The origins of the ski area
Les Sybelles
Les Sybelles® is the ski area to which La Toussuire belongs. Today, it ranks amongst the largest ski areas in France and brings together several mountain resorts within a single ski area.
La Toussuire is therefore not on its own: the Sybelles® ski area links five other resorts, each with its own identity, history and landscapes. Together, they form a vast ski area offering an incredible variety of atmospheres and experiences.
Before coming together to form one of the largest ski areas in France, the Sybelles® resorts each wrote their own history.
The first to be established was La Toussuire. Situated on a sunny plateau at an altitude of 1,800 metres, it welcomed its first visitors as early as the 1920s. At that time, skiing was practised without ski lifts: enthusiasts would climb the slopes using climbing skins before enjoying long descents in a still-untouched mountain landscape. In 1937, La Toussuire opened its first ski lift, marking a decisive step in its development.
Over the decades, the other resorts in the Arves Valley followed suit. Saint-Sorlin-d’Arves equipped its first slopes in 1948, Saint-Jean-d’Arves in 1953, Le Corbier in 1967 and Les Bottières in 1975. Each then developed its own ski area and forged its identity in the heart of the Maurienne mountains.
Saint Sorlin d'Arves – 1,600 m
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Saint Jean d'Arves 1,550 m
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Le Corbier 1,550 m
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Les Bottières 1,300m
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The snow-capped peaks of the Alps provide an idyllic setting for winter sports enthusiasts.
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It was not until the 1980s that the idea of a shared ski area first emerged. The first step towards this was taken during the winter of 1984–1985 with the opening of a link between Le Corbier and La Toussuire. This link gave rise to the ‘Grand Large’ ski area, allowing skiers to enjoy a wider playing field and explore several slopes in a single day.
A few years later, a new milestone was reached. In 1991, the introduction of a shuttle service between Saint-Sorlin-d’Arves and Saint-Jean-d’Arves, providing access to Le Corbier and La Toussuire, helped to expand the ski area thanks to the “Super Grand Large” ski pass. This initiative enabled skiers to discover more resorts within a single package and strengthened ties between the various stakeholders in the region.
These early collaborations marked the start of an ambitious collective venture that would bring about a lasting transformation of the valley’s tourism landscape and pave the way for the creation of the Sybelles® ski area as we know it today.
The year 1998 marked a decisive turning point in the history of what would become the Sybelles® ski area. Behind this ambitious project was Gaston Maulin, the main shareholder in the Corbier ski lifts. His vision was clear: to create one of the largest ski areas in France by linking the six resorts in the valley: La Toussuire, Le Corbier, Les Bottières, Saint-Jean-d’Arves, Saint-Sorlin-d’Arves and Saint-Colomban-des-Villards.
To realise this ambition, he joined forces with the Saint-Sorlin-d’Arves ski lift company to obtain a UTN (New Tourist Unit) licence, an essential authorisation for carrying out the major developments required to expand the ski area.
After several years of studies and preparation, the project reached a decisive milestone in 1999 with the granting of this authorisation. Work could then begin, bringing to life a groundbreaking project that would profoundly transform the area and pave the way for the official creation of the Sybelles® ski area.
What had previously been nothing more than a vision then became a reality under construction, driven by a shared determination to link the resorts and offer skiers an exceptional playground in the heart of the Maurienne.
The vast expanse of the glaciers is revealed in the last rays of the sun, offering a breathtaking natural spectacle.
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