Report from February 21, 2026

Yesterday I drove up from the rustic village of Sainte-Foy-Tarentaise to the luxurious town of Val d’Isère, France.

Val d’Isère–Tignes is one of the largest ski resorts on Earth.

Many of the largest ski resorts on Earth are in this same valley, and we’ve skied them all on this trip, or at least tried to: Les Arcs and Les 3 Vallées included.

I parked in a big underground garage and popped up out of the ground like a rabid squirrel right at the lifts.

This was the first and only day I’ve skied alone the entire trip (I’ve been out here since Feb 3). I had absolutely no idea where to go.

I jumped on the Olympique tram-gondola because I’d never seen a setup like that before.

Each cabin was massive, holding maybe 40 people or more, with tons of seating.

Everything is so civilized here.

At the top, it really started to sink in just how huge this place is. I looked around, picked something that looked fun, and went for it.

Avalanche danger was still 4 out of 5, HIGH. We’re still dealing with a nasty persistent weak layer, so I searched out small, low-angle terrain and had a blast.

The sun came and went before disappearing completely in the early afternoon. I drank in every photon of light I could.

I waited forever in those avalanche fences, hoping for a window.

It never came.

I ended my day at the top of a short hike, standing there waiting for light that also never came.

Eventually, I just hiked back down. Ha.

The brief flashes of sun I did get revealed an entirely different world.

This place is enormous. There is zero chance I could see it all in three days, even if I tried.

So fired up for the next two days here.

Oh, and I rode a funicular through a mountain to the top peak – a big first for me and very fancy feeling.

Always wanted to ride up in one of those…

Merci, la France.

Photos