Every ski resort has runs you end up wishing you never took and the same applies in La Plagne. The point of downhill skiing and snowboarding is in the name – that it’s downhill and you use gravity as propulsion. Unfortunately, La Plagne has a lot of flat spots on many runs – places where skiers will end up poling and ski-skating while snowboarders will invariably have to unclip or penguin walk if you haven’t built up enough speed. Below is our guide to Pistes to avoid in La Plagne.

What are the worst runs in La Plagne?

While we actually like some of the runs noted below when taken as a whole, in many cases, if you don’t gun the steeper sections, you will end up walking. However, with some others in this list, it won’t matter how much speed you build – a walk will be necessary in places.

Note – green pistes don’t make this list as they’re intentionally flatter to help beginner skiers and snowboarders learn. Rather, we’ve marked the pistes below in three categories:

Avoid: Meaning these runs will see you walking no matter what you do. They may be graded blue but, in places, they’re actually uphill. Presumably, the resort didn’t grade them green as they would be impossible for beginners to ride them but they lack any kind of gradient.

Speed: With these runs, there are some steeper sections preceding the flats that will at least allow you to generate enough momentum to get over the shallow parts. It’s worth noting however – if you’re not comfortable straight-lining the steeps – you will end up walking, poling or unclipping.

Steepness: While all runs need to be taken as a whole, these pistes feature considerably steeper sections than their classification might suggest.

Avoid: Route des Bauches, Montchavin sector

What looks like a pleasant meander down the valley below the Roche de Mio sector to the Vanoise Express and the Montchavin pistes, the Route des Bauches is actually little more than a cross-country track with frequent flats and uphill sections. This is in no way a blue piste and is an absolute pain for snowboarders while skiers too will get burned out poling their way around. Rather than following this run, if you find yourself in this area, take the Bauches chair and Crozats chair instead to follow the better, steeper pistes above.

Avoid: Pravendue, Montalbert sector

Much like the Routes des Bauches above, the Pravendue blue piste (accessed off the lower section of Edmond Blanchoz (formerly Cornegidouille) looks like a pleasant trip through the woods. However, this run features frequent flats and, at one point, a sustained 50m uphill stretch. If you want to get to the Plagne Montalbert pistes, take the Adrets chair instead.

Avoid: Ravine, Champagny sector

Chances are you won’t have any choice but to take the Ravine piste in the Champagny sector to get from the Plagne Centre side over to the runs nearer Champagny village. While this is a very short run, you’ll have little chance of making it over without poling on unclipping as there isn’t a sufficient run-in to build enough speed. Thankfully, the wealth of pistes in this area make the quick walk towards the Borseliers chair worthwhile.

Speed: Arolles, Bellecôte sector

The top section of Arolles goes skier’s right off the Colosses chair before dropping over a steeper section. If you don’t build enough speed here, you’ll be faced with two uphill walks as the piste nears the Leitchoums blue. The bottom section gets gradually steeper but a lot of this run shouldn’t be graded blue (especially when you consider the top of Mira is supposedly blue).

Speed: Blanchets, Bellecôte sector

The top of the Blanchets blue starts steep enough as you drop to the right off the Blanchets chair however, once the piste tuns back towards the direction of Belle Plagne and Bellecôte, there are two flat sections you’ll need to pretty much straight line in order to get over the long flat near the race piste. Blanchets is actually a relatively enjoyable blue – but if you lack confidence riding quickly, be prepared to walk. There is always a procession of skiers and snowboarders walking the long flat.

Speed: Tunnel, Roche de Mio sector

There’s an almost irresistible temptation to ride a run marked as ‘tunnel’ on a piste map but the bottom section of the Tunnel blue piste is pancake flat as it nears the very shallow pathway through the mountain. If you tank the steeper sections above, you can make it through the tunnel without walking but most skiers and snowboarders find they get stuck about midway. Also, it doesn’t help that there is almost always a congregation of riders at the entrance of the tunnel which normally means you have to kill your speed.

Speed: Sources, Roche de Mio sector

Despite being rated red, Sources might cause you issues if you don’t hold your speed over the top section before the first steep pitch. In truth, a lot of this run is more akin to a blue and you’ll often see people walking the long flat top section.

Speed: Replat, Montchavin sector

The Replat piste forms an essential link across to the Replat rope tow and the Montchavin sector / Les Arcs so you’ll almost undoubtedly end up on this run at some point. However, if you’re looking to reach the Replat and want to avoid walking, you’ll need to straight-line from about midway to get over the long flat that precedes the link tow.

