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Skiing in Valfrejus
Beginners
have a choice of greens on the Plateau d'Arrondaz, which is also 'the
place' to enjoy the spectacular scenery from the
mountain restaurant.
The
powder for which Valfréjus is well known,
will suit advanced skiers who can also use their ski
pass for La Norma and Aussois (shuttle bus on
Tuesdays for La Norma and on Thursdays for Aussois c€7). Skiing in
other Maurienne resorts
is possible too or ski the 3 Vallées via the Orelle cable car.
Heliski
is
also offered for the more daring.
ORELLE -
FAST ACCESS TO THE 3 VALLEYS SKI AREA
There
are connections on most days via a shuttle coach from
La Norma to the Orelle
cable car (15km).
This
new high capacity gondola linking the Maurienne Valley to Val Thorens
and the 3 Vallées
is perfect for all advanced skiers who want to enjoy
top level skiing in the largest and certainly one of
the best ski domains in the world with 600km of
pistes. Between Saint Michel and Modane - and only 6km from the
Autoroute - Orelle could not be easier to
access and has an excellent free parking
facility.
Anyone
with a Maurienne '2 day
or more' ski pass can get an Orelle/3 Vallées extension for
only c€22.50 (2006/07 prices) so you could save
a lot of £s on buying a pass in one of the 3
Vallées' resorts!
However, as the connecting pistes are Reds, the Orelle facility is not
recommended for beginners. In particularly bad
weather, it may be closed.
Other
Ski Outings
A
Monday-Friday service goes to La Norma (combined ski
pass with Valfrejus). Every Thursday, the ESF Ski
School organises an outing to Val Thorens.
Safe Skiing with Children in Valfrejus
Magnestick
is a new safety device for children, which can now be
found on a chairlift within
Valfrejus
:
Punta
Bagna (6 seater, 1 seat Magnesticked).
This
is a simple yet very effective device: A permanent
magnet is fixed to the seat of the chairlift and is
activated for the whole ride up including when the
child gets on.
A
light (200g) back protector worn by the child
includes a metallic plate. Children wear this
protection throughout the day's skiing (not only when
taking the chairlift). This vest comes in a bright
colour so that children can be seen on the slopes and
to avoid collisions with other slope users. On their
way down, this CE-approved back protector protects
their backs if they fall or collide with someone
else.
On
arrival at the top, the magnet is automatically
deactivated when the child gets off. The child can
then get up from the seat normally.
The
risk of a child falling off before getting to the top
is prevented as the magnet is only deactivated when
the child puts their skis on the snow (even if
someone lifts the restraining bar well before
arrival).
As
soon as the metallic plate in the back protector
comes into contact with the magnet on the chairlift,
the child is ‘attached’ to the seat. The
aim is to protect children at each stage of the
chairlift transport process!
STAGE
1 - Getting on: As soon as the child is sat with
their back against the back of the seat, the system
prevents any risk of sliding off even if the person
accompanying does not immediately lower the
restraining bar.
STAGE
2 - The ride up: The child can still move about
freely but is ‘attached’ to the seat
during the whole ride up. The system avoids any risk
of sliding under the restraining bar.
STAGE
3 - Getting off: Even if the restraining bar is
lifted before arrival, the child remains safely
‘attached to the seat' until their skis touch
the snow.
Magnestick
Vests
can be purchased or hired from all ski equipment
shops in Valfrejus.
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