24/02/2023
By wizewebsite
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Valfréjus, French skiing in the shadow of the main ridge of the Alps<

How to do it

For more experienced skiers, Valfréjus is enough for one to two days. But that doesn't matter, because the season ticket allows you to ski in 5 other ski areas in the Haute Maurienne valley. Ski buses between ski centers are included in the price.

Valfréjus is a compact ski resort where it is almost impossible to get lost. Its backbone consists of a cabin and a seat connected to it, from which all the slopes start and end at the bottom. Accommodation and the lower station of the cable car are located at an altitude of 1550 m above sea level, and the highest cable car goes up to 2737 m above sea level. The total altitude is therefore 1187 m.

The first floor of the ski area in the forest is criss-crossed by lighter to medium slopes from blue to red. They are served by a spine cabin and several smaller lifts and seats. This area is suitable for children and walkers. Skiers will also appreciate it if it gets ugly at the top. Here you can ski even in the dark, in a blizzard or fog.

The second floor consists of a huge mountain cauldron under Punta Bagna with two more demanding black tracks and one detour blue. Several off-piste skiing routes can also be found here.

On the far side of the mountain is a second rocky cauldron towards the Fréjus pass. It is surrounded by four blue and one red slopes. You can return to the center of the action from here using a chairlift, or drive down the long snowy road through the Pas du Roc to Valfréjus.

NEARBY SKI AREAS: Ski comfort Maurienne

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Freeride

Most off-piste ski terrain here is relatively short descents between the turns of traversing slopes. We recommend that you go there only when there is good visibility, because the slopes do not provide clear orientation points.

Freeriders therefore often use intersections under cable cars, which lead safely directly under the rope.

The blue slope Combe (valley) and the following Jeu (playful) are more touristy. It surrounds the entire Valfréjus ski area and leads through a diverse landscape. Ungroomed snow can be enjoyed along the pistes, but it is not advisable to stray too far from them, as some of the local slopes subtly but quickly turn into couloirs and avalanche traps.

First we pass a large rocky cauldron. A deep saddle takes us on a long traverse. A pleasant meadow descent ends in a narrow gorge. We drive through it on a snowy road and it will lead us back to Valfréjus through a mature forest past several hermitages.

Route du Fréjus ski slope

We can extend the tourist slope by going down the legendary Route du Fréjus. This was originally a pedestrian and then a road link between France and Italy across the main ridge of the Alps. From the highest point of the Punta Bagna cable car (2737 m) we go around Lake Arrondaz (2700 m) along the Combe ski slope. We turn off the groomed track and make a long traverse to the Col du Fréjus saddle (2541 m).

From here there is an endless descent along the old Route du Fréjus road. It has a respectable altitude of 1500 meters and a length of 18 kilometers.

Valfréjus, French skiing in the shadow of the main ridge Alp

We go down the Arrondaz valley and reach the Jeu slope. We pass a small reservoir on the stream Ruisseau du Charmaix, we pass the abandoned Lavoir barracks (1920 m). We go down the road in serpentines to the Valfréjus resort (1560 m). The Rue des Bettets slope will bring us to the square.

ROUTE DU FRÉJUS: An important Italian-French link

We will cross Valfréjus with skis on our shoulders. After the last parking lot, we turn along the paved road through the forest. Here, you go mostly on snowshoes, but with care you can also go on skis. At the bridge over the waterfall of the Ruisseau du Grand Vallon stream, we pass the large pilgrimage chapel of Notre-Dame du Charmaix (1535 m).

We descend along a forest road that used to be a mountain road and today is marked for tourists as Via Alpina all the way to the highway. From there we walk down the road to the train station in Modane (1080 m) or wait for the local bus.

NORDIC SKIING: Bessans, center of biathlon and cross-country skiing

Ski passes

The six-day ski pass in Val Fréjus is valid not only for the independent winter resort, but you can also ski for one day in the other ski areas of Haute Maurienne - La Norma, Valfréjus, Bonneval-sur-Arc, Aussois and Bessans - and also in two cross-country skiing areas - Sardieres and Bramans. The ski pass is called Espace Haute Maurienne Vanoise.

Transportation

There are ski buses and/or intercity buses that run between the resorts in the Haute Maurienne valley, the routes of which intersect at the Modane bus station, and you have free transport. However, have your season ticket ready, as the drivers will want to see it for you.

From Prague to Val Fréjus you will drive 1100 kilometers on motorways through Germany, Switzerland (year-round motorway stamp) and France (tolls). So it's roughly a 12-hour drive.

An alternative route leads through Munich in Germany, Milan in Italy and Turin (tolls for motorways and tunnels).

From Modane, the center of the valley and central interchange for rail and buses, it is 10 kilometers by road to Valfréjus.

INFO: Val Fréjus

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Recommended equipment

* Avalanche equipment: finder, probe, shovel - don't forget to inform yourself about the avalanche situation in advance!* Ski equipment: alpine skis, ski poles, ski boots, ski goggles, helmet* Hiking equipment : backpack, headlamp, first aid kit, mobile phone* Warm clothes: hat, pants and jacket, gloves, functional clothes, socks, fleece or softshell.* Money, documents, insurance, compact camera or outdoor camera.

Valfréjus is a small and rather remote winter resort. Nevertheless, you will find what you need in it. There are two small supermarkets, several restaurants, and there is a self-service cafeteria at the cable car intermediate station.

A small ice rink is open on the square. There is a smaller outdoor pool.

You can order, as in most French ski resorts, adrenaline entertainment. The offer includes tandem paragliding, snowshoe trips with an instructor, an illuminated toboggan run and ice climbing.

VIDEO Valfréjus ski

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