SKI ITINERARY SUGGESTIONS: MEDIUM OR FAST GROUPS

Day 1: Rochebrune to Cote 2000 Ridge

From the centre of town (Rond Point and Hotels) take the Chamois lift and then the Caboche lift to the top of the Rochebrune ridge. From the Sylvana or Clochettes either take the two chair lifts to the Caboche bubble and take this to the top of the ridge. Or simply take the Rochebrune cable car straight to the top and skate over to the top of the Caboche lift. Get your skis on and off you go!

To get to the Petite Fontaine (PF) chair you have two choices: both start from the top of the Caboche bubble, with your back to the Rochebrune cable car, then either:

1.              Ahead to the right, take the blue Thurn or Forestiere pistes to the bottom of the Alpette chair, go up the chair.  At the top, go straight ahead and down the beginning of the blue Mouillettes piste but take the right-hand fork track that leads round to the red Scion piste under the Petit Fontaine (PF) chair lift.
 

2.              Ahead and to your left, ski the very beginning of the green piste and then turn left down the black Super Megeve piste (this is ‘grey’ rather than black!).  At the bottom of the steep section there is a track on the right (look out for it!) which goes through the trees (the children call this ‘Narnia’). This brings you on to the blue Mouillettes piste. Go straight across, don’t turn left. You will pass the Petite Fontaine snack bar on your right which is a good place for coffee or a snack, particularly if you have children.

There is a snack bar at the bottom of the PF chair which is a good place for coffee. There is a toilet at the back. The Javen restaurant is also good for coffee and lunch. The ‘Assiette du Skier’ is huge and can be shared between two!

Go up the PF chair.  If you need a toilet there are two at the top but of the squat variety! You can either ski back down the red Fontaine or Scion piste, turn either hard left or right off the chair, you will not have done the top section whichever way you came and it’s a super run. Or down the blue Jardin run, again left from the top of the chair but not hard left, it is technically second on the left. This is a lovely, undulating piste through the trees initially.  Halfway down there is a fork. Take the right-hand fork for the PF chair.

To get to Cote 2000, face left as you get off the PF chair lift and ski straight across on the track all the way over to the piste leading to the Rochefort button lift. There are other pistes crossing this track so take care of people coming in from the right and don’t turn left. NB the drag lift is steep!

At the top of the Rochefort lift you can ski down to your left on the Lanchettes piste which is a great, fast red run. The Lanchettes lift is a long drag lift with a dogleg in the middle so don’t get off accidentally half way up. Go left at the top to head to Cote on the blue Pre Rosset track.

If you decided not to ski the Lanchettes run, then at the top of the Rochefort lift you need to skirt round the top of the Lanchettes drag lift which you will see coming up on your left to pick up the blue Pre Rosset track which winds round the mountain. There are beautiful views of Mont Blanc from this track, so enjoy!

There is a tunnel towards the end of the track, continue round to the right after the tunnel and this will bring you out to the second chair at Cote 2000.  Go up this and at the top you have a choice of two red runs and two black. All are great runs so have a play in this area for a while. The black runs are sometimes closed: the Marmotte because of avalanche danger and the Descente because this is used for race training. 

Of the two the Descente is the best as it is the women’s downhill race course.  It is quite a challenge to get down it in one go and at speed. Be careful though as there are some blind rollers where you can get a lot of air if you’re going fast and there can be people standing just below the summit. There is a schuss at the end which you have to commit to at the top, otherwise you are walking uphill to the lift!

If you feel like lunch, there is the Cote 2000 restaurant at the bottom, but we wouldn’t recommend – it’s expensive and service is surly.  Much better is the Altiport – you take an itineraire run at the bottom of the women’s downhill descente to your left through the trees. It is off the beaten track. However, our favourite is The Radaz which is on your way back – read on!

To ski back from here you will need to take a long steep drag lift.  If you are not happy with that, you can take the bus back - the bus stop is on the right of the car park.  Get off at Mont d’Arbois stop and get the Rocharbois lift back across the valley to the Terrasse de Mas, or stay on the bus all the way back to the Rond Point.

To ski back to Megeve go up the first chair, then take the red piste to your right and take the left-hand fork back to the bottom of the second Cote 2000 chair. From the second Cote 2000 chair, keep going straight ahead on a blue track (Pre Rosset) that crosses the black Women’s downhill piste (if they are racing you go through a tunnel). It should be sign posted Retour Megeve.

