Ultimate Intermediate Skier’s Guide to Tignes
Why is Tignes a Paradise for Intermediate Skiers?
If you’ve ditched the snowplough and can link turns without wanting to cry congrats! You’re in that sweet spot, where Tignes totally comes alive! 55 runs perfectly pitched for intermediates (38 blues and 17 reds). Tignes is where decent skiers become properly good.
The stats show more than you’ll ski in a single holiday – 300km of terrain across the Espace Killy. Altitudes from 1,550m to 3,456m. Proper snow from November to May. Variety to ski different runs for three weeks straight. What actually matters is the thoughtful design that makes Tignes special for intermediates. Wide boulevards build confidence and properly challenging reds develop skill. Even the lift connections make sense – no traversing half the mountain to link favourite runs. Tignes is one of the best intermediate ski resorts in France and the world.
I’ve watched countless intermediates transform here and been one myself. The high altitude is Instagram-worthy but also gives consistent conditions day after day. No slush to fight after 2pm or death-ice at 9am. Greg from SNO arrived on his second visit, a cautious blue-run skier. He left carving reds and trying easy blacks, with intent rather than terror.
The intermediate magic is in sectors like Col du Palet and Aiguille Percée. When beginners cluster around the village nursery slopes and experts disappear into the highest couloirs, these areas in-between are intermediate nirvana. Interesting enough to keep you engaged, not so scary you need new salopettes.
World-class ski schools specialised in taking intermediates. Year-round glacier skiing guarantees great conditions. You’ve found the promised land.
The Best Tignes Blue Runs Build Confidence
Must-Ski Blues for Progression
Grattalu is the run that explains why Tignes works brilliantly for intermediates. This wide boulevard from the Grattalu chairlift is criminally overlooked. The result is a beautifully groomed, oft-empty piste with slow-skiing zone and views straight up Grande Motte. Wide enough to practice proper carving without worrying about some speed demon taking you out. Greg spent three mornings on his carving and claimed it was the “best skiing of my life.”
Genepy is a gentle, winding cruise from the top of the Grande Motte glacier. At 3,400m the gradient is mellow but bloody hell, the setting! 2pm when the morning crowds have buggered off for lunch, you’ll often have it to yourself.
Perce Neige via the Grand Huit is your intermediate exam paper. Steeps to test your bottle, flatter sections to keep speed up, and terrain changing from groomed motorway to choppy mess late afternoon. Nail this and you’re ready for reds.
Combe from Palafour is Rich-T from SNO’s favourite warm-up. The terrain rolls like a gentle roller coaster – compress in the dips, extend over the crests. “On those crisp mornings when you’re first on the lift, this run makes you remember why you fell in love with skiing. Improvers feel how much skiing is fun, not something to survive.”
Cyclamen is your tourist run with benefits. From Aiguille Percée, you ski past that famous Eye of the Needle rock formation. Yes, that one from James Bond. The run has consistent pitch, good width – work on technique while gawping at the view. Just don’t ski into someone while Instagram-ing.
Blues with a View
Lac takes you on a scenic tour around Tignes’ frozen lake. More journey than challenge, but that’s the point. Use it to practice perfect form at comfortable speeds, while enjoying 360-degree mountain views.
The Loop (Palafour to Val Claret via Merles) isn’t one run but a circuit. Different snow conditions, and gradients while covering serious distance. Pack a sarnie – you’ll want to make a morning of it.
Rhododendron-Mélèzes-Myrtilles is a holy grail of intermediate descents. 8km Aiguille Rouge to Les Brévières is marked blue but, at 1,200m vertical, it demands stamina and focus. Start early, take breaks, and embrace the burning thighs. Your sense of achievement at the bottom is immense.
Val d’Isère Blues Worth the Journey
Don’t ignore the Val d’Isère side of the Espace Killy. Pâquerettes, via the Daille gondola, is 3km of consistent gradient that’s perfect for rhythm skiing. Unlike Tignes’ varied terrain, this maintains the same pitch throughout – ideal for drilling technique.
Club des Sports off the Grand Pré chair provides rolling terrain that feels like a groomed ski cross course. Natural features enable small jumps and terrain variations without the commitment of a park.
