SKI ITINERARY SUGGESTIONS: RELAXED GROUPS

Day 1: Rochebrune to Cote 2000 Ridge

NB: To get to Cote 2000 there are two steep drag lifts. If you are not happy with that, you can still use this guide to ski to and from Petite Fontaine.

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.   Take the green Rosiere run ahead and to your left. This turns sharp left and after 100m bears right (do not go across to the red run), keep to the uphill right-hand side and watch out for the green track which cuts across the bottom of the Super Megève run. This takes you through the trees (the children call this “Narnia”, but its official name is Rosiere) and on to the bottom of the blue Mouillettes piste. Go straight across (don’t turn left) and follow this to the bottom of the PF chair. You will pass a snack bar on your right called Petite Fontaine Snack. This is a cheap place for a snack lunch, particularly with a family. 

Alternatively,

2.   Ski ahead and to your right down the blue piste called Thurn to the bottom of the Alpette chair. Go up the fast six-man chair and take the blue Mouillettes piste to the PF chair. NB This blue run has steep sections, so if you’re warming up your legs for the first time then take the green option (#1 above). NB: If you like you can ski Alpettes before going on, but this can be icy in the morning and you may be better skiing it on your way home.

At the bottom there is a snack bar where you can get a cup of coffee.   There is a toilet behind the snack bar.  Or the Javen restaurant is a good place for coffee or lunch.  The assiette du skier is huge and can be shared between two!

Go up the PF chair and you can either head straight for Cote 2000 (skip to 4) or do another run (Jardin, detailed below) down to the bottom of PF.

3.   Ski down the blue Jardin piste – not your immediate left but the next left - to the bottom of the PF chair. This is a lovely undulating run, with the first bit through the trees. There is a fork halfway down – if you take the left it will lead you to the chair lift back to Megève. Keep straight on instead to get to the PF chair. If you need the toilet there are two at the top of the PF chair, but of the squat variety!

4.   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! The drag lift is a quite steep. At the top you can either ski down the Lanchettes piste, which is an easy red or head straight to Cote 2000. The Lanchettes piste is a lovely red run on a wide slope. At the bottom you have to come back up a long button lift with a dogleg turn in the middle but the run is worth it!

To head to Cote 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. There are only steepish red runs from the top of this chair so it is better not to take this chair lift but skirt just under it to pick up the blue/green track which will take you to the chair at the bottom.

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 Megève, go up the first chair, then take a short loop of the green piste to your right. It will cross the red piste and you will need to turn left at this point and take the short section of red piste back to the bottom of the second Cote 2000 chair.

From here, 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 Megève.

You will pass the excellent Radaz restaurant, which is 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 Megève, 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 blowout but very expensive. Don’t turn downhill to your right or you will end up back at the Petit Fontaine chair lift.  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. Take the gentle green run down to your right and follow it all the way down the mountain until you arrive back at the Terrasse de Mas restaurant which is also the top of the bottom of the Caboche and top of the Chamois bubble. 

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 of the lift down the blue Finance piste. Keep your speed up as it’s fairly flat.

At the end of the first pitch, fork right past the top of the Mont Rosset chair. Continue until you pass under the chair. There is a small hillock and a three-way split of pistes. Stay on the middle Finance blue piste.  Shortly after fork left and take the blue Chenaz piste. The run brings you down to the bottom of the fast six-man Mont Rosset chair.  Just above the lift is a nice little restaurant, Creperie La Croisette, which does the best omelettes on the mountain.  It is a good place to stop for coffee.

Go up the chair and bear half right and take the blue Prapacot run. It’s then a lovely long run through the trees. The red piste does cross and continue on down the hill, but you want to stay on the blue piste to the midway station of the Princess lift. The blue piste does continue from here down to the bottom and is a nice ski if the snow is good.

Go up the bubble and down the blue Finance piste again but don’t turn left at the fork on to the Chenaz piste but go right all the way to Bettex. The best place for coffee at Bettex is Fleche d’Or on the left just before the lift at the bottom, or better, take the first draglift up to Le Boitet - left near top.

Go up the Bettex gondola lift and at the top you have a choice of two blue runs or a green run which take you to the bottom of Mont Joux. The blue runs are straight ahead Freddy and La Source and the green run starts to your left and loops round down on your right to the Mont Joux chair. You can stop for coffee at Le Rosay just below the chair, but it is not recommended for lunch. Go up the Mont Joux chair and there is a nice, gentle green run which brings you back down again. L’Espace Mont Joux at the top is recommended for coffee and lunch. There is also a snack bar there.

If you still have the energy, ski back down the ridge from the top of Mont Joux on the green run to the top of the chair from Communailles. This comes up from your right so don’t head off the ridge to your left towards Mont Joux. Instead take the blue run, the Orgeres, on your right which loops around under the chair lift and ski all the way down to Communailles. It’s a lovely long run, very picturesque with great views of Mont Blanc.  At the bottom is a very nice restaurant, L’Alpage, good for a coffee stop or lunch. At peak times you will need to book. They do an excellent fish soup amongst others – also has a sun trap veranda.

