The size of the Val d'Isère is simply overwhelming, especially compared to our humble little Sugar Bowl back home. The vertical is at least double that of Sugar Bowl: over 4000 feet of vertical are achievable in one run down. Barb's ski tracker recorded that run to be 5 miles long!
Val d'Isère and adjoining Tignes have no less than 42 modes of transport up the mountain including an assortment of rope tows (yes, these mitten shredders from my childhood still exist!), Poma lifts, T-bars, chairs, some holding up to 8 people, gondolas that hold from 4 to 12 and cable cars that hold dozens. Additionally, there are a couple of funiculars – cable pulled trains that go straight up through the mountain and come out on the other side. No orderly lift lines here… the French method of getting to the lift is to push your way through to the front, then wait for your friends.
This gondola, known as Vallon, with it's rose tinted windows, wrapped around the mountain for several miles and it was just the middle lift of 5 lifts to get to the top! That included one of the longest Poma lifts that I've ever been on, which had 2 Pomas, side by side, and included two curves and a steep upper section… no wonder it said 'experts only' at the bottom.
Val d'Isère and adjoining Tignes have no less than 42 modes of transport up the mountain including an assortment of rope tows (yes, these mitten shredders from my childhood still exist!), Poma lifts, T-bars, chairs, some holding up to 8 people, gondolas that hold from 4 to 12 and cable cars that hold dozens. Additionally, there are a couple of funiculars – cable pulled trains that go straight up through the mountain and come out on the other side. No orderly lift lines here… the French method of getting to the lift is to push your way through to the front, then wait for your friends.
This gondola, known as Vallon, with it's rose tinted windows, wrapped around the mountain for several miles and it was just the middle lift of 5 lifts to get to the top! That included one of the longest Poma lifts that I've ever been on, which had 2 Pomas, side by side, and included two curves and a steep upper section… no wonder it said 'experts only' at the bottom.
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