Valmorel modernises
VALMOREL HAS BEEN MODERNISING, for dozen years…
The Valmorel ski area and the SOFIVAL group – the public service delegate responsible for running the ski area in the Vallées d’Aigueblanche community of municipalities – have been investing to modernise the ski lifts and improve the customer experience, summer and winter alike.
Every season, major new investments are made in ski lifts, slope works and the safety of the artificial snow network on the Grand Domaine.
In total, over the last 7 years, more than €40 million has been invested in modernising the Valmorel ski area.
Winter 2024/25: a season full of new things
Snowtubing : the must-do experience, whatever the season
Looking for some thrills in Valmorel? Try Snowtubing !
Speed down one of the two slopes specially designed for this fun and friendly activity. Comfortably installed in a large buoy, this original activity is suitable for all the family. Adrenalin and thrills guaranteed, winter or summer!
A new playground for beginners at the top of the Planchamp gondola
You asked for it, we made it.
Discover THE great new feature of this winter’s Valmorel ski area: a new beginners’ area awaits you at the top of the Planchamp gondola!
Ideally located in the heart of the ski area and bathed in sunshine all day long, this area is just a stone’s throw away from many other activities. For the best possible learning experience, a 160-metre covered magic carpet has been installed, allowing beginners to effortlessly get up the slope and multiply their descents.
This self-service area is accessible to all, with a dedicated passage for more experienced skiers.
Bonus: this winter beginners’ area is transformed into a Bike Park for new mountain bikers in summer.
The Pirates Village is getting a makeover this winter
Discover the brand new wooden Pirate Castle! Designed for children looking for adventure, the castle is open to all little sailors, whether on foot or on skis. And what about accompanying adults? They, too, can take enjoy an area laid out with large picnic tables to relax, curled up in a deckchair with an exceptional panorama as far as the eye can see.
The very first picnic room on the Valmorel Ski Area
At the bottom of the Biollène chairlift, there’s a new indoor/outdoor picnic area in an exceptional setting. Take advantage of a large terrace for a meal in the heart of the resort, and on snowy days, sit inside undercover.
Review of recent investments
2023-2024
Planchamp
In December 2023, the new gondola provides direct, fast and comfortable access to the ski area from the pedestrian street in the heart of Valmorel.
The new gondola can transport all categories of customers with ease: skiers, pedestrians (summer and winter), mountain bikers, paragliders, beginners, people with reduced mobility...
2022-2023
DVA Park
Dedicated to off-piste skiers and professionals alike, this area allows you to test and practise using your avalanche transceiver. Located at the top of the Pierrafort gondola, a transmitter and receivers allow you to practise searching for several victims in a well-defined area. The nearby ski patrollers are on hand to provide any safety advice you may need.
2020 - 2021
Côte Soleil drag lift
Thanks to the re-profiling of the Côte Soleil drag lift, access to the Valmorel ski area from Le Pré and La Charmette is now more comfortable, adaptable to your level of ability and more reliable. This is an important gateway, as parking is free and new tourist residences have sprung up.
The 6-seater chairlift at La Biollène
A strategic link between the Grand Domaine and a snowy cocoon offering a wide range of winter sports activities, this is the lift that handles the most passengers in a single winter season on the Grand Domaine. The replacement of the fixed-grip 4-seater chairlift at La Biollène and the 2 drag lifts at l'Arenouillaz with a single detachable 6-seater chairlift has revitalised this easy skiing area, where ski lessons, families, teenagers, pedestrians and freestylers all come together.
Express sales point in Doucy
In 2020, a stand-alone skipass recharging point was added to the Doucy sale point, enabling customers to recharge their skipasses themselves over a much wider range of hours (from 7:30am to 10:00pm).
2019 - 2020
The Mottet 6 seater chairlift
A favourite spot for expert skiers, the steep, north-facing slopes of Le Mottet are now quickly accessible since the fixed-grip chairlift at Le Mottet was replaced by a much more comfortable detachable chairlift. It takes less than 6 minutes to reach an altitude of 2400m and enjoy the best powder!Another major advantage is that the Pointe du Mottet is now accessible to non-skiers, as the new lift allows pedestrians to get on and off, and at the top they can enjoy a breathtaking panoramic view of the Alps.
