{"id":547,"date":"2014-08-13T12:14:55","date_gmt":"2014-08-13T10:14:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mountainpassions.com\/wordpress\/?p=547"},"modified":"2019-04-12T12:33:59","modified_gmt":"2019-04-12T10:33:59","slug":"ski-les-saisies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mountainpassions.com\/winter\/ski-resort-reviews\/alps\/ski-les-saisies\/","title":{"rendered":"Les Saisies"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n
\n

W<\/span>e\u2019re no strangers here, having already spent a memorable day putting a full circuit of the Espace Diamant under our skis a couple of seasons ago. On that occasion we\u2019d been based in nearby Crest Voland, and our experience of Les Saisies<\/strong> had been been confined to simply skiing past it a couple of times. Even so, what we saw had been enough to put it near the top of our growing mental list of \u2018we\u2019ll come back here\u2019 ski areas.<\/p>\n

We were finally able to return, our approach (from Albertville this time) taking us through the Beaufortain valley towards Beaufort-sur-Doron, on the outskirts of which we turned off the valley road to climb steeply through conifer forests towards one of our favourite spots, the village of Hauteluce. After a few final hairpins the climb relents and we approach Les Saisies, where just a few minutes later we\u2019re safely parked and transferring our gear to an impressively spacious and well-equipped apartment at the Hameau du Beaufortain.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\nLes Saisies provided some of the best snow conditions we encountered during what turned out to be an unreliable season.\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n

\n\"Skiers
\n

Skiers on Blue-graded pistes at Les Saisies.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\n\"The
\n

The Douce chairlift, Les Saisies - a vital link on the Espace Diamant circuit.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Filling in the gaps<\/h2>\n
\n
\n

Next morning we take advantage of the ski-in\/ski-out location at the Hameau du Beaufortain<\/a> and take a leisurely blue- and green-graded cruise over to the front-de-neige of Les Saisies 1650, where the ski school groups are already assembling and confirmed skiers are converging on their preferred departure points. Ours is the Chard du Beurre lift. The powerful high-speed six-seater whisks us smoothly high above the Route des Grandes-Alpes, which passes through the heart of the village, before climbing to the 1889m Chard du Beurre. Although in absolute terms not that high, the sweeping panoramic views from the summit provide the perfect vantage point for newcomers keen to get their bearings.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

Turning our back for now on the unmistakable outline of nearby Mont-Blanc (4810m), we take a blue-graded cruise via the Trolliers and L\u00e9zette pistes though wide open landscapes to the base of the Brichou lift. The onward steep haul takes us through some of this sector’s steadily-increasing tree-cover and drops us onto a ridge from which green, blue, red and black pistes return to the base of the lift, while ahead lie blue- and red-graded pistes dropping into the Grattary\/Douce bowl.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n

Each turns out to be well worth trying, but for now we take the Coudray blue, which snakes its way down to the Douce chairlift, a useful link over to Praz-sur-Arly, Crest-Voland<\/a> and Notre-Dame de Bellecombe. At the top we’re sorely tempted, but instead turn around to ski the P\u00e9chette red piste, a relatively steep run which swerves beneath the lift, skirts more forest and eventually fires us back to the Grattary chairlift. On reaching the summit we ski off onto the Grattary blue, before peeling off to take Arcosses for a red-graded swoop beneath the Brichou lift and onwards to the Roche Blanche 4-seater fixed chair.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n