ValThorensGuide.co.uk

An independent guide to Val Thorens

Val Thorens zipwire La Tyrolienne

The zipwire in Val Thorens goes from the top of the Bouchet chairlift in Orelle, to the top of the Funitel de Thorens in Val Thorens. It's 1300m long, and the difference in height from top to bottom is 230m. It's open during the day, from 10am to 4.45pm, weather permitting, and costs €50. Read about the Val Thorens zipwire here.

Val Thorens zipwire La Tyrolienne

Val Thorens opened a zipwire in February 2014. It goes from the top of the Bouchet chairlift in Orelle, to the top of the Funitel de Thorens in the Val Thorens ski area. The length is 1300m, the difference in height from top to bottom 230m, and the distance above the ground at the highest point is 250m. The speed can be between 65 and 105kmh, and the 'flight' takes about 1 minute 45 seconds.

The Val Thorens zipwire is open from 10am to 4.45pm, with a short break over lunchtime (from about 12.45). It is of course weather-dependent - in particular, it depends on the strength and direction of the wind. It's best to go up to the hut at the top of the Bouchet chair and ask. The price is €50. It is open to anyone 8 years old or more, up to a maximum weight of 120kg.

You wear a harness which is attached to the wire, and has a space for your skis or snowboard, which travel behind you. The harness puts in you in a sitting position. A helmet is supplied, and you have to wear it (although it's difficult to envisage circumstances in which it would help you!)

  

The sensation is claimed to be similar to that experienced by an eagle in flight, hence the rather disturbing half-man half-eagle face on the official website. People who have done it say that it's unnerving at the very start, as there's a bit of a 'click' as you set off, but then it's actually quite peaceful and calm during the ride, rather than being a real adrenaline experience.

Val Thorens zipwire: video

This is a video of the zipwire taken on 8th March 2014:

This is a short video of the zipwire, taken on Saturday 22nd February 2014, less than a week after the opening:

We hope you enjoy the zipwire in Val Thorens.

Back to activities.

Val Thorens activities: ten pin bowling

Le Bowling is Val Thorens's ten pin bowling venue, at place de l' Arche. It's open every day from 12 noon to 2am. They have eight bowling lanes, and the cost is €11 per person per game (2012-13 prices). As well as ten pin bowling, they have arcade games, snooker and pool, big screen TVs, and internet access. There's a bar, La Bicicleta, where bowlers are not the only ones to quench their thirst. Read more about le Bowling, Val Thorens...   

Val Thorens activities: toboggan run

Val Thorens has the longest toboggan run in Europe, with 6km (3.7 miles) of exhilarating tobogganing, from 3000m, down to 2300m. You use the Funitel Péclet to get to the top, toboggan on the piste for a short stretch, then join the dedicated toboggan run, for a total of about 45 minutes of helter-skelter descent. 

See times and prices, and read more about the Val Thorens toboggan run...