Editing Val Thorens

{{Short description|Ski resort in the French Alps}}
{{More citations needed|date=November 2008}}
{{Infobox ski area
|name= Val Thorens
|picture= View of Val Thorens in the morning from Boismint 1.jpg
|caption=  Val Thorens
|location= [[Savoie]], France
|nearest_city= [[Chambéry]]
| pushpin_map    = Alps
| pushpin_relief = y
|coordinates = {{coord|45|17|53|N|6|34|48|E|type:landmark_scale:50000|display=inline}}
|top_elevation=  {{convert|3230|m|ft|abbr=on}}
|base_elevation= {{convert|1825|m|ft|abbr=on}}
|skiable_area=
|number_trails= 68
|longest_run=
|liftsystem= 31 lifts
|terrainparks= 4
|snowfall=
|external_link= {{URL|http://www.valthorens.com}}
|}}

'''Val Thorens''' ({{IPA|fr|val tɔʁɑ̃|}}) is a ski town in the [[Tarentaise Valley]] in the [[French Alps]] at an altitude of {{convert|2300|m|ft|abbr=on}}.<ref>Wilson, A: ''Ski Atlas of the World: the complete reference to the best resorts'', page 45. New Holland Publishers, 2007.</ref> It is located in the [[Communes of France|commune]] of [[Saint-Martin-de-Belleville]] in the [[Savoie]] [[Departments of France|department]]. The resort forms part of the [[Les Trois Vallées]] ski area which, with over 600&nbsp;km of slopes, is one of the largest linked ski areas in the world.

==Resort==
In 1971 the first of three drag lifts was installed, followed in 1972 by the opening of the first ski school.

==Skiing==
The resort is usually open from mid-November until early May. The highest ski-able peaks are [[Pointe du Bouchet]] (3230 m) and [[Cime de Caron]] (3200 m).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.skiurlaub-infos.com/153/france/savoie/val-thorens/info.html |title=Accommodation |publisher=Skiurlaub-infos.com |access-date=2012-03-19}}</ref>{{Failed verification|date=December 2014}}
[[Image:Val Thorens Pan.jpg|370px|thumb|Val Thorens panorama]]

Many of the slopes in Val Thorens face north and north-west. However, the resort itself faces south. Val Thorens has a total of 68 marked runs, and several terrain parks. The main snow park hosts a stage of the national SFR Slopestyle Tour, and the ski cross arena is frequently visited by the FIS Skier X World Cup.

Val Thorens is part of the ''[[Les Trois Vallées|3 vallées]]'' ski domain, which is connected by a common ski pass.

===Summer skiing===
Beginning in 1973 Val Thorens operated ski lifts all year round on the Peclet glacier. Low visitations and melting glacier concerns led to a complete removal by 2002.

==Lift system==
[[Image:Val Thorens Cime Caron Summit 2016.12.30.jpg|370px|thumb|Cime Caron summit (3200 m) in December 2016]]
Val Thorens has 31 lifts, which include magic carpets, draglifts, chairlifts, gondolas, [[funitel]]s, and a cable car.

==Accident==
In January 2015, Israeli [[Guy Sasson]] was paralyzed from the knees down in a [[snowboarding]] accident in Val Thorens in which he fell 10  meters and injured his back and leg vertebrae; he became a Paralympian and won the 2024 French Open Quad Singles event.<ref name=con>[https://www-israelhayom-co-il.translate.goog/magazine/shishabat/article/16022565?_x_tr_sl=iw&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=sc&_x_tr_hist=true "Conventional hitter: after winning Roland Garros - tennis player Guy Sassoon aims for the Paralympic Games,"] ''Israel HaYom''.</ref><ref name=fo>[https://ononews-co-il.translate.goog/home-page-headlines/%D7%A8%D7%90%D7%99%D7%95%D7%9F-%D7%A8%D7%90%D7%A9%D7%95%D7%9F-%D7%94%D7%98%D7%A0%D7%99%D7%A1%D7%90%D7%99-%D7%92%D7%99%D7%90-%D7%A9%D7%A9%D7%95%D7%9F-%D7%9E%D7%A1%D7%91%D7%99%D7%95%D7%9F-%D7%99%D7%A9/?_x_tr_sl=iw&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=sc "First interview: tennis player Guy Sassoon Massivon will participate in the Paralympic Games in Tokyo,"] ''Ono News''.</ref>

==Notable persons==
*[[Christine Goitschel]]
*[[Adrien Theaux]]
*[[Jean-Frédéric Chapuis|Jean-Frédéric "JF" Chapuis]]
*[[Chloé Trespeuch]]

==Sports competitions==
===Tour de France===
The resort hosted a [[Tour de France]] stage finish in [[1994 Tour de France|1994]]. [[Nelson Rodríguez]] of Colombia won the stage, which had the second highest elevation for a stage finish in the history of the Tour de France.

The Tour de France returned to Val Thorens for the [[2019 Tour de France, Stage 12 to Stage 21#Stage 20|Stage 20]] finish on 27 July 2019 and won by [[Vincenzo Nibali]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.letour.fr/en/stage-20|title=Stage 20 – Albertville > Val Thorens – Tour de France 2019|website=www.letour.fr|access-date=2019-04-16}}</ref>

===Ski competitions===
In December 2017, Val Thorens is host city for [[snowboard cross]] during the [[2017–18 FIS Snowboard World Cup]].

==See also==
*[[List of highest towns by country]]
*[[List of ski areas and resorts in Europe]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Val Thorens}}
* [http://www.valthorens.com/ Official Val Thorens website]

{{Coord|45|17|53|N|6|34|48|E|display=title|source:dewiki}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Ski areas and resorts in France]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Savoie]]
[[Category:Sports venues in Savoie]]