Vars, la Forêt Blanche
Altitude: 1650-2750m
Downhill Ski Terrain: 185km
110 Pistes:
19 Green | 46 Blue | 35 Red | 10 Black
52 Lifts:
I gondola | 32 drag-lifts
1 télénacelle | 18 chair-lifts
Beginners/Families- Intermediates
Advanced/Expert
- Value
- Accommodation
Dining Out
Nightlife
- • Expanding, linked-domain skiing.
- • Terrain for everyone, including the bravest free-riders and speed-skiers.
- • Accommodation for most budgets, with a whole new village under construction.
- • Dependable recent snow record.
- • Solid value, with no compromises on the ski experience.
- • Capable lift system, decent grooming and clear signage.
- • Long distances for those driving from the UK.
- • Occasional drag-lifts are worth taking as they access some of the highest terrain, along with truly breathtaking views.
Part of the ambitious snowpark
facility above Vars Les Claux.
More
fine ski terrain below Peynier
lies just across the valley.
- Seen, tried and tested.
Le Bouquetin II
Le Fournet
05560 Vars Les Claux
Le Bouquetin II is a comfortable residence located in the area known as Le Fournet. The four buildings are just 80m from the slopes and 300m from the resort centre itself. The accommodation consists of three storey 3 bedroom chalets sleeping up to 10 persons with a well equipped kitchen, a bathroom on each floor and plenty of storage. However, the lounge, dining/kitchen area might be cramped with ten people and we were disappointed that the terrace was unuseable during our visit, due to snow accumulation. On the plus side, piste access is just a couple of minutes’ walk (a shuttle bus also operates) and there are bars, restaurants and a small supermarket close by. You can access beautiful pedestrian and cross-country ski routes nearby, which will take you as far as the Réfuge Napoléon and Col de Vars.
Enquiries and bookings:
Ski Collection
0844 576 0175 (UK)
or +44 (0)2392 890 960
reservations@skicollection.co.uk
Tribeca
Plateau du Caribou
05560 Vars Les Claux
Tel: +33 (0)4 92 21 81 19
Restaurant and bar with large terrace where you can dine or meet with friends for a drink. The interior is surprising with its contemporary styling and the mood is very relaxing.
We enjoyed Sea Bass served with Tribeca’s rich, creamy risotto, followed by a choice from an extensive menu of delicious desserts. Expect to pay around 30€ per person for two courses, plus drinks.
L'Ecuelle (The Banana House)
05560 Vars Les Claux
Upmarket restaurant with chalet decor and a warm ambiance. Expect to pay from 13€ upwards for a main dish from their traditional Savoie menu with fondue (2 persons) at 21€. We chose Crozet aux Cèpes and Tagliatelle aux Noix.
Les Cassettes
05560 Vars Les Claux
Tel: +33 (0)4 92 46 59 08
Situated mid-mountain at the foot of the Mayt chairlift, the staff at Les Cassettes give you a big welcome when you enter this traditional family restaurant. Varied hot meals and light lunches are served promptly and in ample portions. We enjoyed a steaming bowl of home-made vegetable soup and a great pizza. Expect to pay around 9€ for a main dish.
l'Après Ski
05560 Vars Les Claux
Relax after a long day on the slopes in this warm chalet style salon du thé. There is a large selection of teas, coffee and chocolate to choose from, plus tempting treats such as crêpes and waffles. The salon is decorated with interesting memorabilia and there is a small boutique selling rather nice gifts and regional products.
La Marmotte
Résidence le Seignon
05560 Vars Les Claux
Tel: +33 (0)4 92 46 51 34
Situated near the Tourist Office in Vars, La Marmotte offers a modern approach to traditional Savoyard dishes and a varied menu for those who find that they've had enough fondue and charcuterie to last a lifetime. We chose Gnocchi Napolitain which was packed with flavour, and the Escalope Sarda, tender chicken with mozzarella in a creamy cèpe sauce. Expect to pay 10€-15€ for a main course. The adjacent café is open all day and is a great place to watch the world go by and take advantage of the village WiFi coverage.
