Skiing in Orcières 1850

Orcières Merlette 1850: a sunny, family-labelled resort in the Southern Alps

Orcières Merlette 1850 ski guide: every piste by sector and colour, Gap bus and nearest airports, 2026–27 pass status, family facilities and best snow months.

Runs in the operator's count (10 green, 17 blue, 18 red, 7 black)

52

Top of the ski area in metres (Freissinières summit)

2725

Altitude of the resort, Orcières Merlette, in metres

1850

Kilometres of slopes, resort's own figure

100

Vertical drop on a single run in metres, resort's figure

875

Share of the ski area with snowmaking, per cent

70

Skiing & terrain in Orcières Merlette 1850

Every slope in the operator's live openings list, checked 18 October 2026 (before the season, so every row shows closed): the six Orcières Merlette 1850 sectors as the list names them – Jardin des Neiges, Snow Park, Lauzières, Estaris / Gnourou, Drouvet and Rocherousse / Bergerie (54 pistes) – plus the snow-park zones, sledging runs, shared pedestrian, ski-touring and cross-country itineraries, and the separate Serre-Eyraud village area (9 pistes). Area labels are the list's own sector titles.

Piste rows in the table below (Orcières Merlette + Serre-Eyraud)

63

Piste rows in the six Orcières Merlette 1850 ski sectors of the live list

54

Pistes at Serre-Eyraud, the separate village ski area

9

Runs in the operator's headline count for Orcières Merlette

52

Lifts in the Orcières Merlette 1850 sectors of the live list (Serre-Eyraud has 3 more)

26

• Green pistes in the table – Orcières Merlette 12, Serre-Eyraud 2: 14
• Blue pistes in the table – Orcières Merlette 17, Serre-Eyraud 2: 19
• Red pistes in the table – Orcières Merlette 18, Serre-Eyraud 3: 21
• Black pistes in the table – Orcières Merlette 7, Serre-Eyraud 2: 9

Colours come from the operator's live list (V/B/R/N = green/blue/red/black). The list has 54 piste rows for Orcières Merlette; the resort's own headline is 52 runs (10 green, 17 blue, 18 red, 7 black), so blue, red and black match exactly and the list has two more green rows than the headline. The operator doesn't say which green rows its headline leaves out. Snow-park zones and sledging runs are shown as areas, and the pedestrian, ski-touring and cross-country itineraries as routes; none of them is counted as a piste. Serre-Eyraud is a separate small area with its own lifts and pass sales and is labelled on its own. The operator does not publish a length for each run, so lengths are left empty; it gives only 100 km of slopes in total and an 875 m vertical drop on a single run without naming the run. Opening status changes daily – check the live list.

Orcières Merlette pistes: Drouvet, Rocherousse, Lauzières and Estaris

Orcières Merlette 1850 sits at 1850 m in the Champsaur, Hautes-Alpes, and its ski area tops out at 2725 m on the Freissinières summit. The resort counts 52 runs – 10 green, 17 blue, 18 red and 7 black – on 100 km of slopes, with 70% of the area covered by snowmaking and an 875 m vertical drop on a single run. The live openings list groups the slopes into sectors: Drouvet, Rocherousse / Bergerie, Lauzières, Estaris / Gnourou, the Jardin des Neiges and the Snow Park.

Drouvet has four of the seven black runs – Sirac, Pierre Noire, Rocher Blanc and Les Portettes – and the blue Les Bouquetins, which runs from the 2655 m Drouvet summit all the way down towards the resort. The other long panoramic blue is Freissinières in the Estaris / Gnourou sector, from the 2725 m top. Rocherousse / Bergerie has the most runs (18), from greens such as Lutins and Marmotte to the blacks Les Hommes, Chamois and Beche. Lauzières is almost all red and includes Camile Ricou, a FIS-approved downhill run opened in 2014.

Three Télémix lifts (Drouvet 1, Drouvet 2 and Rocherousse) do the heavy lifting; the Rocherousse Télémix also takes cross-country skiers and walkers up to the Rocherousse plateau at 2280 m. Lifts generally open at 9:00 am and the last ones run between 4:00 and 5:00 pm. Serre-Eyraud, a small north-facing village area at 1450 m with three lifts and nine runs, is listed separately.

Orcières Merlette for beginners: green runs, carpets and the beginner zones

The resort says beginners can learn in four dedicated, safe areas spread over its two snow fronts, and sells a discovery pass for first-timers. In the live list the green runs are in the Drouvet sector (La Combe, La Draille, Schusseis 1 and 2), in Rocherousse / Bergerie (Lutins, Rocher, Rochebrune, Marmotte), in Estaris / Gnourou (the Espace Débutant Rocherousse Fontainon and Torrent) and in the Jardin des Neiges. Carpets and short drag lifts serve this terrain, including the Tapis Etoile, Tapis Lutin, TK Schusseis and TK Rocher.

