Worldwide Ski Resorts • France • La Thuile

Ski insurance France

Overview

The resort of La Thuile is situated in the Italian Alps and is so close to the French border that although it has its own network of slopes, they link with the smaller French resort of La Rosière to form the ski area known as the Espace San Bernardo. La Tuiles is divided into two separate areas. The modern development of Planibet lies close to the base of the lift stations and is a somewhat austere collection of accommodation blocks, restaurants, bars and shops.

Across the river stands the old town that has been sympathetically enlarged and seems to have a much more pleasant feel about it. In fact many visitors prefer to stay in this part of La Thuile and as there is a free bus link to the lift stations, inconvenience is kept to a minimum. Strangely, the resort is not very well known. This is undeserved, as the extensive range of pistes and the crowd free slopes are of a very good standard. There is plenty of accommodation available ranging from budget class self catering apartments to mid class hotels. There is a fair selection of bars and restaurants.

Profile

La Thuile stands at 1440m and has a good snow record. There are a total of 150 km of piste that lie at 1175m up to 2610 m. The area is served by a total of 37 lifts and it is worth noting that the systems on the Italian side of Espace San Bernardo are inclined to be more modern and faster. Experts may find the pistes a little limiting, although there is some great skiing to be had on some seriously tough blacks and heli-skiing is available. Intermediates generally have it made with plenty of choice on both sides of the border that will suit all categories and confidence levels.

It is a resort that is ideal for beginners with excellent nursery areas on sunny south facing slopes, coupled with some very gentle and encouraging greens and even blues on which to progress. The local ski school has a good reputation and facilities for children are reportedly first class. Snowboarders will also find it a quality resort in which to learn and the experienced will find some fine tree lined slopes and plenty of areas for free riding and cruising. Cross country skiers have 20 km of tracks available to them.

Mountain Information

The majority of the slopes are south facing and sunny which sometimes affects the quality of the snow in the later parts of the season. Unfortunately a number of the slopes are over rated to red when they really should be no more than blues, but there are plenty of true reds that make up for this, particularly on the La Rosière side. Experts should try out the blacks above the Petit St Bernard and the steep Diretta and Tre runs. There are a good number of pleasant mountain restaurants available across the ski area.

Apres Ski

While there are some good bars, a couple of clubs and a disco in the town, the après ski scene cannot be described as wild.

French Resort Guide

Resort Information • La Thuile

Resort Height Resort Height 1450m
Top Station Top Station 2642m
Bottom Station Bottom Station 1450m
Vertical Descent Vertical Descent 1192m
Drag Lifts Drag Lifts 19
Chair Lifts Chair Lifts 15
High Capacity High Capacity 1
Opening Dates Opening Dates Dec-May
Rating Expert Rating Expert 7
Rating Intermediate Rating Intermediate 9
Rating Beginner Rating Beginner 10
Apres Ski Rating Apres Ski Rating 8
Snow Reliability Snow Reliability 9

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