What's New in 2009-10
BOOK YOUR HOLIDAYWhat's New in 2009-10
The beginners pampered on the ski area!
This winter, Val Thorens installs the beginners in a cocoon by creating 10 new hectares of easy ski, open freely to beginners (investment SETAM 1,5 M€).
4 new fast magic carpets covered by « design » glassed-in tunnels, come to revolutionize the traffic of skiers on the snow front:
• « Castor & Pollux », 2 twin magic carpets covered on 240 m long, triple innovation
- only one tunnel for more comfort
- Speed record in France for a better service
(Carring capacity: 3000 pers/hr – speed: 0,5 to 1, 20 m/s).
- 2 running direction for an up/down use and an easy access to the ski schools meeting point
• « Musaraigne (shrew) et Campagnols (vole mouse)», 2 successive magic carpets ( 200 m long) at the heart of the Grenouillère de Péclet serving each, their own secured beginners area out of the way from experience skiers.
With those magic carpets, the skiers can also easily join the upper part of the resort, such as the Cascades chairlift, which leads towards the firsts green and blue slopes. Ideal for a real gradual learning and for a different discovery of the ski area !
NOVEMBER 2009 : A NEW CONNECTION BETWEEN ORELLE AND VAL THORENS
STOR and SETAM, the ski lifts of Orelle and Val Thorens, combined their efforts to recondition the connection between their 2 ski areas with 8,5 M€ of investments.
Discover the new ROSAEL detachable chairlift with high reliabilty to the wind (debit 2600 skiers/hour = no queue !) and the new blue slope of the CHAMOIS which allow an easy access towards Val Thorens. Val Thorens and Orelle, it’s the same skipass !
Idea « unusual walk » : with Rosael 2009, the pedestrians can go up from the Maurienne Valley which represent a difference in heights of more then 2200 m without efforts !
SUMMER 2009 : DOUBLING OF THE WATER RESERVE FOR A BETTER MANAGEMENT OF THE MAN MADE SNOW
The new reserve of the Moutière (108 000 m3) allows to dispose of bigger water supplies and to limit the water debit on the natural environment. Very appreciable profit during the period of low water, in the winter.
To improve the performance of the snow network and to insure the quality of the opening in November, new pumps have been installed with the new reserve, offering a instant debit 50% higher than usual.
5 news artificial snow makers, entirely reserved for the Snowpark will make the joy of the riders with modules shaped from the very firsts days of the season !
SETAM speed up : investments of 4,5 M€ in 2009 for man made snow
MTB on snow, a new winter activity
At 3000 m of altitude, at the foot of the Péclet Glacier, offering a sumptuous decor of high mountains, hurtle down on a MTB the 700 m of difference in height of the 6 km long “Tête Ronde” blue slope.
Accessible to the athletic ones and experienced mountain bikers, 2 nights per week. Start after the closing of the slopes accompanied by Gérald Bigot, qualified instructor, for a sporty descent and an adrenalin rush. Apprehend the glide on a MTB, the position on the bike, breaking, turns and eventually some falls for more than 45 min of descent at nightfall (6 km). Reward at the arrival : mulled wine for everyone!
Price: from 40 € the descent. MTB and protections included.
A new conceptual mountain restaurant: Club Open Air at 2400m
Like its big sister located in Val d’Isère, coexisting in the same typically savoyard building, the Fruitière and the Folie Douce will be the prerequisite for a well deserved break whilst on the 3 Vallées slopes. If the first one accepts its chic and gastronomic side, the second one will arise as the trendy spot claiming the title of Club Open Air at 2400 m of altitude.
Imagined by Luc Reversade, the concept of the Folie Douce and of the Fruitière install the dance floor spirit on the Val Thorens slopes.
A double catering space, the Folie Douce and the Fruitière have an authentic dairy farm decoration. You can sample till 3.30 pm a sophisticated cuisine made with fresh and seasonal products really often coming from organic farming and local producer.
Outside there is a terrace of 700 m² and its furniture designed by Starck, a real dance floor on the slopes. 17 m long, the body of the counter, made with red wood, will be supported by stone columns. Overhanging, a big balcony with a sound control will welcome a DJ booth and musicians will play live while in the VIP room, similar to the ones in classic clubs, you will be able to rest in some huge white sofas before going back on the pists.
