What is freerando?
At the crossroads of freeride and ski touringIn recent years, freerando has become increasingly popular in high-mountain areas outside ski resorts.
The concept: take advantage of untouched off-piste slopes, accessed by ski lifts, followed by a short ascent on skins to reach untouched areas. In short, maximum off-piste pleasure with minimum effort on the way up!
Haute Maurienne Vanoise offers a superb playground for this activity, and we invite you to discover a selection of the five most beautiful freerando itineraries in our valley, each starting from one of our alpine ski resorts.
Please note: Freerando, like all off-piste outings, must be undertaken with safety equipment and after checking the weather and snow conditions (BERA). Accompaniment by a professional (mountain guide) is highly recommended.
Mont Froid from Termignon
450 D+ - Alt. 2822mFrom Val Cenis-Termignon, in the Val Cenis ski resortset off down the pristine slopes of Mont Froid. This is a gentle freerando outing, where you'll climb gently through immaculate valleys. Once you've passed the Val Cenis-Termignon ski lifts, there's not a lift to be seen on the horizon: wilderness effect guaranteed.
Equipped with our safety gear and accompanied by a mountain guide, we take the Val Cenis-Termignon chairlifts to get as much height as possible. Then we get ready to leave the ski area: final DVA check, boots in ascent mode, sealskins under skis, and off we go.
The ascent to Mont Froid is a smooth one, in this immaculate setting. Surrounded by the mountains of Haute Maurienne Vanoise, we take full advantage of the magnificent views, until we reach the summit of Mont Froid, after only 450m of positive ascent.
The best part is yet to come: the off-piste descent to the bottom of the Val Cenis-Termignon lifts. As you'll have guessed, this is what freerando is all about: little effort on the way up, and lots of glide on the way down - and, as an added bonus, in the little secret coves that our guides will help you discover.
Accompaniment by a mountain guide
In the company of Clément, an Upguides mountain guide Upguidesthat we set off to discover the peaks of Haute Maurienne Vanoise.
Before each outing, we prepare our day with him, going over the itinerary so that every member of the group knows where he stands, checking the weather and avalanche risk, checking everyone's equipment, and so on.
During the outing, the guide is also there to advise us, and above all, to guide us to the best secret spots to enjoy the beautiful virgin slopes on the way down!
L'Ouille Allegra
400 D+ - Alt. 3130mIf you love couloirs and steep slopes, this is the outing for you. In the grandiose, glacial setting of Bonneval-sur-Arcset off to tackle the Ouille Allegra.
After taking the Bonneval lifts up to the summit of the 3000s, the Ouille Allegra is reached via a small couloir that you climb on foot, skis on your back. The climb may look impressive, but it's actually quite easy and quick, and will give you the chance to discover the sensations of ski-mountaineering.
Then it's off down the other side of the peak to the cross-country ski trails at Bessans, where our mountain guide has parked a car to take us back to Bonneval sur Arc. A spectacular outing, and one that lends itself particularly well to spring conditions, Bonneval sur Arc being the resort that remains snow-covered the latest in our valley.
Gear up for freerando
Would you like to try this activity, but don't have your own equipment? Don't panic, you can rent all your equipment from the ski stores in our resorts. Boots, skis, skins, as well as your DVA + shovel + probe kit to ensure your safety.
The DVA (Détecteur de Victimes d'Avalanches) will enable you to optimize your chances of being found if you're buried under an avalanche, but also to search for your companions if they're the ones under the snow. The probe, meanwhile, allows you to determine exactly where they are. All that's left to do is dig them out with a shovel. Technical equipment that you need to master and train for every season. In short, a trio of equipment without which you can't get off the slopes!
This trio is increasingly complemented by an airbag: fitted with a release handle, it optimizes your chances of staying above the surface of an avalanche. It is, however, a supplementary piece of equipment and does not replace your avalanche transceiver.
Le Col des Hauts
390 D+ - Alt. 2979mIf you want to get the most out of your ascent/descent ratio, look no further than our perfect outing.
After just 390m of ascent to the Col des Hauts, enjoy a long powder descent over 1000m of ascent! The Col des Hauts is easily reached from the resort of Aussoiswith a 1 to 2-hour ascent, depending on your pace. From here, we switch to the other side of the pass to start a long, wild descent back to Sollières.
A true freerando outing 100% downhill pleasure, where you'll discover immense combes of virgin powder just waiting to be tracked.
What is BERA?
Before every off-piste outing, it's essential to make sure that conditions are favorable for safe skiing. That's why we always consult the BERA: abbreviation for Bulletin d'Estimation du Risque Avalanche , which ranks the risk from 1 (low) to 5 (very high). A technical document you need to know how to read and understand.
The Great Argentier
600 D+ - Alt. 3,042mThe itinerary with the steepest gradients is still very accessible, and takes you to the summit of the Grand Argentier from the resort of Valfréjus. Departure is from the top of Punta Bagna, from where you reach the start of the hike.
A gentle climb in the sunshine takes us to a summit offering breathtaking views of both high altitude lakes, the Vanoise and the Italian mountains.
Despite being right next to the ski area, the scenery is once again completely wild, with no visibility of the lifts. The descent takes you through some lovely valleys, before rejoining the Jeu piste to return to the Valfréjus resort.
La Pointe de La Norma
200 D+ - Alt. 2918mAfter four outings aimed at skiers who are already fairly experienced, we present our third favorite itinerary, which has the advantage of being an easy introduction to the sport: Pointe de La Norma.
The summit of La NormaThe Pointe de Norma is easily reached from the top of the lifts, with only 200m of ascent. The view from the top is magnificent, revealing the previously unseen Pointe de Scolette.
If you want to discover the sensations of ski touring for the first time, this outing is just what you need. With little difficulty and little change in altitude, you'll be able to familiarize yourself with the sensations, learn how to make your conversions, while enjoying the pleasure of being off-piste and reaching a summit.
And there are two options for the descent: if you're not up to it yet, you can quickly rejoin the ski slopes for a leisurely descent, or you can enjoy a long descent on La Norma's many hidden off-piste runs.
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