LA ROSIERE

UPDATE: 19 January 2013. The future is bright...

Things are changing quite quickly in La Rosiere.  The British Chalet companies like it, there is a new fast lift for 2012/13 to replace the old and slow Fort lift on the way over to Italy....and expansion is planned for 2016/7, with two new lifts scheduled for the Les Eucherts area, along with an additional 40km of pistes.  Bringing the "Espace San Bernado" up to 200kms, this will take La Rosiere right back into the Premiership.

Here are some shots of the area from a January 2013 visit.  Once on the La Thuile side a recommended route is the "Tour" - it brings you onto the "main road" (aka the piste), with a couple of options for lunch.

The Les Arcs pisteurs recommend "La Grotta", which involves being picked up at the foot of the La Thuile lifts apparently.

The green run from the top of the Ecudets chair (1)

The green run (2)

The border.  Take the long red (No 18,
 then No 6) to La Thuile:
1200m of descent

Going back to La Thuile along the "road"
(Piste No 7)

Back in La Rosiere: the restaurant above the Eucherts lift

18 June 2011

La Rosiere's profile seems to have been on the wane in recent years....

Villaroger on the right, Tignes in the background

Without wanting to over-stretch the comparisons with football clubs, it's probably on the Premiership/Championship borders.  Earlier in the year I thought it was probably Birmingham.  And they got relegated.  It has some good lifts, varied terrain (if you include the Italian side) and decent vertical descents.

But it's the views, I think, that make me very, very keen on La Rosiere.  

Coming from Bourg St Maurice, take the N90, go through Seez and its various suburbs and then after a few kms take a left and park at the Les Ecudets lift.  This is at about 1100 metres and means you can avoid the long drive right to the top. You can buy a ticket and get a coffee here, but you can't rent skis.  There are occasional buses from the Bourg funiculaire to Ecudets - one leaves at 9am for example.

The resort itself is modern but feels more of a "place" than its purpose-built neighbours.  The more upmarket accommodation seems to be at Ecudets, which is a suburb slightly away from the centre, served by its own fast lift.

The area above La Rosiere is very flattering - easy red cruising as you look down the valley towards La Plagne or up towards Tignes.  It doesn't seem to get too busy - eg in February half term it was much more fluid than Les Arcs.

Going over to Italy does feel like a trek.  There are two seemingly endless drags while still (just) in France which do make you wonder if it's all worthwhile.  Then there are basically two routes into Italy: take the summer road and weave your way down, or take the higher route.  I'd recommend the latter.  Once over the top, go down via Pontelles and Nuova – this red run is a minor classic – it goes from 2600 to 1400m, away from the lifts, taking you from big open pistes close to the glacier and then down through the trees on a fast and bumpy piste.

The big issue I have when over on the Italian side is that I’m always nervous about getting back (the Col du Petit St Bernard is notoriously windy and prone to generally iffy weather).  I need to go back, relax, and explore the Italian side some more.  It has a good-ish lift system and feels away from the crowds.

Close to "the border", at the top of La Thuile

Restaurants on the Italian side are generally described as average, though friendly and vaguely Italian.  I'd agree with that.    

For some people – eg a real mixed ability party with some adventurous intermediates and some beginners - it could be perfect for a week.

Keener folk could get bored, but definitely worth a day trip if you are staying in one of the big Tarentaise resorts.  You do get much more of a sense of adventure than in a Tignes or Val d'Isere.  And those views...

www.larosiere.net