Visitor reviews for Le Corbier (Les Sybelles) Ski Resort

Le Corbier (Les Sybelles) Ratings

Overall: 3.8. Based on 10 votes and 15 reviews. Vote

Snowsure: 4.4

(1) Occasionally gets enough snow for skiing, (2) is often closed due to a lack of snow, (3) occasionally suffers from a lack of snow, (4) rarely suffers from a lack of snow, (5) Le Corbier (Les Sybelles) is snowsure even in the poorest seasons.

Variety of pistes: 4.0

(1) The ski runs are featureless and unvaried, (3) the ski runs are varied but not extensive enough for a week, (5) Le Corbier (Les Sybelles) has diverse and interesting pistes including forests and high alpine terrain.

Off-piste: 3.6

(1) No off-piste worth mentioning, (2) off piste is out-of-bounds, (3) some varied offpiste that stays fresh for one or two days, (5) a vast array of off-piste routes that can stay untracked for several days.

Scenery: 3.5

(1) An ugly resort in a bland setting, (3) average mountain views and resort, (5) a spectacular setting and a beautiful / historic resort town.

Access: 3.7

(1) At least one overnight stop, (2) requires a whole day, (3) requires more than half a day – you may have time for a few turns (4) arrive by lunchtime and ski all afternoon, (5) there is a main airport within an hour of Le Corbier (Les Sybelles).

Public Transport: 3.2

(1) There are no buses or taxis to Le Corbier (Les Sybelles), (3) there are slow or infrequent buses / trains available, (5) getting to the resort is easy with frequent bus / train connections.

Accommodation: 4.2

(1) No places to stay in/near Le Corbier (Les Sybelles), (3) a few places to stay in the resort, (5) a wide variety of accommodation suitable to suit all budgets.

Cheap Rooms: 4.0

(1) No budget accommodation available, (3) just one or two hostels so book ahead, (5) several cheap hostels and pensions available.

Luxury Hotels: 2.4

(1) No luxury accommodation available, (3) just one or two luxury hotels so book ahead, (5) several up-market hotels in Le Corbier (Les Sybelles).

Ski in/Ski out: 4.7

(1) The ski area is located far from any accommodation, (3) a free ski bus takes you to the ski area in a short trip, (5) Ski-in ski-out accommodation is available.

Childcare: 4.6

(1) There are no child care facilities at Le Corbier (Les Sybelles), (5) the resort has excellent child-care facilities including at least one reasonably priced creche.

Snowmaking: 4.3

(1) Le Corbier (Les Sybelles) relies entirely on natural snow, (3) there are just a few snow cannons, (5) there are snowmaking facilities on all pistes.

Snow Grooming: 4.2

(1) There are no snow groomers at Le Corbier (Les Sybelles), (3) occasionally some pistes are left ungroomed and in a poor state, (5) all the runs at Le Corbier (Les Sybelles) are groomed daily.

Shelter: 3.5

(1) there is nowhere to ski when it is windy or visibility is bad and lifts often shut, (3) there are some trees for poor visibility but main lifts sometimes close, (5) Le Corbier (Les Sybelles) is mostly in forest where you can ski in flat-light and windy days, lifts rarely close.

Nearby options: 3.4

(1) If snow conditions are poor at Le Corbier (Les Sybelles), it will be poor everywhere nearby, (3) there are good alternatives within an hours drive, (5) other locations on the same lift pass provide a rich variety of snowsure ski conditions.

Regional rating: 3.6

(1) Le Corbier (Les Sybelles) usually has poor snow conditions compared to other resorts in region, (3) has average conditions for the region, (5) usually has the best snow conditions in the region.

Lift Staff: 3.9

(1) The staff at Le Corbier (Les Sybelles) are rude or unhelpful, (5) lift staff at Le Corbier (Les Sybelles) are pleasant, cheerful and eager to help.

Crowds/Queues: 3.7

(1) the resort is always busy and there are usually long lift queues, (3) it is quiet apart from occasional weekends and school holidays, (5) it is uncrowded and lift queues are very rare.

Ski Schools: 4.1

(1) No ski schools available, (2) one or two ski schools but local language only, (3) a few ski schools but book early for multi-lingual instructors, (4) plenty of ski schools and multi-lingual instructors available, (5) excellent ski schools with friendly multi-lingual ski instructors.

Hire and Repairs: 4.4

(1) Nothing can be sourced, not even ski-wax or ptex. (3) there are some ski shops but rentals need to be booked in advance, (5) good quality ski equipment can be purchased or hired and overnight repairs are possible.

