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Top tips for first time skiers in La Plagne 2018/19

Where to stay and where to ski on your first visit to La Plagne

featured in News & reviews Author Stuart Hamilton, La Plagne Reporter Updated

So, you’ve chosen a first winter sports holiday to La Plagne? Good choice, very good choice. Together with Les Arcs, this huge domain makes up the massive Paradiski area, the world’s 4th largest ski resort. And, as most locals will tell you, La Plagne has some of the best beginner and early intermediate terrain of any resort, anywhere on the planet.

The first – and really the most important – thing you need to work out when coming to La Plagne is where you’re going to stay. It is a resort of many sides, a collection of 12 satellites, each with their own personality and strengths. Your choice of resort influences a lot, from the difficulty of the runs on your doorstep to your ease and speed of accessing other areas. It also influences après and, let’s face it, a skiing or snowboarding holiday should always have a bit of good après. In a resort like La Plagne, this varies hugely from station to station.

Where to stay

As a rule, the higher you go up the hill, the livelier the resorts become. The lower satellites like Montchavin, Les Coches, Montalbert and Champagny-en-Vanoise are all rather quiet – very beautiful but rather quiet. They’re perfect for families or those happier with more sedate nights, mostly focused around restaurants. Aime 2000, Plagne Villages and Soleil are, in the main, also quite quiet. Nightlife tends to revolve around restaurants – though there are of course some bars too. Climb a little higher and you’ll get to much better and more varied après in places like Plagne 1800, Plagne Centre, Plagne Bellecôte and Belle Plagne. In La Plagne, you need to think wisely what kind of holiday you want before choosing where you stay

Top tips for first time skiers in La Plagne 2018/19

The higher resorts

Perhaps most importantly though, your choice of base will also have a bearing on the suitability of the runs on your doorstep. If it’s quick access to easy pistes you’re after, you’d be hard pushed to find anything better than the higher resorts of 1800, Plagne Villages, Plagne Soleil, Plagne Centre, Bellecôte and Belle Plagne. All have doorstep skiing and snowboarding with some great beginner runs right outside the main accommodation. All these resorts are also above the magic 1800m line which pretty much means guaranteed snow from the start of the season to the end.

Top tips for first time skiers in La Plagne 2018/19

The lower resorts

If you’re in the lower resorts, you’ll also find some good beginner terrain but they are obviously less snow-sure so can be more unpredictable at the start or end of the season before a proper base has come down. La Plagne has invested heavily in snow cannon for these areas – and the resort also does a great job of shovelling snow around in low-snow years to keep the most important routes open – but it’s still worth remembering these resorts are around 1000m lower than the main area.

Top tips for first time skiers in La Plagne 2018/19

Ski lessons

Another big tip – and this applies to any ski or snowboard holiday anywhere – but, if you can, take a few beginner lessons before you leave your home country. It’ll make a world of difference to your time on the mountain and will save you losing the first few days mainly falling over, unable to explore the best of the resort. La Plagne has an absolute wealth of fantastic blues – the kind of terrain that’s easily within reach of even the most timid beginner skier or snowboarder. Taking some lessons, finding your feet and having a solid foundation really will make all the difference to your first few days. Hunt out your local drymat or snowdome and spend a few hours learning the ropes. You will be thankful for it later as it will allow you to explore more of this great resort. 

Top tips for first time skiers in La Plagne 2018/19

Beginner areas - Montchavin & Les Coches

While there are some very challenging runs dotted across La Plagne, most lifts also access blue or green options – meaning beginners really can get a sense of travelling around and aren’t just limited to the total beginner zones. In terms of the best runs and areas, here’s where we’d recommend for your first few days.

In Montchavin and Les Coches, absolute beginners will find some good zones right next to each village where you can find your feet. After a few days, though, you’ll want to get out and explore the winding blues that run between the trees below Dos Rond. Runs like Mont Blanc and Pierres Blanches are easily within the grasp of most beginners. Sticking to the Mont Blanc run will give you a massive vertical drop of over a kilometre. Not bad for just a beginner run!

