The most beautiful ski slopes in Megève in front of Mont Blanc

I tested the ski resort of Megève. Megève is a beautiful village that has grown around a well-preserved old town and transformed into a modern and luxurious resort. In the heart of the Haute-Savoie, near the Mont Blanc massif, Megève, at an altitude of 1200 metres, is a resort renowned for winter sports, particularly skiing. An international clientele comes every winter between Christmas and April to its ski slopes, which today cover a vast area on several slopes.

Let's go quickly to discover Megève and its ski area.

Megève, an authentic village in a snowy landscape.

Megève occupies the entire space of a vast valley at the pass that connects the Arve valley (Sallanches) to the Isère valley (Albertville). In a central position in the Northern Alps, in the heart of a massif where fir and spruce forests cover the mountain slopes with their dense, bushy foliage, the Megève site receives abundant rainfall, just like the nearby Arly valley or the valleys at the foot of the Mont Blanc massif. The altitude of 1100 meters means that Megève often finds itself with its roofs and gardens whitened by snow during the winter season.

Moreover, the Christmas period, with the lighting of the large fir tree that occupies the large central square around which we find the church, the local Allard fashion store and the Town Hall, three emblems of Megève's history, is magical. Horse-drawn carriages travel the streets of the village center, and when the snow falls, we feel transported into a Nordic fairy tale.

Let's start a quick stroll at Megève starting from the parking lot of the Palais des Sports. This houses the ice rink, the resident stadium of HC Mont Blanc, and a first-class sports center. Crossing the national road that connects Albertville to Sallanches, we enter old Megève. The old houses are huddled together, the alleys are narrow and lined with luxury boutiques, restaurants and high-end real estate agencies. It is Megève.

Rue Charles Feige, on the right, lines up its shops along a covered alley, up to the heart of Megève. We pass under the ice rink, general public, joy of children and adults in winter. We notice the start of the snowy path which goes up along the Calvary : a Stations of the Cross that leads to the top of a hill from which there is a magnificent view of the village of Megève and its snow-covered roofs.

Past the church Square, already mentioned, we continue along Rue Conseil, up to the Tourist Office, to discover adorable little bridges and alleys which run alongside the torrent and which invite us to take a walk, to get lost in the alleys.

Don't hesitate to let yourself be carried away by curiosity, by following your inspiration. Beyond the core of the village center, you can walk through a dense habitat of magnificent chalets, each one more beautiful than the last.

The habitat of Megève is spread over several sites. The pass, where the old village is located, the first slopes of the Mont d'Arbois, around 1200 meters, the slopes of Rochebrune, up to the same altitude, and up to the interior of the Glapet valley (the torrent), in the direction of the altiport, located below the Aiguille Croche. A habitat that is largely secondary but which has retained the presence of many chalets, more or less old and more or less renovated, but which all give a very pleasant harmonious mountain atmosphere.

Spend Christmas in Megève — Church Square in Megève at Christmas

Where do you ski in Megève?

Skiing in Megève has been a tradition for almost a century. It was one of the first ski resorts equipped with ski lifts in the 30s and since then the Megève ski area has continued to develop and interconnect with other resorts and villages.

Inside the historic ski area of Megève, a very old cabin "le Rocharbois » allows to connect the ski areas of the slopes of Rochebrune, with those of the Mont d'Arbois, passing over the valley dug by the Glapet, just above Megève. It's a bit old, a bit uncomfortable, a bit slow and not very frequent (queues to be expected) but so practical to continue skiing without resorting to a shuttle! The Rochebrune area is directly accessible from Megève by the Chamois gondola, right in the center of Megève.

There is also a cable car, further away, with a large parking lot, on the heights of Rochebrune.

Le Mont d'Arbois sector, it is accessible from Megève, via the route just described, or by a shuttle that takes you to the base of the Mont d'Arbois gondola lift, on a plateau where the departures of the ski lifts and the arrivals of the ski slopes are concentrated. It can also be accessed at the level of Demi-Quartier, near the exit of Combloux by a gondola lift, the PrincessA large car park allows you to park easily without having to enter Megève.

From the heights of Mont d'Arbois, you can ski towards Saint Gervais (Bettex district) and Saint Nicolas de Véroce, in front of the magnificent snowy and sunny landscapes of Val Montjoie, facing the Mont Blanc massif.

On the other side of the valley, you are in the sector of Jaillet. Very exposed to the sun, this slope is often bare of snow, but from the summit of Jaillet, accessible by cable car from the start of the road to Ormaret and Combloux at the exit of Megève, you have access to a very large ski area. This is directly connected to the La Giettaz ski resort, at the foot of the Aravis and in Combloux, the magnificent little village perched on a balcony above the Arve valley in a panoramic position facing the entire Mont Blanc range.