Beginners: 4.3

(1) Beginners can only watch others ski and snowboard, (3) a few gentle slopes but beginners will get bored in less than a week, (3) Vast areas of gentle terrain.

Intermediates: 4.5

(1) No intermediate terrain at Le Corbier (Les Sybelles), (3) intermediate skiers will get bored after a few days, (5) vast areas of cruising runs.

Advanced: 3.6

(1) Nothing for advanced skiers and snowboarders, (3) enough steep terrain for a few days with some good offpiste, (5) Enough steep terrain and offpiste areas to entertain advanced skiers for at least a week.

Snow Park: 3.9

(1) Not even a kicker at Le Corbier (Les Sybelles), (3) average sized park quite well looked after, (5) huge park area and expertly crafted pipes, jumps and boardercross trails.

Cross-country: 3.4

(1) There is nowhere to go for cross-country skiing around Le Corbier (Les Sybelles), (3) there are some cross country trails available, (5) the area features many spectacular and well maintained cross-country trails.

Luge/Toboggan: 2.6

(1) No designated luge or toboggan runs, (3) there are toboggan runs that open quite often, (5) Le Corbier (Les Sybelles) has long and well maintained luge / toboggan facilities suitable for all ages.

Mountain Dining: 4.0

(1) Nowhere to buy food by the pistes, (3) some places to eat up on the mountain but they are often busy and expensive, (5) there is a variety of excellent mountain eateries right next to the slopes to suit all budgets.

Eating: 4.1

(1) Bring your own food, there isn't even a shop. (5) A wide variety of places to eat and drink in the resort, from fast food to fancy restaurants.

Apres-Ski: 3.9

(1) Nothing to do, not even a bar, (3) there are a few bars in the resort but nothing special, (5) clubs and bars stay open until very late and have a friendly atmosphere.

Other Sports: 3.9

(1) No sports facilities at all apart from ski lifts, (3) resort has just a small public swimming pool, (5) resort has all kinds of sports facilities, including a full-size swimming pool.

Entertainment: 2.9

(1) Besides the snow and walking there is nothing to do here, (3) the non-skier will find things to do for few days but may become bored after a week, (5) the resort area is a fascinating place to visit, regardless of winter sports.

Winter Walks: 3.3

(1) Very limited walking and no snowshoe trails, (3) a couple of designated scenic walking/snowshoe trails, (5) extensive and diverse winter walking trails for all abilities.

Ski Pass Value: 4.3

(1) A 1 week ski pass is overpriced compared to the number of lifts available, (3) the ski pass is averagely priced and covers a reasonable number of lifts, (5) ski passes are excellent value for money and cover a lot of lifts spanning a big area.

Value (National): 4.2

(1) Overall, Le Corbier (Les Sybelles) is one of the most expensive ski resorts in the country and not worth the money, (3) overall represents average value for money, (5) overall offers the best value resort in the country.

Value (Global): 4.3

(1) Overall, Le Corbier (Les Sybelles) is one of the most expensive ski resorts in the world, (3) overall it offers pretty average value for money compared to resorts from other countries, (5) internationally the resort offers excellent value for money.

