Val d'Isere is the destination of choice for many skiers and snowboarders during the winter season. However, it is not only these mountain sports that attract visitors to the area. Mountain biking, hiking and paragliding are also popular here, and in this section you can find in-depth articles, not only for enthusiasts, but for everyone who aspires to become at one with the mountain! For back country/off piste skiing articles, please see our Insiders Guide in the Winter & Skiing section.
Val d'Isère, is located at the entrance of the Vanoise National Park and this is the perfect place for starting easy walks or outings of several days in the mountains. On the pathways, you will find "indication signs" that show you your position, the area, and the approximate walking time left. The hikes are graded according to their difficulty in the same colours as the pistes in the winter with green being the easiest, followed by blue, red, and finally the steeper, longer black hikes. A "Hiking guide" presenting over 40 itineries is for sale at the Tourist Office. ... see "Val d'Isere Hiking & Walking Trails" for more
Mountain Biking (MTB / VTT)
Val d’Isere is great for the keen skier in winter with an array of long, steep descents across the Bellevarde, Solaise and La Daille areas. However, these slopes are much more difficult to tackle in summer on a mountain bike. There has been a downhill track from the top of the La Daille cable car for nearly 10 years but it is very technical and is therefore only ridden by the most experienced riders. There are many more options for mountain biking in Tignes so this may be worth considering if staying in Val d’Isère. (NB: In French, mountain biking is called VTT. (Vélo tout-terrain!)) ... see "Val d'Isere Mountain Biking" for more
Paragliding (parapente)
From near the top of Solaise Summit one can glide down to the bottom of the valley on a tandem paraglider controlled by the instructor. He manoeuvres the parachute while the passenger enjoys the ride and fantastic views.
Taking off is the only scary moment: once you have been equipped with a helmet and strapped to the instructor behind you in a rather intimate way, both of you simply point your skis (or board) downhill, and carry on getting faster and faster until the parachute lifts you into the air. One then peacefully glides above the pistes for ten to twenty minutes, aiming to catch thermals to keep you up for longer. Landing is very gentle and no more of an impact than jumping off a step. ... see "Val d'Isere for Paragliding" for more
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