Skiing in Risoul / Vars

Risoul and Vars: one larch-forest ski area, two resorts, 185 km of pistes

Risoul and Vars, La Forêt Blanche: all 111 pistes by sector from both operators, 2026–27 passes, Turin/Grenoble/Marseille access and the best snow months.

Kilometres of pistes in La Forêt Blanche (Risoul + Vars)

185

Top of the ski area at Chabrières (m)

2750

Altitude of the Risoul 1850 resort (m)

1850

Pistes in the two operators' official lists (Risoul + Vars)

111

Skiing & terrain in Risoul and Vars

Every piste in the two operators' official lists, checked 18 October 2026 (off-season): Risoul's Cesier and Plate sectors (43 pistes, Labellemontagne's Lumiplan bulletin, also shown in Vars' DigiSnow bulletin under RISOUL) and Vars' Chabrières, Les Claux, Peyrol and Peynier sectors (68 pistes, DigiSnow). Each row carries the resort and sector name its operator assigns. The Risoul–Vars link, Risoul's fun zones and Vars' snowparks and boardercross courses are listed separately as a connection and areas.

Piste rows in the table below

111

Risoul pistes (Cesier and Plate sectors; the operator also states 43)

43

Vars pistes (Chabrières, Les Claux, Peyrol and Peynier sectors)

68

Kilometres of pistes, whole Forêt Blanche

185

Altitude range of the Vars side (m)

1650–2750

Vertical drop quoted by Risoul (m)

900

Cumulative vertical quoted by Vars (m)

1100

• Green pistes in the table – Risoul 8, Vars 10: 18
• Blue pistes in the table – Risoul 20, Vars 30: 50
• Red pistes in the table – Risoul 12, Vars 22: 34
• Black pistes in the table – Risoul 3, Vars 6: 9

Colours come from the operators' lists (Lumiplan type codes A-V/A-B/A-R/A-N and DigiSnow difficulty_V/B/R/N = green/blue/red/black). Neither operator publishes a length per run, so the length column is empty; the only figure is the tourist office's "more than 5 km" for La Grande Bleue. Vars lists the Chabrières speed-skiing stadium (Stade de vitesse, KL) in its own section, not in a sector's piste list, so it is not in this table. Race stadiums (stade) are kept because Vars lists them as red pistes. The two lists each contain a red run called Col Sans Nom; we keep both as published. Summer bike-park trails that appear in the off-season feeds (e.g. Family Fun, Big Ride) are excluded. Openings change daily: check the live lists.

Risoul and Vars pistes: Cesier, Plate, Chabrières, Les Claux, Peyrol and Peynier

La Forêt Blanche is the union of two resorts with separate lift companies: Risoul (Labellemontagne) and Vars. Together they offer 185 km of pistes, with Vars running from 1650 m to 2750 m and the Chabrières summit as the highest point of the whole area. Risoul's official list splits its 43 pistes into two sectors: Cesier, above Risoul 1850, with the blacks Epervier and Gentiane and reds such as Aigles, Coqs and Perdrix; and Plate, towards the Vars side, home of La Grande Bleue (more than 5 km, according to the tourist office), the red Plate de la Nonne and the black Vautours.

Vars lists 68 pistes in four sectors: Chabrières (the high, open terrain, with the blacks Coni and Evasion), Les Claux (above the resort centre, from the green Claux and Ecrins up to the black Grand Ubac), Peyrol (the largest sector, with the blacks Mur du Vallon and Casse and the Olympique reds) and Peynier, in the forest. Vars also has 3 snowparks under the Vars Park name, several boardercross courses, and the Chabrières speed-skiing track, which the resort calls the fastest in the world. That track appears in its own speed-stadium section of the operator's list, not as a piste, so don't plan on skiing it.

You cross between the resorts on skis: Risoul's bulletin shows the Risoul–Vars link as a separate line, and Vars' Peyrol sector has blue runs called Acces Risoul and Acces Vars. The link can close for wind or snow, so check the live list before you set off for the far side. Neither operator publishes run lengths, so the table below has no length column values.

Risoul and Vars for beginners: free learning area, green runs and cheap passes

Risoul is unusually generous to first-timers. The Espace Débutant is reached by the R1 Télépulsé gondola from the Risoul 1850 snow front (about ten minutes up) and includes two drag lifts, Exercice and Accueil Bas, plus the ski schools' kids' area. Access is free all season with the Risoul Initiation pass; you only pay €2 for the reusable pass card at the Risoul 1850 ticket office. Risoul's green runs are mostly in Cesier: Chardons, Debutants, Hysope, Lapins, Pelinche, Piou-Piou and Vallon vert, plus Edelweiss in Plate.