Red Runs That Define Tignes
Classic Reds for Skill Building
Double M is Tignes’ signature intermediate red run and actually does deserve the hype. Fast sweeping turns down from Grande Motte – a fall line that never gets properly scary but keeps you honest. On a clear morning with fresh grooming, this is as good as intermediate skiing gets. Problem is, everyone knows it. Hit this at 11am on a Saturday and you’ll spend more time dodging bodies than carving. Get here first thing, or after 3pm.
Orange from the Marmottes chair at 2,700m. Drop into a steep, wide section before it mellows into gorgeous tree-lined cruising. Halfway down sits the infamous La Folie Douce – perhaps the world’s most famous après ski joint. Stop for one Aperol Spritz, fine. Stop for three and that lower section gets… interesting. Don’t ask me how I know.
Combe Folle separates the wheat from the chaff. The gradient is proper steep for a red, and when it’s icy (Jan mornings), it’s a right bastard. Nail this when it’s firm and everything else feels easy.
Glacier from the Grande Motte summit isn’t technically difficult but OMG the setting! Starting at 3,655m with views into Italy and Switzerland (UK on a clear day?). Try not to crash amid pitch changes and gawping at the scenery. Book ahead for lunch at Le Panoramic – every intermediate and their mum has the same idea.
Technical Reds for Progression
Le Mur is where you meet moguls properly. Not those pathetic little bumps on the side of blues – proper, knee-high, thigh-burners. Technique training disguised as torture. Take it slow, focus on absorption. I’m not too proud to bail out to the smooth bit, when legs turn to jelly.
Actually, scratch that advice about Le Mur being essential. If you hate moguls (doesn’t everyone?) there’s plenty else to work on. But, if you want to improve, a morning here pays dividends.
Ancolie bridges the gap between spicy blues and real reds. An alternative finish to blue runs, and to gauge your progression. When Ancolie feels easy, you’re ready for bigger challenges.
Leisse on the glacier deserves multiple laps. Each descent reveals different features with high-altitude snow consistent all day. A natural meeting point. “See you at the bottom of Leisse” is Tignes’ version of “under the clock at Waterloo.”
Adventure Reds
Tour du Pramecou introduces “ski routes”. Marked but ungroomed trails bridging the gap between on and off-piste. Each variant below the Grande Motte has different challenges. S tart with the easiest and progress as confidence builds.
Signal at Le Fornet tests your nerve with a properly steep pitch at the top. Commit to the turn, because hesitation makes it harder. Crack Signal, and a new level of skiing opens up.
Sector-by-Sector Tignes Guide for Intermediates
Grande Motte Glacier (3,456m)
The glacier brings more than altitude bragging rights – though telling mates you skied at 3,400m is quite cool. Morning visits beat the crowds – the first funi is at 9am, be on it. By 10:30 every ski school in Tignes arrives and it’s mayhem.
My classic intermediate day warms up on Genepy, then multiple Double M laps while the thighs still work. 1,350m of vertical means you’ll be feeling it by lunch. Le Panoramic restaurant sits at 3,032m. Yes, it’s pricey, but where else can you eat seafood linguine above the clouds? Book ahead or eat a soggy sandwich in the self-service.
SNO Pro Tip: the glacier shuts in high winds. Check the morning forecast to avoid looking up at closed signs like a muppet. Read on for my Plan B.
Col du Palet & Grattalu Area
Designed by someone who ‘gets’ intermediates, with wide bowls and consistent gradients. Lifts that connect logically plus the Grattalu slow zone is genius. Speed merchants legally must go elsewhere, leaving you to practice in peace.
The snowpark’s here but you don’t have to hit jumps. Watching teenagers throw backflips while you’re on the lift is quality entertainment. The intermediate line in the park is approachable with Calvin and Rich from SNO hitting small kickers and ‘sometimes’ landing them.
I recommend fresh tracks as morning sun hits early. By afternoon when everywhere else looks like a ploughed field, these wide slopes still offer fresh (ish) lines. Ski schools do video analysis here… if you can bear to watch yourself back.
Aiguille Percée Sector
Instagram paradise meets proper skiing. The Eye of the Needle provides the backdrop, but the skiing here is more than mere photo-op. Long descents rule. I recommend skiing from 2,750m all the way to Les Brévières at 1,550m. This 1,200m vertical has my legs screaming for mercy.
