The story of a challenge
Val Thorens was born 50 years ago from the meeting between exceptional nature and visionary pioneers (some of whom are still involved in the life of the resort); the story of an epic and harmonious human adventure, which has been built on a daily basis for four decades…
1969 – 1971: Birth of a project
An extraordinary bet from a visionary engineer, the station Val Thorens was born from the imagination of Pierre Schnebelen at a time when the growth of winter sports resorts was controversial. This real estate developer, already at the origin of several integrated ski resorts, never stopped using his skills to find funds and obtain authorizations to start a project considered pharaonic at the time: the construction of the highest station in Europe.
The marmots […] sometimes did not hesitate to enter our offices
Under the political authority of Joseph Fontanet, Mayor of the Belleville Valley, President of the General Council of Savoie and Minister, and with the help of his director of SODEVAB (Belleville Valley equipment development company), Bernard Reverdy, and the General Councilor, Ferdinand Martin and with the intervention of Pierre Josserand, one of his young comrades from Arts et Métiers, Pierre Schnebelen begins the studies and the work. Let's not forget those who played a decisive role like Pierre Le Blanc de Cernex, Michel Herenger, Francois Buisson, Jacques François, Georges Cumin and many others.
The adventure on site therefore begins around a small team, isolated but determined, which will do everything possible to exploit the enormous potential of this exceptional site.
I like these hostile atmospheres, it's like passing Cape Horn, the roaring forties
1981 – 2010: The era of innovation
Technical or commercial innovations, bold decisions and human challenges, the history of the station is punctuated by highlights which have contributed to making it an exceptional station.
We were left to our own devices, without danger here, like brothers and sisters, we grew up together […] after school we went to the Marmottons ski lift, we pressed the green button to start and we had fun for an hour!
- 1980 : Construction of the Sports Center by SODEVAB and continuation of the development
- 1981 / 1982 : SETAM, although in debt at that time, embarked on the project of building the largest cable car in the world to access an altitude of 3200 m: the Cime Caron cable car. This development is the start of a new era for Val Thorens and will position the resort among the leading winter sports resorts.
I was really born in the snow and the first time I saw grass I didn't want to get out of the car, I was worried, I didn't know what it was!
Cime Caron cable car
Built in 1981/1982, it was the largest cable car in the world at the time.
- 1985 : Anxious to quickly market the offer Val Thorens, SETAM defines and finances an ambitious hotel plan and creates the travel agency Val Thorens Round. Its mission is to organize group stays and sell the resort to tour operators.
- 1987 : Val Thorens is one of the first resorts to have a reservation center at the initiative of the ski lift company
- 1990 : In collaboration with Denis Creissels, SETAM engineers invented the concept of Funitel (two-cable carrier-tractor device with excellent wind resistance) and installed the first device of its kind at the foot of the Péclet glacier. This patent will then be transferred by SETAM to ski lift manufacturers who export the concept throughout the world.
- 1995 : Creation of the double boarding chairlift which, at the same time, makes it possible to increase the capacity of the chairlifts and improve customer comfort by giving them more time to settle in. At the same time, construction of the Maurienne/3Vallées link, by Orelle, with the construction of the longest gondola in the world in one section, which, among other things, facilitates access to regional areas and allows the real estate development of Orelle.
- 2004 : At the Oxalys restaurant, Jean Sulpice obtained his first Michelin star and became the youngest starred chef in France. It contributes to positioning Val Thorens as a high place of gastronomy at altitude and brings in its wake numerous establishments which are developing an increasingly qualitative offering. In 2009 Jean Sulpice was awarded a second star.
- 2007 : SETAM installs 2 detachable gondolas in automatic “ESO” mode (Operation without Operator): thanks to a video and security system, a single driver controls the 2 gondolas as well as the Caron cable car.
2010 to the present: Repositioning
- 2010 : Val Thorens questions himself at the dawn of his 40th birthday. To understand the challenges of skiing in a mature market and identify our strengths, we are setting up a repositioning study.
- 2010 : Opening of the Altapura in December, which the following winter will become the resort's first 5-star hotel. This is a new shift for the station with an expansion of the range. 3 other 5-star hotels will open their doors in the following years as well as a 4-trident Club Med.
- 2011 : SETAM installs 2 detachable gondolas in automatic “ESO” mode (Operation without Operator): thanks to a video and security system, a single driver controls the 2 gondolas as well as the Caron cable car.
- 2013 : first award for Best Ski Resort in the World at the World Ski Awards.
- 2014 : Jean-Frédéric Chapuis wins a Gold medal at the Sochi Winter Olympics.
- 2016 : Val Thorens becomes the first Smart Ski Resort: use of digital data to improve the comfort of its customers as well as the management of its natural resources.
- 2022 : The Board, the new Sports and Conference Center, is emerging.
- 2022 : On the occasion of the inauguration of the Board, we are celebrating our 50th anniversary during a special event.
If you reason factually, you cannot understand this place... There is something impalpable... A magic.
