Skiing and Snowboarding at Chalet La Giettaz

"Back-Door Retreats: The cheap way to ski in the most famous resorts is to stay in a nearby village that has a lift connecting to the same pistes as its illustrious neighbour." The Observer

Situated in between Megève and La CLusaz, and as one of the Val d'Arly ski villages, La Giettaz is a fantastic base from which to explore three different ski domains, all within 15 minutes' drive from the Chalet and offering in total more than 800km of pistes. 

 

Evasion Mont Blanc & Portes du Mont Blanc

The most accessible domain from La Giettaz is the Evasion Mont-Blanc, which comprises Megève, St-Gervais, St-Nicholas de Veroce, Combloux, La Giettaz, Cordon and Les Contamines. The region offers 445km of pistes, 125 lifts and a great selection of varied conditions to suit skiers of all levels, including 4 snowparks.  It is one of the cheapest large ski areas in France. A range of passes are available, covering both the entire domain and the 100km Portes du Mont Blanc domain (the area of the Evasion between La Giettaz, Combloux and the Jaillet side of Megève), allowing you to choose the pistes that best suit your requirements. The Portes du Mont Blanc domain is the cheapest area of its size in Europe, with adult day passes bought in La Giettaz costing just €24 a day! 

With a journey time of little more than 5 minutes, our free, private shuttle bus will drop you at the chairlift at Le Plan, from where you have direct access to beautiful, peaceful pistes of the Evasion domain without the crowds of the larger resorts on the other side of the hill. There is free storage for your kit at the bottom of the queue-free lift, meaning you can click straight into your skis and be on your way up the mountain in a matter of minutes. At the summit, you will find one of the domain’s snowparks, and of course the fabulous panoramic view over the region, stretching from Mont Blanc in the east round to the Aravis range in the west. From here, you can ski on to Megève, Combloux and the rest of the Evasion domain, or instead choose from a range of red or black runs or a 5km gentle blue run through the trees, to wind your way back down to La Giettaz.

There is an ESF ski school at Le Plan, offering a variety of classes to suit all ages and abilities, including group or individual classes for adults or children, as well as snowboard and freestyle lessons. Off-piste guiding can also be arranged here.

For a different view of the mountains, a 4km cross-country ski trail departs from beside the lifts at Le Plan. Access to this trail is free of charge. The village also offers expeditions on snowshoes, either on marked trails, guided by GPS or with the local ESF ski instructors. Some guided expeditions can be arranged for darkness, giving you an unforgettable moonlit experience..

You can find price indications for passes, lessons and equipment here.

Click here to download the Portes du Mont Blanc piste map.

Further Afield

The Evasion Mont-Blanc is the most accessible domain, but La Giettaz’s location allows you to also make use of two other fantastic ski areas: the Espace Diamant and the Massif des Aravis. The former is an area of 185km of pistes, situated directly to the south of the Evasion Mont-Blanc facility and including the resorts of Les Saisies, Notre Dame de Bellecombe and Praz-sur-Arly. The nearest lifts are 15 minutes’ drive from Chalet La Giettaz. The Massif des Aravis offers you a further 220km of pistes around the popular resorts of La Clusaz and Le Grand Bornand. Again, the nearest lifts are 15 minutes’ drive from Chalet La Giettaz.