I love to mix these blues and reds throughout the day, starting with Cyclamen for a warm-up. Afternoon sun can turn south-facing slopes into mashed potato. Time it wrong and that beautiful red run becomes a survival exercise. Stick to north-facing options after lunch or prepare for a workout.
Tovière Link Area
Route to Val d’Isère and technical training ground? Toviere terrain tends toward the challenging end of intermediate. Perfect for progress. The Aeroski gondola from Le Lac gives easy access, and bail-out option if it feels too spicy.
Returning from Val d’Isère via Tovière either cruise the blue or challenge yourself on Trolles black.
Tignes Progression Zones from Blue to Red to Black
Confidence Building Strategy
Progression is not about hurling yourself down the nearest black run to prove you’re hard. Start each day with familiar blues. I don’t care if you were carving reds yesterday, your body needs reminding (especially after a little après).
Once you’re warm, head to Grattalu. When the reds feel exciting rather than terrifying, you’re ready to up the ante.
Ancolie is your way into proper reds. Short enough not to destroy you, steep enough to matter, then it dumps you in familiar terrain. Ace this and Orange seems fine. Then Double M. Before you know it, you’re eyeing up blacks and wondering if you’ve lost your mind.
Technical Skills Development
Different runs teach different skills and Tignes instructors use them properly. Le Mur’s moguls teach that my knees aren’t 20 anymore. Orange’s wide slopes are carving heaven. Glacier runs show what altitude does to my breathing. Combe Folle teaches edge control and I really, really need it.
The key is conscious practice, so dedicate mornings to specific skills. Monday: pole plants. Tuesday: short turns. Wednesday: pretending moguls are fun. My breakthrough came when I started using runs as training tools. Though I still maintain moguls are the work of Satan.
Introduction to Off-Piste
The Golf run between Val Claret and Le Lac is a halfway-house to off-piste. Marked, avalanche controlled, finishes at a village… But it skis like freeriding backcountry when powder is fresh. Heard of ‘side-piste”? Powder bowls beside the piste give you a taste without full commitment.
Le Spot, Tignes’ “freeride zone,” takes things up a notch. Ungroomed but controlled, it’s off-piste with training wheels. Start here before venturing into proper backcountry where mistakes have consequences.
SNO Pro Tip: always, always try off-piste with a guide. The mountain’s too dangerous to learn through trial and error. Not all helicopter rides are the fun kind. Ask the SNO team or google “Henry’s avalanche talk”. My pal Henry Schniewind in La Daille guides and runs courses.
Tignes Best Times & Conditions for Intermediates
Timing a ‘Perfect Day’
Intermediate skiing in Tignes improves dramatically with smart timing. Hit the Grande Motte glacier between 9-10am for empty, perfectly groomed slopes.
Mid-morning (10am-12pm) explore quieter sectors like Aiguille Percée. While everyone fights for glacier space, you’re enjoying crowd-free skiing.
Long lunches aren’t laziness – they’re tactical. By 1-2pm restaurants are busy so ski a little longer before a proper meal, rest the legs, then afternoon meandering routes home. I like to save the cooler north-facing slopes for a stint after lunch.
Late afternoon (4-5pm) is magic hour skiing above Tignes. West-facing slopes catch golden light, most riders at après-ski…you’ll often score hero snow – that perfect soft surface that makes everyone ski better. It’s time for the best photos, as golden-hour up high is already in shadow down in resort.
Seasonal Considerations
December and January deliver groomed conditions with smaller crowds. Yes, it’s cold (-15°C is common), but the snow quality is top-drawer. Quiet slopes mean more skiing, faster progression. SNO client Jayne says, “no queues meant I lapped the same run until I got it.” New Year’s week is busy, but Christmas less so.
February brings more skiers but peak snow conditions, so ‘ski where others are not’ (grasshopper). When half-term hordes hit the main runs, explore Brévières or link multiple valleys. Your intermediate skills allow escape routes and fun side-piste beginners can’t use.
March transforms Tignes as longer days mean leisurely starts – morning cord gives way to afternoon spring snow. The glacier comes into its own, maintaining winter conditions while lower slopes soften.
April is graduate-school for intermediates. Mornings demand proper technique on firm snow, afternoons allow playful skiing in slush. Learn to adapt your skiing to conditions.