Once you are steady on greens, the obvious next steps are the blues around Rocherousse / Bergerie, such as Les Pepes, Mezelle and Chardonnets, and Charpenet and Py Marty in the Drouvet sector. Then try the long panoramic blues, Les Bouquetins and Freissinières, which start at the two summits and come back down to the resort – a good way to share a big descent as a mixed-level group.

The snow park has its own easy zone (Snow Park XS) and a small boardercross (Boardercross XS), and the Boardercross Alizée Baron has gentle bumps and banked turns. The ESF and ESI both run group and private lessons for adults.

Getting to Orcières Merlette: Marseille or Grenoble airport, then Gap and the bus

Orcières has no airport. The resort names Marseille Provence and Grenoble Isère as the nearest airports; Marseille is about 2 hours 30 minutes away by road, and Orcières is about 110 km from Grenoble and 220 km from Turin. In winter the Zou! 'Navettes Blanches' shuttles link Marseille Provence Airport and Aix-en-Provence TGV station with the resorts on certain school-holiday weekends (in 2025–26 they ran from 20 December to 15 March), and a booked coach runs on Saturdays from Grenoble TGV station (13 December 2025 to 11 April 2026 last season). Turin has no shuttle listed by the resort.

By train, go to Gap, which has services from Marseille, Valence and Grenoble. From there the Zou! regional network runs buses up the Champsaur all year: line 524 links Gap (Pôle d'Échanges Reynier) with Orcières village and the resort bus station, and in winter 2025–26 the seasonal line 528 ran from Gap SNCF station (platform 3) to Orcières 1850 Gare Routière in about 55 minutes, via Orcières village. Tickets are sold at the Zou! machine at Gap station or by the driver. Check the 2026–27 winter timetable on zou.maregionsud.fr before you travel.

By car, Gap is about 45 minutes away and connects with the A51 motorway from Marseille. Orcières Merlette is at the end of the D76, 5 km above Orcières village. From 1 November to 31 March, winter equipment is compulsory in the Hautes-Alpes (four snow tyres, or chains or snow socks on board). Most resort car parks (P1 Casse-Blanche, P4 Les Drapeaux, P5 Les Lutins, P6 Queyrelets, P7 Rocherousse) are pay-and-display in winter; once there, the free Merlette shuttle bus gets you around the resort.

Orcières Merlette with kids: Famille Plus, the Jardin des Piou-Piou and lessons from 18 months

Orcières has held the Famille Plus label since 2006, and the resort says the first snow garden was created here in 1967. The ESF's Jardin des Piou-Piou is a 2-hectare landscaped snow garden away from the slopes for children aged 3 to 5, open every day from 12 December 2026 to 11 April 2027. Instructors take the children to the ESF nursery (garderie) for lunch, where they can also spend the afternoon, and the ESF collects children from around the resort. Places are limited, so book.

For the youngest, ESF Baby Snow is for children aged 18 months to 2 years, and the P'tits Poussins class (2½ to 3, proof of age required) runs in the Jardin des Piou-Piou from 9 am to noon with four children per instructor. The ESI's Petites Souris lessons are for 4- to 6-year-olds, with a maximum of six per instructor. Lesson languages are not given on the resort's pages, so ask the school when you book. The ADMR nursery in Orcières village, 5 km below the resort, takes children from 3 months to 6 years, Monday to Friday, 7:45 am to 6:00 pm.

For a parent who doesn't ski: the Arena 1850 sports centre in the middle of the resort is being renovated and is due to reopen in December 2026 with a pool, ice rink, bowling and a spa area. There is also a cinema, the Winterparc, snowshoe walks and dog-sled rides. Walkers can ride the Rocherousse Télémix up to the plateau at 2280 m and use the shared pedestrian itineraries. Rentals with the resort's own accommodation label come with cots, high chairs and baby crockery.

Where to stay: Orcières Merlette 1850 resort or Orcières village

Orcières Merlette 1850 is the ski resort itself: the lift-pass offices (Espace Écrins and Queyrelet), the ESF chalet, the Arena 1850 and most shops are here, and the free Merlette shuttle bus runs during the day, with ski equipment allowed, from its main stop opposite the Tourist Office. It suits families and anyone who wants to walk or bus to the lifts. The Tourist Office's central booking team lists around 200 flats and chalets with its 'Qualité Confort Hébergement' rating (1 to 5 'claws').