The Mottet and Voiles du Nant cable car
That year, the ski area installed 2 cable cars:
- one in the Riondet sector for freeride skiers,
- and secondly to the Voiles du Nant high-altitude restaurant and to the Altispace on the way down.
New automatic skipass sales machines
Valmorel will be equipped with 2 new skipass vending machines to make purchasing easier and give everyone quicker access to the slopes. These self-service machines allow you to buy or top up skipasses at express sales points. They are available in the hamlets of Crève-Cœur and Le Bourg, next to the ski lift ticket offices.
2017 - 2018 and more...
Guaranteeing snow
As part of the renewal of the DSP (delegated public service) contract signed for 35 years between the CCVA and the SOFIVAL group, a new investment dynamic is being set in motion from 2017.
In order to guarantee snow conditions from the start of the season, the Valmorel ski area has embarked on a project to optimise and modernise its artificial snow network, for example by equipping it with new low-pressure fans, which will substantially increase snow production at marginal temperatures while limiting water and electricity consumption.
This system is currently being deployed on the following strategic routes:
- The link with Doucy Village,
- The return to Valmorel via the Traverses slope and the Combe du Morel,
- The Grand Domaine link between Valmorel and St-François via the Valette and Grande Combe slopes.
By December 2023, we will have 218 snow guns and 31% of the Valmorel-Doucy ski area (excluding the St-François-Longchamp ski area). The long-term aim is to be able to ski at altitude, to go to Saint-François Longchamp and to ski back easily throughout the season on the main blue routes.
- Snowmaking network: 23 km
- Snow-covered area: 92 ha
- 158 dual-fluid (pole) snow guns and 60 types of fan guns.
2012 - 2013
The Stade drag lift
Valmorel believes in young people and in the future of skiing and all snow sports. In support of the Valmorel Ski Club, major work has been undertaken to install the Stade drag lifts and enable young competitors to train in the best possible conditions throughout the winter season.
Redevelopment of the sales area in rue du Bourg in 2013
To improve the welcome and comfort of our customers, the main sales outlet on Valmorel's pedestrian street has been completely refurbished. More spacious and brighter, it's also easier to find the package that's right for you, thanks to harmonious signage.
2010 - 2011
Pierrafort gondola
In December 2011, the old Pierrafort gondola lift, which dated back to 1981, was replaced by a new-generation cable car with an open station to keep the footprint to a minimum. The starting point was lowered to the hamlet of Crève-Cœur (whereas the old lift started at the hamlet of Mottet, at the top of Télébourg).
This popular line is also one of the busiest, both for expert skiers heading for the more technical Mottet sector, and for beginners accessing the Malatrai beginners' area at an altitude of 2,000m.
The Malatrai carpet
To cater for the ever-growing number of novice skiers, the beginners' area, which at the time consisted of a single drag lift, was extended to include a learning carpet, which was easy to access and open to all, even without ski school supervision.Located at the top of the Pierrafort gondola lift, in an area that remains well covered in snow until spring, this beginners' area guarantees "first glide" skiing from December to April.
The Morel 6-seater chairlift
The Grand Domaine's ski slopes cover almost 3600 hectares, and the link between the Pierrafort and Beaudin sectors used to be via the Morel chairlift, which had a reputation for being difficult (with several angles) and above all very long...As part of the Valmorel Ski Area's ongoing development project, linked to the arrival of new tourist beds, this link is now via a new detachable 6-seater chairlift, which flies over the Morel stream and the combe of the same name. It now takes 6 minutes to reach the top of Arenouillaz!
Our new slopes
And let's not forget... the Pirates' new fun slopes:
- ValmoCross (2007) 
- Chemin Pirates (2012) 
- Le village Pirates(2013) 
- The snowpark of Beaudin(2015) 
Official partner of the Valmorel ski area 
