The Vanoise Ski Tour traverses the largest National Park in the Alps and is well known for its abundant wildlife and excellent ski touring terrain, served by a comfortable network of huts. We make a west to east traverse of the massif, exploring wild valleys and high glacier terrain on this week long classic French ski tour.

Tour Info

This is a popular classic ski tour in the French Alps, starting in the famous Trois Vallees ski area and finishing in Val D’Isere, covering an excellent variety of terrain along the way. It is a very ‘ski focussed’ week, linking up summits and passes to ski the best descents in the region. Expect plenty of glacier skiing and some roped climbing on a few key passages along the tour. Stable snow conditions are required to complete the whole itinerary, but ski touring is possible in the area in most weather conditions.

Suitability

This is an intermediate level trip. To take part you should be at Fitness Level 3 and Tech Level 3 (see our Fitness/Experience guidelines below). You need previous multi day hut touring experience in order to join this tour.  For reference, Ski Club of GB Purple/Gold off piste ski standard is required for this trip.   As this is a multi day tour, if you haven’t skied with us before, then we may ask for a reference to confirm your experience/ski ability for the trip. The week includes 5-7 hour days with 600-1300m of climb a day, so you can expect to be skinning for 3-5 hours a day.  Type of ascent: some uplift on day 1, then 100% skinning on this tour – approx 5200m skinning up, 6450m skiing down.

Guiding ratio

One IFMGA guide skiing with 6 clients.

Included in price

• 6 days of guiding
• All guides expenses
• 2 nights accommodation in La Lechere-les-Bains, including breakfast
• 5 nights accommodation in mountain huts, including breakfast and evening meal

Excluded from price (see factsheet for extra cost estimates)

• Evening meals in La Lechere-les-Bains
• Cable cars and taxis
• Lunches and drinks
• Travel to resort
• Insurance
• Equipment hire

Hotels

Our base and meeting point is the Hotel Radiana in the alpine hamlet of La Lechere Les Bains. The Radiana is a grand 3* spa hotel, set in its own landscaped gardens, and provides a very comfortable and relaxed base from which to start our tour. Rooms are provided on a twin (or occasionally triple) sharing basis, but if you wish to book a single room please let us know and we will confirm availability. The hotel has ski and general storage facilities, so any extra luggage can be left until your return to resort at the end of the week. Evening meals can be taken in their on site restaurant.

Huts

For overnights in the high mountains we will use mountain huts. For more info please read the Using Alpine Huts article which provides an overview of typical facilities, average costs to help you budget for lunches/drinks, and general info on hut etiquette. Also, our Ski Touring FAQs page answers some of the most common questions we are asked about multi day ski touring and logistics etc.

ABTOT Protected

This trip is protected by ABTOT – Alpine Guides Ltd, Membership Number 5394.  For further information, please visit our Financial Protection page.

Subject to weather and snow conditions, the plan is as follows. Please note that this is a sample itinerary only – on trips like this, itineraries are always subject to change as the current snow, weather and avalanche conditions need to be taken into account. This is an essential part of safety planning for all backcountry skiing, so please be ready for changes as part of your trip.

Saturday

You should arrange outward travel on Saturday, arriving by 6-7pm latest in time for the briefing at your accommodation. Your guide will run through kit checks and safety routines, as well as hand out any rental equipment, before going on to discuss the current weather and mountain conditions and how these affect our plans. We’ll have maps and guidebooks of the area to show you, so if you’ve any further questions or last minute requests, then this is the ideal time to bring them up. Overnight in the valley.

Sunday

Val Thorens to Roc de la Peche Hut

A day with more down than up! The tour starts in the Trois Vallees ski area, so we take a taxi from La Lechere up to Val Thorens and ski through the system to the Col de Thorens, where we set off into the backcountry.  First we skin up across the glacier to the Col de Gebroulaz, which opens up a long glacier descent down to the Peclet Polset Hut and a final schuss further down the valley to the Roc de la Peche Hut (the hut can also be reached from Pralognan if the weather is unsettled).

Lift skiing to start, then 300m ascent, 1500m descent ~5-6hrs.

Monday

Roc de la Peche to Dent Parrachée Hut

A big skinning day!  We start with a long, 1000m skin up to the Col d’Aussois, which gives a nice spring snow descent to the Fond d’Aussois Hut.  From here, we then skin up and across the hillside to the traditional and welcoming Dent Parrachée Hut.

