Saint Martin from Val Thorens

A trip to Saint-Martin-de-Belleville from Val Thorens - the best route, timings, stops and other tips.

Saint Martin and back can easily be done in half a day, and entirely on blue runs. It's a nice ski, and a lovely village that's worth a visit.

This is a 3 Valleys piste map. This is a Les Menuires/Saint Martin piste map.

Saint Martin from Val Thorens: Leaving Val Thorens

Set off by taking Pionniers or Plein Sud, then Funitel 3 Vallées or Télésiege 3 Vallées.

Saint Martin from Val Thorens: (1) via Les Menuires

When you get to the top of Funitel 3 Vallées or the 3 Vallées chair, turn left and take Mont de la Chambre.

If you wish, you can leave Mont de la Chambre and join the red (Alpages).

Once you get to the bottom of Bruyères 2 bubble, follow signs to the main part of Les Menuires, La Croisette. This is on Pâturages, and takes you past the bottom of Mont de la Chambre chair.

Then you take the Menuires blue run to La Croisette - nearly always icy, or let's say 'hard-pack snow'.

When you arrive in La Croisette, the lift you need is on the left - Roc 1 (full name Roc des 3 Marches 1). As you walk up the ramp, there's a mini-museum of old lifts which is quite fun.

At the top, turn left, and you have to pole along the flat to reach Roc 2 (or Roc des 3 Marches 2).

Saint Martin from Val Thorens: (2) via Boulevard Cumin and Les Menuires

Instead of taking lifts up out of Val Thorens, it's possible to head towards Les Menuires, without taking a lift, on Boulevard Cumin. Note it is flat in places, so awkward for snowboarders.

At the bottom of Bd Cumin, take Doron chair, then ski down Menuires to Roc 1. From there, the route is the same as route (1) above.

Saint Martin from Val Thorens: (3) via David Douillet

This third route requires fewer lifts than (1) above, but involves a steep bit of red.

Take the 3 Vallées lifts out of Val Thorens. Instead of Mont de la Chambre, ski on the red Bd Lance and David Douillet haut. David Douillet won two Olympic judo gold medals; he used to holiday in Les Menuires.

Branch right on a blue through the Pixel Area and continue on Allée to the bottom of Roc 2. Now the route is the same as (1) and (2) above.

Saint Martin from Val Thorens: (4) via the Mottaret Side

From the top of the 3 Vallées lifts, go down Lac de la Chambre on the Mottaret side of the mountain.

Take Plan des Mains and Bouquetin chairs to reach the top of Roc 2.

Saint Martin from Val Thorens: the Run to Saint Martin

When you get to the top of Roc 2, you're at Roc des 3 Marches (2704m).

From Roc des 3 Marches, go down a nice, easy, wide blue called Grand Lac.

You'll come to the bottom of the Granges chair, and the Grand Lac restaurant.

Continue past the restaurant on Pelozet, a rolling blue that's good for practising carving. It takes you as far as the top of Saint Martin 1/bottom of Saint Martin Express.

Take Biolley on down to Saint Martin. It's quite a different vibe from Val Thorens, with trees and ramshackle stone huts.

There's a little tunnel under the road, and you reach Saint Martin.

Saint Martin from Val Thorens: Café and Restaurant

The popular café on the right is the Dahlia.

Another option for lunch is La Voute: after going through the tunnel under the road, fork right alongside the little drag lift; at the bottom of the drag, walk down the steps away from the snow, and the restaurant is in Saint Martin's main square.

Saint Martin from Val Thorens: the Return Trip

From the Dahlia, take Saint Martin 1 bubble; at the top, get on Saint Martin Express chair.

From the top of Saint Martin Express, the most straightforward way back is to do the long, flattish traverse on Gros Tougne all the way to Les Menuires. Then pick up Menuires chair, then Mont de la Chambre chair. From the top of Mont de la Chambre, you can ski down to Val Thorens - either on Goitschel or Chardons, then Plein Sud; or if you're sticking to blues, on Pluviomètre.

An alternative from the top of Saint Martin Express is to go down the Méribel Mottaret side on Dahu (a steep red; a Dahu is a fictional mountain-goat like animal).

Then follow Martre to the Chatelet chairlift, and at the top ski down to Côte Brune. From the top of Côte Brune, the options for skiing down to Val Thorens are the same as above.

Saint Martin from Val Thorens: Timing

You can do Val Thorens-Saint Martin there and back in 2 hours.

A more relaxed schedule including a stop in Saint Martin would be to take 3-4h to do the trip.

I hope you have a great trip to Saint Martin.