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Face-off: Aspen, Colorado vs Val d'Isère, France
- Will
- Apr 25
- 12 min read
Updated: May 5
We book-ended season 24/25 with a trip to Val d'Isère in December and to Aspen in April - a tastier winter sandwich you'd be hard pressed to find. Both places are at the peak of the world's ski areas with many similarities, but also some striking differences. In this guide we pit the French géant against the Coloradan colossus.
The ski areas
Extent
Val is one side of the Alps' largest interlinked areas. It stretches from Le Fornet, where you can find tree-skiing and Val's glacier, through the high altitude bowl at Solaise and the Bellevarde sector where the link with neighboring Tignes is found, up to the high point on the Grande Motte, and all the way down to the area low point in the traditional Tignes-les-Brevières. It's big.
Aspen has four distinct mountains spread around Pitkin County and linked by efficient (and, amazingly for Aspen, free) buses. Aspen Mountain rises straight up from town with a network of fun blues and blacks (but no beginner terrain). Next closest is Aspen Highlands, where you can find a high alpine bowl which will test the legs of the gnarliest (both on the hike up and ski down). Buttermilk is the lowest and least challenging, but with a superb park and plenty of beginner terrain. A 20-minute bus ride brings you to the highest and biggest sector, Snowmass, which is a wide mountain with several sectors to explore.
Verdict:
Val's full area is nearly twice the size of Aspen's four mountains and you can do much of it without taking your skis off. Top to bottom you can find 6,000 feet of vertical.
Aspen has variety and, at Snowmass, the biggest vertical in the USA, but it doesn't have quite the same scale. It does have the advantage of extensive tree-skiing, and the four different mountains mean you won't get bored.
Winner: Val d'Isère
Beginners:
Until recently Val was a challenging place to learn, mainly because the slopes back down to the village are steep. The beginner area at the Front de Neige is ideal for starting out, but then there wasn't an easy next step. The improvement of the Solaise area has changed everything. Now you can get a gondola straight from the heart of the village up to Val's best beginner sector - and not just any gondola; heated seats, Wi-Fi and two cabins with a glass floor make it ride to remember. Once at the top a network of beginner lifts and slopes allow quick progression. When linking turns beginners can explore much of the area, and dedicated 'ski tranquille' zones protect those still improving from being intimidated by speed demons whizzing past.
Buttermilk is just a short bus ride from Aspen itself and gives access to plenty of wide, gentle slopes groomed to the highest standards. The 'hero' snow that Aspen receives makes learning easy. Highlands also has lots of green trails, despite the expert skier image cultivated by the Highlands Bowl, so should be on everybody's list. Snowmass has plenty of easy cruisers to enjoy. Aspen also enforces slower skiing zones across the areas to offer a relaxed experience for learners.
Winner: a draw (but read the section below on instruction)
Intermediates:
Val has miles and miles of groomed slopes to explore (186 of them if you like a stat) across several valleys. We love the challenge of starting on the far left of the trail map in Le Fornet, getting up to the top of the glacier and making our way across to Tignes, up to the glacier there before making it to the far right of the map for late lunch in the sun in cute little Tignes-les-Brevières. There are places adventurous intermediates will enjoy all over the area, but it pays to be aware that Val often has trickier slopes masquerading as blues and reds (equivalent to single blacks) and some areas can suffer from too much skier traffic, especially in peak periods. Intermediates looking to improve and get into powder or bumps can play round the edges of the groomers, and there are a few runs left ungroomed but avalanche controlled. These will normally be moguls.
Aspen is one of the most fun places to ski in the Rockies once you have got a few miles under your belt. From Aspen Mountain's top-to-bottom swooping runs, where natural rollers will have you whooping with delight, to easy introductions to glade skiing in Snowmass, the area is one big playground. The fact you can ski anywhere within the resort boundary knowing it is under the watchful eye of ski patrol is a big bonus, meaning you can push yourself out of your comfort zone with less to worry about.
Verdict:
For early intermediates it's hard to look past the endless extent of the slopes in Val, but for those starting to want to explore more challenging terrain in safety, Aspen has the edge.
Winner: a draw
Experts:
Val is known as one of the best spots for lift-accessed back-country in the Alps. Runs like the Tour du Charvet and the Pays Désert are well within the capabilities of most good skiers and take you away from the lift network in high-altitude splendor. Steeper chutes/couloirs can test the best. Over in Tignes you can ski off the back to the entirely separate Paradiski area, and you can even do a reverse heli-drop - ski from the top to a remote spot on the Lac du Chevril and get picked up by chopper.
Aspen has plenty to challenge those from the good to the world-class. Hero's has only been open for two seasons, but the north-facing terrain on Ajax has quickly become a draw for those seeking steep terrain on a powder day.
Highlands has The Bowl - a hike-to treeless snowfield with some seriously steep terrain, but Deep Temerity offers powder pockets without the walk.
For more mellow powder and a slightly less-amped up atmosphere, the Tiehack lift has its own parking and is a lesser-known spot when the snow falls.
