Looking to snowboard in a great, but less well known ski area? Want to head somewhere that is not full of Brits, but still has a good vibe and plenty to offer tourists? Then read this review of La Clusaz snowboarding holiday in Aravis, France.
Before heading to La Clusaz I knew three things about the ski area.
- It is just an hour drive from Geneva.
- Candide Thevox, ski legend and former freeride world champion, hails from there and shot the viral ski trilogy “One of Those Days” in the Aravis ski area.
- And, it is not the highest of ski areas (1,100m to 2,600m) so it can suffer in poor conditions.
Review of La Clusaz Snowboarding Holiday in Aravis Ski Area
Armed with this knowledge, we set our for a few days in La Clusaz during what had been the warmest December and January on record. There had been some early snow, but then there had been rain and warmer conditions, meaning all over the Alps ski resorts were struggling for snow cover.
In just under an hour we confirmed that it is a short drive from Geneva, it is also very pretty passing Lake Annecy before going up into the Aravis range. During the journey from the UK I watched the Candide videos for inspiration, and to see if we’d recognise it later.
Of course we were a little worried about the conditions, particularly when we arrived to see most of the resort was green not white. But one thing we’d noticed watching “One of Those Days” was that despite some sketchy snow cover (particularly in the third video) Candide makes the conditions. So we set out to do the same!
The Aravis ski area has 220km of slopes serviced by the mountain towns/villages of La Clusaz, St-Jean De Sixt, La Grand Bornand, Chinaillon and Manigod. There are three separate ski areas, La Clusaz and Manigod that are linked by cable cars, and then La Grand Bornand to which you need to take a bus.
During this visit, unfortunately the Manigod slopes were completely closed. Furthermore, much of La Grand Bornand was also shut. Meaning only snowboarded in La Clusaz, where we had an amazing time including one of my best powder days of the season.
Day 1: Sketchy Snowboarding in La Clusaz
We arrived in resort in time for lunch before hitting the slopes for a couple of hours. The few ski runs that were open threaded their way through green meadows like white ribbons. There wasn’t time to head to La Balme, the highest part of La Clusaz, so we stuck to the slopes below Massif de L’Aiguille.
Of the lower slopes, only one was open back into town. Higher up they were all open and in quite good condition, although a little icy in places. Off the side of the pistes we found a few inches of soft snow and had a play in that. But the snow was not very deep so you had t be careful to avoid rocks.
The run back into resort felt like spring snowboarding. There was slush, patches of mud and where the piste ended so did the snow. But there were plenty of little lumps and bumps to perform tricks off. Overall the couple of hours snowboarding was the perfect warm up for the days ahead.
We finished just as the lifts were closing and snow had started to fall. Now some snow was forecast, but everyone was surprised by how much fell. By the time I went to bed that night the green mountain had turned white. And even more fell overnight!
Day 2: Powder Day Snowboarding in La Clusaz
Day two dawned with very different conditions. Not only was the entire resort snow covered, but it was cold and on the lower slopes we could see the snow cannons making snow as fast as they could. We had a guide for the day who was possibly even more excited than us.
So we followed him over to the Col de Balme area as quickly as we could, although the linking run was painfully slow. From Lac de Confins there are two gondolas, one takes you back to the La Clusaz side of the mountain and the other heads up into the Balme area, where much of Candide’s videos were shot.
On the way up the gondola our guide explained that the entire Balme area is made avalanche safe before it is opened. It is essentially a freeride snowboarding zone and you can safely ride almost anywhere. But he did point out a few very rocky sections to avoid.
Col de Balme Freeride Snowboarding
At the top of the gondola you ride down a short way to either another chair, or a drag lift, each of which takes you to a different zone. There was more snow at the top than anyone expected. At least 30cm had fallen, although it was windblown so on ridges there was very little and in dips it was deeper.
There are pistes running down from the top most chairlift, but we didn’t use them. Following the guide we mostly stayed off the ridges and enjoyed the powder between. The whole area is really undulating with little gullies and chutes between powder fields, plus plenty of options to drop little cliffs or launch off wind lips.
While it looks like a short distance on the piste map a top to bottom run is a long way. And with heavier powder lower down it was quite tiring. But it was so much fun we lapped it until the drag lift opened. We were then lucky to be some of the first into the bowl to the right of Col De Balme.
From here we took the long black run on the far right. As the first to head down it, we enjoyed fresh tracks all the way. Unfortunately, the snow was not that deep, particularly lower down, and in places there were lots of rocks making it difficult. So after a second run taking in the areas between the reds we stopped for a late lunch.
After lunch was more of the same. As the slopes were not busy we never had to queue and the powder, particularly higher up, remained in great condition. After a wonderful day we stopped for a well deserved beer on the way home!
Day 3: La Clusaz Freeride Snowboarding
The other areas were still closed on the final day of our review of La Clusaz snowboarding holiday in Aravis, France. So we spent more time in La Balme and on the La Clusaz slopes. As the lower slopes are grass meadows, even with a thin snow cover you could ride confident that you would not hit any rocks.
Although getting tracked out, there was still plenty of powder stashes to be found in the La Balme area, so we spent most of our day exploring them. Finding a few wind lips and natural jumps we got involved in some off-piste freestyle. Not always successfully…
It was another great day on the slopes, although the powder was tracked and starting to get really heavy except at the very top. So we had a more chilled afternoon cruising the pistes and practicing tricks off side hits. Unfortunately the snowpark was closed otherwise we’d have taken a few spins through it.