1200m ascent, 600m descent ~5-6hrs.

Tuesday

Dent Parrachée to Arpont Hut

Day 3 starts with another long skin, up to the Col de Labby, which often requires crampons on the final steep part.  We then enjoy a brilliant north facing glacier descent, before traversing around to the Arpont Hut via a series of ups and downs.  The hut has recently been refurbished and makes a comfortable base for the next two nights.

900m ascent, 1100m descent ~5-6hrs.

Wednesday

Arpont Hut to Col de la Vanoise Hut.

Another big day traversing the Glaciers de la Vanoise!  We start with a long ascent of the Dome de Chasseforet, which at 3586m marks the high point along the route.  A big, complex descent then follows – skiing northwards past the Dome des Sonnailles to the Col du Pelve and Col du Dard, before finally heading steeply down to the Col de la Vanoise Hut where we spend the night.

1300m ascent, 1100m descent ~6-7hrs

Thursday

Col de la Vanoise Hut to Femma Hut.

Today we head east, into one of the remotest corners of the Vanoise National Park. The day starts with a section of schussing across the broad Col de la Vanoise, before a steeper descent to the valley and the main climb of the day up to the Col de Pierre Blanche.  From here, we either make a long descending traverse across to the hut, or ski down into the valley and skin up to the delightfully rustic Femma hut.

800m ascent, 900m descent ~5-6hrs

Friday

Femma Hut to Val D’Isere.

On the final day we have the option to traverse one of four different cols across the big ridge line overlooking the hut, all of which lead to a final big north facing descent down to Val D’Isere to finish the week on a high.

700m ascent, 1250m descent ~4-5hrs

PM Taxi or bus back to La Lechere. Final night in the hotel.

Saturday

Return travel should be arranged on Saturday morning, after your final nights accommodation.

Your meeting point for the tour is the Hotel Radiana in La Lechere Les Bains, close to Moutiers and Brides Les Baines, in the popular Trois Vallees ski area in the French Alps. The most convenient way to reach La Lechere is to fly to Geneva Airport, then take a transfer bus to Moutiers. From Moutiers, a very short taxi ride (8km) back down the valley takes you to the hotel. Alternatively, you may be able to hop off the transfer bus in La Lachere before the bus reaches Moutiers, or we may be able to arrange a pickup in Moutiers from your guide. Return travel should be arranged on Saturday after your final nights accommodation.

Flights and transfers

• You need to book a flight to Geneva Airport, check Skyscanner for your best options. Then an onward transfer bus to Moutiers.
• There are usually 4 transfer buses to Moutiers each Saturday (2hr journey, ~£100 return). Book tickets on the Bensbus  website – https://www.bensbus.co.uk/
• Four Saturday return buses run from Moutiers back to Geneva Airport.

Alternatively, hire a car from any airport – driving times to Moutiers are 2hrs from Geneva, Lyon or Grenoble airports.  NB you must hire a car with winter tyres or snow chains – as you will be driving high mountain roads in winter, where special equipment is compulsory.

Other travel options

• Driving from the UK, take the ferry or Eurotunnel to Calais/Dunkerque, then 9-11 hours driving on the French Autoroutes (budget approx 90 Euros each way in tolls).
• Eurostar train from the UK to Moutiers.

Further information and travel links can be found on our Travel Planning page.

To enjoy this trip you should be comfortable operating at Fitness Level 3, and Ski Tech Level 3:

Fitness Level 3
You do 3-4 hours cv training/sport per week. At this level you are happy doing a 5-6 hr hillwalk, 40-50ml cycle or 3-4hr mountain bike ride without being totally exhausted. If you are into challenges – then the thought of doing a road sportive, or training to do a 1/2 (or maybe even a full) marathon, wouldn’t seem too ridiculous. On foot: you should be able to do the full Langdale Horseshoe: Langdale – Pike of Stickle – Angle Tarn – Bow Fell – Crinkle Crags – Pike of Blisco – Langdale in a day without finishing up exhausted. On skis: you can skin uphill at 300-400m/hr for 3-4 hrs a day (ie 8-1200m of ascent each day).

