Tignes Skiing Revealed

Tignes is made up of a number of small hamlets, each with its own local pistes all connected by the lift network. There is plenty here to keep you busy, but you can always venture further afield into the Espace Killy should you wish! The Espace Killy piste map shows the pistes and ski areas of both Val d'Isere and Tignes, and gives you a broad picture of how everything is linked. There's a whole load of skiing to be done in the Espace Killy area! For a more detailed map when you get on the mountain, pick up a paper copy of the piste maps from the lift company when you buy your pass.

The Espace Killy is located in the Tarentaise area of the Savoie department in the Northern Alps, and is the name given to the combined ski domain of Tignes and Val d’Isere.

Named after France’s Olympic downhill skiing champion, Jean Claude Killy, the ski area offers over 300kms of pisted skiing and some of Europe’s most spectacular scenery. The area remains a firm favourite with both the British and French because of the huge variety of ski terrain available. The Espace Killy is dedicated to all aspects of skiing, and is set to host the World Skiing Championships in 2009. ... see "Where to go in the Espace Killy for..." for more

Tignes is approximately equivalent in size to Val d’Isere. During the winter months, it offers 47 ski lifts which include a funicular railway, a cable car, 24 chairlifts and 19 drag lifts, enabling you to ski round the 150 kilometres of pisted terrain.

Tignes has a variety of skiing for all levels and can be split into four areas, La Grande Motte Massif, Palet/L’Aiguille Percée, Toviere and Les Brévières. The Grande Motte offers a good choice of wide open blues, but it can often be deceptively cold on the glacier, and not always conducive to learning. There are a number of cruisey intermediate runs and although there’s not a huge selection of blacks, you can try the 'Sache', a long black run from the top of the L’Aiguille Percée to Tignes Les Brévières - it provides some fierce moguls and challenging skiing. ... see "Tignes Skiing Area" for more

Val d'Isère is located in a steep valley and it is these steep slopes that have attracted the hard core skiers since the resort opened for downhill skiing in the mid 1930s.

There is a vast choice of slopes in the high Alps where intermediate skiers and boarders can sample the stunning views and learn from those on the steeper pitches, on the bumps and in the snowpark. ... see "Val d'Isere Skiing Area" for more

The Tignes Snowpark can be found at the bottom of Les Lanches lift in Val Claret and is the largest in the world covering 1,600 vertical feet and 2-1/2-km. It boasts a quarterpipe and halfpipe, a boardercross course and a plethora of table-tops for skiers and boarders alike.

The annual Tignes Airwaves event sees some of the best riders in Europe competing here on obstacles such as the enormous expert pipe; but for us mere mortals the park is reshaped to more do-able proportions once the competition is over!

The smaller park at La Grand Motte is kept in tip-top condition year round and has another half-pipe and some tabletops for you to practise on until the main park reopens for the winter.

If you have an Espace Killy lift pass the Valpark in the Bellevarde/La Daille sector of nearby Val d'Isère is also well worth a visit.

With such a big ski area to explore, it's sometimes good to have a little bit of inside information… For your pleasure, we’ve compiled a list of our favourite runs throughout the Espace Killy and suggested some itineries for you to try. There are also sections on where to find the best off piste, where you're most likely to find the quietest pistes, and where to find the nicest mountain restaurants for lunch. Happy exploring! ... see "Where to go in the Espace Killy for..." for more