Off-piste ski areas in Val Thorens

Off-piste skiing in Meribel

Méribel Village - Altiport

• Dent de Burgin: From the Loze Express chairlift, follow the Boulevard de la Loze track towards Dent de Burgin. Halfway along, drop right for wide-open powder fields. Only ski this area if the track is open, as avalanche risk is high when closed.
• Loze Express: Beneath the chairlift, there's a popular off-piste run that gets busy quickly after fresh snowfall. On a powder day, catch the first lift and try skiing through the trees for fresh tracks, all the way to Méribel Village.

Méribel-Mottaret

• Côte Brune: You'll find fresh powder all around this chairlift. A short hike from the lift can lead to incredible descents with untouched snow. Check with ski patrollers at the top for safe routes before heading out.
• Roc de Tougne: Accessed via the Combes lifts, this area features long off-piste runs either side of the drag lift. Traverse at the top to find untouched powder.

Méribel Centre - Tougnète

• Olympic to Raffort: From the Olympic Express chairlift, hike along the ridge to access untouched slopes. The further you hike, the steeper the descent. Watch out for the stream at the bottom and follow the Villages piste to Les Allues

Off-piste skiing in Courchevel

The easiest and safest off-piste is the Bel Aire area above Courchevel Moriond, either side of the Pyramide, Signal, and Chapelets.

The tree areas in Courchevel are great for catching some fresh snow and playing off-piste.

With a short hike from the famous Grand Couloir piste, there is excellent off-piste skiing in the Petit couloir or in the Croix de Verdons couloir if you don't mind climbing a little further. Also, the Equinox pitch, a 15-minute hike from the top of the Chanrossa chair, is one not to be missed out on a powder day.

There are also the well-known off-piste areas of Col du Fruit and Vallée des Avals, that will take you far away from any pisted areas. 

Please only venture off the marked runs in the company of a guide or instructor. Only they have the essential local knowledge necessary to avoid avalanche-prone and dangerous terrain, and they will also find the very best snow. Check out our avalanche safety guide before you set off.

Before heading off-piste

Before you head off piste, here's a few things you should be thinking about:

• hire a guide!
• take a course in avalanche awareness and practice the techniques learned
• look at the weather and avalanche forecasts for France, reviewing the degree of local avalanche risk also
• don’t ignore advice given by local mountain guides or others if advised to ski a certain path, or to keep a specific distance between fellow members in a group
• plan the route carefully, evaluating all different options and assessing all elements of danger. Look at the timings for each route. Inform others of your route, and when you expect to arrive back
• attach your transceiver properly TO YOU and DON'T FORGET to turn it on, test the signal is working, and make sure you have all the necessary equipment.
• a transceiver is of no use if the user has not been trained in its use, it is turned off, or it is in a rucksack - unless you want just your bag to be recovered

Read more about understanding avalanches and how to try to avoid them.

More inspiration...

Take a look at this year's ski pass prices or find your way around with piste maps for Val Thorens.