Vars, France

Antonis from UNITED KINGDOM writes:

Vars-Risoul is one of the best Alpine ski resorts I have been to date. Went there end of Jan 2008 with some friends from the Uni. Snow cover was excellent as expected. Slopes were brilliant for all ability levels. However, it is better suited for beginners-intermediates. Experts and powder seekers might be left longing for more black/untracked slopes. This does not mean, in any case, that there are no challenging runs, just not a huge amount of them… If you are fit though, and enjoy walking upwards on your skis, try the walk towards the “Col de Vars”. In about 2 hours you will be at the foot of the “Crete de l’Eyssina” peak. From there you can ski down to the resort through varied terrain, trees and tons of untracked snow (30-45min). Just brilliant!
The resort also has two well designed snow parks; unfortunately the higher and more challenging one was not fully open at the time we were there but, even so, the medium difficulty lane was scary enough! The resort could use a more extended ski/boarder-cross zone and a half-pipe. The only drawback of the resort was the lift system. Even though very well designed and with good connections throughout, some of the lifts are remarkably slow and really unpleasant on a cold and windy day.
The village itself is not the most picturesque in the Alps. It is a purpose built resort with big concrete buildings and cars are allowed all around. Food in the restaurants is generally good and you can taste several local specialities. Nightlife is limited with only one nightclub and a handful of bars staying open until late. This is not to say that we had many early nights as the guys at the UCPA hostel were more than happy to keep the bar open for a bit longer and dance the night away.
Prices are normal for a French ski resort. To put it in perspective, food and drinks are a bit cheaper (and a lot better) than in the UK. However, if you want to get drunk better buy some booze from the supermarkets. If you are travelling there by car dont bother shopping from the cities you pass through. Again the supermarkets in the village sell everything you need at good prices.
In the same valley as Vars, three more villages can be found. All are smaller than Vars but they a probably worth a visit. The lift system connects them with the main skiing area and a bus runs through them until the evening. Risoul, the other half of the resort, even though better advertised and known than Vars, would be my second choice. Nevertheless, the ski area around it is excellent and the lifts over there are, in their majority, new and fast.
Connection between Vars and Risoul is, unfortunately, by two slow lifts. My personal choice among the two would be the “Pic de Chabrieres”, which is the highest point of the resort as well and offer some nice views. Also this lift gives access to the KL piste, a must do for the brave!
Overall, a very well organised resort with a large variety of slopes, good snow, good prices, and OK après-ski. Try to avoid slow lifts (especially Le Maut) on a cold day. Highly recommended for all but extreme skiers and party animals.

2008-03-10