For centuries Val d'Isère was a long forgotten hunting hamlet for French royals trapped in a dead-end valley, fringing the tree line and surrounded by steep mountains. For hundreds of years snow-filled forever-winters forced subsistence-level living on the local poor farmers. Then in 1929 came Jacques Mouflier, their first skier, who strongly urged the development of tourism - the rest is skiing history. Much of the rambling town was rebuilt for the '92 Olympics so Val d'Isère's now an appealing, harmonious and better organized resort. The Romanesque tower and its baroque church, long forgotten in the midst of mid-twentieth century modernity, are once more an integral part of the town's heart as silent antidotes to our fast paced twenty-first century lives. For the 2009-10 season the resort opened a new sports center with an Olympic size pool, climbing wall and extensive spa facilities.

      Val d'Isère's natives nurture their babies into champions: Henri Oreiller, the Goitschel sisters, and, of course, Jean-Claude Killy. Their Olympic golds evolved from the incredibly extensive terrain in that dead-end valley. The area, almost six times the size of Vail, covers more than 25,000 acres and averages over 40' of snow a year. Today Val d'Isère has 90 up-to-date lifts linking 135 runs totaling 185 miles of trails. So impressive are the terrain and facilities, the resort hosted the 2009 World Championships. Now you, too can try the much maligned Olympic 'Face de Bellevarde' downhill or test your knees on Donna Weinbrecht's '92 gold-giving moguls. There's enough from the extreme to debutante beginner so no one ever does the same run twice!