Show all 35 ratings

January 05, 2015
Susan Willan from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
First class resort; great sking and genuine ski in-ski out. Not inundated with bars but enough and the service and value for money, unbeatable. A must try, especially for the family.
January 02, 2015
Pete from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
An absolute great place to ski. The best kept secret in the Alps. Great value for money and great service from bars and shops. Will be back next year.
March 22, 2012
Lizzie from Ski France France
This resort is probably ideal for beginners and intermediates. However, the pistes are over-crowded, probably because it is a family and beginners resort and marketed as such. I found the pistes dangerously narrow and this was exacerbated by the fact that skiers tend to stop in the middle of the pistes; collisions are waiting to happen. A lot of time is spent on drag and chair lifts, the runs are short and the links to the other ski stations require even more time on lifts. Architecture-wise, Le Corbier and La Toussuire leave much to be desired. I don't know what the architects and planners were thinking of. The landscape is really harsh on the eye and I couldn't describe it as chocolate-box alpine; it isn't at all. The staff in the bars and shops in Le Corbier weren't at all friendly and bordered on surly. However, if you are a family or beginner, try Le Corbier for your first ski holiday to get you going. Then seek out prettier resorts where the service and scenery are heaps better.
March 04, 2011
Al from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
I have already submitted a review, but wanted to comment on the clinic after seeing another reviewers post. I was surprised they wanted me to return the crutches and leg brace. They lent them to me overnight. I had to pay 120 euros for the examination. I was concerned when the doc disappeared with my debit card saying that the battery was low on the remote unit, as letting the card out of your sight is a bad idea. He may have noted the numbers in case I didn't return with the equipment; I'd happily have paid a deposit. When I took the crutches and brace back, they also wanted one of the injections I'd just bought to replace the one I'd had during the exam. So the financial side all seemed a bit dodgy to me, and should get sorted out. Perhaps I'll write to them. The doctor was very friendly and did a very thorough exam that took about an hour. Make sure you have your insurance docs with you at all times, and have lift insurance.
March 02, 2011
Al from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
I was at Le Corbier last week and had a great time. It was our second visit. Coco was my instructor for the week and was great - very jolly and an excellent skier. The resort's great for families. We love the runs and the resort, especially the mountain restaurants where the food is very good and not expensive. A good mix of easy runs for beginners and more challenging blue and reds for people like me. I haven't progressed to black runs yet - Coco reckoned another week of skiing and I'd be there. The only negative about the resort was it was busy last week but this is probably because it was school holidays. This time round I managed to get a ride in one of the mountain rescue sledges. A 7 year old boy ran over the front of my skis just after I'd left the chair lift and I was approaching the top of a red run at walking pace. In the subsequent tangle of skis I was pushed onto the slope with skis spread apart off balance and unfortunately tore ligaments in one of my knees before the skis came off my boots. The assistance was excellent and the clinic very thorough. Hopefully I'll get back to it but obviously at the moment I'm a tad nervous. I'm really thankful for the support of the rescue team and the clinic, and highly recommend that you take out the ski lift insurance - only a few euros a day but it covers the mountain rescue and repatriation etc. - very comprehensive cover from Europe Assist. I had additional cover but don't think I needed it. Great resort with good facilities and excellent scenery!
February 17, 2011
Conrad from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
Got back from Le Corbier (Le Corbier (Les Sybelles)) Saturday 22 January 2011. We loved the place - whilst not a chocolate box collection of one or two-story wood clad chalets, its tag as an architectural eyesore is unfair. It is a charming and very functional resort full of very friendly restaurants and shops and with the best front 'de neiges' I have experienced anywhere and amongst one of the loveliest suntraps when the weather is fine. The mountain peaks circulate all round the resort although the skiing takes off from the front 'de neige' in one direction. It is a very pleasant place to ski with slopes of all standards coming down into resort, so it is very difficult to get lost. It has a good nursery area at resort level with easy drag lifts on two slopes - beginners would be very happy there although we thought the progression runs could be better and suit genuine intermediates better. We did not have the best snow conditions ever as all across the Alps has been mild and snow depths are not brilliant so conditions were icy at times but piste maintenance all across the Les Sybelles was as fastidious as it could be with bashers working hard every night. Skiing wise 'Le Corb' and the Les Sybelles region in general could be a really big hitter but for two problems: the links between resorts are not the best - they are not bad but not brilliant as they are a series of drags, one part very steep at the highest point Ouillon - they badly need to invest in a chair to assist with the linking to La Toussuire and St Sorlin - it would transform the area from a series of rather quaint mainly French inhabited resorts into a major league linked ski area as the quality of skiing throughout the area (real tough stuff aside) is excellent and the run choice is large if you take in the whole area. I would not go as far as to criticize the pace of all the lifts - this was nowhere near as bad as I thought it was going to be and queues were virtually non existent - but chairs at the crucial top links would be a small investment to make to greatly improve an already good, charming area. Secondly, piste directions and signposting needs a bit of improvement. It’s all well and good knowing you are skiing towards La Toussuire but it would be nice to see before you get on it what colour of piste or the name you are going on. Always have a piste map on you. Despite these criticisms I thought it was a great place to ski. We stayed at Le Mont Corbier with Rocket Ski - it was superb. Polite staff, good food for the money and clean, decent, warm accommodation in good sized rooms. Not more can be added to that. There were certainly no complaints from any of us. All in all, I would recommend Le Corbier and the Les Sybelles highly to families with kids that can ski a bit and to groups of early intermediates upwards. Food and drink is a percentage of the cost in somewhere like the 3 Valleys, the scope for mileage is as vast and it hasn’t got any of the attitude that can go with the 'big areas'. I didn’t want to come home.