Review of Snowboarding Holiday in Aravis, France
Of course a snowboarding trip is about more than the time on the slopes. Where you stay, the food and the other activities all add to the experience. So in this section of the review of La Clusaz snowboarding holiday in Aravis, France we’ll look at everything else!
Review of Alpen Roc Hotel La Clusaz
We stayed in the lovely three star Alpen Roc hotel. It is a great hotel, honestly I have stayed at four star accommodation that is not as nice.
The rooms are not hugely luxurious, but they are very comfortable. Expect lots of traditional wood paneling, with simple furniture and non-flashy decoration. The beds are very comfortable and the shower was powerful, plus there was plenty of storage.
Surprisingly the hotel has a free bar. Which is possibly why we liked it so much… Beers, wine, cocktail of the day, soft drinks and hot drinks are all available to guest from 10am until the bar closes, which was at around 11pm. The bar has pool table and table football, which got a lot of use from us, including playing against other guests.
There is a lovely wellness area. Including a jacuzzi, sauna and hammam to help relieve aching muscles. There’s also a heated indoor swimming pool that would keep kids amused but isn’t really long enough for a proper swim.
A large buffet breakfast is served from 7 until 10am. There was a good selection of continental options, including hot drinks, pastries, fruit juices, yoghurts, cereals, cheeses and cold cuts. But also cooked options including bacon, eggs and sausages.
Food and Drink in La Clusaz
We had meals at a few restaurants during this review of La Clusaz snowboarding holiday in Aravis, France. I was travelling with a vegan, which can be a challenge in the French mountains. Here is how we got on:
Lucia Restaurant, St Jean de Sixt
This lovely Italian restaurant has a really nice vibe. The Lucia menu is small but changes each month with lots of creative home made pasta dishes that cater to all dietary needs. I had a ravioli dish the was incredible plus a really hearty soup as a starter. All the food was very tasty, and the decor is quirky with lots of cool artwork on display.
Déli Schuss, La Clusaz
On our day of arrival we wanted a quick lunch before hitting the slopes. So we went to Déli Schuss which serves sandwiches, salads, burgers and a few other dishes. They also have a great selection of cakes and quiches. I went for a burger and was pleased with my decision!
Alpen Roc Restaurant, La Clusaz
Serving a buffet style, help yourself, dinner we ate at the Alpen Roc one night. There were soups, salads and a range of main dishes and sides to chose from, plus lots of deserts. It was all pretty good, although being a buffet makes it much harder to be excellent. But there were more than enough options to feed any dietary needs.
La Distillerie des Aravis
As part of tis review of La Clusaz snowboarding holiday in Aravis, France we also visited the local Aravis distillery. Since 1876 they’ve been using the traditional artisanal methods to distill and create authentic Génépi liqueur. The family owned business is run by a brother and sister whose grandparents originally set it up.
If you are in La Clusaz I recommend doing the tour as it’s fascinating. They run both English and French versions, so be sure to book in advance. The tasting at the end is excellent with a range of Génépi’s other local liqueurs and even a blue gin that changes to pink when you add tonic.
Aravis Snowboarding in Poor Conditions
We arrived in La Clusaz in what had been the worst start to a season in many years. Everywhere was struggling in the Alps and a lower ski area like Aravis more so then some. It was very green when we arrived, but that first day we still had fun on the slopes despite only a small area being open.
We did get lucky with the fresh snow, but it goes to show that mountain weather is variable and unpredictable. With very good powder conditions the second day was one of my best of the season, and the third day was a lot of fun too.
I can understand why some people want the guarantee of ‘better’ conditions that higher French ski areas can provide. However they were all struggling as well. While they had more slopes open, these larger areas had a lot more people on France skiing holidays. So the slopes that were open were reportedly very busy.
In comparison La Clusaz was very quiet. Yes the lower slopes were in a poor state, but every ski area was suffering the same. But being a less popular snowboarding holiday destination meant we had the slopes to ourselves. And when it snowed we enjoyed fresh tracks for the next two days.
Snowboarding Holiday in La Clusaz: Yes or No?
La Clusaz is a pretty town that avoided the large concrete construction rage of the seventies. It is all low rise with plenty of independent accommodation, restaurants and bars. Which ultimately make for a much more natural feeling destination and a better snowboarding holiday in France.
We only managed to explore the 40 km² La Clusaz part of the ski area with Manigod (44 km²) and La Grand Bornand (61 km²) both closed. All together there are 220km of slopes to explore, which is plenty for anyone, and even with less than 30% open there was plenty for us.
Yes La Clusaz is more susceptible to poor conditions, but if there is snow you can still have a lot of fun. And remember, this review of La Clusaz snowboarding holiday in Aravis was during the worst start to a season on record. So even a below average start to winter will be a lot better!
It’s proximity to Geneva, lack or crowds and traditional feel means La Clusaz and the Aravis ski area are well worth a visit. Plus it is cheaper then the ‘mega’ resorts which is a bonus if you’re having One of Those Days.
We hope you found this review of La Clusaz snowboarding holiday in Aravis, France useful. If you’d like to visit check out their website for more information: www.laclusaz.com
