{"id":535,"date":"2014-08-13T10:39:52","date_gmt":"2014-08-13T08:39:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mountainpassions.com\/wordpress\/?p=535"},"modified":"2021-10-15T11:05:23","modified_gmt":"2021-10-15T09:05:23","slug":"ski-orelle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mountainpassions.com\/winter\/ski-resort-reviews\/alps\/ski-orelle\/","title":{"rendered":"Orelle-Val Thorens"},"content":{"rendered":"
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W<\/span>e\u2019ve driven past Orelle countless times over the years while en-route to other areas. Eventually, though, the image of the Three Valleys Express gondola lift looming high above the roadside proved just too much to resist, so this time we\u2019re back to ride it and find out what we\u2019ve been missing.<\/p>\n

As we peel off the road from Modane<\/strong> in the chill of dusk we discover that it takes surprisingly little time before our accommodation comes into view just above the village. After checking into the Hameau des Eaux d\u2019Orelle<\/a> we garage the car and transfer ourselves and our luggage to a snug apartment with a view we\u2019ll have to wait until the following morning to appreciate.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\n…we head up the mountain on an epic haul of over 5km, gazing expectantly at the craggy terrain above with no idea until the very last minute of what awaits us.\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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One-hop access to the Orelle sector via the Trois Vall\u00e9es Express gondola.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\n\"Orelle
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From the top of the gondola it\u2019s just a short schuss to the onward lift link to Val Thorens.<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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There\u2019s no fresh snowfall but overnight temperatures plummet, and we awake to a frosty overview of a development of large, chalet-style apartments set around a central green, against a familiar mountain backdrop set between Valfr\u00e9jus<\/a> and Valloire\/Valmeinier<\/a>. To our right we glimpse the cabins of the gondola dangling idly, spurring us to make an early start.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re not the only ones to have this idea, judging by the lift-queues which greet us down below \u2013 clear signs that word is out about this place. But the wait is shorter than expected and soon we\u2019re leaving the village far behind as we head up the mountain on an epic haul of over 5km, gazing expectantly at the craggy terrain above with no idea until the very last minute of what awaits us. Some snow would be good. As we crest the final ridge we\u2019re suddenly above the snow-line and heading into a totally different world, proving once again that in a less-than bountiful snow season there really is no substitute for altitude (in this case around 2360m<\/strong>).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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There\u2019s powder up here<\/h2>\n

It\u2019s hard not to smile as we step from the gondola onto pure, soft powder. All around there\u2019s a whole lot more, as we glide down to the nearby Rosa\u00ebl chairlift<\/strong> for a smooth haul up to around 3000m<\/strong> to get an overview of the Orelle sector\u2019s snow-cover.<\/p>\n

At the top, close to the Col de Rosa\u00ebl<\/strong> we get our first glimpse of Val Thorens<\/strong>, looking very different when peering down from the Maurienne <\/strong>side compared to gazing up from somewhere like Les Menuires<\/a>. Getting there involves little more than launching off onto the blue-graded Chamois<\/strong> piste, which kicks off a gentle cruise (with the option of a detour on the red-graded Falaise <\/strong>piste), taking us to the base of the Grand Fond Funitel<\/strong> lift.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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After climbing back to 3000m<\/strong> and not too far from our starting point at the Col, we blast our way down the red-graded Variante<\/strong> and head for the Portette chairlift<\/strong>, gradually working our way across the sizeable, mostly north-facing area which finally tops off at 3130m<\/strong> on the Glacier de Thorens<\/strong>. It\u2019s already clear that there\u2019s no shortage of long, wide cruising runs above Val Thorens, which is exactly what the majority of today\u2019s intermediate skiers are here to enjoy.<\/p>\n

A change of scene above Orelle<\/h2>\n

Since we have just one day here and little hope of skiing it all, we decide to head down past the village for a closer view of what we\u2019ve so far only glimpsed in the far distance. When we get there what previously appreared remote and exposed feels much more welcoming, and the energy levels, with skiers converging from all directions, are infectious.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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