Discovering Orelle – the secret 4th valley of Les 3 Vallées
Discovering Orelle – the secret 4th valley of Les 3 Vallées
Published : 21-Dec-2022 10:34
Iain Martin from The Ski Podcast reports from his recent trip to Orelle in France
Most skiers have heard of the mighty Les 3 Vallées. With 600km of pistes to explore, it is the world's largest ski area, and features the world-famous ski resorts of Courchevel, Meribel and Val Thorens.
Less well known is the small resort of Orelle, which sits in the Maurienne valley, one ridge of snowy peaks further on from Val Thorens.
Orelle is more a collection of rustic hamlets than a resort. It's not the right choice if après-ski is high on your agenda, nor if you are determined to ski to the door at the end of every day's skiing.
However, if you want to access all that the Les 3 Vallées has to offer without breaking the bank, and to experience a vrai French ambiance, then Orelle could be the answer.
There has been a gondola and chairlift combination linking the village to Val Thorens since 1996, but the opening of the new telecabine last season was a gamechanger.
Skiers can now reach the Cime Caron above Val Thorens in less than 20 minutes from Orelle, via an upgraded gondola to the mid-station at Plan Bouchet (2350m), and then the new Orelle-Caron lift to the summit at 3200m. The latter takes just five minutes and at 7 metres/second is one of the fastest ski lifts in France.
From the top you can ski directly into Val Thorens or Les Menuires. Two more lifts and you can be in the Méribel valley.
Not that the Orelle bowl has nothing to offer itself. Thill-seekers can take the highest zip wire in Europe, starting at 3230m at the top of the Bouchet chairlift, while the Lary blue piste winds its way through what feels like an undiscovered valley itself.
When you need a break the Chalet Chinal Donat at Plan Bouchet has self-service options, but also a restaurant with a reputation that brings gastronomy fans from even the Michelin-star-packed resort of Courchevel.
At the end of your day's skiing, the gondola will take you back down to resort where guests of the three-star Le Hameau des Eaux can relax in the wellness area. Or if some digital detox is what you're looking for then why not try the simple, but eco-friendly 'Cabouette' igloo pod.
Travelling to and from the resort is easy. There is free parking for 450 cars at the foot of the resort, but it's particularly good for anyone wanting to travel by train. The Paris-Milan TGV stops at Modane, just a ten minute taxi ride from Orelle and only takes four hours from Paris. [Find out more about train travel here]
Don't take too long to discover Orelle…the secret is out!
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