From this December, a brand new 10-person Poma gondola costing €10m will bring skiers from La Daille up to the Folie Douce. The new lift, with 51 cabins and heated seats, replaces the old four-person télécabine that opened in 1966 and which was renovated in 1994. The new lift increases uphill capacity from 933 to 2,800 passengers per hour and halves the journey time to just 4min 30sec. The spacious Symphony 10 cabins, the first of their type in France, were created by an Italian designer who works for Ferrari and Maserati.

 

 

One of Val d’Isère’s iconic ski lifts, which has been closed for the past six years, has been renovated and is to reopen for the coming season. Téléski des 3000 on Solaise permits advanced skiers to reach the Leissières ridge that separates Solaise from the Le Fornet ski area and the Pissaillas glacier. The drag lift goes up to a lofty 2960m and the 76% slope here is only suitable for accomplished skiers.

 

Valkids is a new play area designed for children aged four to 10 years. It is situated below the beginner Sunny Ride piste on Solaise. In this miniature resort ski area little ones can go behind the scenes to learn about snow-making and ‘drive’ a cable-car. They can also find out about piste grooming and mountain rescue. Valkids has its own stretch of piste along with toboggans, deck chairs and picnic tables.

 

 

 

The original and, our opinion, still the best Folie Douce is perched at 2400m above La Daille and can be reached this winter by the new high speed 10-person gondola. An escalator brings you directly from the lift to the terrace. New for this season this winter is The Beaufort Gallery, a 200m2 cheese maturing room with views of Mont Blanc. It can be booked for private parties. The wine cellar has a warm ambience with nearly 3000 wines chosen by the sommelier of adjoining La Fruitière. The centrepiece is a large rustic wooden table that is perfect for wine-tastings. Located in the extension of the wine cellar, the cigar room offers a breathtaking view of the surrounding mountains thanks to its large windows. In this place, it is possible to taste the dishes à la carte of the restaurant La Fruitière. Fans will be tempted by a cigar from a wide selection of vintage winespicture windows.