We’d decided to spend January skiing in Europe and to head somewhere we’d not visited before. It’s an investment of time and money to do the Europe thing, so there were a few non-negotiables on our list, mainly around snowfall and terrain mix with accessibility and accommodation options also high priorities. A deep dive into the long-range forecast and a decision to seek high-altitude for snow confidence made Les 3 Vallées our pick.

You’ve likely heard of this place because Les 3 Vallées (L3V) is the largest ski area on the planet, by an insanely leg-burning margin. L3V encompasses seven individual ‘resorts’ taking the stats to mind-blowing levels – we’re talking 600kms of runs and 1,500 hectares of piste. It’s also reassuring as we face the threat of low-snow seasons is that 85% of the ski area is perched above 1800m and the areas are connected by lifted linkages high on the ridges, not on the valley floor.  The five largest ski areas in the US can all fit inside Les 3 Vallées trail map, so you get the idea of the scale of this place. It’s 20kms as the crow flies from Courchevel in the east across to Orelle (technically in the fourth valley) across in the west. 

The trail map is a lot to take in and the marked pistes are just the start. When the conditions permit there is so much off-piste and side country you’d need to stay for the season, or move here permanently, in order to ski it all.

For serious skiers this place is the real deal. Steeps, off piste, ear-popping gondola rides to high peaks and options to explore couloirs with plenty of très difficile options. As you take each trail down and ride up each lift your head is constantly on swivel as you try to take in the countless options laid out all around you. Harro connected with some impressive locals and was blown away by what they had to show him, and where a few short (and longer) hikes could lead. We scored a good dump within days of arriving and two days later there were still untracked morsels to be found, testament to how big the area is.

For the rest of us skiing mortals who maybe aren’t going to tear into the famed Grand Couloir or drop cliff bands, the sweep and scale of terrain here means you’ve got more mountain than you likely have ski-legs. Another plus, the majority of the well-heeled guests staying in Courchevel, Meribel and Val Thorens are happiest cruising the groom in their designer threads in short stints between long lunches so aren’t fighting it out for the freshies.

We based ourselves in the ‘heart’ of the three valleys, in the higher reaches of the Meribel valley in a hamlet called Meribel Mottaret which sits around 1850m. The flexibility to duck home to swap out camera gear and being in a sweet spot with lift access up and over in either direction to the other valleys earned our stamp of approval. Mottaret is low-key, more chalets and apartments than glitzy hotels, with a handful of spots for après and dinner. We embraced the morning routine of getting fresh baguette at the market and practicing our bad French, then taking a short gondola ride home with our groceries each evening. 

If you’re after a bit more glamour and the chance of running into royalty or celebrities you’ll want to be in Courchevel where you’ll be spoiled with Louis Vuitton, Prada and Dior along the swanky shopping strip and your choice of Michelin starred dining spots. It’s here you have to take a moment in the middle of the ski area to stop and watch the mesmerising take offs and landings at one of the most extreme airports in the world. The short, steep runway is only for the most experienced pilots and it’s an amazing show as the private planes and helicopters buzz in and out. 

Wherever you base yourself in this huge resort area the lifting network has you covered and the different villages all offer their own distinct feel. Want to party? Val Thorens. Want something chill and friendly for kids, La Tania. Looking for a better deal, the friendly Les Menuires.  

The other thing we enjoyed was that it feels properly French here. Cigarette smoking, Pernod sipping and obsessed with their dogs kind of French. This is real European skiing and as soon as you get out of Geneva airport and around the shores of Lake Annecy you are blown away by the centuries of history, stone farmhouses, ancient churches and giant looming granite massifs. Sure, there are folks who can speak plenty of English (and pockets of English tourists) but part of the experience is taking in the rhythms of French life and language and not hanging in an enclave of Aussie tourists – why fly halfway around the world to feel like you could be in Manly?  

This is the perfect place to lean into all things involving bread and cheese and wine – ideally all three. You’re in the proud culinary heart of the French Alps so if there was a time and place to say ‘oui’ to fondue, try a pierrade and that strange looking sausage at the deli counter – it’s here.