Montagne-liberté
Dominique Sports or International Ski School
05560 Vars Les Claux
Tel: +33 (0)6 15 07 28 85
If you haven't tried it before, learn how to use snowshoes and visit places away from the pistes, learning about the wildlife and the mountains. We joined Nathalie Ruiz (mountain guide and expert in plants for medicinal and culinary uses), who led our walk above Sainte-Marie giving us spectacular panoramic views of the Vars ski domain and beyond.
Price for ½ day (incl. equipment):
Adult: 23€ Child (min. 7yrs): 17€
Skiers from Risoul leaving the Pointe de Razis at 2571m en-route for Vars.
In the normally sunny Southern French Alps, below Briançon and Serre-Chevalier, where the fine weather statistics are matched by dependable snowfalls, and where there’s plenty of altitude to ensure that the snow stays put. The location means long journeys for skiers self-driving from the UK, although airport transfers are much more rapid, particularly from budget flights into Genoble, Marseille, Turin and Cuneo.
Individual ski tuition on the gentle lower slopes at Vars Les Claux.
The piste network is linked to that of neighbouring Risoul, the resulting combined area being known as La Fôret-Blanche. Vars enjoys international renown for its impressive freeride terrain and its purpose-built speed-skiing piste. It also offers extensive and varied intermediate terrain for all abilities, plus safe débutant areas and facilities. There are some surpisingly long cruising runs here, including some fine, currently under-appreciated tree-lined descents on the opposite side of the valley below Peynier (2273)m. The 2750m Pic de Chabrières is accessible only by drag-lift, but rewards the effort with astonishing views and some superb descents, including a bracing drop over into Risoul. A project to extend the terrain into Crévoux is currently on hold, but new pistes and lifts are planned to access a new village development (see below).
The Chabrières gondola takes skiers to a mid-mountain station, for freestyle, slalom and beginners’ areas, plus a wide choice of easy and intermediate pistes.
Most of the accommodation is currently within two of the villages in the valley — the original community of Vars Sainte-Marie and the purpose-built ski village of Vars Les Claux. Until now the decision as to where to stay was one of charm versus convenience, but the construction of Le Hameau des Rennes, a brand new village taking shape beside the road to the Col de Vars expands the choice considerably. In terms of energy-levels, services and convenience, though, the focus is likely to remain firmly on Vars Les Claux, which although now looking a little dated, is due to receive a substantial and ambitious facelift.
Most of the village activity centres around the Tourism Office (free WiFi) at the foot of the Chabrières gondola. The ESF ski school building is at the top of the adjacent car park and has direct access to some easy pistes for beginners. There is also the Eyssina New School at Point Show.
If shopping for groceries, there are several mini supermarkets well spaced throughout the village so you shouldn't have to walk too far for supplies. Other shops and services are spread the length of the village and include ski and hire shops, gifts, interiors shops, and a good selection of restaurants and one of our favourites, the stylish Après Ski salon du thé. It's a 10-15 minute uphill walk from the Tourist Office to Le Fournet at the upper end of Vars Les Claux or you could use the shuttle bus.
The new village d'altitude centred on Le Hameau des Rennes will provide underground parking, health and fitness centre, shops and other services by 2011.
Family skiers gather at the piste access point in Le Fournet.
Just about everyone, really, apart from celeb-spotting shopaholics and hedonistic party animals. Families and mixed-ability groups will appreciate the varied terrain, with the large snowpark being an attractive feature for young freestylers. The ski schools are particularly friendly and encouraging for small children and beginners. Drag-lift-phobics can stick to the chairlifts and still access all but the very highest, most remote terrain. Intermediates will love the long cruising runs and the ease of access to a different experience over in the Risoul sector, while advanced skiers can spend time exploring the internationally-renowned off-piste terrain.
OOur arrival, beneath a clear blue sky, gives no hint of the dramatic change of conditions which are forecast overnight. Sure enough, we awake to the kind of vision which in any other circumstances would have disuaded us from even contemplating skiing until visibility, at least, improves. But we have an appointment with a guide, so find ourselves dutifully togging up, joining a nearby gentle piste and making our way in near-disbelief, and against driving snow, down to Vars Les Claux. When we get there strong gusts of wind are threatening to rip the colourful event banners strung across the road. Our host, though, is undeterred and — so far, at least — the Chabrières gondola lift is still functioning.
