The skiing in Megève can be easily divided into 3 sectors – Rochebrune, linked to the town center by a gondola; Mont d’Arbois/Princesse from where you can ski down to the neighboring resort of St Gervais and St Nicolas de Veroce, and Le Jaillet which is on the west side of the resort and connects with the neighboring resorts of Combloux and La Giettaz. Rochbrune and Mont d’Arbois areas are linked by lift but not by piste and Le Jaillet is a separate area. The lift system is not the most modern (hence the number of drag lifts) but outside the peak holiday weeks, the slopes are reasonably quiet during the week although the weekends do see an influx of visitors from Paris and Geneva.
There is something for all standards of skiers although it is a resort that really suits the good intermediate with lots of cruisy blue and red pistes and tree-lined slopes with wonderful views. The steepest slopes tend to be those off Mont Joly – try the Chamois run which is 1.2 miles (2 km) long with a vertical of 2099 feet (640 m). The slopes beneath Mont Joly tend to be left unpisted so offer more challenge and there are some great bowl and tree runs in this sector but best explored with a guide/instructor who knows the area well.
Beginners are well catered for and many of the slopes are conveniently located at the village level. There is also a specific beginner lift pass and there are free easy-to-ride magic carpet lifts for beginners’ use at Rochebrune, Princesse, and Jaillet.
Megève is not necessarily the resort you think of for snowboarders but there are 2 snow parks with half-pipes, bumps, and rails and there is some good off-piste terrain. However, the drag lifts won’t suit everyone.
For cross-country skiers, there are 26 miles (42 km) of marked trails some of which are at altitude making a lunchtime rendezvous with skiers easier.
Megeve Statistics
Skiable Terrain | 400 km of piste |
Vertical | 1,300 m / 4265 ft |
Top Elevation | 2,350 m / 7709 ft |
Base Elevation | 1,050 m / 3444 ft |
Average Snowfall | 3.2 m |
Beginner Terrain | 37% |
Intermediate Terrain | 51% |
Advanced Terrain | 12% |
Trails | 235 |
Winter lifts Total | 93 |
Gondolas Trams | 13 |
Chair Lifts | 26 |
Surface Lifts | 54 |
Longest Run | 5.5 km / 3.4 mile |
Snowmaking | 8 km / 5 mile covered |
Season Opens | December |
Season Closes | April |