Maurienne Valley - Orelle

The gondola takes 15 minutes and takes you up to an altitude of 2300m. Orelle benefits from low prices in the small hamlet but with access to one of the largest ski areas in the world – the 3 Valleys. There is a bar and restaurant next to the gondola departure, and a mini-market within the residence. For a further selection of shops, bars and restaurants St Michel de Maurienne is a 5 mins drive or St Jean de Maurienne is a 20-30 mins drive.

Ski domain Resort Opening Dates

Ski area open from 04/12/2010 – 08/05/2011 (Val Thorens/Orelle)

Why Orelle?

·          Small hamlet ideal for a base to explore the 3 Valleys ski area

·          Cheap in comparison to staying elsewhere in 3 Valleys

·          Direct gondola link to Val Thorens and 3 Valleys

·          Ski in the 3 Valleys but stay at a fraction of the price

·          Away from the crowds of 3 Valleys resorts

Childcare and activities in Orelle

Sledge – a run is available at the top of the gondola. If you do not have a lift pass because you are a non-skier, a pedestrian pass can be bought from the lift pass office.

Telebaby at Plan Bouchet, open from 9.30am – 4pm. Children’s shows, games, treasure hunts, cinema, competitions…)

Activities in Orelle

Snowshoeing – half day, full day or in the evening

Farm visit – visit once a week by bus to enjoy cheese and local products

Cultural outing – visit once a week the baroque church, vaults, ancient laundrettes, history of the village

Evening outing – night walk with torches once a week

Contact the tourist office to book the above.

Paragliding – From the Caron’s Summit from December - April. Contact ‘Libre Envol’. Didier Goujon – 0033 681 55 74 94

At an altitude of 3000m to 650m in altitude, at the top of the chairlift Boismintz or depending on the weather, from the Cime Caron or Peclet Glacier. www.libre-envol.com

Amenities in Orelle

Mini-market, post office, bar, restaurant, altitude restaurant, delicatessen

All the above information is for information only. For the most up-to-date information please visit the resort tourist office website

Orelle Tourist Office

Office de Tourisme d'Orelle
Francoz 73140 ORELLE
Tél. / Fax 0033 479 56 87 22 - contact@orelle.net

Access to Orelle

By Road: Driving distance from Calais to Orelle 583 miles (approx 8hrs 25)

From Calais, take A26 Motorway towards Reims and Troyes, then Dijon, Lyon, Chambéry. Follow the A43 Motorway to Modane. Take A43 until St Michel de Maurienne then RD1006 to Orelle (6km).

By Rail:St Michel de Maurienne/Valloire rail station then taxi (6km).

Airports:

Chambery Airport is 95km from Orelle (1 ½  hours)

www.chambery-airport.com

Grenoble Airport is 164km from Orele (2 hours)

www.grenoble-airport.com

Lyon Saint-Exupery is 180km from Orelle (2 hours)

www.lyonairport.com

Geneva Airport is 180km from Orelle

www.gva.ch/en

There are direct shuttle buses from 3 airports to Orelle on Saturdays. Roughly €30 return per person.

Grenoble – Orelle (around 3 hrs transfer time, 3/day)

Chambery – Orelle (around 2 hrs transfer time, 3/day)

Lyon – Orelle (around 3 hrs transfer time, 4/day)

For above: contact@orelle.net

Some routes run late nights. A full timetable will be available in due course.

Access Plan

Orelle

Click on maps to enlarge

Resort Map

Orelle

From Orelle you can choose between 3 primary ski areas:

Orelle-Val Thorens (140km of piste) – see right panel

La Vallée des Belleville (300km of piste)

3 Valleys (600km of piste)

3 Valleys

Belleville (Orelle-Val Thorens-St Martin de Belleville-Les Menuires)

At the top of the 3 Vallees Express lift from Orelle there is a small green nursery slope. The pistes around Orelle and the top of Val Thorens are primarily blues and red (i.e perfect for intermediates).

There is a boarders cross in the Orelle ski area.

To link to Val Thorens you need to take the ‘Rosael’ chairlift.

Val Thorens ski area

Val Thorens is Europe’s highest resort and therefore snow cover is pretty much guaranteed from December to early May. There are mainly north-facing slopes.

The ski area itself of Val Thorens is suited to all abilities although the connection pistes up in Orelle are suited to intermediates rather than beginners. From Orelle and the top of the Val Thorens mountain range there are plenty of blues and reds with the odd black thrown in. There is a nursery slope in Orelle. To get from Orelle to Val Thorens there is a lift and then a red slope. Then blue slopes all the way down to Val Thorens village. There is small beginner lift (suitable for first day for complete beginners) at the top of Orelle Plan Bouchet (télécorde) and then one chair lift (Peyron) which gives acces to a Blue slope suitable for beginners to progress on but that's about it so we feel the resort is not really suitable for beginners.

Above Orelle, two chairlifts (Peyron and Bouchet) take you to 3230m on the flanks of Pointe du Bouchet. This is the highest lift in the 3 Valleys and there are some stunning views from the top. There are 2 red runs down that merge into a blue run. The previous black run is now classified as off-piste.

Snowmaking is apparent in Orelle sector and in the Val Thorens ski domain.

Orelle lift opening times:

Up to 5th February 2010 – 9am - 4.30pm (last run)

From 6th February – 9th May 2010 – 9am – 5pm (last run)

From 6th February opening of the cabin at 08.30 on Sats, Suns and bank holidays.

Orelle Lift passes

Details coming soon.

Orelle Ski Schools       

Not pre-bookable with Peak Retreats. Book direct:

http://orelle.esf.net/en/ecoles/index.html

Please note the ski school has a very small team of 3 instructors currently.

Orelle Individual Tuitions (08/09 prices, NOT pre-bookable)

Individual tuitions can only be purchased directly from the ski school

Please note that prices are only an indication and are subject to change

Ecole du Ski Français Orelle – 0033 479 56 74 11

Mountain restaurants

1 in Orelle, plenty in Val Thorens

*ALL PRE-BOOKABLE EXTRAS ARE PAYABLE TO PEAK RETREATS IN STIRLING PRIOR TO DEPARTURE. PRICES ARE IN £.

ANYTHING IN EUROS (€) WE ARE UNABLE TO PRE-BOOK AND

WILL BE PAYABLE LOCALLY.