The Pic de Chabrières above Vars, at 2750m altitude.
It's distinctly marginal, though, and we edge up the mountain at a snail’s pace, while peering out apprehensively into the swirling snow around us. When we alight, despite the conditions, the sensation of the fresh powder beneath our skis raises a smile and we glide off in the tracks of our guide, thankful for his company and knowledge of the mountain. For an hour or so we float around the more sheltered pistes above Les Claux until the wind drops and visibility begins to improve. Encouraged, we take the chairlift across the valley and head up through the forest to emerge at Peynier (2273m). There’s barely a soul over here, and we’re in powder heaven as we glide down through Red-graded tree-lined pistes all the way down to Vars Sainte Marie. The return haul via the I and II drag-lifts gives us plenty of time to ponder the growing appeal of a chocolat-chaud, which we get to sample in the Peynier mountain restaurant.
Duly revived, we head off on the Blue-graded Mélèzes piste down to Les Claux, re-cross the valley and work our way up to La Mayt (2580m). By now the bad weather is far behind us, leaving only fresh, soft snow beneath a clear blue sky — perfect conditions, in fact, for a visit to the Col de Crevoux (2530m) and on to the Pic de Chabrières (2750m). From here the views are truly panoramic, with orientation panels to help take in everything visible on the vast, unbroken skyline.
The Crevoux chairlift passes the well-designed snowpark areas to arrive at the Col de Crevoux (2530m).
From the Pic we make an exhilarating onward Red-graded swoop on the Col Sans Nom and join the Blue-graded Saluces piste to the Razis chairlift which hauls us to the Pointe de Razis (2571m). From here it's an enjoyable cruise back down to the tree-line and into Risoul 1850. The village has continued to develop since our last visit, while retaining its youthful appearance. We’re already aware just what the local tree-lined runs offer novice and intermediate skiers, so content ourselves with taking the Prés du Bois chairlift and a gentle Green run back to the Platte de la Nonne high-speed chairlift, which takes us all the way back up to the Pointe de Razis.
Only our growing appetites tell us just how far we’ve travelled since our tentative early start this morning, so we work our way back to our lunch destination. After a long plunge on the Blue-graded Vallon, we take the Vallon draglift to La Mayt and join the long Blue cruise on the aptly-named Heureux over to the welcoming mountain restaurant of Les Cassettes. In perfect snow conditions, it’s one of the best descents we’ve ever experienced.
Fresh powder descent from La Mayt (2580m), on the Blue-graded Heureux piste .
How do you follow that? In our case it’s an easy decision: head back over to appreciate a little of what the early morning visibility has denied us. We’re not disappointed, and enjoy the perfect end to what has turned out, against all expectation, to be a near-perfect day’s skiing. For us, Vars is right up there with the very best of French ski areas. Add Risoul, and you begin to wonder how much longer it will be before the rest of the world finally discovers La Fôret-Blanche.
© MountainPassions.com
By car
From Grenoble: Take the N91 (Col du Lauteret) to Briançon, then the RN94 to Guillestre where you turn off for Vars. Alternatively, take the N85 to Gap from Grenoble, then the RN94 to Guillestre. Allow up to 3 hours from Grenoble for both routes; the Briançon route is slightly quicker.
From Marseille: Take the A51 to La Saulce, continue in the direction for Tallard & Briançon (RN94) to Guillestre where you turn off for Vars.
By air
The nearest airport is Cuneo in Italy with winter flights from London, Birmingham and Dublin and a transfer time of just 1½ hrs to Vars (+2hrs if cols Larche / Vars are closed). See Autocars Imbert for bus timetables (85€ adult return).
Fly to Marseille airport and there is a transfer on Saturdays throughout the winter which costs about 35€ per adult
(90€ family ticket).
See the Navettes Blanches website for more information.
Other possibilities include Turin, and Grenoble airports.
By train
It is possible to arrive at Montdauphin Guillestre direct from Paris using an SNCF service.
A fast TGV service from Paris goes to Grenoble.
Trains from London offer regular services to Paris to pick up your connection which you can book here.
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