Where to Ski And Snowboard - Val d’Isère makes history with summer skiing

Val d’Isère makes history with summer skiing

5th June 2018, by Abi Butcher

Val d’Isère made history last weekend, reopening its winter pistes

The French ski resort of Val d’Isère made history last weekend, reopening its winter pistes on 3 June for the first time in history.

While ski resort’s glaciers are normally open during the summer months, during its 82-year history, Val d’Isère has never opened its winter pistes at this time of year. The resort closed for the 2017/18 winter season on 1 May.

So while parts of the UK basked in 20c on Sunday, around 200 skiers and snowboarders hit the slopes above Val d’Isère as its winter pistes and lifts opened. The Funival funicular to the top of Bellevarde where the first sections of slopes OK, Diebold, 3J and Verte are open —with snow of more than one metre following an exceptional winter.

David McCallum, a British property developer who lives in Val d’Isère says: “It was quite remarkable. You can ski 400-500 vertical metres and, after half a dozen runs, we felt we had done a full morning’s skiing with tired legs to match!”

The winter skiing on Bellevarde will remain open for two weeks, while snow-clearance teams continue to battle their way up to the Pissaillas Glacier where summer skiing will continue at 3,000m until 13 July 2018, weather conditions permitting.

The Bellevarde slopes close at 12.10 pm each day. Lift passes cost from €28 pp per day or €330 pp for the summer season.