Jean-Pierre Roux: +33 (0)6 07 37 79 79 – Dominique Tournier: + 33 (0)6 33 68 09 34
http://www.cyclopevr.com/sites/lafoliedouce_valthorens/
The highest cooking lessons of Europe orchestrated by a starred chef !
Every Sunday afternoon, Jean Sulpice invites the holiday-makers backstage !
The young starred chef (1 Michelin star) will share its two indivisible passions:mountain and cooking.
Apron and toque adjusted, come and discover the universe of the Oxalys restaurant, located at 2300 m, and the creative and inventive cuisine of the chef.
During 2 hours, get closer to the secrets of cooking and its unique proprieties related to the high altitude and discover the variety of the savoursthat local products have to offer during the creation of 5 meals.
The tasting of this pre-dinner brunch will be accompanied with a glass of champagne.
Cooking lesson for 8 persons.
Price: 60 € per person.
A new logo for Val Thorens
Created at the resort beginning, with for only modification the typeface in the 90’s, the ‘’rainbow’’ logo was going obsolete and did not reflect the image of a lively and innovative resort anymore. The will to pursue the promotion of Val Thorens as one of the biggest international ski brands lead the Tourist Office to consult 6 agencies to rethink its visual identity. Bearer of the positioning of the resort, this logo answers several graphic (colours stability, proportions, visual impact…) and strategic criterias. Expression of freedom and change in scenery, it embodies the experience of altitude and the dynamism of the resort.
L’Ecole de la Montagne
Carole Gros, a mountain guide, funded L’Ecole de la Montagne (literally “The Mountain School”) with the aim of sharing her knowledge of wildlife, as well as of human life, in mountain environments through her passion for snowshoeing. Every week, the school offers a comprehensive hiking program around Val Thorens to discover the mountain at your own pace. Each hike has a theme.
Carole Gros
+33 (0)6 61 12 57 74
postmaster@ecoledelamontagne.fr
www.ecoledelamontagne.fr
When Val Thorens tells its story…1969-2009
It has been a 40 years long adventure to equip the ski area of Val Thorens with ski lifts: from the first drag-lifts in the white desert at 2300 m of altitude, without any accommodation, till the building of innovative equipment (cable car, funitels). This book « Val Thorens 1969-2009, 60 ski lifts in 40 years » relates the history of each drag-lift, cable car and gondola lift transporting the skiers on the Val Thorens’s slopes.
Precise, technique, illustrated with new photos, those 148 pages tell about the creation of a unique heritage ensuring today, about 18 millions passings of skiers.
Available at «Decidre» bookshops in Savoie and Haute-Savoie as well as in the resort.
Price: 35 € - French/English - Inverse Publishing.
Theme Weeks and Special Deals
Plug in to a winter that dances to the special rhythm of its theme weeks: the magic of Christmas, the madness of Carnival, Gastronomy Week, Easter…and don’t forget the special all-inclusive packages (accommodation, lift tickets, aquaclub, entertainment).
Val Thorens Proudly Wears Its New Family Plus Mountain Label
As a Family Plus Mountain Resort, Val Thorens is proud of its reputation for being a family-friendly mountain. Whether it’s hosting, providing equipment or organizing special entertainment for kids, Val Thorens is committed to making your whole family’s stay as pleasurable and rewarding as possible. More details.
3 new trails for pedestrians
3 trails for pedestrians and snowshoers, allowing them to discover Val Thorens from a new point of view. A detailed trail map is available for free at the Tourist Office.
Ski-taxi
Enjoy the pleasure of skiing while being comfortably seated in a chair equipped with a pair of skis, with your legs fully stretched out and your head leaning on a headrest. Standing behind the machine, an instructor will drive you through amazing landscapes, allowing you to experience and enjoy special moments and great emotions with your family. Anyone can use this service, but it is especially meant for non-skiers, seniors or disabled people.
Ecole de Ski Internationale Proneige : +33 (0)4 79 01 07 00 / info@prosneige.fr / www.prosneige.fr
Val Thorens Tourist Office
Maison de Val Thorens
Phone: +33 (0)4 79 00 08 08
Fax: +33 (0)4 79 00 00 04
E.Mail: valtho@valthorens.com