You will pass the excellent Radaz restaurant. Great for hot chocolate or lunch – try the tartiflette (we think it’s the best on the mountain) or the diots. There is also a snack bar but it’s not always open. Continue on the blue piste. Towards the bottom there is a schuss back to the bottom of the Lanchettes drag lift.

Hang on tight on the Lanchettes, it’s a long one!  At the top of the Lanchettes lift you need to skate over past the top of the other drag lift coming up (the Rochefort), it should be signposted Retour Megeve, and take the blue track across the mountain (on the piste map this is marked as the beginning of a red piste but it is not a hard track). 

This crosses the track you took previously from the top of the Petit Fontaine chair to the Rochefort drag lift so don’t be tempted to turn right or you’ll end up back at the drag lift again. This blue run turns into the Jardin run which you may have done previously from the top of Petit Fontaine. Halfway down this there is a fork. You must take the left-hand fork for the Jardin chair which will take you back to where you can ski home.  If you go too far and back to the PF chair you will need to come up that and ski back down Jardin to the Jardin chair and take the left-hand fork.

From the top of the Jardin chair, turn to your right and take the blue track along the ridge that runs just under the rather exclusive Alpette restaurant.  A good restaurant for a blow-out but very expensive. Don’t turn downhill to your right or you will end up back at the Petit Fontaine chair lift – although if you didn’t do the Petit Fontaine runs earlier, you may want to do them now.

Keep going straight on following the blue Retour Alpette run. Following a long schuss, you will see the top of the Caboche bubble ahead of you. Choose either the black (grey) Super Megeve run to your right, the red Stade Olympique straight on or the red A2 piste– start on the green and you will see that red piste go off to your left. These are all good runs. The Olympique is probably my favourite. As a variation, keep an eye out for the stade slalom coming off on the right off the Olympique just after the first section.  If it’s not being used for racing, it’s normally in great condition and quiet! 

You will end up with all pistes back at The Terrasse de Mas.  The Terrasse de Mas is an ideal restaurant for meeting up with those that have been in ski school but it does get very busy.  It has a nice sun trap of a veranda.  For the Rond Point and hotels this is the end of your itinerary so if you want to head home, hop on the Chamois back to the town. For the Sylvana and Clochettes, continue on the green piste to the bottom of the Rochebrune.

Day 2: Mont d’Arbois

From the centre of town (Rond Point and Hotels) take the Chamois lift up. From the Sylvana or Clochettes either take the two chair lifts and turn left to the top of the Chamois lift. Take the horizontal lift, the Rocharbois, across to Mont d’Arbois. Go up the Mont D’Arbois bubble. Turn left out down the blue Finance piste.  Keep your speed up as it’s fairly flat.  At the end of the first pitchfork left down the Milloz and enjoy this long, undulating run through the trees, watch out to go left for the halfway station of the Princess. You can go to the bottom but it is not a very interesting run. Go up the bubble.

To ski the black runs off the Princesse turn right past the Mont d’Arbois lift and schuss down the nursery slope forking right just past the bottom of the drag lift. This brings you to the top of the black Princesse run. Firstly, take the run immediately to your left called Bridans. This is often not pisted so can be rutted but in fresh snow is brilliant. 

At the bottom of the steep section there is a flatter section which you need to schuss as the lift is round the corner on the left and if you fail to go fast enough you have to walk up to it. This is the Grand Vorasset drag lift. Go up this and at the top go left which brings you on to Voltigeurs black run. Ski this, and come back again, then skate left round the top to the top of the black Princesse. Enjoy this lovely, undulating run to the mid-station of the Princesse.

Turn left at the top of the bubble and ski down the blue Finance run fork right and continue, until you pass under the Mont Rosset chair where you bear sharp left and ski down the red Marmine run. Enjoy the rollers! At the bottom La Creperie de Croisette is a good place for coffee and does the best omelettes on the mountain. At the top of the chair go down the red Clairette run to your left to the rather slow Arbois chair. Ski back down the black, Marcel Dujon piste left and under the chair.

From the top of the Arbois chair you can ski down to the Mont Joux chair straight on down the blue piste Source. You can stop for coffee at Le Rosay or go up the chair and have coffee at L’Espace Mont Joux. This restaurant is better for lunch. Turn left off the chair and head down the ridge to the top of the Communailles chair which comes up on your right.

The red run, Rolles down to Communailles is a fun, undulating piste. Come back up the chair and ski the blue Orgeres run all the way down past the the chair to the bottom of Communailles. There is a nice restaurant, L’Alpage, which we recommend for lunch. The fish soup is particularly nice, but they also do a good tartiflette and pizza. 