The next step in Risoul is the Risoul Débutant pass (2026–27: €25 for 13 and over, €20 for children 5–12, per day). It adds the R2 Clos du Vallon, R8 Pré du Bois, R13 Orée du Bois and R14 Pelinche lifts and the Mélézet drag lift, which open up the easiest blue runs. In Vars, the Espace Débutant pass (€30 a day, sold at the ticket offices only) covers the two carpets at Les Claux and Ecrins, the Ecrins drag lift, Baby G2 and the Chabrières Télémix. The green runs there include Claux, Ecrins and Baby Ecrins in Les Claux, and Crocus and Eskimos in Chabrières.

For freestyle beginners, Risoul has added La ZING, an initiation zone reached by the blue Ecureuil from the top of the R12 Mélézet drag lift. Vars Park has green lines such as the Kid Park and Totem Park.

Getting to Risoul and Vars: Turin, Grenoble or Marseille airport, then Montdauphin-Guillestre

Neither resort has an airport. Risoul's tourist office lists three gateways: Turin (154 km), Grenoble Alpes Isère (204 km) and Marseille Provence (239 km). From Marseille airport or Aix-en-Provence TGV station, the Zou! Navette Blanche (line 50) coaches run to the resorts; Vars says they run every Saturday in winter. Bookings close 72 hours before departure and are compulsory, even for babies. Neige Express coaches (Autocars Imbert) also run direct to Risoul and Vars from Marseille, Aix-en-Provence and Paris on set dates. Only 2025–26 timetables were online when we checked, so confirm 2026–27 dates.

The nearest railway station is Mont-Dauphin–Guillestre, about 15 km from Vars and 17 km from Risoul. A night train from Paris Austerlitz arrives there at about 7:30 am, and TER regional trains run from across France. The TGV stations both tourist offices point to are Oulx (in Italy, on the Turin line), Aix-en-Provence and Marseille Saint-Charles, with a paid shuttle or TER for the last stretch. From Mont-Dauphin–Guillestre, paid Zou! shuttles go up to Risoul village and Risoul 1850, and paid shuttles also serve the Vars villages.

By car from Marseille, take the A51 to La Saulce, then the N94 via Embrun to Guillestre and up to Risoul or Vars. From Grenoble it is about 150 km by the Route Napoléon through Gap, or over the Col du Lautaret to Briançon and down the N94. Winter tyres or chains are compulsory in the Hautes-Alpes from 1 November to 31 March. Once you are in Vars, free shuttles link its four villages.

Risoul and Vars with kids: ski schools, beginner areas and non-skiing parents

Risoul is a strong family pick because the free Espace Débutant sits right above the resort, with picnic tables and a restaurant at the top of the Télépulsé, so non-skiing parents can ride up and watch. The ski schools' kids' area is inside it. The tourist office lists the ESF and independent instructors; Labellemontagne sells ESF lessons packaged with a pass (for example the Flocon 6-day pack). Children under 5 ski free in both resorts, but they need a free pass collected from a ticket office with proof of age.

In Vars, the ski schools are the ESF, the École de Ski Internationale, We Snowboard School, Pure Snowschool (snowboard only) and Mont Epique, offering lessons for every age and the jardin des neiges for little ones. Adults accompanying under-5s on the Les Claux and Ecrins carpets must buy the €10 Tapis pass. Ask each school about lesson languages and minimum ages when you book; we could not confirm these for 2026–27.

For non-skiers: Risoul sells a pedestrian ticket for the R2 Clos du Vallon (one ride up) or a return on the R3 Homme de Pierre (€9.30 adult), and has the Luge Dévale. Vars has more than 50 km of walking and snowshoe trails, the Caribou rail toboggan in Les Claux and a swimming pool.

Where to stay: Risoul 1850, Vars Les Claux or Vars Sainte-Marie

Risoul 1850 is a compact ski village at 1850 m. The snow front has the main ticket office and the R1 Télépulsé to the free beginner area, so most lodging is a walk from the lifts. It suits families and first-timers. Risoul's tourist office runs a booking service, Risoul Réservation, for hotels, residences and apartments. The trade-off: it's smaller and quieter than Vars Les Claux in the evening, and passes bought on the Risoul site must be activated from the Risoul side.