Top tips for first time skiers in La Plagne 2018/19

Beginner areas - Plagne Bellecôte & Belle Plagne

As with most villages in La Plagne, you’ll find very good beginner areas right next to Plagne Bellecôte and Belle Plagne but, again, you’ll soon find yourself wanting to head out and explore. The Arpette lift out of Bellecôte gives access to a succession of mellow blues that will lead you right back to town. This area is bathed in sun most of the day too, perfect for building confidence on the wide open, flowing pistes. There’s even a magic carpet at the top if you’re still intimidated by chairlifts. The Les Blanchets and Colosses chairs out of Bellecôte also access a huge array of easy blues, all very much within the capacity of early beginners.

Top tips for first time skiers in La Plagne 2018/19

Beginner areas - Plagne Soleil & Plagne Villages

Most novice skiers and snowboarders have difficulties with drag lifts, and Plagne Villages has a rather savage one in the shape of Aollets. It’s probably best avoided by even intermediates as it has a wicked kick at the start followed by some steep sections and a couple of kinks and down-sections in the track. Consequently, if you’re in Villages, you’re likely best to head down into Centre. There’s also the option to walk over to the Bergerie chair, which is also pretty much where you’ll end up if you’re staying in Plagne Soleil as it runs directly along the front of most of the accommodation. Bergerie is a ski school favourite making it ridiculously busy from about 10:00 onwards (it’s actually the busiest lift in the entire resort) though it does serve some very good beginner runs. If you can, though, it’s best avoided for repeated use and better used to access the Bellecôte side or get over to Plagne Centre.

Top tips for first time skiers in La Plagne 2018/19

Beginner areas - Plagne Centre & Plagne 1800

The 'Front de Neige' in Plagne Centre and Plagne 1800 is perfect for absolute beginners with a variety of very easy, low gradient slopes to pick up the basics. It’s also where most of the ski and snowboard schools meet. The Boulevard piste that runs under the Le France apartment complex is ideal for beginners trying those first tentative turns. As you find your feet, the huge bowl above Centre awaits with some great cruising blues. In particular, the Colorado chair gives access to some fantastic, undulating terrain which beginners will love. Capella is a great blue with some gradient changes to test your newly honed skills. Plagne 1800 has a dedicated beginner area handily located near some bars if you find you need to take a break. However, once you’ve improved a bit, your best bet is to take the Melezes chair out of 1800 and up to the Boulevard or Bergerie chairs.

Top tips for first time skiers in La Plagne 2018/19

Beginner areas - Aime 2000

There’s a very good beginners’ zone right outside the back of Aime 2000. This naturally flows into a variety of blues leading down to Centre once you’ve found your confidence. However, the best area, and the one which also happens to have the best views overlooking Mont Blanc, can be found off the Golf chair. This area is wide open and just the right pitch for learning. More adventurous, improving beginners can stay on these runs down onto Cornegidouille and either take the new Envers chair back up or continue down to La Roche. There’s also the option to link onto the Pravendue blue and exit out all the way down at Plagne Montalbert.

Top tips for first time skiers in La Plagne 2018/19

Beginner areas - Plagne Montalbert

There is a small beginner area located just above Montalbert but, really, there’s not much reason to stick around here when by far the best beginner zone lies way above on the summit of Le Fornelet at 1970m. The snow is always much more reliable here too, plus the Montalbert gondola is fast and has great views. As a total beginner, you’ll probably take the gondola back down but, for improving riders, there’s a multitude of fun blues where you get lost winding through the trees. In particular, the Montalbert blue is a great run for building confidence.

Top tips for first time skiers in La Plagne 2018/19

Beginner areas - Champagny en Vanoise

As a beginner in Champagny, there is basically only one option: to take the newly-refurbished gondola out of town and get up to a great beginner's area at the top of the lift. The views here are astounding in the shadow of Grande Casse and looking down over Les Trois Vallées. As you improve, the blues up here are some of the most fun in the whole area and remain fairly quiet most of the day as they’re off the beaten track. Try the runs off the Rossa lift for some really great terrain, suited to most levels.

Stuart Hamilton is the Creative Director of Snow-GuruSnowboard-App and Ski-App - a range of Android skiing and snowboarding apps aimed at improving your time in the mountains. He also runs iRide Ski and Snowboard app, available for both Apple iOS and Android.

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La Plagne is a great resort to build up your confidence on the ski slopes. So book your accommodation and pay us a visit, you won't regret it!