The Best Backcountry Skiing Routes in Pralognan-la-Vanoise

The Refuge du Roc de la Pêche gives a very comfortable start to the circuit of the Vanoise with an easy mellow approach. It can make a good warm up day with plenty of time to practice avalanche rescue or crevasse rescue skills....

The northernmost peak of the Glaciers de la Vanoise ‘icecap’, the Pointe de la Réchasse is a great way to begin to explore this high expanse of snow and ice either as an easy day tour from the Col de la Vanoise hut or as a bigger day hit from Pralognan....

A very amenable tour through absolutely stunning scenery, the traverse of the Col de la Grande Classe from Pralognan to Champagny should be high on everyone’s to-do list! From the rocky peaks of Pralognan to the imposing snowy north face of the Grande Classe and finishing in the beautiful hanging valley of Champagny le Haut (where you can often spot bouqetin grazing on the sunny mountainsides), this is a true journey through the heart of the northern Vanoise massif....

One of Pralognan’s great classics for moderate ski touring, the south side of the Col de la Glière can be a spring snow paradise if you get your timing right. The GPS track starts at the Barmettes refuge - accessible by lift during the winter or a skin up the pistes for the early birds....

The Pointe du Creux Noir sits at the Southern end of the Grand Bec/Vallonet ridge and is a stunning viewpoint down onto the village of Pralognan and the towering rock faces of the Grand Marchet and Aiguille de la Vanoise....

A fantastic spring snow line down a big ‘toboggan-run’ slope and a great stepping stone for those who want to progress on to some of the steeper lines in this area....