Tignes Ski Schools for Intermediate Improvement
Specialist Programs That Actually Work
New Generation max group size of six means proper attention. Video anal ysis is brilliant and horrifying in equal measure. Clinics focus on specific skills: carving weeks, mogul introduction (good luck with that), all-mountain confidence. Prices hurt (€400+ for six days) but progress is real.
Snoworks Tignes camps attract intermediates wanting dramatic change, not just minor tweaks. Full days, constant video review, biomechanics lectures that’ll melt your brain. Not for all casual holiday skiers but transformative if you’re serious.
The Development Centre (TDC) brings instructor-training methods to recreational skiers. Learn to understand skiing, not just do it. Geeky stuff about edge angles and pressure distribution makes everything click.
Evolution 2 is the happy middle ground – better than bog-standard ski school, less intense than specialists. Great for sociable types who learn better with a laugh. All-mountain groups explore everywhere, while fixing your rubbish technique. Perfect for improvement without feeling back at school.
Course Types for Intermediates
Technical clinics (2-3 days) work brilliantly for specific issues. Can’t carve? There’s a clinic. Hate moguls? There’s a clinic for that too (still hate them, with better technique).
All-mountain weeks combine skills with exploration. Ski every corner of the resort while an instructor fixes bad habits. Our first-time visitors love these – improvement plus area knowledge.
Off-piste intros are essential before venturing beyond markers. They start with Golf-type terrain, progress to simple off-piste, and teach avalanche risk. Check your insurance covers off-piste with guides, as standard policies often don’t.
Mogul workshops transform bump fields from nightmare to playground. Le Mur provides the training ground, instructors provide the patience.
Summer glacier training is seen as mostly for the pro’s. Zero crowds, consistent snow, and focused (without holiday distractions) helps intermediates achieve more.
Tignes Freestyle & Park
Tignes Snowpark is Not Just for Teenagers
The main snowpark at Col du Palet intimidates intermediates unnecessarily. Yes, there’s a 190m halfpipe and massive kickers, but the intermediate line is more manageable. I recommend starting with ride-through features like rollers and side hits that don’t require commitment.
Small boxes come next where the key is speed control. Too slow and you’ll stick, too fast and you’ll land on… YouTube. The intermediate line builds logically: flat boxes, slight rails, small kickers. Most features have easier and harder options.
Modest 600m vertical means multiple features per run, without exhaustion. Lap it repeatedly, building confidence on familiar features before attempting new ones. The park crew maintains everything immaculately – sketchy landings are down to you.
Gliss’Park is the Friendly Option
Le Lac’s Gliss’Park unintimidating. Small features, gentle gradients, and more relaxed atmos. suits park-curious intermediates. It’s where Greg hit his first jump: “Tiny by park standards but I felt like Candide Thovex.”
Visible from the village – bars not too far for celebratory beers. Start here to build confidence before the main park.
Mountain Restaurants for Intermediates in Tignes
Strategic Lunch Spots
Lo Soli at the Chaudannes top is a meeting point. Blue and red runs converge to draw you onto the sun terrace. 200 seats prove its popularity and the food is solid mountain fare. Priced reasonably by alpine standards, but book ahead or arrive before noon.
Le Panoramic on the Grande Motte glacier is more expensive but, at 3,032m the experience justifies it. Dining higher than most people ski, table service section trumps self-service, though both enjoy the views. Their speciality is seafood, which I recommend.
La Ferme des Trois Capucines sits conveniently at Chaudannes bottom, via easy blues. The terrace catches afternoon sun and their tartiflette could fuel an assault on Everest. We share one between two, unless planning a very gentle afternoon.
La Folie Douce (top of Daille cable car) redefines mountain dining. It’s a party, not a restaurant, with DJs, dancing on tables and champagne showers. The antithesis of traditional Alpine lunch. The SNO team can’t get, but maybe avoid on the day before your first black run…
Value Without Compromise
L’Arbina in Le Lac proves slopeside isn’t always expensive. Plat du jour is French cuisine at self-serve prices, with terrace views of the intermediate area. Spot your afternoon runs while eating.
Sachette in Les Brev rewards skiing the full valley with trad-Savoyard cooking in authentic setting. Prices reflect the altitude (low) rather than the quality (high)… see what I did there? Fondue here beats pricier options.
