Our resorts are constantly updating their events, activities and experiences that they offer, to ensure you have the best time whilst in the mountains! Here's what our resort partners have been up to ahead of this winter, from brand new lifts to new 'once-in-a-lifetime' experiences. Be sure to check out our dedicated What's New area, if you're looking for new property additions to our programme!
There are quite a few new things in Les Gets this season, a mixture of events, experiences and activities to take part in!
A new escape room game - this can be enjoyed by solo participants, as well as families with children aged 12 and up. Solve the puzzles and ultimately.... escape! There's also free mulled wine served after each session!
Fancy a 2-day snow shoe hike experience? Spend the weekend in real-life winter conditions, and learn how to protect yourself against the cold, gain the skills to create a make-shift shelter, light a fire from scratch, and many more amazing skills!
Rebranded this year, the 4 Season's Mountain Coaster has a journey time of 6 minutes and a descent of 714 metres!
EVENT = One to keep an eye out for, the World Junior Alpine Skiing Championships take place in Les Gets from the 27th Jan to 3rd Feb.
Les 3 Vallées have some great new additions to the ski area this year, and the resorts that reside in the area also have some incredible activities and events taking place.
Refresh - don't forget about the two gondola lifts connecting Orelle and Val Thorens; Orelle to Plan Bouchet and Plan Bouchet to Cime Caron - these lifts continue to make the connection so much faster for those staying and skiing in Orelle!
Upgrade to the ROC 1 Gondola - with brand new seats and plexiglass this gondola has an upgrade cosmetically and mechanically! With 300m² of photovoltaic panels of the roof of the ROC2 garage, it creates enough energy to power the lift!
Pointe de la Masse Museum - 'The Machine Room'
An update to the La Croisette area - a 6m² LED screen has been implemented to provide real-time info, from weather conditions, ski lift timetables, wait times and even upcoming events!
New Pointe de la Masse Museum - called the Machine Room, this brand new museum shows how the new lift was built, how it operates day to day, and even features a large LEGO® model of the lift, showing detail of the complex engineering of the lift!
NEW an ultimate survival experience - spend 24 hours in the middle of winter, amidst the mountains, with a dedicated guide who will show you the ways of the mountain and how to survive. Definitely bring your thermals for this one!
Mountain Yoga - at 2304m, enjoy walks and yoga at the Col de la Loze, the 7th highest mountain pass in France!
EVENT = The FIS Ladies Alpine Skiing World Cup takes place on the 21st December in Courchevel; one to watch!
Another rebrand - the Mountain Luge in Les Menuires has been revamped and renamed 'La Mine'. This is to reflect the areas rich history in coal mining. Did you know that Les Menuires was a mining village?
Les Menuires turns 60 in 2024! There will be a special programme of events including a guided tour during France's school holidays and the chance to take home souvenirs created by artist Docteur Paper to mark this special occasion.
New off-piste courses with ESF - discover the secret spots around the Orelle area and learn how to keep yourself safe whilst off-piste, as well as a bit of off-piste skiing of course!
Aperitif and Fondue Evening -
After the slopes close, you can enjoy an Aperitif and Fondue Evening in an igloo at 2350m, then ride the gondola back down to the resort after! (On a Tuesday evening most weeks).
There's a new microbrewery in St Martin de Belleville! Having opened during the summer month, the brewery is housed in a former Goat Farm in Le Châtelard. 97% of ingredients come from the local area and make various types of beer. Brava Vela Brewery carries 'La Masse' a brown ale, 'La Belleville' a light blonde, and 'La Thorens' a pale ale; there's a beer for everyone to try!
A slightly more unusual activity in La Rosière, bubble foot is an activity that consists of putting on inflatable bubble suits, and taking part in a team football tournament! Take part in the game with family and friends, and watch the chaos ensue!
The Les Eucherts area's beginners' snowfront is getting a makeover this winter with the replacement of the Dahu drag lift with a 4-seater fixed chairlift, a change paticularly helpful for beginners. After making use of the Lutins magic carpet, beginners can now smoothly progress to the Dahu chairlift. This new lift will allow easier access to the two green and two blue slopes in the area, with public toilets also accessible at the departure point.
New this season firstly is the rebrand of Oz 3300 - formally known as Oz en Oisans!
Fancy an escape in the wild with a pack of Siberian Huskies? Strap on your snowshoes and grab your hat and gloves, you'll be taken on a journey into the forest at nightfall to unleash your inner trapper... The Trapper Evening experience will take you into the forests surrounding Oz 3300, experiencing Cani-rando, where a long elasticated cord connects a hiker to their sled dog companion, and enjoy a trapper meal with your hosts and hear stories of the surrounding mountains...
