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Bars and Clubs
Val Claret:
Crowded House – Crystal Run pub under Curling Hotel; Usually live DJ, can get uncomfortably rammed.
Couloir – Previously Movers; Friendly bar with laid back staff; often has live bands après & later at night.
Le Caveau – Great restaurant, and if you go for the later dinner sitting you can have the table all night for the live act that follows.
Fish Tank – Friendly bar at the bottom of the piste in Val Claret; handy for a swift demi while everyone else catches up.
Le Lac:
Angelbar – has laptops you can use for internet access, pool table, shows the footy.
Jam Bar – the best Bacon Baguettes in town and awesomely moreish burgers; great apres ski atmosphere and really goes off for both Apres Ski & later in the evening. Right next to the Palafour Chair!
Loop – Varies between lovingly laid back après and drunken madness when Espirit throw a party there; Great sun deck for afternoon beverages. Does a damn fine Panini.
Alpaka – like your own front room, just mind you don’t step on the Oscar! Sofas, open fire, free wireless when you buy a drink, great cocktails; Mutzig on tap, and Sunday night is Shots night….
Lavachet:
TC’s Bar – après/evening bar food, all day English breaker (w/e only), amazing parties. Remember, the mountains are dangerous but not as bad as Mutzig & Chartreuse!
Lavachet Lounge – Next door to (and run by) TC, Tignes only non-smoking bar; great happy hour cocktails & free internet access (wireless or they have 2 terminals)
Scotty’s – ex Harrie’s bar. Now run by Mark Warner (it’s beneath their hotel) Live bands, curry/Mexican nights, Sunday roast, Strongbow on tap.
Clubs :
Val Claret
Le Blue Girl – Never went myself, but was told to either be French, or speak good French in order to gain entry with minimal hassle. Apparently the usual slightly strange French nightclub vibe…
Yorin FM Café – Dutch club therefore slightly crazy. Dance to the Eurobeat all night long…
Melting Pot – Party venue for many of the big events that happen in Tignes. Good music. The better pick of the choice…
Lac:
Jacks – Attached to the bowling alley (don’t ask) Generally don’t go there if you aren’t hammered… Pole on the dancefloor for those skilled at such activities
Grotte du Yeti – Dutch/Belgian bar where the music system’s so loud they have to manually cool it off with compressed air every 30 mins! Hot & sweaty, but enjoyable venue to see live bands. (Just don’t mosh to Teen Spirit with the Dutch)
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Off-piste*
Off Piste is what makes Tignes
great. Homebase of ex-World Extreme Skiing champion Guerlain Chicherit,
it's going to be good…
Be aware that it's a high mountain
area and gets a lot of wind, hence windslabs and accompanying
avalanche danger.
The Pisteurs are there not just to save you but to advise
you. Ask the opinion of a professional before dropping
in, just 'cos there's tracks doesn't make it safe.
All of the following itineraries
involve danger so find out first and remember tranceiver/shovel/probe/buddy
and KNOW HOW TO USE THEM.
Chardonnet Bowl - tons of couloirs
ranging from short and wide to long and narrow open
on to wide bowl. Increasinly skiied with freeride getting
trendy
Brevieres trees - often forgotten about after a dump
for the appeal of Le Fornet. Some good lines if you
know where you're going. Don't just follow locals however
as some lines end in cliffs.
Vallon de la Sache - Classic off piste run, not so good
for boarders however as long flat in middle.
Couloirs P1, P2, P3 (don't bother with P4 and P5 unless
you've got a rope) - classic couloirs, visible from
les Lanches chair lift. All reasonably steep, ask for
professional advice first.
Tour de Pramecou - Hike across glacier, down the little
north face and round the back of Grande Balme. Your're
on a glacier, so best to know what you're about.
North Face of Grande Balme - not for the inexperienced.
The competion slope of the Tignes Freeride and last
year's world freeskiing champs. Great peak if you have
the knowledge to ski it.
[Off-piste update from Kate Rowan]
Le Spot is worth a mention (accessed by Col des Ves chair). STGM are (wisely) trying to educate more people about how to look after themselves off piste. It’s steep and untracked, but the pisteurs will still come & help if you get in difficulty.
Those who like powder but don’t want to go completely back country could try under Aguille Rouge chair, the couloirs to the right of Merle – off the top of Grattalu, hike a bit, descend towards Grand Huit – boarders beware the long run out.
Some great snow has also opened up under Laisinant Chair in Val – always worth a trip after a dump.
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Moguls
Valon de Sache, Stade in Val Claret, La Leisse off the Grande Motte, Rocs (under Tommeuses) and the bottom of Triffolet into La Daille when they have not yet pisted it.
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Speed
No speed course as such, though Evo 2 do organise ‘See how far you can glide’ comps down the final part of Trolles & across the snowfront at Lac. Other places where you can floor it (relatively) safely are the top of OK/Orange in Val (if it’s not shut for racing) as well as Grattalu & Double M/Lanches – but you would really only want to do these two early, before the crowds.