---

Tech Level 3
Confirmed Off Piste Skier. You can put down a reasonable set of tracks in powder, but difficult snow types – eg heavy wet snow, crusts, poor visibility or 40dg slopes – can all cause problems (though you can cope with them safely, if not elegantly!) *Equivalent to Ski Club of GB Off Piste Level: Purple – Advanced*
Likely to say: ‘I’d like to handle difficult snow/steep slopes more confidently in better style’
Our Advice: Off piste coaching still useful. Intermediate off piste weeks are at your level too. If you want to get into ski touring, try a touring course or intro level ski tour. If you’re an established ski mountaineer, then intermediate level tours are generally suitable.

To view all of our Ski Fitness Levels and Off Piste Technical Levels, please visit our Ski Ability page.

If you need to top up your fitness for this trip, please see our Ski Touring Training Advice page.

Off Piste Ski Ability Levels

To join this trip, you need to be skiing at Tech Level 3 or higher on our 5 point scale. Use the descriptions above and the following video to help work out your current off piste ski ability level.

Hut to Hut Touring Equipment List

Just remember, every extra kilo on your back knocks 10% off your enjoyment on the descents – so try and keep the weight down!

Technical Clothing

• Waterproof Jacket – preferably lightweight and breathable
• Overtrousers/ski pants – preferably with side zips
• Fleece mid layer – or equivalent
• Socks – specialist ski socks or a warm loop lined pair of mountain socks
• Wicking thermal top – not cotton please…
• Thermal leggings or ski pants
• Thin inner gloves
• Warm ski gloves or mittens, if you suffer from cold hands
• Warm hat
• Spare fleece/lightweight duvet jacket

Personal Items

• Water container – at least 1 litre
• Personal medications and blister kit – regular meds, zinc oxide tape, compeed and painkillers etc
• Lightweight head torch
• Ski goggles
• Sun glasses – CE rated 3 or 4 with side protection
• Sun and lip cream – factor 30+
• Wallet, passport, Alpine Club/BMC card (hut discount) and insurance docs

Hut Overnight Items

• Small wash kit
• Spare lightweight t-shirt/socks/pants
• Silk sheet liner
• Ear plugs
• (Hut slippers for indoor use, blankets/duvets and pillows are provided by the huts)

Technical Equipment

• Rucsac 35/45l – try and avoid ones covered in too many features, just ski and ice axe attachments required
• Ski mountaineering boots
• Skis with touring bindings – lightweight pin binding setup required. Heavy freeride setups not suitable. Older style bar/rail bindings (Fritschi Freeride, Marker Duke etc) not allowed – please update your kit!
• Ski strap – to keep skis together on your rucksack if we need to carry them
• Ski poles – with good size 5cm+ baskets (telescopic poles are not needed)
• Climbing skins – they come with the skis if you hire your kit
• Harscheisen (ski crampons) – they come with the skis if you hire your kit
• Metal snow shovel – must be a full metal shovel (plastic blades don’t work in real avalanche debris!)
• Avalanche probe
• Avalanche transceiver – must be a modern digital model (older analogue models are now obsolete)
• Harness, with 120cm sling and locking karabiner
• Crampons – lightweight model
• Ice Axe – lightweight model
• Ski Helmet – lightweight ski touring or backcountry model preferred.  Wearing a helmet is compulsory on descents and may be needed on other parts of the route depending on conditions

Your guide will have all other safety kit, first aid and survival equipment.

Recommendations and Advice
Visit the Knowledge Base section of our website, where we publish an annual review of the years best new skis, boots and touring equipment, plus a range of other interesting tips and recommendations. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, please get in touch!

Purchasing Equipment
Backcountry UK in Otley offer an excellent ski touring boot fitting service, one of the best ranges of ski mountaineering equipment in the UK and top notch advice.

Hiring Equipment
Please visit our Equipment Hire page for recommended hire shops in your resort, and Alpine Guides hire equipment price list (safety equipment is provided free of charge on certain courses – please consult price inclusions).

For this trip you must have specialist travel insurance providing medical, emergency search/rescue and repatriation cover for off piste skiing and ski touring, as outlined in the trip itinerary. We also strongly recommend that you purchase cancellation cover, in case you’re unable to attend your trip due to personal circumstances or injury. Please arrange your insurance as soon as your trip is confirmed to run.

Further details can be found on our insurance info page.