Finally, Snowmass has the highest point, the literally breath-taking Cirque, where you can enjoy steep but not ridiculous chutes and undulating terrain. Hanging Valley looks impenetrable and intimidating from a distance, but there are easier routes down.
Verdict:
We'd recommend a guide for any of the above-mentioned skiing. Not only will you have more fun, but you will be kept safer from terrain hazards like cliffs, rocks and trees, and you will avoid a long hike out. In the Alps a guide, avalanche knowledge and safety equipment is indispensable.
Winner: a draw
Tree-skiing:
It's a misconception that the Alps doesn't have tree-skiing, but with a tree line at 6-7,000 feet compared to 10,000-11,000 feet in the Colorado Rockies, there is much less vertical, and the potential for great snow in the trees is lower. Val has several sectors where you can explore widely-spaced firs higher up, and tighter forests lower down. The most obvious is La Daille, which is awesome on a powder day, and Le Fornet also has its fair share. As this is not avalanche-controlled having a guide and the proper equipment is vital.
Aspen is wooded pretty much top-to-bottom, with only the Highlands Bowl and Cirque at Snowmass poking their snouts out of the arboreal coat. Tree-skiers will be like pigs in mud. Glades of all pitches and spacing are to be found just off groomed runs, providing plenty of entertainment.
Verdict:
Tree-skiing is a bonus in the Alps, rather than a core part of the day, but don't think it can't be done.
Winner: Aspen
Instruction
Fully-qualified instructors in France are among the best in their profession. The qualifications are incredibly difficult to achieve, taking several years of practical and theoretical training, culminating in taking a giant slalom run which must be completed within 18% of the time of a world cup racer. Val is home to one of the biggest pools of native English-speaking instructors in the Alps, so finding somebody who is both a fantastic skier who also speaks your language is very doable. At peak periods ski schools get booked up, and they employ stagiaires (trainees) who don't have the depth of experience of the those with their carte pro (fully-qualified) so we recommend booking early at Christmas, New Year and during the February vacations.
I was trained for my level 3 instructor exams by the Managing Director of the Aspen Skiing Company Ski & Snowboard School in New Zealand, and a better skier I would be hard-pressed to recall. Aspen's reputation as a center of excellence for learning is well-deserved, with dedicated instructors who come back year after year because of the quiet slopes and excellent skiing - and solid earning potential.
Verdict:
If money is no object then Aspen can easily match Val, but a big consideration if you want to invest in getting your kids to the next level, or get yourself better at bumps is that one lesson a week won't necessarily cut it - a few mornings of focused tuition throughout your trip will give you the best results, and here Val has a big advantage because private lessons are less than half the price of those in Aspen.
Winner: if you want quality and quantity, it has to be Val d'Isère.
Guides:
The difference in how back-country/off-piste (https://www.america2alps.com/post/usa-vs-europe) is treated in the Alps means going out with a guide to explore the slopes away from the groomers is essential if you don't know the area. As such Val has a wealth of experts ready to show you their backyard, for intermediate skiers upwards.
Because the Aspen inbounds terrain is so well-cared for by ski patrol, many choose to explore chutes, glades and steep areas without a guide - meaning guides focus on more adventurous trips such as skinning into the back-country. This has advantages (you are free to explore on your own more easily) and drawbacks (those on their own or looking to do something less challenging are less-well catered for). Aspen does offer a fabulous service: the mountain ambassadors - volunteer locals - run free tours each day at 11am and 1pm. I was beasted around the slopes by a 68-year old former partner of an international law firm whose 100+ days on the mountain during the season really showed. He took me all over Snowmass, only missing out the double-black diamond terrain, which was a good job because my legs were jelly and my lungs burning.
Verdict:
For variety of guiding on offer it's Val. For free and fun accompaniment, it's Aspen.
Winner: a draw.
The towns
Town charm:
Val's stone core dates back centuries, with the church's bell tower being built in 1664. Skiing got going in the 1930s, but the remote location of the village meant it lagged behind lower rivals initially. Some higher-rise and less attractive development followed the resort's increasing popularity, but in recent years the resort has made big strides to match construction to the typical Savoyarde style, with wood and stone complementing the snowy streets and twinkling lights. Plentiful bars and restaurants, from casual to Michelin-starred, host good-natured crowds unwinding after a day on the mountain, while upscale boutiques sell everything from local charcuterie to the latest gear.
Aspen's historic core of Victorian buildings has been supplemented by modern structures from Rustic to Bauhaus, with a smattering of places that would look at home in the Alps. The melting pot adds up to create a welcoming and liveable town that looks great. Dining and drinking options abound and wandering the streets window shopping the designer boutiques is all part of the fun (unless you have $75k to drop on a certified dinosaur skull, stick to window-shopping).
Verdict: a draw
Altitude:
Val is high by Alps standards, so snow is reliably good, but still sits at under 6,000 feet. Aspen is at just under 8,000 feet, and Snowmass way up at almost 8,500 feet. This may be nothing if you are coming from Denver or take your time to acclimate, but for sea-level dwellers it can be pretty brutal. Stairs laugh at you, picking up a pair of skis requires preparation and you will need industrial quantities of lip-balm, washed down with gallons of water to stay hydrated. Coming down that extra 2,000 feet or so to sleep makes a big difference in my experience.
