Les Orres

Les Orres, France

Rated: 3/5 (from 6 ratings)

Les Orres

A local forester, Emile Hodoul, dreamed up les Orres in 1935, but the first lift was not installed until 1966. The resort has a sunny, southerly location, skiing up to snow-sure altitudes (despite latitude) with a good variety of more challenging terrain.

Summary

The French ski resort of Les Orres is in the French Alps at an altitude of 1,600m, with 63km of marked runs.

Les Orres has direct access to 63km of downhill skiing, with 29 marked pistes, served by a total of 25 ski lifts.

The ski resort itself is at 1,600m, so skiing or boarding back to the resort is usually possible. With ski lifts as high as 2,770m, skiing and snowboarding is assured throughout the season.

Les Orres Overview

Overlooking the Durance Valley and the lake of Serre-Poncon, Les Orres has one of the largest ski areas in the Southern Alps. The resort has a sunny, southerly location with skiing up to snow-sure altitudes. Les Orres did seem to be losing its edge in the 1990s with increasingly old lifts and buildings, but three new high-speed six-seater chairs and plenty of new initiatives to enhance the 'guest experience' have definitely spiced it up. There are also more facilities to diversify the holiday options available including an ice rink, cyber cafe, training circuit, multi-media room, family area and health spa. Although an 'intermediate heaven' there are serious opportunities for off-piste. The only thing you won't find is a buzzing nightlife.

 Notable Ski Runs

The most difficult run is the 'L'Horrible'.

Skiing

There are 88km (55 miles) of marked trails at Les Orres which despite its southerly latitude, has skiing right up to a snowsure 2730m, creating a 1200m vertical - big for a resort of this size (it would be one of the five biggest if this were North America!) and southerly location. Its not a great choice for experts with the majority of terrain graded easy to intermediate but of the three blacks L'Horrible has the best name and meanest reputation. L'Ecureuil, cut through the trees beneath the Grand Clos double chair which serves it is also worth a shot, especially when bumpy as well as steep. Two thirds of the trails are graded intermediate and there are wonderful long runs, especially the Grand Cabane trail accessed via trail three which descends for four kilometres along the boundaries of the marked area, first above the treeline and then making its solitary way through the forest, far from all the other trails. A third six-seater chair was added recently to access the Fontaines area.

There are plenty of off piste opportunities above Les Orres, some of the best reached with a ridge hike from the top of three drag lifts that access Grand Vallon and Petit Vallon sectors, but beware the off-limits zones marked on the map. To be on the safe side and find the best powder, a five full day course (Monday to Friday) is available with a mountain guide to discover off-piste and ski touring across the local southern Alps.

The plateau of Charance offers you five kilometres of cross country skiing through the forest. The 24km Mazelière loipe will excite more advanced skiers.

Les Orres offers good sking, particularly, for Intermediate and Beginner skiers.

Snowboarding

The snowpark at Les Orres has slides, five tables, two quarters and two big airs. The resort also has a boardercross course and tuition provided by several ski and board schools which run a range of specialised classes from complete beginner to boardercross skills.

Aprés Ski

There are more than a dozen bars and a lone nightclub, Les Caves.

The mini-bowling alley, Le Bowlingo, located in the shopping arcade can make part of an entertaining evening or L'Ubac Cinema shows two different movies a day, with more in bad weather (Not all films are shown in English, check before you buy your ticket)