Le Fornet

Ski map

The quiet far end of Val d'Isère, a small hamlet below the Pisaillas glacier and the Col de l'Iseran.

Skied here
The stone hamlet of Le Fornet at the top of the Val d'Isère valley1,930 m
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Forecast at 2300 m today: low / high, modelled snow depth, and new snow in the last 24 hours.

What is Le Fornet like?

Le Fornet is a small hamlet at the top of the Val d'Isère valley, below the Col de l'Iseran road pass. We've skied the area above it but not stayed, so this is a researched page.

It's the place for peace and quiet. The Le Fornet cable car takes you up towards the Pisaillas glacier, which is often much quieter than the rest of the resort, with long blues and reds that suit intermediates. The catch is the link to the rest of Val d'Isère: it's the one we've seen close in bad weather. For a quiet hotel, the team likes the boutique Hôtel Avancher.

The skiing

On the Pisaillas glacier, Montet, Pisaillas and Arses link into one long, gentle blue, the best beginner area in Val d'Isère and a confidence booster at higher speed. Pyramides and Vallon make a quiet loop, and Cascade is an easy, short red. Mangard comes back down to the Le Fornet cable car through the forest; build up speed for the long flat at the end. Experts can take Forêt, which in the wrong conditions is one of the most difficult blacks in Europe. Avoid the Pyramides drag for Signal unless you want a short, punchy black: there's no easy way down from it.

Day routes

Ski from Le Fornet

4 day routes from here, with how to start each one from Le Fornet.

Bellevarde and La Face

MorningBlack runsStrong intermediates and experts
  • Olympique gondola
  • Val d'Isère sign
  • Fontaine Froide
  • Santons
  • La Face de Bellevarde
  • La Peau de Vache
  • La Folie Douce

From here: Bus to the centre for the Olympique gondola.

The Val d'Isère classic. Take the Olympique gondola up, stop at the Val d'Isère sign at the top of Grand Pré, then warm up on Fontaine Froide, a short, quiet red and a good first one here, and Santons, a narrow natural gully that was once a blue. Once the snow softens, ski La Face de Bellevarde, the 1992 Olympic downhill: really challenging, bumpy and icy in many sections. Lunch at La Peau de Vache below the steep lip, then finish at La Folie Douce above La Daille.

La Face is often icy first thing and softens by about 10 to 11 am. At the top of Fontaine Froide, keep right: the left fork takes you onto La Face.

Solaise, up and over to Pisaillas

Full dayBlue runsAll levels
  • Solaise gondola
  • Lac-Parc
  • Glacier chair
  • Plan Milet
  • Leissières chair
  • Pisaillas glacier
  • Le Fornet
  • Back over Leissières

From here: Le Fornet cable car up to Pisaillas, then do the route in reverse over the Leissières chair.

The quiet side of Val d'Isère, and the best day for a mixed group. Beginners stay on the Ski Tranquille blues at the top of Solaise: Col de la Madeleine down to Datcha for a hot chocolate, and St Jacques for one of the best views in the resort. Intermediates add Arcelle, a 2 km red into the Manchet valley that's often called the best red in Europe. Then take the Leissières chair over the 3,000 m ridge to the Pisaillas glacier, where Montet, Pisaillas and Arses link into one long, gentle blue, and Mangard runs through the forest down to Le Fornet.

The link between Le Fornet and Val d'Isère is the one that closes in bad weather. Check the lift status before you cross. If the chair stops, it's about a 30-minute walk across the ridge: not great, but not a tragedy. Don't ski off the top of the Leissières chair, because of the ledges and rocks.

Grande Motte glacier

Full dayRed runsIntermediates and up
  • Over to Tignes
  • Val Claret
  • Perce-Neige funicular
  • Grande Motte cable car
  • Glacier
  • Rimaye
  • Face
  • Double M
  • Génépy

From here: Bus to the centre, then the Olympique gondola and over into Tignes. A long day from here.

Up to the highest lifts in the area at 3,456 m, then the long reds from the glacier back down to Val Claret: an amazing experience, and often above the clouds even when the weather is bad lower down. The "Itchy Thighs" challenge skis Glacier, Rimaye, Face and Double M non-stop, about 1,350 m of descent. Double M is a legend, with a consistent gradient that's made for carving. After lunch, cruise Génépy, about 4.5 km of blue from La Panoramic, with great scenery and a few flat bits.

Leave Val Claret by about 15:30 to be back in Val d'Isère around 16:00. The way home over Tovière is 1 or 2 lifts, but the runs into Val d'Isère can be left ungroomed in bad weather.

The perfect day across both resorts

Full dayRed runsConfident intermediates
  • Olympique
  • Fresse to Val Claret
  • Grande Motte
  • Génépy
  • Grattalu
  • Tovière back
  • La Peau de Vache
  • Solaise and Leissières
  • La Folie Douce
  • Cocorico

From here: Bus to the centre to start.

A timetable for seeing the best of both sides in one day. At 9:00 take the Olympique and warm up on the Bellevarde greens, then follow Fresse into Val Claret. At 10:00 ride the funicular up the Grande Motte for a hot chocolate at Le Panoramic and ski Génépy down. At 11:00 take the Tichot chair to the blues and reds around Grattalu. At 12:00 head back over Tovière, ski La Face or Santons to the village and go up to La Peau de Vache for lunch. In the afternoon, cross Solaise to the quiet Leissières side, then finish at La Folie Douce from 15:00 and Cocorico in the village.

The plan puts you back on the Val d'Isère side by lunchtime, which takes the worry out of the link home. The weather changes fast here, so bring layers and be ready to change plans mid-day.

All Tignes-Val d'Isere day routes

Map

Piste map of Le Fornet: pistes, lifts and villages on the 3D terrain
GreenBlueRedBlackLift

Pick a view or a day route to change the picture. Press Explore in 3D to move around: drag to look around, scroll or pinch to zoom, hover a piste or lift for its name, and use Free 3D to unlock the camera.

Named pistes
202
Lifts
84
Pistes on the map
223 km
Highest lift
3,420 m

23 green75 blue55 red33 black14 ski route

In the Val d'Isère valley: 106 named pistes and 40 lifts.

Longest named runs: Diebold (blue, 4.9 km), Verte (green, 4.5 km), Génépy (blue, 4.5 km). Highest lift: Grande Motte, to 3,420 m.

Open the full Val d'Isère & Tignes piste map Every piste and lift by name, grade, length and altitude.
Guides

More Tignes-Val d'Isere guides

Val d'Isere or Tignes: where to stayWhich resort and village suits your groupOff-piste in Val d'Isere and TignesWhy it's great, why you need a guide, where to startBest runs in Tignes-Val d'IsereOur ranked reds and blacks, with timing tipsVal d'Isere for beginners and intermediatesThe easy runs, the first reds and the way homeGetting to Val d'Isere and TignesAirports, the train, transfers and the Saturday traffic

Getting there

Val d'Isère is at the very top of the Tarentaise valley. Chambéry is the closest airport, about 2 hours away and mostly served by seasonal ski flights. Geneva has the most flights and is 2.5 to 3 hours away. Trains, including the Eurostar connection from London via Paris, stop at Bourg-Saint-Maurice, 30 to 45 minutes from both resorts by bus or taxi. Travel early in the day: many resorts share the one road up the valley, and Saturday is transfer day.

Open the full-page 3D piste map of Espace Killy

Updated