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Snowparks
The Palafour park is no more (though the gully above the restaurant half way down remains excellent fun) The pipe is now at the bottom of Lanches in Val Claret. (Unfortunately there’s no proper drag lift – only a rope tow). From the chairlift, it looked huge. Last year (05/06) they built a step-up/table top too. For jumps & rails, you’ll get more fun for less effort in the Val park (drag lift right next door)
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Events
Natives Workers X-Challenge - open entry Skier/Boarder Cross brought to you by those maestros of snow events, US (as in 'us', here at Natives, the site you are currently on!)
Airwaves – early/mid January. Annual freestyle comp involving motocross as well as usual slopestyle & pipes.
Jib Vid – March (ish) Home-made video comp encompassing the bizarre & ridiculous as well as some insane tricks (Back flip onto rail slide anyone?)
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Away
Days
Sainte Foy - for soul skiing in
the trees.
Bourg St Maurice - for cheap supermarkets.
Les Arcs -
Bus to Bourg & then the funicular up to Arc 1650 is possible too if you just fancy skiing somewhere different.
Annecy – if you have a car, this is not impossible. Beautiful historic town by the lake. Swimming - There’s now a swimming pool in Lac, so you can spend your day on water in a different form
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Shopping
Black Cats for funky gear and freeride/freestyle equipment
Snowpark (Lac) or Concept Pro Shop & Bazoom (Val Claret) for freeride gear
Intersport (Lac) for just about anything else
See JoJo or George in Nevada Sports for boot-fitting
Mobile phone credit is available from most tabacs, but you can’t buy an Orange F SIM card in resort – you have to go to Bourg.
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Internet
Cafés
All over the place now:
Orange Multimedia Centre in Lac (Maison de Tignes) 13 PC’s, gaming centre, printer, scanner, most useful stuff. About €7.50 for an hour (less than that is charged by the minute)
Bars with wireless include Lavachet Lounge, Alpaka, Le Brasero, Scotty’s.
Bars with terminals include Jam Bar, Angel Bar (borrow a laptop), Lavachet Lounge.
More
details
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Eating
Out
In town:
Depending on your appetite, expect to pay 20-40 Euros.
The nicest places in town are Clin d’Oeil in Le Lac (very French cuisine) or Le Caveau in Val Claret. Daffy’s TexMex or L’Indochine Vietnamese in Val Claret are a nice change if you’re fed up of your ‘fine chalet cuisine’. For traditional Savoyard try Le Grenier in Lavachet. For hot rocks try Le Brasero or Scotty’s.
Takeaways come in the form of curry from Tignes Cuisine (Lac) or pizzas from Mick’s (Lavachet) – he’ll give you a free French lesson while preparing.
Mountain Resto's
Bottom of Marmottes (Val side) – for in/out cheap self service, this is the place. Le Carline in Val Claret and Palet (bottom of Grattalu) are also good for self service. There’s a fantastic burger place in Val Claret just near Bazoom (can’t remember the name though) Look out for traditional silly French hats at L’Etoile de Neige in Les Brevieres
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McDonalds
Bourg St Maurice. 30km
to heaven (or not). Beware the height limit on the drive thru: minibuses are too tall!
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Shopping
Day
Some companies deliver in (well done Total/Espirit) otherwise it’s Super U at Bourg: 40 mins each way on a good day, a damn sight longer on a bad one…
In resort there’s a Spar in Lac, or Sherpa in Val Claret & Lavachet.
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Transfer
Day
Normally Lyon (mostly Autoroute) or Geneva (much more twisty – harder to do those ski packs on the bus) Some companies also pick up at Chambery (1 ½ hrs) but mostly it’s 2 ½ - 3 hrs. Except of course on those days when avalanche danger closes the road and transfer day lasts 33 hrs…
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Après-ski
Options
Pub crawls can get you free shots; Bowling nights can make you some money; Sledging on the Rosset or Lavachet slopes at Lac for the kids; Talk to Evo 2 about their non-skiing activities cos there’s loads: parapenting is spectacular on a sunny day.
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Living
Lavachet is laid back for seasonaires – most live in the Home Club. Chalet Club in Val Claret is also home to many. There is also a ‘Maison de Saisonieres’ between Lac & Lavachet but it’s mostly French. Rents are cheaper living down in Les Brevieres, but you’ll want a car and/or mates up at 2100, who’ll let you crash when you’ve had a toffee vodka too many.
Val Claret, Lavachet & Lac are all linked by a free shuttle bus that runs 24 hrs (once an hour after midnight). While not ideal, this makes living in one part and working in another more feasible than a long walk across the lake at 6am…
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Links
Evolution2 - for instructors after a job & all your activity needs
Tignes.net – local information website, available in English & French.
Tignes.co.uk – the British opinion on Tignes
Jib-Vid - freeride video comp
Brasero
The Angel Bar
TCs bar
CdS
Search
If you’re thinking of doing a season in Tignes then why not
search through the Club
des Saisonniers to see who else has worked there and what advice
they may be able to offer.
Join
Anyone who has done a season or has a firm offer from
a tour operator may join
the Club des Saisonniers.
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[Thanks to Kate Rowan for putting this Guide together. We liked her email sign-off too - "My body is not a temple; it's an amusement park!" Kate gets a Natives hoody for her troubles]
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Known
as a rider's resort, Tignes is often overshadowed by its more hedonistic
neighbour - Val d'Isere. 