Go up the drag lift and the chair, and ski straight ahead down the green back to the Mont Joux chair.   At the top there are 3 red runs, Chaillettes (right), Valamonts and Slalom (left) back to the Mont Joux chair.

When you’ve fully explored these runs, head past the bottom of the Mont Joux chair on the green Alpage run. You will come to the Ideal chair on your right and the Etudiants drag lift on your left. Take the Etudiants lift and enjoy the two nice red runs off this, Rare and Etudiants. There is also a black run, Rosay, which you reach from the top of the drag lift and bear left on a track  the top of the Rare piste. It is usually covered in mountainous, icy moguls – you have been warned!

To get home you can either ski straight down on the green Mandarines run or go up the Ideal chair and back down the Belle D’Arbois, Pylone, or Schuss red runs to the bottom.  To get to these go left and set off on the green Mandarines run. When the Mandarines veers left take the track going straight ahead. The blue Oratoire branches off to your left and then the track splits into three, Belle d’Arbois ahead,

Pylone right and under the Mont d’Arbois bubble, Schuss goes further right and runs near the Grand Vorasset drag.  All end up at the bottom where you can take the Rocharbois back across the valley.

Day 3: St. Nicolas

From the centre of town (Rond Point and Hotels) take the Chamois lift up. From the Sylvana or Clochettes either take the two chair lifts and turn left to the top of the Chamois lift. Take the horizontal lift, the Rocharbois, across to Mont d’Arbois. Go up the Mont d’Arbois bubble Turn right and ski down the green/blue run, Argent, with the Ideal restaurant to your right, to the bottom of the Mont Joux chair. 

Go up the chair and right (but not hard right) with the small drag lift on your right-hand side. Schuss but keep an eye out for people heading in from your left-hand side.  Keep straight ahead for the Epaule chair. Go up this and enjoy the views at the top. Go right and ski down “the ridge of death!” so named by some guests.  It is just a red run but feels a little exposed. Its real name is the Grand Epaule. This is one of our favourite runs on the mountain.

Alternatively, at the end of the first pitch of the Grand Epaule turn right on to the Marmottes run which takes you to the top of the lift coming up from St Nicholas.  You pass the restaurant, Refuge du Porcherry, which has magnificent views of Mont Blanc and is a good place for a hot chocolate or lunch. From there you can come up on the Vanay button lift.

Either route, continue to your right (straight on from the Grande Epaule route) down the Petite Epaule run to the Chattrix chair lift. Turn left at the top of this chair and pick up the red Olympique run which takes you down to the Vanay drag lift. Continue left through the trees on the scenic Chattrix blue piste. Look out for a right-hand fork called ‘retour village’. This is often shut (if shut, continue to Chattrix chair and take chair lift up then pick up route from top of Vanay lift) but if it is open take this to the picturesque village of St. Nicolas.  There is a bar here with a suntrap veranda, great for coffee and views of Mont Blanc. Take the very old fashioned, but charming chair lift up. This will bring you back to the plateau.

Take the Vanay drag lift up. From the top of the Vanay you can ski down the black piste, the Grand

Choucas, straight ahead, or take the blue Petit Choucas, loops round over the black piste, to the Croix Du Christ. From the Chattrix chair take the Petit Choucas piste. You pass the Gouet restaurant. This is one of the best places to stop for lunch and one of our favourites, but you cannot book.  They do an excellent Croute de Gouet – bread soaked in white wine, ham, cheese, baked in an oven with a fried egg on top. Delicious! The paella is also excellent.

Go up the Croix du Christ chair and there are four red runs you can ski in that bowl, one to your left and the others off the blue Clementines ridge piste to your right. When you have finished in the bowl, ski left, then right from the top, down to the Epaule chair. At the top of the chair go hard left on to the Blanchot red piste or the unpisted and normally mogully but with good snow Perdrix Blanches run. Both lead to the Refuge du Mont Joly which is the oldest restaurant on the mountain.

 From here, you can head for home (skip the next bit) or go up Mont Joly. There is a red piste at the top but it is a track and not particularly pleasant. There is also a hard and steep unpisted black run – this is not for the faint hearted, it is steep and you need to be an expert skier to attempt it. Mont Joly is the highest point in Megeve so if you want to conquer it do continue.

