The Best Backcountry Skiing Routes in Albertville

A great, mellow descent through rolling terrain far from the lifts and pistes. On a cold powder day this is hard to beat for a relaxed run with minimal avalanche risk....

This route could not be much more easily accessed because it starts at the confluence of the Jouty, Près and Pertuis chairlifts, all of which are part of the sprawling Megève ski area....

Situated on the edge of the Beaufortain this circular ski tour is a fantastic journey through mellow terrain. The views towards the Pierra Menta in one direction and the Dômes de Miage and Mont Blanc Massif in the other direction are fantastic on a clear day....

The traverse of the Col de la Fenêtre from La Masse to le Châtelard gives a fantastic day out on moderate terrain, with an infinite number of variations possible depending on snow, fitness, weather etc....

The Roc du Blanchon is a 2747m summit which gives a great day tour in its own right from Pralognan, or an easy day on the way in to or out of the Roc de la Pêche refuge as part of a multi-day tour in the Vanoise....

An enjoyable tour in the shadow of the imposing bulk of the Glaciers de la Vanoise, the upper slopes below the col are mostly north-facing and can hold some very good snow - it is also possible to prolong the ascent by continuing up to the Col Supérieur du Génépy (approx....

The final day of the Vanoise circuit travels through some of the most stunning and wild high mountain scenery the Vanoise has to offer. One of the highlights has to be skiing under the magnificent Grande Casse north face....

Another of the great classics of this part of the Vanoise, the Grand Bec dominates the Bozel valley as you drive up from Moutiers and is a must-do for any mountain lover visiting the area....

A great ski tour with 1000m vertical of steady angle from the shoulder of the Aiguille de Chanrossa down to the Roc de la Pêche refuge, best enjoyed after a cold winter snowfall or (even better) with nicely softened spring snow on a sunny morning....

This is a big day taking in 2 of the summits of the Glaciers de la Vanoise ice cap. If starting from Pralognan (in winter-time before the road opens) this is a big day with over 2100m of vertical height gain....

It's a big day this one, but at least the refuge start makes it much more manageable, making it a likely objective for many avid ski mountaineers with the correct fitness, glacier safety and mountaineering experience....

A brilliant spring ski tour, best enjoyed once the road is open up to Plan Fournier. Sadly this is also a prime example of the disappearing mid-elevation glaciers in the Alps as the Glacier de la Vuzelle is no more....

From the refuge, the ascent route starts with a short descent (that can be completed with skins on) in a northerly direction towards the Glacier de Grands Couloirs and then ascends steeply through the moraine on the looker’s left hand side of the glacier....

Only slightly easier than neighbouring ‘Face Nord Centrale’, the Petit Face Nord offers a great alternative to the Face Nord Centrale with slightly less exposure whilst retaining the amazing feeling of skiing on this wild north face....

You can almost view the full length of this route from the summit of the Grande Sassiere before committing yourself to the downclimb/rappel and if conditions don’t look appealing, skiing the NW face from the summit provides an alternative to find fresh snow whilst staying on the cooler aspects....

This is one of the great steep classics of the Vanoise, first skied by the legendary Daniel Chauchefoin back in the late ‘70s. As you drive up the Bozel valley this is the face that dominates everything....