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The Espace Killy is arguably one of the best ski areas in Europe; with 300km of piste, lots of incredible off-piste, two snow parks, and more high altitude runs over 2,300m than any other resort in the world. For most, this provides the ultimate test in skiing, whether it is for just a one week holiday, or for years on end.
However for some, the 300km of piste is seen as diminutive compared to the some of the other resorts in the Savoie region. Paradiski boasts 425km, the 3 Valleys have 600km, and the Portes du Soleil has 650km.
With this in mind the Mayor of Val d’Isère, Marc Bauer, has expansion on the agenda. Last week he was in talks with some major conservationists in Paris, to discuss the impact on the environment in the Vanoise National Park if the Espace Killy expanded to the beautiful village of Bonneval-sur-Arc.
Image of Bonneval-sur-Arc, courtesy of boklm on Flickr
Bonneval is further from Val d’Isère than Tignes is, so the scope for extra piste is massive. It may take away some of the backcountry skiing on Col Pers and Le Grand Vallon, but otherwise we are all for the expansion. We assume that the Route de Iseran will be opened up during the winter, making it really easy to drive down the D902 to get to Bonneval.
It will be a few years yet before it all comes to fruition, but we can’t wait to see the results.