The Best Intermediate Ski & Snowboard Resorts

Sauze d'Oulx

(Resort height - 1350m - 2823m)

Great for...

Apres-ski

★★	Beginner
★★★★★	Intermediate
★★★	Advanced
★★★	Off-Piste

Extensive area

★★★	Snowboarding
★★★	Snow Reliability
★★★★	Apres-Ski
★★★★★	Extent

Intermediates

★★★	Mountain Restaurants
★★★	Scenery
★★★	Village Charm
★★	Non-Skiers

WHY IT’S GREAT FOR INTERMEDIATES
Many red runs in Sauze d’Oulx would likely be classified as blue runs in some other ski and snowboard resorts so if you are cautious don’t let the sheer amount of red runs on the piste map put you off. The slopes are open and wooded so if the weather does come in there are places to ski lower down the mountain. The runs over on Genevis and Moncrons have some wonderfully quiet runs that are of a good length and offer the most challenging intermediate terrain.

There are some great cruising areas around P Rocca, ideal for early intermediates. You can also cruise back down to the village through the woods from here or go further up the mountain for some more challenging slopes. There are also links to the highest point on the mountain at M Fraiteve, this is where you can drop in to the resorts of Sestriere, or Sansicario and then go further on to the Milky Way’s two French resorts of Claviere and Montgenevre.

Sauze d’Oulx has 3 schools but the 2 that deal more with the English market are Sauze d’Oulx Ski School and Sauze Sportinia Ski School. Both offer tuition to all ages and levels and also offer race training, snow boarding and telemark too.

Sestriere

(Resort height - 1350m - 2823m)

Great for...

Beginners

★★★★	Beginner
★★★★★	Intermediate
★★★	Advanced
★★★	Off-Piste

Extensive area

★★★	Snowboarding
★★★★	Snow Reliability
★★★	Apres-Ski
★★★★★	Extent

Intermediates

★★★	Mountain Restaurants
★★★	Scenery
★★	Village Charm
★★★	Non-Skiers

WHY IT’S GREAT FOR INTERMEDIATES
Sestriere is split over 2 sections – Sises and Motta. Chairlifts taking you up to Sises open up a variety of red runs that intermediates will love, lower down the mountain there some blue runs that those less confident intermediates will be happy on. There are also more red runs accessible via drag lifts from this area.

Motta is situated above the satellite village of Borgata, it offers similar terrain to Sises but more of it. You can get to Motta from Sises or Borgata easily enough and then explore the slightly more challenging terrain here, the runs are predominantly red with some black runs thrown in too. Access to the Milky Way circuit can be made via a long gondola opening up the nearby resorts of Sauze d’Oulx and Sansicario so if you are mile hungry this resort if perfect for you.

If you are looking to improve your skills then there are a few ski schools offering tuition in skiing and snowboarding. Group and private lessons can be taken at the Ski School Sestriere and also the Ski School Vialattea.

Alpe d'Huez

(Resort height - 1860m - 3330m)

Great for...

Beginners

★★★★★	Beginner
★★★★★	Intermediate
★★★★	Advanced
★★★★	Off-Piste

Extensive area

★★★★★	Snowboarding
★★★★	Snow Reliability
★★★★	Apres-Ski
★★★★	Extent

Intermediates

★★★★	Mountain Restaurants
★★★	Scenery
★★	Village Charm
★★★★	Non-Skiers

WHY IT’S GREAT FOR INTERMEDIATES
Intermediates will be in their element in Alpe d’Huez as it rivals the best the Alps has to offer. The Signal sector is well worth exploring allowing you time to find your ski legs, this sector has some great blue runs leading back to the village. You will also find longer and more challenging red runs that lead down to Villard-Reculas and over at Signal de L’Homme.

Further intermediate terrain can be found by taking the DMC gondola, whether you stay till the top or exit half way up. Also make sure you head over to Vaujany via the Poutran gondola and then the Alpette gondola. Also at L’Apette the cable car takes you up to Dome des Petites Rousses with some fantasticly long red runs.

There are quite a few options for tuition in Alpe d’Huez, including the local ESF (Ecole du Ski Francais), along with schools geared to the British market including British Masterclass and Stance. All offer group and private lessons, some also do competition lessons too.

Tignes

(Resort height - 1550m - 3550m)

Great for...

Snow sure

★★★	Beginner
★★★★★	Intermediate
★★★★★	Advanced
★★★★★	Off-Piste

Extensive area

★★★★★	Snowboarding
★★★★★	Snow Reliability
★★★	Apres-Ski
★★★★★	Extent

Intermediates

★★★	Mountain Restaurants
★★★	Scenery
★★	Village Charm
★★★	Non-Skiers

WHY IT’S GREAT FOR INTERMEDIATES
Tignes comprises of a number of small satellite villages and most of the slopes and lifts are centred around Val Claret and Tignes le Lac.

Val Claret gives you access to the east, south and west opening up a variety of runs ideal for intermediates. To the west the Tichot chairlift takes you up to the Col du Palet area where you can get over to the slopes above Tignes le Lac. The glacier to the south is accessed via a mountain train or chairlift from Val Claret, the snow here is always great and the area is popular with intermediates. You can get to the top of the glacier via the Grand Motte cable car and find some red runs in varying difficulties along with the odd black run. There are some wonderful long cruisey runs down from this area back to Val Claret.

Tignes le Lac gives you access to the east and west. The heart of the L’Aiguille Percee sector to the west is well worth exploring with wonderful long blue and red runs and the Silene and Sache black runs that take you down to Tignes les Boisses and Tignes les Brevieres. These two satellite villages can also be access by a mixture of blue and red runs. East from Tignes le Lac takes you to the Aeroski gondola where you can access the neighbouring ski and snowboard resort of Val d’Isere, you can also get to Val d’Isere from Val Claret via a couple of charilifts, which then opens up another fantastic resort for mile hungry intermediates to explore.

There are a number of ski and snowboard schools in Tignes. The local French school the ESF (École du Ski Français) has several bases in the different satellite villages, as do Evolution 2 and both offer a variety of tuition to suit your needs. British run New Generation Ski School is based in Tignes le Lac and again offer varying levels of tuition.

Courchevel

(Resort height - 1224m - 3248m)

Great for...

Extensive area

★★★★	Beginner
★★★★★	Intermediate
★★★★	Advanced
★★★★	Off-Piste

Intermediates

★★★★	Snowboarding
★★★★	Snow Reliability
★★★	Apres-Ski
★★★★★	Extent

Scenic

★★★	Mountain Restaurants
★★★★	Scenery
★★★	Village Charm
★★★★	Non-Skiers

WHY IT’S GREAT FOR INTERMEDIATES
Courchevel is made up of four small connected resorts (1300, 1550, 1650 and 1850). Courchevel 1850 serves the largest area and has a great variety of terrain to explore with some blue runs suitable for nervous intermediates along with more challenging red run terrain accesed via the Saulire cable car or Vizelle gondola.

Courchevel 1650 also has a great variety of terrain with more challenging slopes further up the mountain. Courchevel 1550 is made up of mainly blue runs and it is at Courchevel 1300 where you can take lifts to access the neighbouring resort of La Tania and of course the link to to Meribel which opens up the rest of the Three Valleys network.

There are plenty of options for tuition in Courchevel including the local French ski school the ESF, New Generation and Supreme Ski and Boarding School, all offer group and private lessons to improve your skills.