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Pralognan
On this page, we cover the off piste route from the top of the Col chair, to Pralognan.
This is a great day out, but it does go on glaciers, so it's better done with a high mountain guide.
Read about the off piste route to Pralognan here.
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Don't forget the off piste safety considerations.
Val Thorens off piste itineraries: Pralognan
Map: Les Trois Vallées 1:25,000, 3615 IGN
One of the most spectacular days out from Val Thorens is Pralognan.
The route involves skiing on glaciers, so you should be wearing a harness, and be equipped with ropes. Unless you have the equipment, and know about crevasse rescue, the best option would be to book a high mountain guide. Touring skis and skins are required. The initial slopes are steep, so it should be done only when the avalanche risk is low. You need to book a taxi to take you from Pralognan to Brides les Bains.
From Val Thorens, take the Moraine and Col chairlifts. From the top of Col, follow the piste round the corner, then trek across the Glacier de Chaviere towards the Col de Polset.
Cross the ridge just to the left of the Col de Polset. Ski down to the Lac de Chaviere, then trek NE up the Glacier de Polset, to the col close to the trig point marked on the map (2992m).
Ski down from the col, on a slope that is steep, intially, then flattens out. You're heading towards the long-distance path GR55. You get views of the Roc du Souffre and the Glacier de Gébroulaz up to the left; and pass the Refuge Peclet Polset on your left.
(It's possible to ski the little valley to the right of the path, which is a more interesting and picturesque route). You arrive at the Refuge du Roc de la Peche, which has a picnic area, and restaurant. You can buy drinks there.
You can sometimes see chamois around here. Skipass.com has footage of a herd of chamois escaping an avalanche just above the Refuge.
It's a further 6km or so down the valley, in which the Doron
de Chaviere stream runs. The last part is on cross-country ski trails,
which bring you into Pralongan-la-Vanoise. From here, take a taxi to
Brides-les-Bains; then the Brides bubble brings you to Méribel, and the
pistes and lifts back to Val Thorens.
This is a short video of the route from March 2013:
Here's an album of photos from a Val Thorens - Pralgonan trip in March 2010 (toggle right to see more images):
Back to the off piste itineraries page.