Speed: Levasset Haut, Champagny sector

The Levasset is one of the most fun and wide blue pistes in La Plagne but on any given day, you’ll always see skiers and snowboarders walking the flatter sections here. After the steeper section at the start, as a general rule, you need to go as straight as possible on the remaining pitches to have any hope of getting over the long flats towards the bottom and the Plateau de Carella rope tow.

Speed: Levasset Mid, Champagny sector

The Levasset mid section crosses from the Plagne Bellecôte / Roche de Mio sector into the Champagny area. The pitch of this run would be enough to get over the flat section however this area sees the convergence of three runs – Tome, Quillis and Levasset – so the lift staff pay due diligence and erect barriers to slow skiers and snowboarders to avoid accidents. Consequently, chances are high that you’ll end up walking near the restaurant and the Carella chair. All that said, this is still an excellent area and give access to the Levasset Bas piste.

Speed: Geisha, Champagny sector

The Geisha is another piste that crosses from the Plagne Bellecôte / Roche de Mio sector into Champagny. While this run rates among one of the best blue runs in La Plagne, there is a flat section marked below the name on the map above that turns skier’s left then right (opposite on the map). If you don’t hold your speed coming into this section, be prepared to walk. Another option is to drop off the main run and ride the short off-piste section to join the bottom of the Bozelet.

Speed: Mont de la Guerre, Champagny sector

It might seem a little odd featuring a red piste on a list of runs that could involve a walk but to reach the main Mont de la Guerre piste involves a long snaking traverse along the ridge high above Champagny-en-Vanoise that will see you poling or unclipping if you don’t build sufficient speed. MdlG is one of La Plagne’s best red runs – but you need to gun the top section when dropping off Bozelet to have any chance of making it over.

Speed: Gavotte, Aime 2000/Biolley sector

Another advanced red piste that somehow makes the list of runs with long flats, the Gavotte run in the Biolley / Aime 2000 sector starts with a traverse followed by a short pitch that you’ll need to straight-line to get over the flat that follows.

Speed: Halles, Aime 2000/Biolley sector

The Halles piste is intentionally a flatter option that avoids the steeper pitch in the middle section of Edmond Blanchoz (formerly Cornegidouille). However, if you don’t build speed on the way out (to the right on the piste map), you’ll end up walking along the flat section when the piste turns back towards the base of the Envers and Adrets chairs.

Steepness: Mira, Plagne Centre

The blue piste Mira is a great run but the top section is most definitely not blue. When you consider this run has a longer and steeper pitch than the Carina on the right of the piste map, it’s little wonder you’ll always find so many beginners struggling to make it down this piste.

Taken as a whole, Mira is blue – but the top part definitely is not. On the plus side, the first section is relatively short. Top tip – if you find this run difficult, head to the sides where you’ll always find it flatter and normally with fresher snow. As an alternative, you could always take the Petite Rochette (go right off Mira after about 200m).

Steepness: Trieuse, Plagne Bellecôte

The top section of Trieuse is very easy – so much so, you might need to straight-line it because it’s so flat in places. However, once you pass under the Colosses chair, it takes on a completely different gradient.

Beginners often struggle on this section. If you’re finding it difficult, head right at the Le Chalet des Dolines restaurant onto the Rhodos piste instead. This run is much, much easier.

Pistes to avoid in La Plagne – the takeout

No matter which resort you look at, you’ll always find flatter pistes dotted around any area – runs that’ll make you question their grading. From a lift company’s perspective, this is almost inevitable as very few pistes stay at a consistent gradient from top to bottom so there will always be a measure of grading by averages.

That said, in general, the piste gradings in La Plagne are mostly pretty accurate. This article is just to give you a heads-up on some of the more unexpected flats and hopefully help you avoid the hassle of a hike.

La Plagne month-by-month guides

To learn more about the busiest areas or the busiest times in La Plagne, take a look at the comprehensive guides below which detail month-by-month breakdowns of typical snow, queues, weather and conditions at different points in the season.

Is La Plagne good in December?
Is La Plagne good in January?
Is La Plagne good in February?
Is La Plagne good in March?
Is La Plagne good in April?

For a breakdown of the difficulty of lifts and pistes, these articles might also help – La Plagne for beginners, La Plagne for intermediates and La Plagne for experts.

La Plagne accommodation deals