For Mont Joly, take the red piste down to your left which leads to a wide track left to the chair.  At the top, admire the view, then follow the red piste down to your left.  The black piste continues along the top of the ridge and down – you will see ropes and warning signs telling you that you need to be an expert.  The red run loops down to your left.  The red and black pistes both continue all the way back to the bottom of Mont Joly, you can pick up the black piste half way down the red if you wish to miss out the very steep top section.

With either run, when you want to head back from Mont Joly, you need to bear right after the steep section of the black and the first few loops of the red and take the higher track that cuts across the mountain back to the Refuge du Mont Joly.

From the refuge, schuss straight down the ridge to the Evasion button lift to the top of Mont Joux.

From Mont Joux, ski all the way down on the red runs next to the chair lift – Chaillettes, Valamonts or Slalom – and continue down past the Rosay restaurant and then the Ideal lift all the way to the bottom of Mont d’Arbois. Pick up the Rocharbois back across the valley.

Day 4: Jaillet/Combloux

To get to Jaillet from the Sylvana or Clochettes you can catch a bus outside the Rochebrune cable car station which will take you all the way.  From the Rond Point there is a bus stop outside where you can get the bus to Jaillet.  Alternatively, you can catch the horse-drawn caleche outside the Vieux Megeve restaurant which is free - for skiers only. It starts at 10am.

Go up the Jaillet cable car and at the top, skate to your left (not hard left) and pick up the blue Pres run to the Christomet chair. Go up this and ski straight ahead to La Gettiaz. This is a 6km run so have a great blast but look out for the frozen waterfalls and magnificent icicles. 

From here, go up the Torraz chair which is in two sections at the top turn right and ski down the red run, Rhodos, to the Torraz drag lift. Or have a play in the snow park which is further over. When you have finished, go up and turn left down the ridge, on the Crete piste. Pass the red Traversee piste then bear left for a nice black run, Bolets or straight ahead to the red run, Chevreuils, to the halfway stage of the Torraz chair. You can ski to the bottom, but it is not very interesting. There is another black run, Chamois, near the top off the ridge on your left, but this is often not pisted and unpleasant unless there has been recent fresh snow.

When you have finished exploring this area, take the blue Controverse run to your left from the top of the Torraz chair. Off this to your left, there is a very nice red run, Boenet, which takes you all the way back to the bottom of the Torraz chair.  Alternatively, continue on the blue and take the small drag lift. Then straight ahead past La Bonjournal restaurant which is an excellent place for coffee or lunch.

Go up the Bonjournal drag lift to the top of Christomet and from here you can ski down the black run, Aigle, left and then right. This has an unpleasant steep mogul section in the middle. Or you can take the red Coq, to the left of the black piste. Come back up the Christomet chair and take the blue Chevreuil run to your left. The black Moineau run branches off this to your left or continue on the rolling blue through the trees back to the bottom.

Go up the Pres chair and from here double round right under the chair to the Jouty run - a long undulating red. Come up the chair, take the blue Plaine Jous run to your left along the ridge. Take the red Porrez piste on your left or black, Grand Cerf, piste. These runs pass the Alpage de Porrez a charming place for coffee or lunch. Go up the Jouty chair and turn a gentle left into the Creve Coeur bowl. Enjoy the Blaireau black and the Rhodos and Choucas reds to the Creve Coeur drag lift.

When you have finished, take the blue Plaine Joux run to your right along the ridge past the restaurant and take the Melezes or the Ambrouzalles red runs on your right down to the Pertuis chair. Do one or both and then continue past Pertuis to the bottom of the Beauregard chair.  At the top of the Beauregard chair there is a good place for drinks or lunch, the Coeur d’Or. Take the blue Gentiane, hard right from the top of the chair and just after it crosses under the lift look out for the Grand Tetras red run on your left back to the bottom of the Beauregard chair. Go back up the chair and this time take the more gentle left hand blue piste, Papa, to the bottom of the Pertuis chair.

To get home from the top of the Pertuis chair head left for Jaillet on the blue Bel Ava piste.  There is a red run, The Ravine to your left if you fancy a short extra run and there is a nice restaurant just past the bottom of the Ravine chair lift. You can continue on the red Ravine run all the way to the bottom where it meets the green run or come back up the Ravine chair lift and take the green Dames piste slightly to your left back to the top of the Jaillet bubble. Ski down the red Etoile run under the bubble, or down the blue piste, the Pere Noel to your left.  If you are tired you can take the cable car down.

Remember to take a piste map with you. Mountain Rescue: 00334 5021 5050 (or 112)

These routes are a work in progress.  Please do let us know your feedback.​​​​​​