When tasked with arranging a snowboarding stag do that would satisfy our group both on the piste and on the piss one resort stood mountain and bars above the rest: Val d’Isere. Most of our group had been there before and loved it so I set about arranging a Val d’Isere snowboarding stag do for a weekend in February.
As an expensive resort with most accommodation booked by the week it was going to cost a fortune for a weekend staying in Val d’Isere. However La Daille which is a small town about 2km outside Val offers much better value for money.
Where to stay on a Val d’Isere snowboarding stag do?
Initially we were reluctant to be out of where the action is however La Daille has a funicular, a cable car and chair lift to get you up the mountain and it connects easily to Tignes. Also there are free shuttle buses which run all over Val until about 2 am making it easy and free to get around. Taxis are available for the really late nights which on a Val d’isere snowboarding stag do were inevitable.
So after a little research we booked Residence Les Balcons de Bellevarde which is run by Pierre & Vacance in La Daille for 3 nights. We booked a 2 bed apartment that sleeps up to seven for around E1000 which sounds a lot but is a bargain compared to hotels in central Val d’isere.
Being a stag do the quality of the accommodation was not that important to us. However we were pleasantly surprised by Residence Les Balcons de Bellevarde. It was recently decorated with very nice furniture. The beds were comfy even the sofa beds and the kitchen had all the appliances you would need for a self catering break.
The bedrooms were quite small but the living area was huge and everything was done to a high standard – far better than the stag deserved! In terms of location it was about a five minute walk to the nearest lift and the buses stopped right outside and ran every few minutes.
The Piste: Review of Val d’isere snowboarding
Val d’Isere is linked with Tignes to create Espace Killy providing 300km of pisted runs and a vast amount of off piste opportunities. It is widely regarded as one of the best ski areas in Europe and is particularly good for advanced riders.
We arrived in resort at 10am on the back of two days of snow and it was still snowing. On day one only a few lifts were open we still went up and played in the powder and had a great time despite terrible visibility. We made the most of it by sticking to tree runs from the top of Bellvarde down into La Daille and heading off piste to find routes between the trees.
We woke on day two to clear skies (unfortunately not clear heads) and over 50cm of fresh snow – it was going to be the perfect powder day! We were out of the apartments and on (almost) the first lifts – even Barney (the chief faffer) was quick to get ready. One of the group had spent a season in Val a few years back so knew where to go for lift accessible off piste and we spent a lot of the day riding deep pow in the Tignes side of Espace Killy (no idea which runs!).
It was one of the best days boarding in my life including some epic wipe outs, sick air and endless float….. When we finished for the day my legs were numb, my back and neck ached from a particular crash that included three cartwheels and I just couldn’t ride any more. To cure the aches and pains we went for a few beers – and got home at 4am….
Amazingly it snowed more overnight and although raucously hungover the next day we made it out by 11 to enjoy more fresh powder in the Laisinant and Solaise areas followed by a very early night!
Very thoughtfully check out of the Residence Les Balcons de Bellevarde was not until 5pm – perfect for a Val d’Isere snowboarding stag do! So on the final day we got another full day on the slopes. There was still plenty of fresh snow to be found and we spent the day over towards La Fornet and Montet much of which had only just opened so was still untouched. We even had a shower before checking out and driving back to Geneva.
The Pissed: The best snowboarding party?
Being a stag do this was not just about awesome snowboarding. It was important that the stag was sent off in style. With that in mind we dressed him as a pink fairy for the entire time including while snowboarding and while partying.
We had two nights out and took in bars such as the Fall Line, The Face, Moris Pub, The Saloon, Petite Danois, and of course we ended up in Dicks Tea Bar. I was surprised that the Après ski only really lasted until about seven, then the bars were deserted for a couple of hours as everyone went home, had dinners and got changed.
We decided to power on through, however come midnight and trying to get into Dicks Tea Bar in our boarding gear we were told to go home and get changed. To me not being able to go into a club in a ski resort while still in your boarding gear is just wrong – you should get free drinks for making it that far! Fortunately we hopped on a bus, got changed and hopped back on a bus and were in the club half an hour later. It was rammed and absolutely banging with people celebrating an epic powder day.
Apart from the lull between Après ski and post dinner, all the pubs, bars and clubs were lively with a fun crowd. People get properly dressed up for a night out in Val making it feel more like a night out in the UK then in a French ski resort. This makes for a great night out but also a late night out so if you don’t want to miss slope time you are going to be riding with a hangover.
Is Val d’Isere my favourite Resort?
Having boarded in 15 resorts in Europe Val d’Isere is my favourite both for the snowboarding and the nightlife. I am swayed by the conditions as this trip was four days of powder virtually all of it spent off piste. We were lucky to have a someone to show us around who knew Val very well and you should only go off piste if you know what you are doing, have the kit and a guide.
However Val d’Isere is a very expensive and not all my trips away are boys only stag dos. When taking the family I tend to choose more sedate resorts as I wouldn’t get to enjoy the best snowboarding party anyway. But I would certainly recommend a Val d’Isere snowboarding stag do to any best man looking to combine snowboarding with a memorable send off for the groom.
