Orelle

We have arrived at episode five of our Val Thorens series, and today we are getting to the absolute core of why we all come to the mountains in the first place: the slopes, the ski lifts, and the sheer mountain terrain.

This is the big one, and when you look at the raw statistics of the local Val Thorens and Orelle ski area, the numbers are just staggering.

You've got 150 kilometers of fully linked high-altitude pistes spread across 88 marked runs.

But the statistic that completely changes how this mountain skis is that 99% of the entire area sits above 2,000 meters.

What's brilliant about Faisan Nord is the terrain it unlocks.

It whisks you up in warm enclosed comfort and drops you right at the start of the legendary Faisan Nord and Asters pistes.

But even more importantly, it creates a seamless wind-protected link straight into the Orelle Valley via the Loris run, meaning you don't get bottlenecked on the ridge during stormy days.

And that is just within the local bowl.

You can ski from the top of the Péclet Glacier in Val Thorens all the way across to Courchevel 1650, do 50 kilometers of vertical descent in a day, and never ride the same chairlift twice.

And they've even linked it to the Maurienne Valley via Orelle, the famous fourth valley, meaning you can drop down the backside of the mountain on an epic transalpine journey.

And the international crowd here reflects that massive scale.

It is this wonderful, vibrant melting pot.