Les Combes from Eychauda

The village of Les Combes is snowbound and completely cut off from civilization in the winter. Uninhabited in winter, you ski along the road past restored alpine chalets that now serve as holiday homes in the summertime. To reach the nearest pick up point you continue along the road to the village of Puy Chalvin. You need to organise transport in advance as there is no public transport back to Serre Chevalier from here. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. To get to this point, you start at the top of the Eychauda button lift and take either the east or south east facing slopes that lead out of the resort. Which one you take will depend on the snow conditions and the line you wish to ski. The most varied line is down a short, fairly steep section of slope in between two rocky summits. The skiing then becomes fairly flat for a time as you pass by some livestock sheds (empty in winter) before finishing in a series of gently sloping snow covered fields that lead to the road. In pure skiing terms, this run is perhaps not top level but you’re skiing the whole time in a nature reserve and the scenery is breathtaking. Given the time the return trip in a car takes, this run is best done either at the end of your day’s skiing or as a one off when there’s no pressure to ski all day. The same valley is also accessible from the top of the Grand Serre chairlift and Bois des Coqs button lifts. The line you ski will be different though.