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Les Saisies Hauteluce Ski Resort
The existence of the Les Saisies is all thanks to an Austrian ski instructor called Erwin Eckl in 1935. The scenery reminded him of the Tyrolean landscape back home (in fact, the area is often referred to as “French Tyrol”), and he began to dream up his perfect ski resort. Within a year he’d opened a chalet hotel, and by 1956 a drag lift had appeared. Slowly but surely the resort grew, and in 1992 it starred as the host of the Nordic races in the Olympic games. The 120km Nordic ski area remains a huge attraction today – this is one of the best resorts, if not THE best for cross country skiing in France.
The 2014/15 season saw over 30 million euros of investment throughout the resort, providing a modern and hassle free experience on and off the mountains.
Climb to 1650m above sea level on the mountain pass between the Beaufortain and Arly valleys, and you’ll reach the main ski resort of Les Saisies. 30km away from Albertville, the place suits its surroundings, with traditional chalets built from local wood and stone. A number of lifts serve the pistes, which stream down from Mont Bisanne to the west, La Legette to the east and Chard du Beurre to the northeast.
On the other side of La Legette, Hauteluce (1150m) is an old mountain village complete with a baroque church - L'église Saint-Jacques – as its pretty centrepiece. The Chozal chairlift and blue and red pistes provide access to and from the ski area.
Head up and over Mont Bisanne and a third bed base, the little hamlet of Bisanne, comes into view down at 1500m. It’s served by the Rosières lift, a blue run and a black run. All three bases are served by a shuttle bus, and all have amazing views of Mont Blanc.
Stats & FAQ
Location: Savoie, France
Established: 1963
Open: December - April
Downhill: 192km / 159 runs
View our detailed Les Saisies Hauteluce 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 Saisies Hauteluce snow history.
| Nearest Airport & Transfer Time: | |
| Chambéry Airport (CNF) | 92km, 1.5 hours |
| Geneva Airport (GVA) | 112km, 2 hours |
| Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport (LYS) | 168km, 2 hours |
| Grenoble (GNB) | 172km, 2 hours |
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| Top Altitude: | 2069m |
| Bottom Altitude: | 1150m |
| Resort Altitude: | 1650m |
| Longest run: | 3.8km |
| Slope Orientation: | S |
| Vertical Drop: | 919m |
| Skiable Vertical: | |
| Night Skiing: | No |
| Glacier: | No |
Snow Report
Web Cam
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| Downhill Runs: | 192km / 159 runs |
| Beginner slopes: | |
| Intermediate: | |
| Advanced slopes: | |
| Lift Pass Price: | €181.70 (adult 6 day Les Saisies) €207 (adult 6 day Espace Diamant) |
| Nearby resorts: Megeve, Saint Gervais, Les Houches | |
Skiing/BoardingSkiing in Les Saisies Hauteluce
The 77km of local slopes link up with the Espace Dimant ski area via the Trolliers and Plan Corbet blue and green runs. Covering 192km, the Espace Dimant connect Saisies and Hauteluce with Praz sur Arly, Flumet, Notre Dame de Bellecombe and Crest-Voland/Cohennoz. A good 90% of the pistes are tree lined and the general nature of them is cruisey and family-friendly.
ESF and ESI teach a range of age groups and ski levels, using the wide, gentle practice slopes at Carrets and Challiers. For progression, the Blanchots piste takes you from La Legette down to the base area – giving you enough space and time to build up a rhythm (best skied in the morning before the home run crowd). We like the cruisey Grande Combe piste from Mont Bisanne, which branches off onto the Rhododendrons for an alternative route down.
For intermediate terrain, head to Mont Bisane and take the runs from the Chamois chair – Chamois and Eterlou are two of the trickier reds in the area, and an awful lot of fun to ski. Lanches down to Hauteluce crams in steeps, turns, wide bits and narrow bits.
Mont Bisanne has two black pistes, the Bouquetin down to the village and Kamikaze served by the Chamois lift (a short and usually not-too-testing run, unless it’s icy…). Two more are served by the Legette lift - though Perdrix could easily be a red run in another resort, the newer Cubérotte run is a narrow, bumpy challenge. There are some good off-piste runs between the trees, and a guide will be able to take you on half or full day tours of the area.
Cross country skiers have come to the right place, with a whopping 120km of trails taking skaters and classic skiers through forests and over snowy pastures.
Les Saisies Hauteluce Apres Ski
Le 1650 is a bowling alley, bar and restaurant rolled into one. It’s part of Le Signal leisure centre, which has a pool complex including a fun pool, river, swimming lanes and a children’s paddling area. There’s also a wellness area with a sauna, Jacuzzis, steam rooms and some heavenly treatments including Hanakasumi. And a sports area where you can play badminton, volleyball, basketball and use gym equipment.
It’s worth stopping off at Le Benetton, whether for drinks from a deckchair, fondue on the terrace or both. Le Chalet des Marmottes does a smashing raclette, but save room for their puddings which are incredible. Speaking of puddings, if all you need is a drink and something sweet, head to La Chocolatine on the main street for delicious coffee and cake. The Antre Melee bar usually screens sport events, while Copon is seriously cosy with sheepskin rugs, an open fire and a good wine menu.
The list of non-ski activities is a long one, with favourites including dog sledding, the Mountain Twister ride and climbing frozen waterfalls.
Best time to go
Best time to ski Les Saisies Hauteluce
Best time to visit & ski Les Saisies Hauteluce
The nearness of Mont Blanc helps give Saisies a seriously snowy climate, with the main season running from December to April and lifts prepared to open early on good snow years. If extra cover is required, 479 snow cannons cover 40% of the ski area.
Peak Dates
Fairy lights, fireworks, music, dancing and an appearance from Père Noël make Christmas in Les Saisies magical.
See in the New Year in Les Saises skiing amid the French Tyrol and celebrating with the locals.
From fairy-tale ski slopes to fun adventures without skis, spending Half Term in Les Saises is a terrific option for families.
The snow conditions have been known to be excellent over Easter in Les Saisies, and on a clear, sunny day the views of Mont Blanc are incredible.
Families in Les Saisies Hauteluce
With short-ish transfers and a forgiving ski area, this place is perfect for families. Under-fives have been able to get free ski passes and the Lutins (in Les Saisies) and Gobelins (In Bisanne) lifts are usually free to access. There are three snow gardens – one in the village, one in the Carrets area and another in the Forest area – all kitted out with magic carpets for tiddlers from three. ESF and ESI run group lessons for children aged three and up.
It doesn’t end there… In the Blanchots ski area, the Elf’s forest is a fun trail where little ones can search for characters between the trees.
There’s oodles of fun to be had without skis too. The Mountain Twister (toboggan run meets rollercoaster) is a blast to zoom down, and the leisure centre has some cracking activities like bowling. Dog sledding makes for very happy memories, and there’s even a Baby Park especially for mini mushers.
Last time we checked, snowshoe excursions ran every Thursday for 5-12 year olds, where young explorers are kitted out with head torches and snow shovels for an expedition of igloo building, orienteering and following animal footprints.
GroupsGroup Holidays Les Saisies Hauteluce
The Espace Diamant is especially good for groups of beginners and improvers, who can roam far and wide on cruisey blues and friendly reds. While the black runs tend to be a little on the easy side, experts can find their adrenaline hits on the narrow, mogulled Cubérotte piste and powder trails between the trees. Our favourite group activities include husky rides and snowshoe hikes, which show you the landscape of the French Tyrol from a different perspective. Make Le Benetton or Chalet des Marmottes your meeting point for drinks and mountain food – both have lovely outdoor areas where you can sit and soak up the sights.
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