The fourth valley. Long reds, the highest point in the area, and a long way from everything else.
Skied here
Forecast 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.
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.
51 green162 blue121 red44 black8 ski route
In the Orelle valley: 17 named pistes and 11 lifts.
Longest named runs: Mont de la Guerre (red, 5.9 km), Violette (green, 4.5 km), Creux (blue, 4.4 km). Highest lift: Bouchet, to 3,190 m.
Open the full 3 Vallées piste map Every piste and lift by name, grade, length and altitude.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.
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