What's on in La Plagne summer 2019
The biggest events in La Plagne this summer
While it’s tempting to think ski resorts completely shut down and go to sleep in the summer, the reality couldn’t be more different. It’s true the interseason is very quiet in La Plagne (basically May and September/October/November) but the resort is a bona fide summer destination in its own right and very popular with holidaymakers.
As well as the usual sports and activities, there’s quite a lot coming up to keep you entertained through the summer months in the resort.
Official summer opening dates
La Plagne’s summer season differs between the individual stations. In general, the lower altitude towns have the longest opening and this year is no different. The full season dates are 1st July - 30th August in Champagny-en-Vanoise and Montchavin-les-Coches and 8th July - 31st August in the main altitude resorts (ie Belle Plagne, Plagne Centre, Villages, Aime, etc.).
June 28th – Motor Sportive Day
If supercars and bikes are your thing, you’ll not want to miss the 9th stage of the Motor Sportive Day which visits Montchavin on June 28th. Showcasing some of the world’s best and fastest cars and bikes, the Motor Sportive Day is your chance to get up close to some of the world’s most expensive, most powerful autos.
July 16th-21st – Académie Teddy Riner
Teddy Riner – judo superstar and winner of 10 World-Championship gold medals – will be offering coaching and training tips to up and coming judokas in Plagne Centre. Other big name judo stars are also expected to be in attendance.
July 26th – 6D Bob
The idea behind this competition is simple, what’s more difficult to understand is how and why it exists in the first place. The 6D Bob – also known as the Infernal Mountain – is a race up La Plagne’s Olympic bobsleigh track. Yep, up the track. These strange tests of endurance seem very popular in France for some reason. 250 competitors will race up the inside of the bobsleigh course at 30-second intervals – a track with an average gradient of 8.2% and a maximum of 14%. Going down this is a test in itself but running up? The event should make for entertaining viewing as the runners take on the 1.5km course, climbing a grueling 125m from 1555m to 1680m and terminating at the start line of the bobsleigh. The 6D Bob event is the highlight of a larger endurance event, the 6000D, held across La Plagne from Friday 26th to 28th August featuring trail races and climbing challenges.
July 26th & 27th – Tour de France
Although the Tour doesn’t, strictly speaking, pass through La Plagne this year, it still comes mighty close with two stages finishing in Val Thorens and Tignes. Les Trois Vallées and Tignes are only around a two-hour drive from here – an easy day trip if you’re based in resort. As anyone who’s seen a TDF stage will attest, the event really is a spectacle not to be missed so, if you’re here on Friday 26th or Saturday, 27th July (the Tignes and Val Thorens stage dates respectively), make the short journey and revel in one of the greatest sporting events on earth. It’s not by coincidence that the Tour organisers decided to make these two stages the penultimate and antepenultimate stages of this year’s race. Tours are won and lost in the mountains so expect high drama as the riders close in on the ultimate goal – the procession on the Champs-Elysées to the stage and crowning of the overall winner in Paris on Sunday, July 28th.
August 14th & 15th Fest’E-Bike
The Fest’E-Bike is La Plagne’s electric mountain bike festival held across the full resort. The main action is scheduled for Champagny-en-Vanoise, Montchavin and Montalbert where there will be various demos and comps held on the bike tracks - though all the stations have events planned for the two-day festival. As well as the competitions and showcase events, there will also be demo testing facilities allowing you to try out the newest trend in mountain biking.
August 19th-22nd – FestiPlagne
La Plagne's family-centric approach to vacations continues into the summer with various activities aimed at kids and adults alike and culminating at the end of season FestiPlagne. Running from 10:00-12:30 and 13:30-18:00 every day between Monday 19th and Thursday, 22nd August, FestiPlagne promotes interaction between families through playing games together. Child and parent teams are encouraged to take part in 16 different workshop activities intended to improve communication, team-work and bonding. The challenges are free to enter and open to all.
Stuart Hamilton is the Creative Director of Snow-Guru, Snowboard-App and Ski-App - a range of Android skiing and snowboarding apps aimed at improving your time in the mountains. He also runs iRide Ski and Snowboard app, available for both Apple iOS and Android.
More inspiration...
La Plagne offers plenty of outdoor pursuits in the summer, from mountain biking to hiking or white-water rafting, there's an endless choice of activities in the area in the sunniest months of the year.