Orcières village, at 1400 m and 5 km below the resort, is a year-round village with a grocery store, a post office and the ADMR nursery. A free shuttle runs daily between the resort, the village (stop opposite the Town Hall) and the leisure base, so you don't need a car, but check the timetable because each trip takes time. Staying in the village means more choice in quieter accommodation, at the cost of a bus or drive every morning.

Further options: the O2 Area leisure base at 1300 m has a three-star hotel next to 40 km of cross-country trails and is also on the free shuttle; and Serre-Eyraud, a hamlet at 1450 m, has its own small ski area. The search below starts in Orcières; check how far a property is from the snow front or a shuttle stop before you book.

Opens Booking in a new window. If you have selected valid holiday dates below, they are included. Check dates, rooms, adults and children’s ages on Booking before booking; prices and availability are set there.

Orcières Merlette ski pass 2026–27: Propuls' prices, Horizon and Mon Pass Vallée

The ticket office's 2026–27 rate grid was not published when we checked on 18 October 2026 (it says 'sales will begin soon'), so we don't quote a day-pass price. Online, the Orcières Propuls' pass uses dynamic pricing: buy earlier and pay up to 25% less. The Horizon pass, from two consecutive days, adds swimming and the ice rink to unlimited skiing.

The one 2026–27 product priced so far is the Horizon Annual Plan (winter 2026–27 plus summer 2027), from €579 per adult on the ticket-office site when bought by 12 December (checked 18 October 2026). Mon Pass Vallée covers the five Champsaur resorts – Ancelle, Chaillol, Laye, Saint-Léger and Orcières Merlette 1850. Serre-Eyraud sells its own passes at the village bar-restaurant.

If you bought online, collect your pass from the kiosks at the Espace Écrins and Queyrelet ticket offices or in the Tourist Office lobby by scanning the QR code you were sent.

Best time to ski in Orcières Merlette: snow history, 2026–27 dates and forecasts

For snow, February and March are the best months. In a SkiPair calculation from Météo-France daily records for the Orcières-Nivôse station (2280 m, winters 2006–2024), the average snow depth is about 125 cm in February and 136 cm in March, compared with about 100 cm in January and 114 cm in April. December is the early shoulder, at about 61 cm, while the base is still building. April keeps a good base at this altitude, but the resort closes in mid-April. These are historical averages from one high station, not the village, and don't guarantee any particular season.

For 2026–27, the resort plans to open from Saturday 12 December 2026 to Sunday 11 April 2027. Events on the calendar include the Région Sud men's European Cup alpine races (25–29 January 2027) and the Rossignol Ski Games (20–21 March 2027).

The resort describes its ski area as sun-drenched with no shaded areas, so in spring the snow softens early: ski the higher Drouvet and Freissinières runs in the morning. Before you go, check the operator's live openings list and the Hautes-Alpes road information, and allow for snow chains on the D76.

Find ski partners in Orcières Merlette

On SkiPair you can post your dates, your level (for example, greens around Rocherousse / Bergerie or the blacks in the Drouvet sector), whether you are staying in the resort or down in Orcières village, and whether you want to ski the long Bouquetins and Freissinières descents from the summits. That makes it easy to find someone at the same pace.

Solo skiers can join ESF or ESI group lessons, the ESI's Club 3Free for freestyle and freeride from age 12, or an ESF introduction to ski touring on Wednesday mornings. Local mountain guides run freeride and ski-touring days. Agree a clear meeting point, such as the top of the Drouvet Télémix or the Rocherousse plateau, and check the live openings list together on the morning.

Ski pass prices for Orcières 1850

Check the operator’s current prices for your ski dates, ticket duration, age group and the area covered by the pass.

Opens the official site in a new window. Prices and ticket conditions are set by the operator.

Weather and snow

A clearer view of the snow in Orcières 1850: recent snowfall, what is forecast next, and an outlook for your dates.

Snow and temperature are model estimates. They do not confirm that lifts or pistes are open. Further-ahead dates show seasonal patterns rather than a weather forecast.

Flights & getting to Orcières 1850

Choose your holiday dates. Inside the flight search, choose a departure city or airport in any country. We suggest an origin from your saved departure details when available.

Flight search is available to signed-in members. Prices and availability refresh during search; booking terms are set by the provider.

Recommended airport for the French Alps: Geneva (GVA).

Orcières 1850 is better with your kind of people

A destination in common is a good start. Find skiers and snowboarders whose dates, ability and idea of a great day match yours.

A glimpse of Orcières 1850

Archive photos · cropped for display

Questions about this resort