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La Plagne The notion that this resort offers little in the way of advanced skiing needs to be eradicated. La Plagne also has it all in terms of accommodation, offering traditional chalets and cosy hotels as well as apartments perfect for partying with friends. Despite the large percentage of family guests, La Plagne does have some decent nightlife. La Mine Bar is an English pub with a twist: it’s mining themed. There’s a DJ and regular live music as well as live sports shown on TV. Le Saloon Bar in Belle Plagne has a late-night disco open till 5am, if you can stay on the dancefloor that late after a day of intense, adrenaline-fuelled skiing… Skiing Although it is primarily known as an intermediate resort, there are opportunities aplenty for advanced skiing in La Plagne. The black runs of the Montalbert Valley and the bumpy runs of Les Charmettes are usually reserved for mogul competitions, but if there’s no event on feel free to tackle them if your skills are advanced and you dare... The steepest runs are to be found on the Bellecôte Glacier and are a really stern challenge. There are a couple of great blacks up there to test you, and they’re worth trying in any snow conditions. If there’s fresh snow, there’ll be plenty to enjoy between the runs as well. The mogul field reachable by the Traversee chair lift is visible for miles and miles, the moguls are that big! The field itself is over 200m long and will be a real test for even the most advanced skiers. Off-piste This is where La Plagne really offers some spectacular skiing. The areas around Macot, the Coqs couloirs and the Montalbert Valley offer a real draw to advanced skiers. For these options, be warned that you will need excellent snow conditions to be able to tackle them, and that you will end up beyond the lift system and need to catch a taxi back to the resort. There is also incredible lift-accessed tree skiing in the resort, not to be missed by those who can tackle it. The best is situated on the wings of the resort, while there are also some really nice itineraries leading down to Macot at 800m. The Gros Glacier (The North Face of the Bellecôte Glacier) Don’t even consider attempting this without a guide, but thrill-seekers cannot miss this ultimate adventure of skiing the glacier. Just check out some of the videos online and you’ll laugh in the face of anyone who describes La Plagne as being a bunny slope with no advanced skiing options! Involving a really testing combination of abseiling and walking along terrifyingly narrow couloirs, as well as the inside knowledge of a trained guide, an adrenaline junkie’s trip to La Plagne would be incomplete without tackling this glacier. Belinda Smythson works for Ski Amis, a specialist ski travel agency and booking service that has been helping avid skiers craft their perfect winter holiday for over a quarter of a century. If you're looking for the best advanced skiing and accommodation in the Three Valleys, Paradiski, Espace Killy or Chamonix Valley, Ski Amis is the go-to company for winter sports fans searching for the holiday of a lifetime.
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