Lift-station self-service restaurants (Chaudannes, Tovière, Grande Motte) provide functional fuelling. The trick is timing: 11:30am or 2pm for fresh food and less queues.
Intermediates Weather & Snow Strategies
Poor Visibility Days
Tignes’ altitude means cloud and flat light challenges. Intermediates suffer more as beginners stay lower down, so adapt your strat.
Tree-lined runs are your friend and Val d’Isère has most options, especially in Le Fornet sector. In Tignes, lower runs around Les Brévières provide definition.
Village areas of Le Lac and Val Claret have enough variety for short laps of familiar trails. It beats a whiteout on the glacier.
Modern goggles make a difference. Bring low-light lenses. Comparing yellow lenses from 1995 to modern photochromic tech, is like switching from candles to LED lights.
Best Snow Conditions
North-facing slopes hold snow longer. Ignore the rush to obvious spots after fresh snowfall. Head for north-facing reds like the back side of Aiguille Percée for untracked lines hours after the dump.
Consistent regardless of recent snowfall, if lower slopes get scratchy in lean periods, the glacier skis like mid-winter. Many intermediates become glacier devotees because reliable conditions build confidence.
Morning corduroy suits intermediate technique – first Tignes’ lifts for groomed perfection. Work on edge control and carving when the surface provides consistent feedback, before 11am traffic arrives.
Equipment Recommendations
Ski Selection for Intermediates
The right skis accelerate progression dramatically. All-mountain skis in the 75-85mm waist range provide versatility without sacrificing performance. You want something ‘turny’ enough for moguls but stable enough for speed. My fat all-mountains can handle pow but they’re light for touring so get a bit chattery at fast piste speeds.
Length matters more than intermediates realize… Too short and you’ll outgrow them quickly. Go 5-10cm shorter than your height – stability at speed, without overwhelming turn initiation. Greg chopped his rentals in when he got better. “I got beginner skis as usual but a day later realised I need inter’s.”
Demo days are intermediate gold when thinking of buying a pair. Try multiple models – the difference between skis is clear, when you compare. That €600 investment makes more sense when you feel the performance difference.
For most, rental upgrades make more sense. Basic rental skis hold you back. Premium rentals cost €50-100 more per week but, when you’re ready, don’t let equipment limit you. Our buddy Kieran at Tignes Spirit is the man for advice.
Essential Gear
Quality goggles rank above everything except boots for importance. Maybe two pairs or two lenses, for sunny days and for flat light. Photochromic lenses that adjust automatically cost more but simplify life.
Layering iscrucial as intermediates cover more mountain with bigger temperature variations. Skiing from 3,400m Grande Motte glacier to 1,550m valleys. Base layer, insulating mid and shell/jacket – each serves a purpose in Tignes.
Back protectors make sense in the park or serious off-piste. Fall on a rail or hidden rock and you’ll agree. Wrist guards divide opinion but save your season.
Fitness & Prep for Tignes
Pre-Trip Training
Intermediate skiing is more physical. More vertical, more miles, more speed. Leg strength is fundamental, but core stability transforms your skiing. Preparation pays dividends so read our ski fitness guide a month before flying to Tignes.
On-Mountain Fitness
Warm-up runs are injury prevention. Start two levels below your ability, so muscles remember movement/patterns before demanding performance. Hydrate, take breaks and ski at 70% the first day or two, adapting to altitude. Don’t go up the Grande Motte in your first two days.
Common Intermediate Mistakes to Avoid
Right, let’s talk about the stupid things we all do. Skiing in the back seat when it gets steep – classic intermediate move. Your brain screams “lean back!” making everything worse. Skis accelerate, turns won’t happen, panic sets in. The fix is totally counter-intuitive: get forward, trust the kit. Feels like you’re going to face-plant. You won’t (probably).
Avoiding challenging runs for too long creates the plateau of doom. Spend weeks perfecting blues, you’ll become that intermediate who’s been skiing 15 years but still won’t try a red. Don’t be that person. Mix it up daily or stagnate.
Not exploring the full mountain is criminal. You’ve paid for 300km – use ‘em! Too many intermediates find their comfort zone and never leave. Val Claret to Les Brévières and back, every single day. Branch out, for crying out loud.