Please note that the Evasion Mont Blanc ski pass also gives access to two other areas not directly connected to the village of Megève: Cordon, close to Combloux, and that of contaminated, at the bottom of Val Montjoie. A great opportunity to discover other sites and other ski slopes.

What are the ski slopes like in Megève?

When the area is well snowed in, it is extraordinary. You ski in Megève with an almost constant view of the summit of Mont Blanc, in the sun and crossing forests. It is great for skiers of all levels. The variety of blue, red and black runs allows all skiers to challenge themselves and push their limits in a landscape that is neither hostile nor austere.

But, there must be snow. In fact, the ski area is at a lower altitude than the major French ski areas. The lowest point is around 1100 meters, the highest point is over 2350 meters, but most of the area is between 1500 and 2000 meters. This is a good altitude but which nowadays is subject to the action of thaws and rainy days more often than in the past. And these are two weather phenomena that damage the slopes a lot. However, during the entire opening season of the area, from Christmas to the beginning of April, you can ski everywhere and without problems as long as you gain a little altitude.

Rochebrune side, my favorite slopes are those that are served by the lifts Small Fountain and Garden, especially the two red runs which start off quite steep and which become gentler towards the end. They are good skiing, they are wide, have a few hills to accelerate or on the contrary stop. All in a magnificent setting of forests and views of Mont Blanc. A good stop is possible in the high-altitude restaurant at the base of Petite Fontaine.

All the slopes of Rochebrune, very sunny, are very pleasant to ski. The return to the base of the Rochebrune gondola by the olympic is very exhilarating, with views over the snow-covered rooftops of Megève.

On the slope of the Mont d'Arbois, it's great skiing. To begin with, the variety of slopes on which you can ski means that you're bound to find the right orientation (sun, wind, etc.). Then you feel like you're touching the slopes of Mont Blanc as you get so close. It's huge, opposite the slopes that go back down to Val Montjoie. On the Megève side, the slopes have a nice variety of difficulties but are shorter. The descent to Demi-Quartier takes a very beautiful slope (both the blue and the red) through the forest. You then enjoy a plunging view of Sallanches and the Arve valley, the Aravis, Combloux and the beautiful chalets of Ormaret.

You will also find in this sector the easiest black run to ski (just to say you skied a black one!): it's the one on the Michel Dujon slope under the Nants chairlift, going down towards Bettex. Frankly, several reds in the area are more difficult to ski!

My favorite ski slopes in Megève.

My favorite sector is the Mont d'ArboisBy starting the day of skiing with the Mont d'Arbois gondola lift in Demi-Quartier, you can be sure of a sunny start, in the morning, on the slopes that descend towards Val Montjoie.

All the trails that go down to Bettex are very beautiful and very well marked. The view is magnificent and they are long enough to warm up.

Then we get down to business. It's happening on the shoulder side. From Mont d'Arbois, we head towards Mont Joux, at the top of which we launch ourselves on the blue Clémentines, towards Saint Nicolas de Véroce. This allows us to get our bearings in the area. We go back up with the Croix du Christ chairlift to test the other slopes that descend below the chairlift (red). On the next climb, we take the Epaule chairlift, and that's where the great pleasure begins. The red Grande Epaule slope, long, airy and isolated, is a real pleasure. We can continue it via Les Marmottes towards the base of the Vanay chairlift, or further on the Chattrix one, but we can also go straight down towards Chattrix. To return to Mont Joux and the rest of the area, we take the Chattrix chairlift and the Gouet descent, before going back up via the Croix du Christ. This area is a marvel.

Very good skiers will go to the isolated slopes of Mont Joly. Rather in the shade, very fast, these are tracks for great athletes.

The descent towards Megève and the plateau where Rocharbois is located is done naturally, following the slope, by long cross-country trails in the middle of the forest. No difficulty, these are trails for the pleasure of skiing with several people. There are also many green slopes in this area, so be careful with beginners.

On the slope of Rochebrune, I have already mentioned my favorite slopes around the Petite Fontaine and Jardin chairlifts. But you can also continue further to Côte 2000, on fairly difficult slopes, red and black. Short, but very steep in the forest. The Côte 2000 sector, after the altiport, can also be reached by shuttle. There is also a large free car park, for all those who prefer to ski in the sector between Côte 2000 and Rochebrune.

To find your way around, here is the link to all the ski slopes in Megève: here.

Skiing in Megève is a skiing for skiers of all levels. When you are a beginner or you are not too good at it, there are many green and blue runs near the ski lifts, but also further away for the more daring. When you ski well, you can quickly cover great distances and ski away from the crowds on sporty and engaging red runs.

The extraordinary side of skiing in Megève comes from the environment. Skiing in the forest, with phenomenal views of Mont Blanc is a luxury that few resorts can offer.

This is perhaps the real luxury of Megève.

Happy skiing!

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