{"id":539,"date":"2014-08-13T11:30:04","date_gmt":"2014-08-13T09:30:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mountainpassions.com\/wordpress\/?p=539"},"modified":"2021-09-17T12:02:32","modified_gmt":"2021-09-17T10:02:32","slug":"ski-pra-loup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mountainpassions.com\/winter\/ski-resort-reviews\/alps\/ski-pra-loup\/","title":{"rendered":"Pra Loup & Val d\u2019Allos"},"content":{"rendered":"
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W<\/span>e discovered the Ubaye Valley<\/strong> many years ago, as a hauntingly beautiful summer destination. It\u2019s only now, however, that we finally get to ski the local mountains. In late March the peak of the winter season is well behind us, but the snow still lies reassuringly deep on the mountains, with more fresh falls forecast in the days to come, to top things up. We therefore waste no time in getting our bearings and skiing the sights while visibility holds, setting off from Pra Loup 1600<\/strong> in bright sunlight. Our early start finds temperatures hovering well below freezing, making for a chilly haul on the Clappe <\/strong>and Garcine drag-lifts<\/strong>, which have since been replaced by the Clappe T\u00e9l\u00e9mix<\/strong> and the P\u00e9guieou high-speed 6-seater chairlift<\/strong>. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\n…the truly sensational views falling away beneath our feet from the 2600m top station more than repaid the ride. The choice of routes back down depends on your skill and energy level. We pass on the testing black and instead take the steep-and-wide red-graded piste, eager to take a well-earned lunch-break.\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\n\"Family
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Pra Loup is a great family resort with safe debutant areas close to the village. <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\n\"Wide
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Plenty of room here in Pra Loup to practice carving - or anything really!<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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We ski from Pra Loup to Foux d\u2019Allos<\/h2>\n
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Things are unnervingly quiet too, and we have plenty of time to admire the scenery as we climb well above the tree-line before taking a blue-graded cruise over to the Bergeries chair-lift<\/strong>. The ride back up drops us at Le P\u00e9guieou<\/strong> (2479m), where we take a blue-becoming-red schuss to the Lac drag-lift<\/strong> which finally hauls us to Le Lac<\/strong> (2500m), the departure point for the liaison with the Val d\u2019Allos<\/strong>. This had better be worth it. At the summit there\u2019s already no question that it is, the panoramic views<\/strong> and long descents rewarding any effort involved in getting here in bad old draglift days. Happily, the lift upgrade after our visit means that getting to this point is much quicker and easier for today\u2019s skiers.<\/p>\n

Grateful for our currently respectable fitness levels (it\u2019s already been a long ski trip), we nevertheless pause for a few minutes to take in our sensational surroundings before making an exhilarating swoop down the red-graded Quartiers <\/strong>piste to join another red down to Les Agneliers<\/strong> (1708m).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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It\u2019s a key point along the route, so the Agneliers chair-lift<\/strong> is capable of carrying skiers in both directions. For now, though, we take its neighbour Ubaguets <\/strong>up to 2190m<\/strong> for a red-graded drop to the Crous 1 chairlift<\/strong>, which hauls us up to the viewpoint<\/strong> of T\u00eate de Vescal<\/strong> at 2515m<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

From here it\u2019s gentle blue-graded cruising all the way down into Val d\u2019Allos 1800 La Foux<\/strong>, where we plan to stop for lunch. But not just yet. Only too aware of the uncertainties of what the approaching weather front might bring, we first explore the local ski terrain and ride the powerful six-seater Chaup high-speed chairlift<\/strong> up the opposite side of the valley. It\u2019s an impressively smooth, fast ride, and drops us on a fairly steep but wide, blue-graded return piste which descends to the valley floor. We peel off en-route, though, to take the distinctly ancient-looking Aiguille gondola which has since replaced by the high-speed 4-seater Observatoire chairlift<\/strong>). <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\n\"Small
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A brief pause at a mountain snack bar for the pisteurs.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\n\"View
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In the southern Alps, Larch forest clothes the lower slopes, seen here in Val d'Allos. <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The silky-smooth efficiency of the new lifts is a real leap forward from the antique if claustrophobic charm of old gondola, which showed its age during our visit by being more than a little reluctant to accommodate our all-mountain skis in the carrier racks on the outside the egg-style cabins. Swift intervention from the lift operator seemed to convince them just in time. That obviously isn\u2019t a concern with the lift\u2019s high-speed chairlift successor, and the route up has been modified, too. <\/p>\n

Either way the truly sensational views<\/strong> falling away beneath our feet from the 2600m<\/strong> top station more than repaid the ride. The choice of routes back down depends on your skill and energy level. Our knees tell us to pass on the testing 3 Ev\u00each\u00e9s<\/strong> black and instead take the steep-and-wide red-graded Goussault<\/strong> piste, eager to take a now well-earned lunch-break.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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