And make sure you give yourself enough time. Jet lag is a thing and anything less than seven days will barely be enough. In addition to the skiing, skiing, skiing and cheese eating you’ll want to try things like a tandem parapente flight, the crazy sled runs (Meribel has one that is 3kms long), the intense zip line across the Val Thorens ski area and of course an afternoon dancing on the tables drinking champagne at La Folie Douce.

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We love road-tripping around rural US and are all about leaning into the cliché of journeys over destinations – it’s at least half the fun of travelling across the US. The gas station coffee, making impulsive choices with snack foods, tuning in to local radio for some fiery talkback, pulling over to stop every few miles to take (another) photo of a grain silo, an old barn or a billboard about God – bring it on.

We jagged an ideal driving day with mild temps, sunny breaks and mostly clear dry roads.  Google was confident it could be done in around 3.5 hours, but we’d advise to plan for 4 or 5. Winter driving can throw curveballs with icy roads and snow storms and there are some sections between Tetonia and Yellowstone (where this picture is taken) where if it’s storming or blowing they abruptly pull down the gates and close the road.  It’s country driving and even if you’re not used to driving on the right-hand side it’s not that different to anything most Aussie skiers would do between Sydney or Melbourne to get to their usual ski resort, although instead of watching for roos and wombats out here you need to slow down for snowmobiles crossing. The great news is, if you want to skip the driving altogether there are now handy shuttle connections running between Jackson and Big Sky – which is perfect for anyone wanting to tick off two seriously great ski areas without the hassle of car rental.  

As we neared the turn off to Big Sky there were signs we had arrived amongst our people.

A couple of hardcore Wim Hof-ers were in the river and the local school’s performing art centre is named for Warren Miller. We later learned his ashes are scattered out the back of Big Sky.

First impressions as we rolled up – it felt like a ski resort but also a real place.  It’s tidy, well organised and feels like everything works smoothly but not so perfectly you feel like you’re in the Truman Show.

Much of this is testament to the investment and work the owners, Boyne Resorts, have put in here recently to bring the resort experience up to date.  Big Sky has just celebrated 50 years and is looking as good as Gwyneth Paltrow. They’ve definitely had work done, but those high-speed lifts and sleek day lodges shave years off their true age. As Aussies we loved the played down approach to the big 5 – 0 milestone which the resort wryly says in their marketing, ‘we call that a pretty good start’.  

Big Sky’s birthday gift to themselves and their guests was unwrapped in December – a glorious, sleek and shiny new tram that flies you up to the top of Lone Peak in under five minutes and still has that new car smell.  

A couple of things about the tram – they don’t sandwich you in. You also don’t have to be a skier to ride it – you can head up top for a look and ride back down, but the loading station is up in the ski area, so you can’t do it in your Ugg boots (yet). The future plan is to build additional gondola links connecting the base to the summit, add dining and an observation experience as a year-round attraction.

The tram is a highlight but if you were anywhere else the rest of the lifting network would be a headline in its own right. Take your pick of high-speed six and eight seaters, savour the heated seats and bubbles that make the uphill experience almost as appealing as the downhill bit we are all here for. And they’re not done, there are more lifting upgrades in the plan so what is already a great experience – no lines, smooth rides – is only getting better.

But we’re completely burying the lead here, it’s the mountain that you’re here for and the clue is on the label, as promised it is… big. But unlike many resorts, that are also big and promise tonnes of tasty terrain, this one is uncrowded so the bigger feels even better.  

The pitch from Big Sky is that they offer around an acre per skier and as you get out on the runs you start to believe it. There were moments it felt like we’d accidentally entered a closed run because there was no one in sight. Some resorts might quibble about the stats as to which North American resort can claim to be the ‘biggest’ but if Big Sky isn’t on top, it’s damn close, and unlike other contenders such as Whistler and Park City there are zero crowds out here.  We know which mountain we’d choose.

This visit was a fly-by as we were short on time but as we took our last run we agreed, we really need to come back here and explore the place properly. We barely scratched the surface and skied past so many glades and looked up at so many chutes that are on the ‘next time’ list.  

Despite being tucked away in Montana Big Sky is slowly getting on more skiers’ radars and for good reason. Ikon Pass holders get between four to seven days here (you need to add the tram) and for Australians making the pilgrimage to Big Sky or Jackson Hole you’d be mad not to do both. Just leave space in your luggage in case you want to bring home a big ol’ cowboy hat and a belt buckle or two.

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