An independent guide to Val Thorens
The Tyrolinne zipwire in Val Thorens-Orelle goes from the top of the Bouchet chairlift in Orelle, to the top of the Funitel de Thorens in Val Thorens.
It was the original zipwire, opened in 2014. There is now also a second zipwire called the Bee Zipwire - see activities.
It's 1300m long, and the difference in height from top to bottom is 230m. It's open during the day, from morning to afternoon.
Read about the Val Thorens zipwire here.
Val Thorens-Orelle opened the Tyrolienne zipwire in February 2014.
It goes from the top of the Bouchet chairlift in Orelle, to the top of the Funitel de Thorens in the Val Thorens ski area - see the piste map.
The length is 1300m, the difference in height from top to bottom 230m, and the distance above the ground at the highest point is 250m. The speed can be between 65 and 105kmh, and the 'flight' takes about 1 minute 45 seconds.
The Tyrolienne zipwire is open from:
It is weather-dependent - in particular, it depends on the strength and direction of the wind. It's best to go up to the hut at the top of the Bouchet chair and ask.
The price is €56 (2023/24 rate). Payment at the hut at the top, including by card.
It is open to anyone 8 to 88 years, up to a maximum weight of 120kg.
You wear a harness which is attached to the wire. It has a space for your skis or snowboard, which travel behind you. The harness puts in you in a sitting position.
A helmet is supplied, and you have to wear it (although it's difficult to envisage circumstances in which it would help you!)
The sensation is claimed to be similar to that experienced by an eagle in flight.
'You will experience the emotion of a large raptor hovering above infinite spaces...an exclusive flight, the highest mega-zip line in the world, a crossing of one of the most beautiful glacial sites in Savoie, in almost absolute silence'.
People who have done it say that it's unnerving at the very start as there's a bit of a 'click' as you set off, but then it's actually quite peaceful and calm during the ride rather than being a real adrenaline experience.
This is a video of the zipwire taken in March 2014.
This is a video shot on a GoPro, from the point of view of the person on the zipwire.
We hope you enjoy the zipwire in Val Thorens-Orelle.
Back to activities.
Skiing Made Easy is a Kindle ebook and paperback. It's a practical guide to learning to ski, based on many happy seasons of ski teaching in Val Thorens.
'This is the book I wish I'd had when I started skiing' - Amazon reviewer.
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