Vars Les Claux is the resort centre, between about 1800 m and over 2000 m in the larch forest, with several snow fronts along the road to the Col de Vars, most of the shops and restaurants, and the Caribou toboggan. It is the liveliest base and puts you on the Les Claux and Chabrières slopes. If your lodging has no parking, the tourist office suggests leaving the car in a Les Claux car park and using the free shuttles.

Vars Sainte-Marie is the old village lower down (Vars gives 1650 m as its lowest point). It has character hotels in restored farm buildings, local shops, and fast access to the slopes on the Sainte-Marie chairlift and the six-seater Peyrol and Bois Noir chairlifts. It is quieter and often good value, but the free shuttle (5 December 2026 to 11 April 2027) is your link to Les Claux in the evening, and the lowest slopes are the first to lose snow in spring.

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Risoul and Vars ski passes 2026–27: Forêt Blanche pass vs resort-only beginner passes

Both resorts sell the same Forêt Blanche pass covering Risoul and Vars, at the same 2026–27 public prices (checked 18 October 2026): adult (13–69) €58 for 1 day and €298 for 6 days; child (5–12) and senior (70+) €49 for 1 day and €244 for 6 days; adult season pass €970. Risoul sells a student pass (18–24) at €46.40 a day. Risoul passes are loaded onto a €2 reusable card, and any pass bought on the Risoul site must be activated each day from Risoul; Vars sells the same product from its own ticket offices and online shop.

There are no full-area Risoul-only or Vars-only passes; what is resort-specific is the beginner products. Risoul has Risoul Initiation (free) and Risoul Débutant (€25 for 13 and over, €20 for children); Vars has the Espace Débutant (€30) and the Tapis pass (€10). Look out for web deals: Risoul offers up to 10% off 6-day passes until 30 October, Saturday passes at €46.40, and Vars has 20% off Friday day passes online and a child price for everyone on passes of 3 days or more from 5 to 18 December 2026.

Best time to ski in Risoul and Vars: 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 Risoul NIVO station (2050 m, winters 2013–2024, months with at least 20 daily readings), the average snow depth is about 83 cm in February and 112 cm in March, compared with about 60 cm in January. Fresh snowfall averages about 54 cm in January, 63 cm in February and 92 cm in March. The station isn't read through December and April, so we don't give figures for those months. January is the early-season shoulder, while the base is still building. Lower down, Météo-France's long-term Ceillac station (1665 m, 1991–2020) shows depth peaking in February and falling by March, so slopes near Vars Sainte-Marie (1650 m) soften first. These are historical averages and don't guarantee any given season.

For 2026–27, Vars plans to open from 5 December 2026 to 11 April 2027. Risoul opens fully on 12 December 2026, with a pre-opening on a reduced area from 5 December if the snow allows, and closes on 11 April 2027. More than half of Risoul's area is covered by snowmaking.

Month by month: in December, ski the higher pistes and check which sectors are open. January brings cold snow and quieter weeks outside the French holidays. February is the most reliable month for snow, but it is also school-holiday season. March often has the deepest base and longer days. In April the high pistes towards Chabrières keep the best snow. Before you go, check the Météo-France mountain forecast and the avalanche risk on the Vars bulletin, plus the operators' live lists for the Risoul–Vars link.

Find ski partners in Risoul and Vars for the whole Forêt Blanche

Crossing between Risoul and Vars is more fun, and safer, with someone at your level. On SkiPair, post your dates, your base (Risoul 1850, Vars Les Claux or Sainte-Marie) and your level, for example comfortable on blues such as La Grande Bleue or looking for blacks such as Mur du Vallon or Coni. Mention whether you have the Forêt Blanche pass.

Solo skiers can also join group lessons with the ESF and the other schools in both resorts. Agree a clear meeting point, such as the Risoul 1850 snow front at the Télépulsé, or the top of the R6 Peyrefolle chairlift, where the giant hammock sits at 2440 m. Share the two live lists so you both know whether the link between the resorts is open.

Ski pass prices for Risoul / Vars

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

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Weather and snow

A clearer view of the snow in Risoul / Vars: 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 Risoul / Vars

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

Risoul / Vars is better with your kind of people

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A glimpse of Risoul / Vars

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