Yellow is the new Black in The Three Valleys

Across The Three Valleys ski area there are Green, Blue, Red and Black marked Pistes or runs. The frequency with which they are groomed/bashed at night by the Piste Machines varies within each resort area but as a rough guide Green runs will be groomed every night, most Blue runs will be groomed, a lower % of Red runs will be groomed and an even lower % of Black runs will be groomed.

When Pistes are groomed the unevenness of the surface is reduced and moguls are flattened leaving a corduroy surface which we commonly refer to as Hero Snow. It is predictable and in most cases a very different experience than skiing or riding Off Piste where no slope preparation is carried out and obstacles such as rocks and sudden drops in terrain exist.

Over the past few years we have seen an increase in the number of people wanting to explore Off Piste. This is partly driven by the availability of equipment which enables people to  participate in the experience without a huge outlay in terms of money and time to learn new skills. This has led to some problems, the weather this season has given us an unstable snow pack and avalanches have been frequent some sadly fatal. A local guide commented on one of the problems with this increased interest in Off Piste areas being people have "equipment beyond their capability". 

One of the problems is how do you learn how to ski or ride Off Piste conditions without actually going Off Piste and endangering your life and that of others. This year the Les Menuires area of The Three valleys have taken steps to address this. On the Piste Map there are now Liberty Ride Pistes which are marked in yellow:

These are marked pistes which have had obstacles such a rocks removed but no grooming is carried out. The condition of the snow is therefore what you will find Off Piste providing a safe area in which to experience these very different snow conditions. Piste markers are used and the areas are patrolled.

Liberty Ride Piste marker

Three Liberty Ride areas have been introduced and no doubt more will follow. They can be found on la Masse: access via la Masse 2 gondola, on Ariondaz near Saint Martin: access via the Saint Martin 2 chairlift, and pylônes: access via the Sunny Express chairlift. This is a great innovation by the area so before you venture Off Piste for the first time practice your skills in one of these areas.