The Best Backcountry Skiing Routes in Les Deux Alpes and La Grave

When taking either the Super Venosc or Pied Moutet chairlifts, follow the Super Venosc blue piste. After the Pied Moutet 1 red turns off to the right, a wide field opens on the right between the two runs....

Chalance is a great line, in an obvious but wild bowl within the ski area. After a steep entry (be very wary of windslab here), the skiing is varied and interesting....

The Rachas North Face provides great skiing in a beautiful open bowl. Take great care to check snow conditions and assess the avalanche risk on the convex upper slopes. From the col on the Super Diable 1 piste break off right and make a horizontal traverse directly across the south-facing slope of Les Rachas....

The most direct route home - quite steep and often very mogulled. From the mid-station, follow the line of the cable car pylons. Just after crossing the traverse line from Chancel head skiers right (away from the pylons) to avoid some steep drops....

Good tree skiing in low visibility but make sure there is good enough snow cover. From the mid-station, follow the pylons before traversing skiers left (just as you reach the first trees)....

More of a sector than a line, The Clairieres area is relatively straight forward ski from the mid-station of La Grave. You can choose between North Easterly and more Easterly terrain, but due to the lower altitude and exposition it can heat up very quickly....

Hiking around 150m towards the Peyrou d'Amont to the radio relay station gives access to yet another great north facing line from the mid-station. Drop in straight from the ridge. The skiing is above the tree line at first but you reach a beautiful larch forest which gets gradually thicker before you reach the Chancel traverse....

A direct variation on the La Grave classic that stays further skiers left of the bowl and leads directly to the mid-station. Great, albeit shorter skiing than the mega-classic - getting your straight back to the mid-station and back on the lift for more....

Either opt for a longer descent down the glacier from the top of the Girose lift or access the glacier via a short walk to the Col des Ruillans. Either offers fantastic freeriding on the glacier....

Incredible views, fantastic steep skiing and over 1800m non-stop down to La Grave - what more could you want!? The line follows the 'skiers left' Vallons de Chancel from the top station of the Ruillans lift....

An enjoyable, short couloir which is a good introduction to this kind of skiing. The couloir is accessed from the traverse on the classic Vallons Chancel route - cross a small rock band to find the entrance....

THE classic line at La Grave. As well as having the most logical / natural line down the valley, this line also has beautiful views of the Meije. With good snow cover you get more than 1800 vertical metres back to La Grave....

A short uphill section gives access to this short, sharp couloir. Although not too steep (around 35°) it is very narrow and quite tricky. From the Glacier 1 piste, at the point where it veers left below an obvious dome-shaped hill, carry straight on over the dome via a short, gentle climb....

Turning right off the top of the Bellecombes chairlift, start on the Super Diable blue piste. Before the track heads over the ridge to the back of the mountain, head off to the right and keep a high line, traversing across the front of the mountain....

For those who want to try something different or avoid the mogul field of the Grand Couloir, there are several variations possible, the most common of these which is about the same difficulty as the Grand Couloir is the Epaule or 'shoulder' couloir....

Steep and committing but shy of extreme, the couloir takes a line straight down the far skiers right rock face above the lake. The couloir is around 150m vertical after some enjoyable (albeit traversing) skiing....

The Grand Couloir is the best known and most obvious of the Trifides couloirs. It is easy to access and is a good warm-up for some of the steeper couloirs in the area....

This has become one of the best known couloirs in La Grave. A fantastic adventure which is definitely steep, but relatively short. A good place to warm up the legs for some of La Grave's steeper more committing lines....

A great adventure away from from the lift served area, down an 800m long, steep, narrow couloir. The route ends at the village of Les Freaux and you will need to hitch back to La Grave or arrange transport to avoid a long walk back....