Fancy a. new type of snow transport? Why not try the Avo Kart in Avoriaz? It's a three wheeled vehicle equipped with hydraulic brakes; designed with a low centre of gravity, it has excellent road handling. Settle down into the bucket seat, take hold of the handlebars and set off on a 3.2km long track that descends 600 metres!
Skiers and snowboarders can enjoy a new red run, La Creux de la Neige, in the Arare section of Avoriaz. Created on a natural undeveloped route, this piste reaches 1.5km in length and descends 300 metres; the Arare benefits from great natural snow cover.
A brand new detachable six-seater chairlift will replace the old four-seater Lac-Intrêts chairlift in Avoriaz. It will be able to transport 3000 people per hour - that's 600 more people per hour than before! SERMA, the ski area operator, has tried to limit the environmental impact from the construction; the work has protected local habitats, the chairlift has no gearbox and runs on a Direct Drive motor, which reduces its carbon footprint and the technical centre has been equipped with solar panels.
A brand new lift opens in Serre Chevalier, for December this year. As part of their strategy to adapt the ski area's carbon footprint, the new Pontillas gondola will link La Salle les Alpes village to the Méa sector (Villeneuve) in just 8 minutes, and will be able to transport nearly 500 more people an hour, than the previous two lifts (an impressive 2,800 passengers/hour!). It will replace two lifts, and use less energy to take passengers higher than before, to a new high-altitude beginners' zone at 2255m. This new high-altitude zone will reduce some of the need for man-made snow, especially for early and late season skiing - a great move towards a more sustainable season!
Although not entirely new this season, the Illuminated Murals of the Aiguille Rouge, was an activity we experienced on our end-of-season educational. The 500m² Varet cabin garage has been converted into a fully immersive experience. Visitors are invited to stroll, listen and watch the luminous frescoes of the twirling seasons of Les Arcs. Definitely one to experience, and accessible to skiers and non-skiers alike!
An intriguing activity in Chamrousse for this season - a hiking photo course that takes place over 2 days. Learn how to take photos of the surrounding landscapes during day 1, and experience the beauty of night and star photography on day 2.
How about a gourmet evening in a horse-drawn carriage? Enjoy cold meats, cheese and aperitif during your ride through the Chamrousse wilderness, pulled along by your dedicated horse and driver.
A brand new gondola has been installed in La Plagne this season - the new Les Glaciers gondola will open in December 2023. The 10 minutes ascent, skiers and pedestrians can discover an area that is perfect for surveying the surrounding mountains. Just outside of the gondola, you'll find a new sweet and savoury snack restaurant, great to enjoy from a front row seat on the terrace, to enjoy the panoramic view of the Vanoise glaciers.
This winter marks the 20th anniversary of Paradiski! This anniversary brings a new logo as it's first gift!
A brand new resort for this season, Manigod has lots of new things and activities to have a look at! One being night skiing! With 8 lighted slopes and 4 open ski lifts, the night skiing area has something for everyone!
EVENT = Head in the Stars Week - from 18th December 2023 Auris en Oisans are running a number of free activities, including manual workshops, observations and talks with astronomers, opening up the world for others to learn more about the starry skies that you can see in Auris en Oisans!
Les Sybelles celebrates its 20th anniversary this season and several events will be running to make the most of this special milestone. A pre opening week is being offered from the 16th to 23rd of December, with a festive DJ set available at Ouillon so that you can get in early and enjoy the celebration too.
Those skiers and snowboarders new to the sport can make use of the brand-new magic carpet that is being installed at the summit of the Pleney cable car. Starting close to the Nabor chairlift, this 147 metre magic carpet will arrive slightly above the Viking magic carpet, making it easy to transition between the two and access the beginners' area.
After starting development in 2022, a brand-new green run has been created for the Vallée Blanche in 2023, with two different sections making this low altitude sector much more accessible.
Also adding to the accessibility in Les Deux Alpes, a new, free to access magic carpet will replace two button lifts in the Coolidge area for winter 2024, as part of a redevelopment project that aims to enhance learning areas and make them more accessible, alongside two other magic carpets.
Feeling inspired and ready to book your next French Alps holiday?
If you're ready to explore your options, our expert and award-winning team can help with planning the perfect holiday for you! Call us on 023 9283 9310, email on reservations@peakretreats.co.uk, or you can request a quote and we'll be in touch. Keep up to date with all the latest news from us and our French Alps resorts by signing up to our newsletter.
