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Les Contamines - Montjoie Ski Resort
Once joined with Saint Nicolas de Veroce, Les Contamines became its own parish in 1760. The village still looks wonderfully classic, made up of restored farmhouses (‘Contamines’ comes from phrase ‘ploughable farming land’) and baroque churches and chapels (including the Church of the Holy Trinity, famously painted by Turner in 1802).
You’ll find it in Mont Blanc’s foothills up at the end of the Montjoie Valley, home to the highest nature reserve in France with forests, peaks, meadows and lakes reaching all the way over to the Tré la Tête glacier.
Spanning the Montjoie and Belleville valleys, the Les Contamines-Hatuteluce ski area has a wonderful mix of wooded runs and panoramic open pistes looking out to Mont Blanc. Access it via the Montjoie gondola from the outskirts of the village.
Les Contamines-Hatuteluce is part of the Evasion Mont Blanc region which totals 445km of terrain over five other resorts - Saint Nicolas de Veroce, Saint Gervais, Megeve, Combloux and La Giettaz. Les C. isn’t lift linked to this wider ski area, but you can easily reach it by bus.
As for getting to the resort itself, this is one of the most easy-to-access places to ski in France. The A40 and the Saint Gervais rail station are 12km away for road and rail travellers, and you can reach the village from Geneva airport in about an hour.
Stats & FAQ
Location: Haute Savoie, France
Established: 1937
Open: December - April
Downhill: 120km
View our detailed Les Contamines - Montjoie snow forecast or snow report and see all live webcams, piste maps, road and travel maps and lift pass prices. For a picture of historic snow conditions see the snow depths month by month with our Les Contamines - Montjoie snow history.
| Nearest Airport & Transfer Time: | |
| Geneva Airport (GVA) | 94km, 1 hour |
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| Top Altitude: | 2500m |
| Bottom Altitude: | 1164m |
| Resort Altitude: | 1164m |
| Longest run: | 20km |
| Slope Orientation: | N E NE |
| Vertical Drop: | 1336m |
| Skiable Vertical: | |
| Night Skiing: | No |
| Glacier: | No |
Snow Report
Web Cam
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| Downhill Runs: | 120km |
| Beginner slopes: | |
| Intermediate: | |
| Advanced slopes: | |
| Lift Pass Price: | €191.50 (adult 6 day for Les Contamines-Hauteluce) €231 (adult 6 day for Evasion Mont-Blanc) |
| Nearby resorts: Chamonix, Saint Gervais, Les Houches | |
Skiing/BoardingSkiing in Les Contamines - Montjoie
Beginners can pick up the basics on bunny slopes on either side of the village, set apart from the rest of the ski area. There’s a short green up at Signal, and a lovely long one on the Hauteluce side but you’ll probably want to take the lifts back down to Les C. at the end of the day as the main runs black are graded red.
There are some gorgeous blue pistes from the top of the Roselette lift (we like Boulevard), with others streaming down from Signal like Montjoie and Village. For reds, connect over to take the Nant Rouge chair, where you can fly down the likes of Bartavelle and Nant Rouge and ski Aiguile from Aiguille Croche at 2487m. From Col du Joly, a handful of reds and blues link up for lengthy runs down towards the Belleville station.
Nine black runs make up the expert terrain in the local ski area - nearly all above the tree line and incredibly scenic (the Tierces and Valeray lift serves a handful of them). The Grevettaz is a local legend, in parts so steep the groomers can’t get to it, in others gentle enough to come to a stop and enjoy the view. Don’t miss the Toboggan and Olympique pistes from the Roselette lifts for an additional adrenaline fix.
Freestylers should head to the top half of the Tierces piste for the Ludo Parc, which has obstacles for beginners and experts.
Providing you’re kitted up appropriately, there are some cracking off piste runs in the local area (around Buche Croisse and Aiguille Croche). Or if you fancy ticking off the bucket list, you’re near enough to Chamonix to experience the legendary Vallee Blanche…
To explore further, upgrade to the Evasion pass and head over to St Gervais or Megeve where oodles more pistes, powder and snow parks await.
Les Contamines - Montjoie Apres Ski
You won’t find strips of bars teeming with revellers here, but if you prefer your evenings to be more food and wine focussed anyway, you’ve come to the right place. L'O à la Bouche is a favourite for set menus of gorgeously presented nosh (not cheap though, at about €50-70 a head). Its sister restaurant Marmott has a more casual vibe and serves old school Savoyarde dishes - also well worth a visit. Les Airelles is brilliant for families, with every kind of crepe and galette you can dream of. For pizza, L’air du temps has a traditional wood-fired oven (they do amazing puddings too).
There’s a long list of activities to get stuck into aside from skiing and snowboarding. Join a mushing course and drive your own dog sled or take a sleigh ride through glorious landscape. There’s a semi-natural ice rink in the village and you can sledge and snake gliss down snow covered hillsides. Saint Gervais is easy to reach for the ultimate spa experience in the town’s thermal baths, or you can soak up some local heritage and culture in the nearby chapels and churches.
Best time to go
Best time to ski Les Contamines - Montjoie
Best time to visit & ski Les Contamines - Montjoie
The slopes here often see some of the best snow conditions in the Evasion ski area, and are backed up with 220 snow cannons when natural cover is lacking. January is usually the coldest month and February the snowiest.
Peak Dates
Photos with Santa are one of the highlights of Christmas in Les Contamines, where ice skating and tobogganing add to a fun week on the snow.
There’s usually a big party on the village square to see in the New Year in Les Contamines, with fireworks, music and everyone welcome.
Not being one of the best known resorts in the French Alps is a bonus for Half Term in Les Contamines - you have hundreds of slopes on your doorstep and they should be quieter than the big name resorts.
Thanks to some of the best conditions in the Evasion Mt Blanc area, the conditions tend to be good over Easter in Les Contamines, and the views nothing short of spectacular.
Families in Les Contamines - Montjoie
There are a number of options here for families, from the Galipette daycare centre for young ‘uns too little to ski, to the ESF lessons for learners, improvers and confident snow lovers.
In recent years, the Nature Reserve centre has put on activities for 6 year olds and up, including printing and painting. They’re also known to provide fact sheets to help you identify flora and fauna together on the mountain.
For snowy fun without the skis, there’s a kid’s sledge slope in the Nordic Park for 3-6 year olds and the Nivorin run (by the baby drag lift) for older children and adults. To up the ante, head to the Signal when the lifts begin to close and join the furiously fun snake gliss run back down to base.
GroupsGroup Holidays Les Contamines - Montjoie
Spend the week enjoying the Les Contamines-Hatuteluce slopes, or set off to explore a different ski area every day - St Gervais, Megeve and Chamonix are within easy reach and make terrific options for a group ski safari. In fact, even if you don’t touch a ski or snowboard all week here, you’ll have a terrific time; non-skiers can visit historic churches and hamlets, sample Saint Gervais’ thermal baths and simply sit and soak up the sights of the Mont Blanc massif.
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