Megève: piste guide
Expert guide to Megève
Overview Overview
Ski area Ski area
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Megève’s skiing is extensive and spread over three separate mountains, two of which are linked by cable car but not by pistes. The Chamois gondola from the centre of town goes up Rochebrune. It arrives at a point where another gondola starts and goes to the top of Rochebrune; from the same point a cross-valley cable car (which you can ride both ways) goes across to the Mont d’Arbois ski area. Mont d’Arbois can also be reached by a free bus from town and is by far the biggest sector of the skiing, spreading over several valleys and going down to the neighbouring resort of St-Gervais.
The third mountain, Le Jaillet, is completely separate but covered by the lift pass and reached by a free bus or a horse-drawn sleigh. Le Jaillet is linked to the slopes of the small village of Le Giettaz and Combloux.
The combined area of the three mountains will keep most intermediates happy for a week. Almost 50 per cent of the pistes are classified green or blue and there are beginner areas at valley level and up each of the three mountains.
There are few resorts better for easy cruising, with long easy runs on all mountains and some of the red runs could easily be classified blue. The best areas for genuine red and black runs are Côte 2000 in the Rochebrune sector, down to Le Giettaz in the Le Jaillet sector and the Mont Joly and Mont Joux areas of Mont d’Arbois.
But the main attraction for expert skiers is the off-piste, which is tremendous if you are lucky enough to be there during or just after a fresh snowfall. Nearly all the runs are treelined, so visibility in a snowfall remains good, unlike the white-outs that are common in high above-the-treeline resorts.
Megève’s slopes are low by French standards, with very little skiing above 2000m, so there is a chance of poor snow. But the slopes here are pasture land and don’t need much snow coverage compared with the rocky slopes of higher resorts and there is extensive snowmaking. Good piste grooming keeps the snow quality up too.
Perhaps surprisingly because of Megève’s affluent and old school image, the resort has four terrain parks with something for all standards, a couple of snowcross courses, a half-pipe and a couple of Big Air jumps with air bags to cushion the landings.
