Full Area Lift Pass
We all like to ski beautifully maintained pistes with hero snow and a good choice of runs and terrain. This is a nice bonus of a ski holiday but can really transform a training programme.
Having access to a variety of pistes and terrain gives you the opportunity to work on every element of your skiing. This is a great bonus enjoyed by students on our Courchevel and Meribel BASI 1/2 courses. Trainees benefit from a full 3 Valley pass, which gives them access to one of the biggest ski areas in the world, including 600km of pistes and 166 ski lifts. Similarly, students on our Verbier BASI 1/2 benefit from a full 4 Vallee lift pass. This is Switzerland’s largest ski areas with over 412km of pistes and plenty of gorgeous backcountry too. For our Stubai Pre-Season BASI 1/2 students you hit the jackpot – receiving an Annual Pass which provides access to the glacier for 365 days, and even lets you jump the lift queues!
Therefore whether you are looking for gentle greens to work on your central theme, or wide open blues for hero long turns, you can find the perfect piste. There are challenging reds for working on shorts and steep black runs if you want to push yourself.
Another great bonus of being in such a large ski area is your flexibility to hunt out the best conditions. The 3 Valleys is spread over the resorts of Courchevel, Meribel and Val Thorens rising from 640m to 3,220m. This means that you can stay low on cloudy days or go high during warmer times and still find plenty to ski. In the 4 Vallees, the high altitude slopes above Medran in Verbier provide season-long “hero snow” and the quiet wide slopes of Savoleyres provide a great place to work on high performance skiing. In Stubai, you can access the glacier which is open from September to the end of June, and used by world-class athletes looking to get training early.
Snow quality is also really important to us when we are training. There are over 2,100 snow cannons in the 3 Valleys area, and 26% of the runs in the 4 Vallees have snow-making capabilities. This gives us the peace of mind that even during sunny spells we will have the snow cover we need. The Stubai Glacier team say the glacier is snowsure which is always a good thing!
When the white stuff has been falling both areas have some incredible off-piste. Verbier is famous for its off-piste and itinerary runs, being the home and host of the annual Freeride World Tour final. Mont Fort and Mont Gele are firm favourites among locals and it is not hard to see why.
The 3 Valleys also boasts some great off-piste. The Fork Tree area of 1650 is a hidden gem and the tree runs above La Tania tend to stay in the shade, meaning you can find great snow there all season.
While the off-piste on offer in these areas is incredible it is always important to think about safety. Having the right kit, the knowledge and the know-how are essential factors. Guided off-piste days like the ones included in our courses are a great way to find your way around.
Whether you are looking for on piste or off, high performance training or a good blast there is no doubt you can find what your after in these massive ski areas! Even on an 11 week residential course we doubt you will brush the surface of everything that is on offer.
