▁em blem atic ▁summ its , ▁which ▁peak ▁at ▁more ▁than ▁ 3 , 0 0 0 ▁metres . ▁The ▁first ▁ski ▁lift ▁was ▁installed ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 3 , ▁in ▁L ’ Ar mer a , ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁join ▁up ▁with ▁Val lo ire , ▁which ▁had ▁already ▁been ▁operating ▁for ▁a ▁few ▁years . ▁Grad ually , ▁the ▁ski ▁area ▁expanded ▁and ▁it ▁now ▁features ▁ 1 5 0   km ▁of ▁s lop es ▁over ▁ 1 , 6 0 0 ▁hect ares . ▁The ▁snow park , ▁class ified ▁as ▁ 5 th ▁French ▁snow park ▁and ▁ 1 5 th ▁European , ▁is ▁cert ified ▁by ▁the ▁French ▁Snow board ▁Association ▁( AF S ). ▁It ▁is ▁t ended ▁daily ▁by ▁the ▁resort ' s ▁staff . ▁ ▁History ▁S ett led ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 2 th ▁century , ▁Val me in ier ▁was ▁pract ically ▁self - su fficient ▁with ▁most ▁of ▁its ▁inhabitants ▁living ▁off ▁the ▁land ▁until ▁the ▁ 1 7 th ▁century . ▁At ▁this ▁time ▁they ▁discovered ▁a ▁high ▁quality ▁anth rac ite ▁which ▁they ▁decided ▁to ▁mine , ▁hence ▁Val me in ier ▁got ▁its ▁name ▁(" Val ▁des ▁mines " ▁transl ates ▁as ▁the ▁valley ▁of ▁the ▁mines ). ▁Between ▁ 1 8 4 8 ▁and ▁ 1 9 2 4 , ▁bol ster ed ▁by ▁the ▁industrial isation ▁of ▁the ▁Maur ienne ▁Valley , ▁agricult ure ▁and ▁min ing ▁developed ▁as ▁the ▁two ▁main ▁economic ▁activities