The Grande Rochette lift Aollets poma is marked as difficult on the piste map – and for good reason. This is definitely not a draglift for beginner riders who will struggle to make it all the way up. Read on to learn more.

The start of this lift climbs steeply on a sharp gradient out of the back of Plagne Villages. Also, watch out for the ‘kick’ as the Poma extends when you get on.

After a tricky starting climb, there’s a relatively long section canted to the right with skiers and snowboarders crossing the path as they link between runs on the Bellecôte side and the Bridge piste down to Plagne Centre. This is followed by a short dog-leg to the right before the path goes downhill slightly – no problem on skis (just snowplough) but on a board, you’ll need to be comfortable pulling into a sideslip in order to not overtake the lift.

Aollets then continues up a short incline to the top – from where you can take the Ramy or Mira piste (for Centre / Villages) or traverse over to the Trieuse to enter the Belle Plagne / Bellecôte sector. Note – you can also easily access the La Plagne best apres bar, the Bergerie, using this lift.

Aollets: A quick, scenic drag lift with varied routes at the top. Its steep start, strong kick, dog-leg and downhill section make it unsuitable for beginners.

Options at the top: Continue towards Ramy blue (Plagne Centre), Mira blue (Plagne Centre), Trieuse blue (Plagne Bellecôte).

Aollets lift stats: The poma climbs from 2000m to 2218m, with a listed vertical ascent of 218m.