Thu, 3 February 2022
Minimum altitude: 813 meters
Distance: 5.8 km
Slope Aspect: South-West
Vertical Climbed: 100 meters (328 feet)
Vertical Descended: 91 meters
Situation at just 810 meters altitude the Bourget en Huile nordic ski area is a bit of an anachronism in these times of global warming. But here we are in 2022 and here it is, still operating when the snow is there, generally from Christmas to the end of February. There is a ski lodge which rents gear and the trails are prepared on an irregular basis. Check before you come. There are 7km of ski trails. A 2km classic loop and 5km prepared for classic and skating. It is possible to skate the classic loop.
The valley was home to powerful lords belonging to the Dutchy of the Savoie who defended the marches against the French. They were based in castle at the entrance to the valley on the rocky outcrop of the Pic de l'Huille or Pic de l'Aiguille (Hüille - needle). The castle was destroyed by the French in 1600. As well as nordic skiing the area is popular with snowshoers and ski tourers.
Trip Report
I remember cycling through the Vallee des Huiles in the early 1990s on the way to the Col du Cucheron and seeing a sign advertising cross country skiing in the valley. Even back then I thought it must be historic as global warming and snowless winters were already a hot topic (1989/90 was notorious for not having skiable snow until February). But I'd noticed that tracks did actually get prepared when there was snow by a team of volunteers. I was coming back from the Maurienne so decided to take the Cucheron route and finally check the area out. I just did 1 loop on classic skis but it was also possible to skate but the snow was a bit soft in the mid afternoon. It is a pleasant trail of some 6km (they get to a 7km figure by double counting the back loop) through the hamlets, fields and woods. You could easily do a couple of loops to make up the kms. The ski lodge was closed due to Covid restrictions.
Warm, the classic tracks were a bit wobbly needing some care to negotiate.
