The French Alps offer fantastic mountains for snowboarding. UCPA was the first in Europe to organize snowboarding courses and the knowledge of the trained and certified instructors is still very high. They have also managed to keep the playfulness of the riding. UCPA teaches "free ride" snowboarding with soft boots. In the snowboarding program, you can choose courses for all levels, from beginner to expert.
A typical day
The day starts with the snowboard group meeting to go through the program. Each training session lasts about 2.5 hours (2 sessions per day for Snowboard Full Time & 1 session per day for Snowboard Half Time). Sometime during the week, a day trip may also be relevant where you take a lunch break on the mountain or at a nearby center.
If you haven't skied with us before, you're in for an extraordinary experience. A week of high class snowboarding, good food and fun socializing. An adventure many people relive year after year - they just change ski resort and center.
Groups that suit you
Skiing with an instructor is included and is an important part of your trip. Here you will have the opportunity to improve your skills and explore the mountains with like-minded people.
Meet new friends
A UCPA trip is a social experience where, in addition to skiing, you can participate in activities around the centers and have the opportunity to meet new friends from all over the world.
Perfect for parties of all levels
Skiing with an instructor is available at five different levels, from beginner to expert. Instead of waiting for each other on the slopes, socialize in the evenings!
Bad weather professionals
On bad weather days, the instructors are invaluable. If only the lifts are open, you go. Guaranteed!
Focus on snowboarding
When you travel with UCPA, equipment, food, accommodation and riding with an instructor are always included. This gives you time to focus and enjoy world-class snowboarding.
Certified Instructor
Streamline your skiing! UCPA instructors know the ski resort best and know where to find the best runs for the day.
Snowboarding with an instructor is a major and significant part of the UCPA concept. During the first day of the program, a so-called harmonization is carried out. This means that you and your group test a number of different elements to ensure that all participants share the same level. Should any group member be above or below the average of the group's level, he or she is moved to a group that is deemed to share the same level. This is done to ensure the safety of the group and to give everyone the best possible conditions to develop their snowboarding.
Snowboard Heltid means a professional overall solution for those who want to focus on developing snowboarding. Whether you are already a very good and experienced snowboarder or if you are a beginner and want to get better, the instructor will help you reach the next level. In Snowboard Full Time, you ride about 23 hours with an instructor (divided into morning and afternoon) during your week. Perfect both for those who have ended up on a board a little later in life and for those who want to improve their technique before trying off-piste. If you are a beginner, you can book the Basic Snowboard Course.
Snowboard Half Time is for those who want more time on their own, but at the same time do not miss the fantastic instructor. In Snowboard Half Time, you ride about 12 hours with an instructor (divided into morning or afternoon) during your week. The snowboarding with an instructor also takes place here in groomed areas, the rest of the time you ride on your own. However, we always recommend, especially beginners, to choose Snowboard Full Time to get the most out of your snowboard week.
Snowboard Light - gives you the opportunity to try two 2.5 hour sessions with an instructor during your week. This program is perfect for those who want the freedom to ride on their own but at the same time are curious and want to try the UCPA concept!
In addition to the good conditions to develop your snowboarding, the snowboarding programs are also a social experience where you ride and socialize with people from all over the world!
Val d'Isère & Tignes
Together, the resorts form the Espace Killy ski system, which boasts 96 lifts and 156 pistes, measuring a whopping 300 km of piste. Whichever resort you stay in, the whole system is included in your lift pass.
Val Thorens
The highest ski resort in Europe (2300 m) offers a very well-developed ski system with 29 lifts and 150 km of pistes. Val Thorens' high altitude also makes it a very snow-sure destination.
Les Arcs & La Plagne
Together with Peisey-Vallandry, the three ski resorts form Paradiski. Les Arcs ski system is well-developed with 77 lifts and 200 km of pistes. La Plagne is a modern ski resort offering 225 km of pistes. Since 2003, the ski resorts have been linked by the double-decker cable car, the Vanoise Express.
Flaine
The ski resort offers a wide variety of skiing for all levels. Among its 140 km of pistes is one of the longest in Europe, the Cascade. A blue piste measuring a full 14 km.
Serre Chevalier
The center in Serre Chevalier is large, comfortable and offers ski-in ski-out with its location, 50 meters from the lifts in Villeneuve. There is also a large terrace with views of the mountain and slopes.
Val Thorens
UCPA's highest center is of course located in Europe's highest ski resort, Val Thorens. Located in the middle of the slopes, ski-in ski-out, it is perfectly placed to be first on the lift every morning. The center consists of two buildings linked by a footbridge and both buildings provide a sun terrace with impressive views of the Alps.
La Plagne.
One of the most recently renovated and most lavish UCPA centers. The center has a special character and a piste that runs through the building. The center is of a good standard and offers a large south-facing sun terrace.
Flaine
The center in Flaine is a converted and newly renovated former hotel. The center is of a very high standard, has large and pleasant living areas and also the most double rooms of all UCPA centers. With its location in the middle of the village, you are close to bars, restaurants and shops.
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UCPA - Freely translated to English as "National Federation for Sports and Outdoor Centers" - has a history of over 50 years. It is, in short, a non-profit, all-French organization supported by, among others, the French state. The purpose is to give ordinary people the opportunity to learn and develop in one or more sports together, in pleasant and unpretentious forms. The organization has about 80 centers in France and the West Indies, 28 of them are located at well-known winter sports resorts in the French Alps.
© 2025 UCPA Travel AB.