January 29, 2011
Greig from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
I visited Le Corbier (Le Corbier (Les Sybelles)) in the second week of January 2010 with over 30 children and 5 adults as part of a school ski trip. We stayed in Le Mont Corbier hotel and I can simply say the staff of the hotel (and the rooms) along with the three ski instructors Jan, Laurent and Coco were excellent (and very patient with the children). The weather was excellent - snow and sun over the four days of skiing and the resort itself is very friendly and safe, which is an important factor when taking children. Overall, excellent! We have just booked again for Jan 2012. We all can't wait!
May 27, 2010
Andy Sparks from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
We travelled to Le Corbier in March 2010. It was later in the season and the skiing was fair. There are very many drag lifts and these need to be negotiated to get out of the valley, however this was not a major problem. I had the misfortune to become ill whilst away. I had massive stomach pains throughout the night and all morning culminating in seeking medical help in the reort. I was directed to the GP's Surgery, the only assistance available in resort. I attended, was examined, and told I would have to attend the hospital. There was a serious language barrier and I did not realise until later that I was to go to hospital via helicoptor. A little over the top for abdominal pain, although I do have a history of heart problems (not present at this time). As I was coveyed from the GP's I requested my belongings, wallet, passport, ID card, watch etc that was on the desk. I asked several times but the Dr seemed reluctant. When I was moved into the corridor I was shown a bag and told my belongings were inside. When I got to hospital I found my wallet, watch, passport holder (with insurance details) all missing. My colleagues attended the GP's following my phone call to find that he had retained these items and would not release them until he had been paid. Euro 210, coincidently exactly what I had in my wallet. He had made mention of costs in my presence. I later found out that a general consultation is about Euro 22 for a French citizen, why 210 for me?????? I ended up in hospital without any money, insurance docs etc. I had to negotiate getting back to my hotel with a taxi. Despite having gone to the GP's fully prepared. You are completely at their mercy. Luckily the insurance covered the bills for the hospital and helicoptor. We stayed with Rocketski who in themselves were very good. Unfortunately, the Rep had been injured the previous day and was not able to assist me directly. As a dedicated ski resort, this experience has seriously clouded my opinion of Le Corbier. The bigger reorts would not get away with this.
April 08, 2009
Kim & Terry from Ski France France
If you're in Le Corbier, just go party with Skikot. Those Belgians know what it's all about. Just socialize with them and you'll get free Glühwein, Jenever, Jägermeister and more. Also check out the snowpark; it will become one of the best known in the Alps, just give it a few more seasons. Cheers Kim & Terry (from Le Corbier)
March 02, 2009
JF from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
22nd Feb 2009. No snow all week at Le Corbier but an abundance of sunshine. Awesome ski weather overall, but the lack of snow meant that the runs into Le Corbier were terrible. Luckily, most slopes in the Seybelles region run easily onto off-piste, meaning that you can have a run which is the same steepness as the piste but with better snow back into the resort - this definitely deteriorated later in the week though. All in all, the skiing was great; lot's to explore with really fun long runs. Expert skiers may find it less interesting, although the off-piste skiing was fantastic - really wide runs, often with moguls to give you a challenge. Lots of blue runs, a long blue into one of the villages, and Toussuire has a variety of runs to keep you busy for a day - check out "Snack Bar" whilst you're there - great food. Great long blue run from top of Corbier (turn left) but beware of lunching at the village at the bottom - service is shocking and slow. Hotel Mont Corbier was great - def better than a 2*. Staff were friendly and the food was great. However, the ski equipment was questionable as they appeared to run out of skis (a number of our party had skis which were too short/long). Plus, they only have Salomon boots which makes it difficult if that make of boots do not fit your foot shape. The rooms at the hotel were spacious and perfectly fine. The bar was cosy. This was lucky as that's where we spent most evenings; the apres-ski in Le Corbier is practically non-existent. If you want some kind of apres-ski then check out Gotcha Bar - very cheesy; you have been warned. They have schoolchildren in the hotel, but the staff manage them very well - meal times for the children are earlier and, apart from passing them in the corridor and a couple of time where they had Karaoke in the bar, you hardly see them. Summary: good skiing, loved the off-piste, skiing in Le Corbier itself was terrible (dreaded the journey back everyday) but the other villages have much better snow and loads of sunshine, hotel was great and fantastic value. Great for a one-off visit and a cheap/reasonable priced holiday. Fingers crossed for more snow if you are visiting the resort in the near future.