Las Clusaz Best Skiing & Snowboarding , freeriding and new glide.

Mountain Layout — Snowboarding Las Clusaz is known as a center for freeriding and new glide. Boarders at every ability level will find a part of the mountain just right for them. Try out the terrain park-—with a halfpipe and a couple tabletop jumps—halfway up the Massif de L’Aguille. Take any of the Loup lifts to get to the top of the park. Never-evers could make their first turns on the Poma lift (Champ Bleu) or the gondola (TC de La Patinoire) at the edge of town. Otherwise, take the new gondola from La Clusaz to the top of Massif de Beauregard for wide slopes. (Learning how to use Poma lifts shouldn’t be more difficult than strapping yourself to your snowboard.) Beginners could spend time at Massif de Manigod; it is easiest to get there by car or shuttle bus. Here, there are two chair lifts and an assortment of Poma lifts. With enough snow, you can take the scenic cat track back to town. Intermediate boarders will enjoy cruising the slopes on Massif de Beauregard or Massif de Manigod. However, the face of Massif de L’Etale or any of the eight lifts above the town provide steeper runs. At the La Balme area the groomed trails will probably suit intermediates best. Advanced/expert boarders can go just about anywhere and have a great time. The Aguille chair lift provides wide, fairly steep groomed and ungroomed terrain (beware, though, for at some point after every snowfall, this face turns into a mogul field). At the top of the Aguille lift, take a right and board at your own risk down the Combe de Borderan, an expansive off-piste bowl. Also, at the top of Massif de l’Etale there are some pretty steep, open terrain, along with a few off-piste trails through the trees. For a full plate, head to La Balme (with the higher elevation and lower temperatures, powder lasts longer here than the rest of La Clusaz). Enjoy the vast, ungroomed fields of snow and the many natural land features. Xavier, the head of snowboarding at La Clusaz said, “La Balme is a natural terrain park.” Countless mounds and ridges provide great big air jumps with even better landings. For expert snowboarders, there are backcountry opportunities. Above the Aguille chair lift, a 30-minute hike will lead to La Creuze, a challenging bowl that eventually funnels down to marked trails. Above the L’Etale chair lift, one can hike and reach off-piste terrain. From the top of Col de Balme chair lift, one can take a long hike over a ridge and into the Combe de Bellechat, an extremely wide valley with snow as good as at La Balme. Boarders should consult local experts before venturing into any of this terrain (in most cases, hiring a guide is the safest and smartest thing to do). Information on backcountry boarding (and guides) is available at 450 32 66 05.