UKH

We managed to secure some very cheap flights to Geneva mid March but haven’t booked any accommodation yet.

I’d like to spend a few days of the holiday doing some easy touring. More for the fitness and to have a slow going enjoyable day. I’m less concerned about hitting some serious off piste, we’re probably not experienced enough to get the most out of that. I actually wouldnt be too fussed about a secluded skin up and skiing down a piste area. 

Can anyone suggest a resort that could fit the bill? I know there are a couple of dedicated skin track areas in the Chamonix valley but I would prefer to try somewhere different this year.

cheers 

There are dedicated, groomed ski mountaineering tracks in the MonteRosaSki area which sound as if they may be up your street:

https://www.visitmonterosa.com/en/experiences/slow/uphill-slopes-for-skimo/

the "skimo" tracks are marked in green on the piste map:

https://www.visitmonterosa.com/en/monterosa-ski/in-tempo-reale-winter/

If that gets you going then there are lots more "proper" freeride/ski touring routes in and around the Champoluc/Gressoney/Alagna valleys.  I'm pretty certain that I dug up some useful links from when we went to Champoluc last year but I can't access them just now.  I'm sure some judicious Googling would turn them up.

As it says on that web site, you can buy a "ski mountaineering ticket" for a day which gives you access to the uplifts you need for the full prepared route.  However, if you have the area lift pass anyway you don't need the special ticket, and you can use any lifts in the area to get to the start of a "skimo" route if you're not based locally (eg from Champoluc you can use the lifts and the downhill pistes - including the "legendary" Sarezza 'goat run' - to access the start of the "skimo" track at the top of the Frachey-Alpe Ciarcerio funicular, which is more fun than taking the bus).

One small word of warning: some 'downhill only' skiers don't seem to understand the concept of a groomed slope reserved for people who like skiing uphill.  I did spot one or two folks attempting to ski down the "skimo" tracks - I hope they found the flatter bits less than exhilarating and soon learned their lesson.  (To be fair, encountering the occasional downhiller is probably no more risky for the ski mountaineer than skinning up the side of a proper piste.)

Geneva probably isn't the best place to start from to reach the MonteRosaSki area - Turin is better - but at least there's a tunnel under Mont Blanc to make access by road a bit easier!

If you want quick and easy to get to then the Swiss resorts above Aigle may be worth a look, Leysin, Villars Sur-Ollon or round the corner to Orvonnaz, can do all these on train and bus, then the other side of the valley to La Tzoumaz which would give you access to Verbier if you want but its loads cheaper, lots of lovely touring through the trees on the La Tzomaz side

Les Contamines is a great spot for that. There are several routes in the Mont Blanc Ski touring guidebook and lots of other options.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mont-Blanc-Ski-Tours/dp/2910672085

Thanks for the very helpful suggestions! That gives me plenty of options to consider.

I'm guessing you're not planning to hire a car.

So your options are fairly limited. Really there is not much easy touring in the northern French Alps or western Switzerland. Next time look for cheap flights to Austria.

From landing in Geneva perhaps look south to the Queyras, or some of the family-oriented stations ? perhaps Valmorel or Valloire? Les Saisies (also has excellent cross-country ski de fond tracks which are a rather fun way to get exercise "easy").

For exercise, look for a station with approved uphill ski randonnee / "skimo" routes on the pistes.

Most of the touring I know from Les Contamines includes 30-40 degree slopes. If starting from the S trailhead at the Notre Dame, in March the low approach trail becomes a narrow track of ice. Many ski tourers normally bring crampons for getting up to and down from the gentler snow.

Ken

Lots of resorts are now doing signposted routes that take in some easy touring, often with descents coming back to the main pistes. Decathlon (in France anyway) have a website that shows the routes by resort.

https://skitouring.decathlon.fr/

It's in French but fairly self-explanatory.

It's a good starting point, although some of the information is out of date.  In Avoriaz, for example, the ski touring track now runs all the way up from Prodains.  It's the dotted brown and black line on the piste map that runs more or less right under the Prodains Express lift: http://www.avoriaz.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/AVORIAZ-PLAN-PISTES-2018-...

P.S. Open that Decathlon web site in Chrome and Google will 'translate' it for you automatically.

The Haute Jura near Geneva would suit you nicely. I've had many short easy tours between the resorts of Col de la Faucille and Le Crozets.

Thanks, we were considering Avoriaz anyway, thought it might be a bit more reliable later in the season. Good to know there’s a track and potentially a few other options. 

I was in the PdS last week.  We encountered a pair of uphill skiers on the "secret" red run from the top of the Ripaille double drag lift down to the Grand-Paradis six-man chair (top left of this piste map: https://winter.intermaps.com/portes_du_soleil?lang=fr - it's the run that's mostly a dotted line because it runs behind a sizeable hill).  Given how little patronage that run seems to get, plus the lengthy flat bits even when you're doing it in the nominally downhill direction, it's little surprise that some folks use it for a bit of uphill skiing.  There are a few steepish bits towards the top - but then if you're doing it for fitness that's not necessarily a bad thing.

The Marmottes restaurant near the bottom of the double drag is good, if a bit pricey (but then you are in Switzerland at that point).  Look out for the vertical banners by the side of the right-hand branch of the piste as you head down.  (Doesn't matter if you miss it the first time: you can ride the drag back up to just past the restaurant and dismount mid-run to rejoin the piste a short way above the restaurant, and have another go.)

Thanks for the info! 

Check out Crans-Montana.ch and follow the menu links to Ski Area and Ski Touring. You’ll find info and a map of the resorts way marked ski touring routes. Perfectly suited to your aims. Resort is at 1500m, the rando routes reach 2500m, lift system reaches almost 3000m. South facing aspect. Mid-March no problem. Easy train transfer from Geneva. 

I live in Leysin (where we run a B&B as well) and I would second that. This area is renowned for easy, accessible touring terrain. It's all easier with a car of course.