{"id":1786424,"date":"2026-02-22T18:37:45","date_gmt":"2026-02-22T15:37:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1786424"},"modified":"2026-02-22T18:37:45","modified_gmt":"2026-02-22T15:37:45","slug":"val-disere-tignes-france-report-sweet-stubborn-sunshine-at-the-3rd-largest-ski-resort-on-earth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1786424","title":{"rendered":"Val d\u2019Is\u00e8re \u2013 Tignes, France, Report: Sweet, Stubborn Sunshine at the 3rd Largest Ski Resort on Earth"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Report from February 21, 2026<\/em><\/p>\n

Yesterday I drove up from the rustic village of Sainte-Foy-Tarentaise to the luxurious town of Val d\u2019Is\u00e8re, France.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Val d\u2019Is\u00e8re\u2013Tignes is the 3rd largest ski resort on Earth.<\/strong><\/p>\n

All three of the largest ski resorts on Earth are in this same valley, and we\u2019ve skied them all on this trip, or at least tried to: Les Arcs and Les 3 Vall\u00e9es included.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Spikey. Image: SnowBrains<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

I parked in a big underground garage and popped up out of the ground like a rabid squirrel right at the lifts.<\/strong><\/p>\n

This was the first and only day I\u2019ve skied alone the entire trip (I\u2019ve been out here since Feb 3). I had absolutely no idea where to go.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I jumped on the Olympique tram-gondola because I\u2019d never seen a setup like that before.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Val d\u2019Isere Tram\/Gondola. Image: SnowBrains<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Each cabin was massive, holding maybe 40 people or more, with tons of seating.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Everything is so civilized here.<\/strong><\/p>\n

At the top, it really started to sink in just how huge this place is. I looked around, picked something that looked fun, and went for it.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Arc time. Image: SnowBrains<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

Avalanche danger was still 4 out of 5, HIGH. We\u2019re still dealing with a nasty persistent weak layer, so I searched out small, low-angle terrain and had a blast.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The sun came and went before disappearing completely in the early afternoon. I drank in every photon of light I could.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I waited forever in those avalanche fences, hoping for a window.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Gondola. Image: SnowBrains<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It never came.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I ended my day at the top of a short hike, standing there waiting for light that also never came.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Eventually, I just hiked back down. Ha.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The brief flashes of sun I did get revealed an entirely different world.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Going up. Image: SnowBrains<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This place is enormous. There is zero chance I could see it all in three days, even if I tried.<\/strong><\/p>\n

So fired up for the next two days here.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Oh, and I rode a funicular through a mountain to the top peak \u2013 a big first for me and very fancy feeling.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Always wanted to ride up in one of those\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

Merci, la France.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Photos<\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\n
One gorgeous track. Image: SnowBrains<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Magic carpet tube ride. Image: SnowBrains<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Tignes. Image: SnowBrains<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Misty mountain hop. Image: SnowBrains<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
The arc. Image: SnowBrains<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Very spikey. Image: SnowBrains<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
4\/5 HIGH avy danger. Image: SnowBrains<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Archway. Image: SnowBrains<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Moody. Image: SnowBrains<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Lifts everywhere. Image: SnowBrains<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Art. Image: SnowBrains<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
What is this!? Image: SnowBrains<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Horizons. Image: SnowBrains<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Just lifts all over the place. Image: SnowBrains<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
My last line in the video in those avy fences. Image: SnowBrains<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Big terrain. Image: SnowBrains<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Endless. Image: SnowBrains<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Lots of features like this at Tignes. Image: SnowBrains<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Gondy. Image: SnowBrains<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Textures. Image: SnowBrains<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Big here. Image: SnowBrains<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Val d\u2019Isere. Image: SnowBrains<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Funicular train to top! Image: SnowBrains<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Inside the train in a tunnel. Image: SnowBrains<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Sunset in Sainte Foy. Image: SnowBrains<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Sunset from my room in Sainte Foy. Image: SnowBrains<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Report from February 21, 2026 Yesterday I drove up from the rustic village of Sainte-Foy-Tarentaise to the luxurious town of Val d\u2019Is\u00e8re, France. Val d\u2019Is\u00e8re\u2013Tignes is the 3rd largest ski resort on Earth. All three of the largest ski resorts on Earth are in this same valley, and we\u2019ve skied them all on this trip, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,267],"class_list":["post-1786424","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-snowbrains-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1786424","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1786424"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1786424\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1786424"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1786424"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1786424"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}