The fourth valley. Long reds, the highest point in the area, and a long way from everything else.
Skied here
900 mForecast at 900 m today: low / high, modelled snow depth, and new snow in the last 24 hours.
As a day trip from Val Thorens, absolutely. The runs are mostly reds, not very steep but often icy, and the top of the Bouchet chair is the highest point of the 3 Vallees. Go on a sunny day; it is cold and harsh in bad weather.
As a base it is the hardest place to reach the rest of the system from. The village sits down in the Maurienne valley, and a long gondola climbs to the ski area.
2 day routes from here. Highlighted steps are specific to Orelle. Tap a profile to see it on the map.
Over the back of Val Thorens into what is really a fourth valley. Mostly long reds, not very steep but often icy and cold, and the highest lift-served point of the 3 Vallees at 3230 m.
Pick your weather. On a grey day it is cold and flat-lit; on a sunny one it is the best day trip in the area.
The big crossing to the highest village in the area, with lunch in Val Thorens. It is the route that most often goes wrong, because the link is exposed and shuts in bad weather.
Check the afternoon forecast before you go. If the Mottaret link closes, the lower way back through Les Menuires often stays open. Queues are worst just after lunch.
Drag to move, scroll or pinch to zoom. Highlighted: the lifts and runs named in each route. Pistes, lifts, forests, lakes and villages © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Terrain from Mapzen/AWS Terrain Tiles.
Not sure Orelle is right? These neighbours share the same lift pass.
Orelle is on the Maurienne side, reached via Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne and the Frejus motorway. That makes it the easiest 3 Vallees village to reach from Turin.