Winter sports and activities in Val d’Isère | Val d’Isère : Alpes ski resort

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Fatbike in winter on snow
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Yann ALLEGRE

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Two people on an electric Fatbike on the path behind the Richardes residences in Val d'Isère
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Yann ALLEGRE

Fatbiking with Wattsup Fatbike to explore the Manchet valley

Let Fred or his parents, Lieve and Wim, take you on a mountain E-bike tour across the snow! Because their fatbikes have wide, studded tyres that can handle such conditions.

This was our experience:

In the sector of Le Manchet, Le Fornet or La Daille, they’ll take you exploring along the most beautiful trails of Val d’Isère. Your bike’s powered assistance means you don’t have to be a top athlete to enjoy this activity, which we tried for the very first time in Val d’Isère.
There are a few prerequisites, however; you must be at least 1.40 metres tall and know how to ride a bike.
10.30am. Our Fatbike tour was to start at the small cabin near the foot of the slopes, near the Olympique cable car. We were met by Lieve and Wim, our guides for this 1½-hour bike ride in the Manchet sector. Here, the multi-activity trail is shared between cross-country skiers, snowshoers, dog-sledders and fatbikers.
If, like Xavier, you have plenty of biking experience, you might fancy showing off your skids and wheelies! Otherwise, like me, you can just enjoy a beautiful bike ride in the snow and the occasional thrill when you pick up speed!

Book your Fatbike tour with Wattsup !

Snowshoeing in the Fornet sector

One of the best ways to appreciate the full beauty of the mountains is to go snowshoeing. This is the ideal activity for nature lovers and anyone who wants to switch off from the modern world for a while.

We chose Le Fornet for our back-to-nature experience. From there, you can walk to Saint Charles bridge following either a groomed trail or a section along the Isère riverbank before rejoining the trail. Without a doubt, it was the riverbank path that gave a whole new meaning to being at one with nature.

Amid the beautiful scenery and the sound of the river, you soon forget about the ski slopes you’ve left behind. We noticed there’d been snowslides in places, a reminder that you should always check on conditions before venturing into the mountains, or call upon the services of a guide. For your information, the groomed trail can also be taken on foot, cross-country or touring skis, or by fatbike. Take your pick!

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Women's biathlon shooting
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Bonnet Caroline Photographie

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Biathlon pairs
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Bonnet Caroline Photographie

Biathlon with Léna from Mountain Ski Academy

We tried biathlon for the second time, another super-fun activity, especially if, like me, you love the rifle stands at funfairs!

For this activity, we met Léna Arnaud, a former biathlete. Like Xavier, she’s from Jura and well into cross-country skiing, naturally! She’s very enthusiastic, good at explaining biathlon techniques and full of advice about shooting positions, breath control and, of course, cross-country skiing.

We tried the lying-down and standing shooting positions, which are completely different because it’s much harder to shoot accurately when standing up, especially after the physical effort! Léna also lent us some excellent cross-country skis, a far cry from our usual rented equipment from our parents’ generation!

Book your biathlon experience

Cross-country skiing through the pines

To me, cross-country skiing is for good skiers, as it’s usually done away from the ski resorts, to explore across the mountains and into remote places. It’s a sport that requires physical fitness, a degree of skiing experience and good knowledge of the mountain environment. Not only that, but cross-country skiers often have to deal with difficult conditions, such as deep snowcover or hardened snow.

In addition to being physically fit and having skiing experience, cross-country skiers must be properly equipped to deal with any situation. They have to carry a shovel, an avalanche transceiver and a probe… which they must know how to use! They must also be well-informed about the risk of avalanches. For all these reasons, cross-country skiing is, in theory, not a suitable sport for novices. There are, of course, a few prerequisites, such as a reasonable level of fitness and the ability to ski down a slope.

Val d’Isère has 2 cross-country ski trails that are marked out and therefore “safe”. They are located off the ski slopes, which are generally out of bounds to cross-country skiers and snowshoers. Thanks to the “On Piste” app, we had no trouble finding all the information we needed about the itinerary and could even track and save our route.

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Ski De Rando En Couple
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Bonnet Caroline Photographie

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Ski De Rando Homme
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Bonnet Caroline Photographie

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A happy man on the footbridges of the Village Perdu in winter at Val d'Isère
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Bonnet Caroline Photographie

So off we went along the Brinzeï cross-country skiing trail from La Daille. Just past the gondola lift, we picked up a path to the right of the slope and, from there, we got completely off it. Even though we could see, through the trees, the gondolas and skiers in the distance, we still felt totally disconnected from the rest of the world. This is a fairly easy cross-country route, despite the 450-metre elevation gain. It requires no particular technical skills, such as kick turns, and is therefore accessible to anyone who fancies trying this activity and is reasonably fit.

After a 2.5-km climb, we arrived on the slope near the Folie Douce restaurant. From there, we skied down the slopes like any other skier. On the way down, you can visit the Lost Village via an off-piste shortcut through the forest, before joining the slope again! The Lost Village is a playground among the trees, with rope bridges leading from cabin to cabin and to the eagle’s nest.

The Aquasportif Centre for a well-deserved break

Before leaving, we went there to relax after 3 days trying new activities in Val d’Isère. This sport and wellness complex features different facilities, for sports and energetic activities, a sense of wellbeing at the beach, a relaxation lounge, etc, with access to the swimming pool, aquagym sessions, a spa and a gymnasium fitted out for football, volleyball, basketball, badminton, squash, climbing and more.

There really is something for everyone and a wide choice of indoor activities. As for us, we enjoyed a quick session in the spa before leaving Val d’Isère, to relax our muscles and give our bodies a break. It’s certainly a lovely place to have fun letting off steam when the sun isn’t shining or when you just fancy a break from skiing!