Bauches blue piste: The Bauches blue piste sits just below the Crozats chair in the Montchavin sector of La Plagne. The lift company classifies Montchavin as stretching from the front of the mountain round into the valley below the Roche de Mio sector.

However, this piste exists primarily because of the Bauches chair – and that chair is mostly used to link back out from the off-piste in the area. Let’s put it this way; you won’t be doing laps here. 

La Plagne intermediate piste Bauches: Bauches is a fairly uninspiring track that snakes down on a steeper gradient. After fresh snow there’s decent off-piste to be had by taking a more direct line, but this run is really here to serve the Bauches chair.

That chair is a brilliant shortcut back from the tougher La Plagne off-piste routes down from the Bellecôte glacier and Roche de Mio, saving you from the long flat Route des Bauches piste back towards the Vanoise Express cable car.

Safety: For those bigger glacier-side routes you should hire a La Plagne guide.

Bauches blue piste: A quiet, isolated blue that’s useful for accessing the Bauches chair and escaping the long flat Route des Bauches, with sidehits and easy off-piste options after fresh snow, but it’s often shaded, can get icy and the lift back is slow.

Connecting pistes and lifts: Where you can go next once you finish this route.

Bauches stats: Length, altitude and gradient at a glance.