Experience

Whizzing down the Tunnel Run

At an altitude of 3,000 metres, the Tunnel run is aimed at experienced skiers. After a 200-metre run through the rock, the mountain opens up to a spectacular view before plunging into one of the steepest mogul fields in France (35°). A legendary run, reserved for those who love a challenge.

An idea

that’s a bit out of the ordinary

The Tunnel run starts at Pic Blanc at an altitude of 3,330 metres. This black run begins just outside the cable car station with an initial steep section that will really get your legs going before you reach the entrance to the famous tunnel that gives the run its name. The tunnel is covered in snow by the piste crew, and its gentle 3 per cent gradient allows you to glide effortlessly through the illuminated rock tunnel.

Among the top 10

in the world!

At the top, a real thrill awaits you! A breathtaking view, a dizzying sensation. With an average gradient of 35 degrees (70%), one of the steepest slopes in the Alps awaits you. Beneath your feet lies an impressive field of moguls leading down to Lac Blanc, where a small chairlift will take you back to the Pic Blanc cable car station, situated at an altitude of 2,700 metres. After a few minutes of watching (or hesitating), it’s your turn: you negotiate the first bend (phew! That’s that out of the way…) and tackle the moguls… Right, off you go into your first tunnel. Time to catch your breath…Did you do it? Well done! All that’s left is to tell your friends – with proof to back it up!

“The tunnelling work, contracted to the firm Vigne d’Oris-en-Rattier, began on 16 July 1964, upstream on the Sarenne Glacier. It was a local figure, the hotelier Georges Rajon, who then came up with a revolutionary idea. Why not dig a 200-metre-long tunnel through the mountain, at an altitude of 3,000 metres, to link the two sides? “Impossible, far-fetched… such a tunnel would create a draught that would send skiers hurtling into the void,” argued his critics, who advocated building a road along the ridges in the Herpie area. The controversy grew. The ruling, handed down by Émile Allais – a skiing champion and recognised pioneer in France in the marking and maintenance of ski runs – is final: “It will be a first, but you must build a tunnel!” All that remains is to determine its gradient. Once again, Georges Rajon provides the solution. A quick calculation enabled him to estimate it at 3 per cent” (Source: Marion Frison, IsereMag)

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