Verdict:
If you are at all sensitive to altitude, Val is more comfortable. Both are high at the top, so be prepared.
Winner: Val d'Isère.
Après:
Both places have plenty of bars and restaurants in town to please even the heartiest partier, so in this section we rate the on slope festivities.
Val is home to the original Folie Douce (translated as sweet madness), a French institution that kicked off in the 70s and now extends its glittery tentacles to eight resorts across the French Alps. Its blend of live music, singers, dancers and cabaret acts draws boisterous crowds every day of the season. There is an infamous magnum of Champagne encased in a glass box which travels on a pulley system to the VIP area when somebody stumps up the fistful of euros required. Revelers dance on tables, spray each other with Champagne and have a good time from 3pm - watching the descent down the world cup downhill run afterwards is a sport in itself. Luckily you can also reach the Folie Douce by lift - both up and down, so non-skiers can join in too. You can also watch from one of the restaurants. We like La Fruitière, which serves creative takes on local faves in a more refined atmosphere.
While there are great bars at the base of Snowmass (we enjoyed the DJ set at Venga Venga recently) and places ideal for seeing and being seen (Ajax Tavern) in Aspen. The spiritual cousin of the Folie Douce has to be Cloud 9 at Highlands. This cute little chalet dishes up fondue and raclette, adding a feel of the Alps for lunch, before becoming a full-on spray-fest at 3pm. Apparently it gets through the most Champagne in all of North America, and very little of it is drunk, which is perhaps a good thing seeing as skiing down is the only option.
Verdict:
The Folie Douce gets a minus point for being a bit cold when the sun goes down. Cloud 9 could do with a lift to get back home after a few drinks. But both are fine examples of how to have a great time in the mountains with good friends or family.
Winner: Val d'Isère takes it because everyone can meet up at the Folie Douce.
Families:
Val works incredibly hard to make sure all of the family have a brilliant time. There are plenty of free activities, from organized sledding every week at the Front de Neige, with a dizzying array of specialist sleds for both kids and adults, to a dedicated sledding area open every day and various events throughout the winter. Non-skiers can try out ice-floating, where you bob about in a mountain pool wearing a drysuit - I'm assured it's relaxing - dog-sledding, ice-climbing, fat-biking, ice-driving, mini-snowmobiles and more. Up on the slopes, the ski jump bungee looks, frankly, terrifying.
Aspen has a dedicated tubing area at Snowmass, as well as an alpine coaster which winds through the trees. Guided snowshoe tours, cross-country skiing, art galleries and plentiful events also punctuate the winter season.
Verdict:
Val has so much going on - and you can sled right from town. Come on Aspen - surely kids can be found a spot at the base of Aspen Mountain to have some fun!
Winner: Val d'Isère
Prices:
Neither of these places is ideal if you are really counting the pennies, but a great value can be found in both. Val has crêperies, pizza joints and simple local places to get a meal. You can also enjoy Michelin-starred dining for a special occasion, at the expected cost. Where Val does score big is value for lift tickets, rentals and instruction, all of which come in significantly less than in the US.
I enjoyed authentic and very wallet friendly Argentinian empanadas at Snowmass Mall, washed down with free coffee provided by the resort. I also drank a glass of delicious Napa Chardonnay at eye-watering prices in Aspen. On-mountain costs for food and drink are broadly similar to the Alps - with the caveat that the gratuities make a difference. In France, most of the time, service is included and leaving spare change is all that is expected.
Verdict: both are upscale places, but if you need tickets and equipment, and want to take tuition for you or the family, Val might be a better bet. Obviously factoring in travel costs is important for a fair comparison.
Winner: Val d'Isère
Extensions:
From Val you can add on Rome, Geneva, Annecy, Paris, London, Venice, the Côte d'Azur, Ibiza and more with ease. If you are crossing the Atlantic you might as well take the opportunity to explore.
From Aspen you are within a stone's throw of Rocky Mountain National Park, you could catch a performance at Denver's Red Rocks Amphitheater (possibly the best music venue I have ever been to), go to watch the Broncos and enjoy the Mile High City itself.
Verdict:
Just for variety, where you can combine France, Italy, England and more in one trip Val has the edge.
Winner: Val d'Isère
Overall:
Full disclosure: I spent a season in Val and met my wife on its snowy streets, and we had a Val d'Isère-themed wedding, even down to importing one of the après-ski bands, so at least part of my heart will always be there. I thought Aspen was such a fantastic place - it's not better or worse, just different and I would encourage all mountain lovers to get to both during their ski career.
Verdict:
I have to pick one, so for me it's the most beautiful ski area in the world - which was the Val d'Isère slogan for a while.
Winner: Val d'Isère
If you like the sound of Val d'Isère, or would like to know more about skiing in the Alps, please reach out:
What do you think? Am I completely wrong? Aspen fans, leave your thoughts in the comments. Val d'Isère skiers, have I missed anything?
Which is your favorite?
Val d'Isère
Aspen
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