La Plagne offers it all for skiers

The high-altitude French ski resort of La Plagne has a bit of something for everyone, writes Eoin O’Sullivan

It's obvious that the weather is one of the prime considerations for a lot of people when determining the where and the when of upcoming holidays. And it’s meteorological matters that are currently on the minds of active types nationwide as they turn their attention to booking upcoming winter ski getaways. Again it’s the weather conditions and more accurately, the guarantee of decent snow conditions, that’ll be the all-important factor for many when it comes to down to deciding where and when to go.

It’s well known that France has some of the most snow-sure ski areas in Europe, with many of the resorts purpose-built at higher altitudes to help ensure reliable access to the best snow. Other factors such as glacier skiing and north-facing slopes are also among the key considerations when on the hunt for the perfect pistes. But at its simplest, booking a high-altitude resort can be your best bet for decent snow conditions early, throughout, and late into the ski season.

This was borne out on a recent mid-April trip with directski.com to La Plagne, in the Savoie department of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of the French Alps. It was late into the season, but conditions were still superb, and with 70% of the ski area above 2000m, you’d have to wonder if it was ever going to be otherwise.

The resort of La Plagne comprises seven purpose-built high-altitude villages and the ski area that surrounds them, together with four further lower linked villages. This collection of 11 altitude and village sites combines to form one of France’s largest linked ski areas, and yet La Plagne itself represents just one half of the 425km-wide Paradiski domain that also includes the neighboring and similarly extensive resorts of Les Arcs and Peisey-Vallandry.

A favourite of families, La Plagne is a great resort for beginner skiers and snowboarders owing largely to its whopping 72 beginner-friendly blue slopes. The resort also has six designated nursery or beginner areas with five free beginner lifts, meaning there is plenty of space to perfect your snowploughs and your parallel turns. While you can ski directly into all of the high altitude villages, the large number of blue pistes running into Plagne Bellecote make this village a popular option for those new to the slopes.

La Plagne’s extensive 225km ski area has it all, from glacier skiing up on the Glacier du Bellecote at 3,250m to the wide open bowls around the two biggest villages of Belle Plagne and Plagne Centre. Well above the tree line, these two bowls again offer a range of wide gentle blue runs and lots of good, intermediate red runs, of which there are 30 in all across the whole resort.

Many of the more challenging black pistes, of which there are 15 in total across the resort, are to be found beyond the ridges above Plagne Centre and Plagne Aime 2000 in the Le Boilley sector of the resort. There is also plenty of off-piste options for the more experienced skier, with many of the off piste routes centred around the glacier.

Similarly, untouched or fresh snow can be found in abundance on the many runs through the trees on the way down to the lower villages, perfect on bad weather days when visibility is poor higher up the resort. Montchavin at 1,250m and Les Coches at 1,450m have a range of enchanting tree-lined intermediate pistes that add another dimension to the resort. It’s from here that impressive 200-person Vanoise Express cable car links with Les Arcs. It takes about 7-10 minutes to get from one ski area to the other.

Visibility was the determining factor on our first day out. With the glacier shrouded mist at 3,250m we opted to explore the lower runs down to Champagny-en-Vanoise at 1250m. We made our way down from the top of Les Verdons, stopping off for our mid-morning coffee on the outdoor terrace at Le Chalet des Verdons Sud. With breathtaking views across the valley to Roche de Mio and the resort highlight Levasset blue run that flows down towards Champagny, this was a coffee stop to rival any.

We rounded out our first day, after taking in many of the slopes around Belle Plagne, with a thrilling run down the Colorado Luge above Plagne Centre. This is definitely one the kids will love, as the one-mile self-steering sledge ride provides more than enough thrills and spills.

Our second day in the ski area was spent taking in many of the runs from Grand Rochette down to Belle Plagne and on down to the chocolate-box village of Plagne 1800, where we were based during our stay. Plagne 1800 is again a family favourite with a host of wide blue pistes running straight into the ski in ski out village, a peaceful, quaint gathering of low-rise traditional chalets surrounded by pretty, alpine forest.

Thankfully, the weather obliged on day three of our visit, and we got a chance to take in some of the skiing around the Glacier de Bellecote. Admittedly, the skiing is a bit more of a challenge in this area, but it’s well worth the slightly longer gondola ride and the views, as expected, are spectacular.

As if the red and black runs around the glacier weren’t enough of a challenge, we rounded out the end of our third and last day in the resort, with an adrenaline-pumping dash on the Super Tyro Zip Line which runs 600m from Aime la Plagne to Plagne Centre. Reaching speeds of up to 90kmph, this is another one the kids - and some parents - will absolutely love.

While La Plagne as a single resort can seem somewhat fragmented, and at first even daunting, given the nature of the 11 separate villages at the various altitudes spread out across the whole of the 225km ski area, what in fact it represents is an abundance of targets to aim for each day out on the pistes and also a huge range of options when it comes to choosing the perfect base for the duration of your visit. And, with so much on offer, it’s no surprise that La Plagne is the most visited ski resort in the world, with more than 2.5 million visitors a season on average.

Overall, it’s fair to say that La Plagne has a bit of something for everyone. It offers an extensive range of skiing for all abilities across a spectacular and varied terrain, and all at altitudes that ensures access to the best snow conditions throughout the ski season.

THE ESSENTIALS

WHERE WE STAYED:

We travelled to La Plagne with Directski.com. With weekly flights from Dublin, Directski.com operates a huge range of catered chalets and self-catering apartments at the resort.

They also have chalets in Les Arcs, Meribel, Val d’Isere, La Tania, Val Thorens, and La Rosiere.

We stayed in the uber-comfortable Chalet Alisier in Plagne 1800, where prices start at €1,046 per person sharing, based on travel in January 2019.

Price includes return flights from Dublin with a 20kg luggage allowance, return transfers, canapes on arrival, breakfast each day, afternoon tea each day and six evening meals, three- course, including wine, taxes, a L’Occitane gift and your chalet host on hand for great local advice throughout the week.

Designed to cater for all, from large groups to couples, the four-star catered Chalet Alisier hosts an openplan living and dining area which provides plenty of space for guests to relax and mingle and enjoy having meals served up to them in the evening.

Although the chalet concept is not traditionally popular with Irish skiers, it is a fabulous way to learn about and experience the resorts, as guests eat together and mingle in the chalet common areas.

Situated 150m from the Plagne 1800 chairlift, Chalet Alisier also features a spa area complete with sauna and outdoor hot tub ensuring that weary bodies get tended to following a challenging day on the pistes.

WHERE WE ATE (AND DRANK):

Ski into and out of Chauffe Marcel, situated on the Lovatiere piste just above Plagne 1800, to sample some quality local, artisan fare. The outside terrace also hosts a lively apres-ski set depending on the day, complemented by spectacular views of Mont Blanc in the distance.

The views from ultra-modern Le 360 restaurant, at the top of the Montalbert gondola, are not to be missed.

WIth self-service on the ground floor and a restaurant on the first floor, all tastes are catered for here. No trip to the region would be complete without sampling a traditional Savoyarde fondue or tartiflette.

Savoyarde cooking is based on a staple diet of cheese and potatoes and reasonably-priced Le Chaperon Rouge does it to perfection.

The apres-ski scene is certainly more lively in some of the larger hubs in La Plagne but Bar Le Mine in the heart of Plagne 1800 is one watering hole well worth a visit. With a lively apres-ski scene, there is also regular live music most evenings from 10.30pm til late.