Worldwide Ski Resorts • France • Flaine

Ski Insurance Flain

Overview

Purpose built popular Flaine nestles in a massive snow bowl and comprises three main settlements and one satellite village. It is the centre of the Grand Massif circuit which offers over 265kms of skiing between Flaine, Les Carroz, and Samoens. It is well planned with the majority of the runs leading back to village level.

Profile

Popular Flaine nestles in a massive snow bowl and comprises three main settlements and one satellite village - Flaine Foret (1700m) above the main centre Flaine Forum (1600m) with Flaine Front de Neige (1500m) lower down. It is the centre of the Grand Massif circuit which offers over 265kms of skiing between Flaine, Les Carroz, and Samoens. It is well planned with the majority of the runs leading back to village level. Supposedly traffic free Flaine Foret is linked to Flaine Forum by free funiculars which operate 24 hours a day. Hameau de Flaine is a newer, attractive development of 65 Norwegian style chalets which is bus linked to the main centres. Flaine is especially popular with families who appreaciate the range of convenient accommodation, easy access to the slopes, and many amenities close at hand to the accommodation centres. What much of the building block 60s architecture lacks in finesse and aesthetics is compensated for by convenience, and the very limited walking required, plus the excellent range of slopes.

Mountain Information

Overall the network of Grand Massif lifts leaves little to be desired in terms of spread and choice. Flaine itself has 75 lifts serving 49 green runs, 58 intermediate standard runs and 18 difficult runs. There are few real traffic bottlenecks even if some of the uplift must be about due to be replaced. Main access up from Flaine is the Grandes Platieres cableway which feeds a spread of red and blue runs down to Samoens 1600 or back down to Flaine. In total there are 5 gondolas, 24 chairlifts, and 45 drag lifts throughout the area with an uphill capacity of 34,000. The 17 Samoens lifts are a mainly a mix of longer winding reds or the short up and down blues around the mid station or a choice of three more demanding blacks. Flaine has a supply of wide, gentle nursery slopes within easy reach of the village centre, masses of intermediate skiing ranging from the wide reds in the main bowl to that for the more adventurous who will plan a route to the neighbouring resorts to take advantage of the swooping tree-lined pistes.

There is no shortage of more testing runs around such as the Diamant Noir underneath the main gondola from Les Grandes Platiers which usually offers some testing bumps, plus plenty of deceptively challenging off piste for which a guide is recommended. Skiing on the north facing Platiers runs usually stays the course. Down to Samoens from the Tete du Pre des Saix there are two or three good blacks and a red run accessing the main plateau area. Skiing down to Les Carroz brings a choice of long wooded blue runs developing into more steady reds, while there, too there are a small number of village level beginners runs. For the 2000/2001 season Flaine have a new Grands Vans 8 seater detachable chairlift with a capacity of 3600 skiers/riders per hour which will provide fast access to la Combe de Vernant, the Jam Park and the village resorts of the Grand Massif.

A worthwhile choice of well linked terrain makes Flaine and the Grand Massif a durable favourite with families and parties of mixed ability — rarely is there only a single route down. Flaine has a supply of wide, gentle nursery slopes within easy reach of the village centre, masses of intermediate skiing ranging from the wide reds in the main bowl to that for the more adventurous who will plan a route to the neighbouring resorts to take advantage of the swooping tree-lined pistes. There are no shortage of more testing runs around such as the Diamant Noir underneath the main gondola from Les Grandes Platiers which usually offers some testing bumps, plus plenty of deceptively challenging off piste for which a guide is recommended. Skiing on the north facing Platiers runs usually stays the course. Down to Samoens from the Tete du Pre des Saix there are two or three good blacks and a red run accessing the main plateau area. Skiing down to Les Carroz brings a choice of long wooded blue runs devloping into more steday reds, while there, too there are a small number of village level beginners runs.

Apres Ski

Plan on staying in Flaine, because the road down the mountain can become treacherous, particularly after the sun goes down. Hotel bars are good meeting spots. Try the very British (and nice) White Grouse Pub or strike out for Le Skifun if you are looking for more disco action. Cime Rock Café has karaoke twice a week.

French Resort Guide

Resort Information • Flaine

Resort Height Resort Height 1600m
Top Station Top Station 2480m
Bottom Station Bottom Station 1600m
Vertical Descent Vertical Descent 1660m
Drag Lifts Drag Lifts 18
Chair Lifts Chair Lifts 8
High Capacity High Capacity 1
Opening Dates Opening Dates Dec-April
Rating Expert Rating Expert 6
Rating Intermediate Rating Intermediate 9
Rating Beginner Rating Beginner 8
Apres Ski Rating Apres Ski Rating 6
Snow Reliability Snow Reliability 6

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