Vars Sports & Outdoors Tips by Djinn76

Coni, the steepest slopes !!

This is one of the steepest slopes I have ever seen. It is starting from the chine between the Cold de Crevoux (2530m) and the Pic de Chabrieres, the highest point of the skiing domain (2750m).

You can see it from the Crevoux chairlift but unless someone is going down, you would hardly think there is a slope there…
Not too many people are doing it; it is quite impressive, even more if you don’t get close enough, you wouldn’t even see the slope! At the end it is still doable (even with the first part frozen)!!

Close to it (on the right), there is also the “Kilometre Lance”, this is where professional skiers try to beat the speed records!!

Theme: Skiing/Snowboarding

The chairlift

This is the other way to reach the summits. Much more comfortable than a ski-lift, this is also a nice way to chat with other people. When lots of people are queuing up to take the lift, it is polite to always fill in the chair lift to the maximum. If 4 seats are available and 3 of them are already busy, either you take the fourth one (even if you are with another group) or you let someone else take it. For some of the chairlifts, there is even a special queue, usually faster, for the persons skiing alone.

Theme: Skiing/Snowboarding

The Ski lifts

This is the elementary way to climb a slope with your skis… They have completely disappeared from some of the skiing domain (Trois Vallees for example) but are essential in “La Foret Blanche” domain. Not really comfortable and not always easy, I started to appreciate them. Indeed when an area is only available via a difficult ski lift, you’d find less people, beginners on the slopes…

In French, the official word is “TeleSkis” but they are popularly called “Tire-Fesses” or “Tire-Cul” (literally buttocks/ass-pulling). I’d be interested to know the corresponding English names, don’t hesitate to drop me a mail if you know them…

Theme: Skiing/Snowboarding

Clos Chardon

A really nice part of the domain! The access is done via a 4 person’s chair-lift but there is only one red slope starting from the top. Lots of people are indeed going off-piste and enjoy the several natural half-pipes.

Theme: Skiing/Snowboarding

Platte de la Nonne

This is a red slope starting from La Mayt, not really difficult and quite long. Since this is one of the main junctions between the two valleys, it is also attracting lots of people... even more when you know the chairlift is one of the best one of the domain…

Theme: Skiing/Snowboarding

La Mayt

This is one of the summits between the Risoul and the Vars valley.
Centrally located, as you can see on the pictures, lots of slopes are starting from there. Also as it is easily accessible (by chairlifts instead of ski lift), lots of people are going this way to go from one valley to the other one…

Theme: Skiing/Snowboarding

Red slopes

Lots of red slopes are available on the domain. I don’t know if this is something particular to the domain or if it is simply my level of ski that’s improving (hum!) but I’ve found most of them really easy.

If I had to recommend a couple of them it would be:
- “Peynier”, at the most left part of the domain, they are really long and not too many people are using them
- “Olympique”, going to Vars Sainte Marie, again a very long slope where it is possible to go quite fast (not too many people neither)
- “Col Sans Nom”, going to Risoul from the Pic de Chabrieres, the highest point of the skiing domain (2750m).
- “L’Homme de Pierre” Several steep slopes going down from there and not too many people neither (only access is a difficult ski lift)

Theme: Skiing/Snowboarding

Black slopes

There are not so many black slopes in the ski area. I think two of them are particularly noticeable, “Coni” (see the next tip) and “Vautours”. This last one has an easy start, a simple “bump field”. However the last part is particularly scary, a very steep slope, quite narrow and with huge bumps!!
“Mur”, Evasion and “Casse” don’t have anything particular except the bumps.
You could be tempted by “Ecureils”, a very long slope starting from the Peynier Mountain but imho, it is more like a red slope. The only difficulty is a few steep slopes at the end.

Theme: Skiing/Snowboarding