Compared with the big resorts further up the Tarentaise, Valmorel has a different feel. Although the ski area is still pretty big by most standards, it can't compete with the mega resorts beyond Moutiers, and in recent years has been marketing itself to skiers from southern France and Spain.
In many ways the area is now more noted for summer pursuits. The Col de la Madeleine is a regular on the Tour de France, most recently in 2013.
Valmorel used to be a mainstay of the brochures in the 1980s and 1990s, but these days doesn't merit a full chapter in Where to Ski and Snowboard - although there is a useful online write up here.
But there is certainly some investment going into the area.
Five years ago, the new Celliers gondola was opened, linking this remote valley with the Grand Domaine:
Two new lifts opened on the Valmorel side last season, and a new "Soleil Rouge" lift over in St Francois is coming on stream for 2013/14.
And the recent arrival of Club Med suggests that investors are willing to put their money into the future of the resort. It boasts about being the nearest Tarentaise resort to Chambery, Lyon, Paris - and its accessibility is certainly a plus.
We likened Valmorel to Premiership team Reading, who were then duly relegated. Will Valmorel make a return to the big league during the coming years? The signs are promising...
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