Ski with better skiers – you’ll feel rubbish trying to keep up, but improve faster than ever. Just don’t let pride override sense – following experts into a couloir won’t end well.
Speed without technique is the intermediate’s curse. That wobbly straight-line feels fast until someone carving properly blow past. Speed comes from technique, not cojones.
Moguls. jeepers, the line choice in moguls in Tignes. Most intermediates attack them head-on like storming a castle. The secret is to look ahead, pick the smoothest line, accept they’re meant to be hard. Nobody enjoys moguls. Anyone who says they do is lying (or weighs 7 stone).
Ice. When skis won’t grip, the panic response is to edge harder. This causes those spectacular catches where you go from sliding to sudden grip to airborne. Progressive edge engagement is the answer. Or swap France for Austria where they actually groom their slopes.
Week-Long Tignes Progression Plan
Day 1: Reacquaint and Assess Start gently – your body needs reminding. Warm up on Combe or similar comfortable blues. Progress to familiar favourites, assessing your current level. Afternoon explore one new blue run. Early dinner, early bed – keep something in the tank.
Day 2: Explore New Blues If you skied Le Lac, try the Brévières blues. Different challenge without overwhelming. Focus on skiing well rather than hard.
Day 3: Intro Easier Reds Normal warm-up then Ancolie or lower Orange. Open the red run world then celebrate appropriately.
Day 4: Technical Skills Pick one skill and dedicate the day to it. Carving on Grattalu, mogul on Le Mur, or speed control on Double M.
Day 5: Challenge Day Attempt difficult red like Combe Folle or easy black like Pâquerettes.
Day 6: All-Mountain Exploration Val Claret to Les Brévières via different routes – link to Val d’Isère. Cover distance, experience variety, feel like a proper skier.
Day 7: Victory Laps Revisit the favourites with newfound confidence. End where you started. Combe will feel completely different from day one.
Tignes Off-Piste for Intermediates
Tons of Easy Side-Piste
This is the place to start testing out your skills off the groomers. Be careful you stay away from gulleys and don’t go without a guide if you can’t see exactly where you’re going to land.
Vallon de la Sache
Rarely have we seen so much (almost) lift-served off piste. Our favourite is Vallon de la Sache – a backcountry playground barely 2 minutes walk from the lifts.
Intermediates should definitely go off-piste with a local guide. We have friends to recommend like Henry Schniewind who is an internationally famous freeriding safety expert.
Booking the Perfect Intermediate Holiday
Where to Stay
Le Lac remains the intermediate sweet spot. Central location means easy access to all sectors. The gondola to Tovière opens direct Val d’Isère access.
Val Claret gives quick access to Grande Motte glacier for first tracks. The party atmosphere might not suit families but energizes young intermediates on group ski trips. Greg says, “the short stumble from bar to bed means more skiing energy.”
Le Lavachet offers the middle ground – literally. Quieter than Val Claret, cheaper than Le Lac, with quieter local slopes for technique practice.
Les Boisses and Le Breviere are good for skiing Tignes cheaper but take longer to get up to the best snow.
Package Considerations
Intermediate visitors should invest in full area access – Val d’Isère doubles your playground to 300km of trails. Tignes alone might not be enough at your level.
Equipment rental upgrades transform your skiing. €50 extra for performance skis is worth it in a vast playground like the Espace Killy.
Private instruction accelerates progress but costs more than group lessons. Many intermediates find combining both works. Group lessons for general improvement, private sessions for specific breakthroughs.
Consider adding one off-piste day, for exploring beyond markers with a qualified guide.
Booking Timeline
Early booking (before the autumn) secures best accommodation and prices. Intermediate-friendly hotels in Le Lac go first. New Year and February half-term disappear fastest.
Lift passes and can wait until November, but instructors get booked early. If you want ski-school in half-term, secure it when booking your holiday. It will not be available at the last minute.
Equipment rental benefits from pre-booking for discounts and guaranteed availability. Premium intermediate skis can run out during peak weeks.
Ready to elevate your skiing in Tignes? With 300km of perfectly groomed pistes, reliable snow conditions, and terrain that grows with your ability, you’ve found intermediate skiing nirvana. Call us or browse packages in Tignes now – those red runs won’t ski themselves.
