Finishing the bootpack, with the Chamonix Valley laid out below.

France's Finest Couloirs: An Epic Skiing Roadtrip

15 of the best couloirs in France, spread across some of the Country's most magnificent mountain ranges, this trip should be on every skier's bucket list!

Freeride Skiing, Ski Touring Difficult, Severe, Extreme

Also in Hautes-Alpes, France • Haute-Savoie, France • Isère, France • Savoie, France • Valais, Switzerland

Description

France has a realistic claim to being the World's best country to ski in - it has the highest mountain in the Alps and the largest ski area on Earth. As if that wasn't enough, it's home to hundreds of ski resorts of all shapes and sizes, and literally thousands of ski tours. The terrain in France varies from mellow, open slopes through to steep, narrow couloirs and it is these on which this guidebook focuses.

Narrowing (pun intended) France's many couloirs down to just 15 is a tough task and these were selected primarily for their quality, but also because they will take you around some of the Country's best known resorts. In the process of skiing these you'll visit the legendary 3 Valleys and ski beneath Mont Blanc and the Meije. In addition, you'll also ski tour in some wild and relatively unknown areas such as the Queyras and the Aravis.

So, book some time off work and head to the south of France!

Once you've got the taste for the skiing there, check out some of our more specific guidebooks to the various ranges that the Country is home to.

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Routes included

Fleur Couloir

A classic steep colour, for expert skiers only and with tricky route-finding

Extreme Freeride Skiing

Distance: 931 m
Ascent: 1 m
Descent: 477 m

Trifides - Grand Couloir

Easy to access, steep couloir skiing. A La Grave classic.

Severe Freeride Skiing

Distance: 1.8 km
Ascent: 6 m
Descent: 719 m

Freaux Couloir

A wild adventure and 800m long couloir

Severe Freeride Skiing

Distance: 2.1 km
Ascent: 13 m
Descent: 922 m

Les Guibertes Couloirs

Epic, wild terrain with tricky route finding. If in doubt, go with a local instructor or guide.

Difficult Freeride Skiing

Distance: 4 km
Ascent: 26 m
Descent: 1.3 km

Marbree Couloir

Probably the most spectacular descent on the Hellbronner, this line goes through some huge terrain and features steep freeriding.

Severe Ski Touring

Distance: 6.2 km
Ascent: 96 m
Descent: 2 km

Cosmiques Couloir

This is a classic extreme skiing line, not only in Chamonix, but across the Alps. 900 meters of sustained and serious terrain between 40-50 degrees; enough to get anyones heart pumping.

Extreme Freeride Skiing