandry

Peisey-Vallandry, France

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Peisey-Vallandry

Located at the heart of the 1992 Savoie Olympic Region, and at the entrance of the Vanoise National Park. Skiing began above this group of three small resorts 20 years before its internationally better known neighbour, Les Arcs, was constructed. The lifts of each now inter-link and more recently Peisey finds itself on the Les Arcs side of the spectacular Vonise Express cable car link to La Plagne and thus at the heart of the combined giant Paradiski area.

Summary

The French ski resort of Peisey-Vallandry is in the French Alps at an altitude of 1,600m5,249ft, with 32km20 miles of marked runs.

Peisey-Vallandry is part of the Paradiski area with access to 425km264 miles of downhill skiing, with 475 marked pistes, served by a total of 141 ski lifts. In addition to the skiing in Peisey-Vallandry itself (32km20 miles of pisted ski runs), the appropriate ski Lift Pass will allow you to ski or snowboard in the other Paradiski ski resorts of La Plagne and Les Arcs.

The ski resort itself is at 1,600m5,249ft, so skiing or boarding back to the resort is usually possible. With ski lifts as high as 2,300m7,546ft, snow cover is generally reliable.

Ski Area Stats

Peisey-Vallandry Overview

Peisey-Vallandry (sometimes called Peisey Nancroix) is made up of five main villages of which three are currently lift served. The two purpose-built but attractive villages of Plan Peisey and Vallandry and the key mountain stations at 1600m where the Vanoise Express arrives on the 'Les Arcs side' of the new Paradiski area. Below them the traditional village of Peisey Nancroix at 1100m is linked by a gondola (it was also originally just Peisey, the original village of Nancroix is a few kilometres down the road and linked by a bus only so don't get confused!). The fifth village, Landry, is away down the foot of the valley and not lift linked to anywhere. On the other hand it is well placed based if you have a car to quickly reach both Paradiski and the Espace Killy of Val d'Isere - all on the Olympic Ski ticket.

Located at the heart of the 1992 Savoie Olympic Region, and at the entrance of the Vanoise National Park. Skiing began above this group of small villages 20 years before its internationally better known neighbour, Les Arcs, was constructed. The lifts of each now inter-link and in the coming season fame and fortune should be secured as it is here that the incredible Vanoise Express, the Les Arcs - La Plagne link, actually lands. The Vanoise express lift carries up to 200 people in its double decker cabins, takes 4 minutes to reach La Plagne and travels up to 380 vertical metres above the valley floor.

Peisey-Vallandry's skiing has a reputation of having the most sheltered and sunniest slopes on the Les Arcs circuit so it's a good idea to stay local when the weather closes in.

 Notable Ski Runs

The longest possible descent in Peisey-Vallandry is 7km4 miles long.

Skiing

Peisey-Vallandry is actually better placed than most of the Les Arcs stations to make the most of the whole Les Arcs (and La Plagne) ski areas with their 420km (260 miles) of runs. Arc 1950 and Arc 2000 are just over the back of the mountain from the two area, La Plagne across the valley and Arcs 1600 and 1800 along side - so Peisey-Vallandry is now, in fact, the hub of the whole Paradiski area. Most of the local runs are blues and reds, including the lovely long cruiser Aigle from the top of L'Ours chair all the way back to resort.

Experts may have to go a little further to keep them happy but the legendary 7km (4.5) mile long black from the top of the Aiguille Rouge down to Villaroger is worth the effort, one of the world's longest blacks it covers the world's biggest vertical for a run of this grading, a full 2000 metres. There are plenty of other challenges including mogul runs like the Dou d'Homme.

Despite the homely nature of Peisey-Vallandry, the off piste and high mountain skiing opportunities are vast when you consider the full range of options at Les Arcs and la Plagne, plus ease of access to other famous ski areas nearby. The Bureau des Guides is the place to go for advice and a range of tours, plus heliskiing over the border in Italy (heliskiing is illegal in France). One route you might like to try, given the lack of a marked piste to accompany the new lift between La Plagne and Les Arcs is the increasingly frequented off-piste route between the two giant areas, a great excursion returning via the Nancroix forest.

Peisey-Vallandry offers good sking, particularly, for Expert and Intermediate skiers.

Snowboarding

The Peisey - Les Arcs area claims to be the home of snowboarding and certainly some people were sliding around on the slopes here on something very similar to a snowboard a few years before Jake Burton hit the headlines in the early '80s. Some of the famous 'Apocalypse Snow' movies that first popularised the sport were initiated here.

The area is very 'boarder friendly with a combination of value accommodation, great terrain for all styles and abilities and as many chairs and gondolas as surface lifts (rare for a French resort). The terrain park Appacalypse above Arc 1600, which is also open to skiers, has a wide variety of features including diverse humps and mounds which making it an attractive and interesting site where everyone can find something to suit their taste and level. There are also tables, hips, a funbox, a pyramid, big and small gaps.

Aprés Ski

Given the spread of these small villages and under exposure to loud northern Europeans, this is not the place to go for an action packed nightlife. However there are a few choices depending on where you are based. La Taverne du Relais in Peisey Village is a good bar with pool table. On the mountain Le Jimmy's Bar is the best place for après-ski in Vallandry. Most of the other options are within restaurants.