You get the drag lift and chair back up to the top of the ridge, where you ski back down the green run ahead of you to Mont Joux. From there you continue on the green run ahead of you past the Ideal chair on the Mandarines run all the way to the bottom of Mont d’Arbois. If you fancy a bit more skiing, you can stop at the Ideal chair, go up that, and ski back down the green Mandarine run – to your left past the beginners drag lift on your left and keep left at the fork - or blue Oratiore – begin on the Mandarine but keep straight ahead on the fork and then left at the blue signposted run - to the bottom. Pick up the Rocharbois back across the valley to the Rochebrune side and then home!

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, passing 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 and then head left at the bottom of the drag lift taking the blue Clementines piste. At the start of the Clementines, there is another fork off to your left, don’t take this but continue on the Clementines to the Croix du Christ. This is a nice, winding run with great views of Mont Blanc. You pass a small restaurant, Chez Ernestine, which is one of the cheapest places to eat on this side of the mountain.

At the bottom, go up the Gouet drag lift and turn left at the top (but not hard left as that will take you back to Gouet) and ski down the blue Cabri. There is a red run that comes off to the left as well so make sure you are on the blue not the red. This will bring you down to a plateau with some restaurants. To your left past the bottom of the ski lift is the blue Chattrix run. Continue through the trees on this scenic route. Look out for a right-hand fork called retour village. This is often shut (if shut, continue to Chattrix chair and pick up route below) 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.

Go back to your right on the Chattrix run and this time take the left-hand fork to the bottom of the Chattrix chair. Go up the chair and ski more of less straight on down the blue Petit Choucas track (not the black!) passing 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.

Continue down to the Croix du Christ chair via the blue piste which loops under the restaurant and take the chair up. At the top turn right down the short blue piste and then turn right again as though you were going to ski down Clementines again. Instead take the path on your left (or maybe straight on depending on where exactly you are coming from!) called the Grand Montaz piste which takes you down to Communailles. Ski all the way down to the bottom on this lovely blue piste and if you haven’t done so already, you can eat at L’Alpage.

Take the drag lift and the chair lift back up to the top. You will be back at Mont Joux. Turn right and head along the ridge on the green run to the bottom of the short drag lift past the Chez Ma Tante restaurant.  Go right at the drag lift and continue on the green.

Look out for the right hand fork and pick up the blue Raviere piste through the trees back to the Croix chair lift.  Take the chair lift again and the same green piste. This time, instead of forking right on to the Raviere piste, continue on the green piste crossing the black and red pistes, past the bottom of a small drag lift and continue on a long winding green run all the way to the bottom of the Bettex bubble lift.

Take the bubble back up and then point your skis homewards by skiing either to your right on the green and looping right to the bottom of the Mont Joux chair or straight ahead on the blues to the Mont Joux chair.  Continue past the bottom of this chair lift straight on all the way down to the bottom of Mont d’Arbois and catch the Rocharbois back home.

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 down to La Gettiaz. This is a 6km run so take your time and enjoy the frozen waterfalls and magnificent icicles. 

From here, go up the Torraz chair which is in two sections. At the top is the best view in Megève. Take the left Controverse run and look out for the left-hand piste signposted the Boenet, which takes you back to the bottom. This is on the piste map as a red run but is not too hard. Go back up the chair. To get back to Jaillet, take the left blue piste, the Controverse again and this time go straight on to the Charmots drag lift.

At the top, continue on the blue piste and you will pass La Bonjournal restaurant which is an excellent place for coffee or lunch. Go straight ahead and up the Bonjournal drag lift and take the right-hand piste (not hard right), the Chevreuil run, to the bottom of Christomet.

Go up the Pres chair and from there you can ski straight ahead along the ridge on the blue Plaine Joux, passing the Chalet Du Bachais which is a good place for coffee or lunch. Bear left at the fork, which goes all the way to the bottom of the Jouty chair.

Go up the Jouty chair and turn left back down the top of the Plaine Joux run but this time bear right at the fork and ski the La Croix run to the bottom of the Pertuis chair. Keep going straight ahead for Combloux on the green run. At Combloux come up the Beauregard chair. Turn hard right to take the blue run, Gentiane, which you can ski back down to Combloux, bearing right at the fork.  Come back up the Beauregard chair and straight ahead to join the Papa blue run to the Pertuis chair.

Come up the Pertuis chair and take the blue run the Bel Ava to your left along the ridge. Continue on the green dames run to your right but keep an eye out for the blue Salles piste coming off to your left just past the top of the Ravine chair lift. At the bottom of this short piste, you can turn left to pick up the green 7 Nains which will take you back down to the bottom of Jaillet. You pass La Petite Ravine which is a good place for a drink.

Or to take the blue Pere Noel to the bottom continue on the green dames piste to the top of the Jaillet cable car and the blue Pere Noel will be on your left, take the left hand fork half way 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.