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Valmeinier, French Ski Resort for Entire Family

An interesting tidbit that came about during this time is a name for the village finally stuck. Derived from “valley of mines,” Valmeinier was borne in upon a place to make money. Though the mines were plundered, agriculture still came in a close second as the best moneymaker. During the harsh winters, some families moved to Brittany, Bordeaux and Paris, taking up odd jobs in factories, as chimneysweepers and anything to pay the bills. Life was hard for those who moved, and harder for those who stayed. There were fewer than one hundred people left by the mid-1900s in Valmeinier.

The Valmeinier French ski resort is a hybrid of resorts and villages in one. In reality, there are several parts that make up Valmeinier. The older, more traditional village with fewer apartments and more hamlets and perhaps culture lies at 1500 meters. Another, with more modern la-di-da buildings doesn’t have the same Alpine feel but is truly gorgeous in its own right. Moreover, this resort is closer to the skiing. With a small town at 1430 meters to boot, Valmeinier takes over the Maurienne Valley with a majority of the skiable runs heading down the north face of the surrounding mountains—Mont Thabor is the highest at 3207 meters.

The first ski lift at Valmeinier was finished in 1973 and fused to the Valloire ski area. It wasn’t until the later 1980s that the village at 1800 meters was inaugurated, so the whole area is somewhat of a new design. Though the area has several smaller villages making up one larger Valmeinier, the area has not been ruined or over commercialized. There are plenty of rural escapes to be had see you feel the need to wander aimlessly or get away on your own. Once you get up to the 2600-meter highest lift, you’ll start to see the world in a different light. There are only about 10,000 beds to be had (a medium sized resort for France), so the Valmeinier ski area has plenty of room for tourism, and it won’t spoil your ski holiday weekend.

Valmeinier is lucky to have so much intact nature. You see, the Vanoise National Park and the Ecrins National Park entomb this area in protection. The area really has no industrialization, so you’ll have splendid nature all around. The free-riding skiers of every group will have plenty of off-piste riding here. That is one of the assets that make this ski area so distinct. Both the Crey du Quart and Gros Crey massifs, you’ll be able to ride as free as your skis allow.

The other great thing about Valmeinier is that they recognize snowboarding as a true snow sport. That is why you’ll find the snow park on the Crey du Quart. Taking the Chateau Ripaille draglift up, snowboarders have access to a boardercross course, half-pipe, and other obstacles to keep you flying. The boarder park is groomed every day. The French Snowboard Association, additionally, certifies the snowpark. This place is a little secret in the midst of some spectacular daily-fresh powder.

You might hear people talking about Galibier-Thabor when they mention the Valmeinier and Valloire conglomerate. Some statistics suggest that this is the new name, but most of the locals go by the village names. The ski season starts about the 20th of December and lasts until the 18 of April this year. There are 1600 hectares of ski area with almost 75% of that being above the 2000-meter mark. In all, there are 400 snow cannons providing predictable snow whenever needed. And, there’s more.

Valmeinier ski resort in France proffers 150 km of skiable pistes. Your longest run will take you over nine kilometers, with the highest lift stopping at 2594 meters. There are over 80 total runs with 9 expert, 54 intermediate and 20 beginner runs. You’ll not have to wait in line too much as over 40,000 skiers can ride up 33 different lifts per hour: 16 drag, 15 chair and 2 cable gondolas. A full-day ski pass will run an adult about 30 Euro, while seven days will cost around 160 Euro. A single family can ski with a six-day ski pass for 515 Euros, with an extra child costing around 120 Euros more total. With such modest prices, the entire family can come for a weeklong holiday, testing the skiable terrain of one of France’s best resort towns.