With its immense powder fields, challenging couloirs and confidential itineraries, La Plagne is one of the largest off-piste areas in the world. But behind the dream of skiers eager for freedom, the resort never loses sight of one imperative: safety. Between prevention and innovation, every winter it deploys a battery of devices to supervise and make skiing safer.
A new ally for the slopes service, a latest-generation drone from DJI has been added to the arsenal of the ski patrol. Capable of reaching speeds of up to 75 km/h and equipped with thermal imaging cameras and laser rangefinders, it has become the eye that scans inaccessible areas.
Its mission? To anticipate avalanches, analyse a high-risk sector or guide rescue workers into dangerous areas. Four dronists, all of whom are ski patrollers, snowboarders or ski lift staff, have undergone a year's training to operate the device.
A "guardian angel" drone in the sky
Cutting-edge technology that can be deployed both in winter for safety and in summer for maintenance.
As well as innovation, education remains essential. This is the aim of the "Safety Days", launched last winter and repeated this season at the summit of Arpette.
Around a dozen trackers will be on hand to talk about their jobs, their methods and life-saving techniques. Dog handlers, firemen and first-aiders share their daily lives with holidaymakers, in a friendly atmosphere featuring demonstrations and quizzes.
These days are also an opportunity to discover the new ski patrol uniform: red with a white cross, now harmonised at national level.
Because off-piste skiing requires more than just a avalanche transceiver, a shovel and a probe. You need to know how to use them. In the Live 3000 sector, the Avalanche Park offers a unique training area with free access.
Educational courses
Five hidden beacons allow you to simulate searches for victims, test your equipment and, above all, practise movements that, in a real-life situation, need to be quick and precise.
To explore this immense playground without taking unnecessary risks, La Plagne encourages off-piste outings supervised by ESF instructors.
Trained and passionate, they guide skiers from level 3 right up to experts, with a dual objective: to discover in complete safety and to learn the right reflexes.
The youngest visitors are not forgotten: teen and young adult courses (16-21 years) offer an off-piste immersion that is both sporting and educational.
Group and private lessons from €194 per person for 6 half-days, youth courses from €80 per half-day (€450 for the week).