Snowboarding in La Clusaz

Guide to snowboarding in La Clusaz La Clusaz may be most famous as the playground of well known freestyle skiers such as Candide Thovex and Xavier Bertoni, but that doesn’t mean its terrain and parks are any less suited for snowboarders…

All of the crucial links around resort can be taken by chairlift rather than drag, and you’ll be relieved to hear that there’s not a single T-bar in the entire ski area.

Having boarded here for years, here is our pick of the best snowboarding in La Clusaz. If it takes your fancy, you can join us on a 4 day long weekend, 3 day short break, or a whole snowboard weeklong holiday

Le Grand Bornand is included on the Aravis lift pass we provide for all short break and weeklong guests, so in total there is 220km to snowboard here.

Beginner Snowboarding in La Clusaz

For beginner snowboarders the green runs of Beauregard and the blues of Crêt du Merle offer a great combination of wide pistes, giving you plenty of space to make your turns and enough gradient to ensure that you won’t get caught in flat-spots and have to unclip your bindings to get out.

The top of Beauregard is an excellent learner area, with stunning views to enjoy from the mountain café when you take a well earned rest.

There are some good slopes for those first few tentative runs. Of course,you will fall over quite a few times as you learn to board, but there will be a point when it clicks and suddenly you’ll be able to turn, stop and most importantly – not fall over! It’s worth persevering… and a snowboard weekend or midweekholiday is perfect for learning. Our ski team will be on hand to make sure you know where to go, what to take and what to expect. We were all beginners once!

Intermediate Snowboarding in La Clusaz

For intermediates, the cruisy blues and rolling reds of the Etale sector are a great place to refine technique – a wide, even slalom course here is useful for practicing carving turns when it’s not in use for races.

For those progressing onto their first tastes of off-piste and powder snowboarding, there’s excellent, uncrowded terrain in the Fernuy and Ai Intermediate snowboarding in La Clusaz guille sectors, all to the side of red runs which is a great help when your legs feel like they could do with an easier option halfway down a descent!

La Balme has some fantastic high speed red runs. After fresh snow it is definitely the place to go as it holds fresh powder well in its large off-piste bowl, making it accessible for intermediate boarders ready for some challenging but fun conditions!

La Clusaz has many linked areas, all of which can be reached on snowboards. You can avoid the one or two flat green runs (we can tell you where they are) and be fine to explore the whole region over the weekend.

Advanced Snowboarding in La Clusaz

For confident snowboarders the potential is next-to limitless. Two boardercross courses, a fast and steep half pipe and a large jump park with jibs, boxes and a range of mid-size to huge kickers give endless possibility for freestylers to throw themselves into the air in creative ways.

As for off-piste the decision is simple – head straight for the Balme sector, the highest area of the resort at Advanced snowboarding in La Clusaz 2600m, whose steep sided combes filled with powder bowls are a legendary draw for freeriders. The whole area is accessible for off-piste riding with over 1200m of vertical, full of natural features and terrain to play on… jumps, cliffs, gullies… it has them all! You could spend all day (or weekend) in this one sector and never take the same path top-to-bottom twice.

The neighbouring Combe de Torchere is usually untouched and you can access some great runs down this steep bowl. Other runs such as Fernuy are also a lot of fun in the fresh snow, so fingers crossed for some fresh dumps as you arrive.

We can advise you on the best routes, as well as arrange a guide for some real off-piste adventures. Snow-shoes are easily organised if you fancy walking to find the best lines. If you’d like more information about extreme skiing/boarding and off-piste guiding in the Aravis mountains please let us know. This guides we use are ideal for advanced boarders and prove good value for some unique backcountry and off-piste adventures.