
The interconnected domain spans 263 kilometres of piste across 232 marked runs, stretching from 850 metres in the valley to 2,353 metres atop Mont Joly. The 1,503-metre vertical drop carves through predominantly tree-lined terrain below 2,000 metres before opening to alpine bowls at higher elevations. Both resorts form part of the Évasion Mont-Blanc pass, granting access to 445 kilometres across six linked areas including Les Contamines and Combloux. The Rochebrune cable car, France's first purpose-built skiing gondola from 1933, remains an operational centrepiece.
Terrain distribution favours progression: 37 per cent green and blue, 51 per cent intermediate red, and 12 per cent advanced black. Mont d'Arbois delivers long cruising runs through forest, whilst Mont Joux and Mont Joly host steeper pitches including the black Grand Chamois descent. Rochebrune's Côte 2000 sector maintains more reliable snow at 2,000 metres elevation. The Jaillet sector connects westward to Combloux via 5.5-kilometre blue runs.
Megève village sits at 1,113 metres with medieval cobbled streets and direct gondola access to Rochebrune and Jaillet. Saint-Gervais at 850 metres offers thermal spa facilities alongside ski-in access via the Bettex gondola. Both bases blend alpine charm with functional infrastructure, though lower elevations require snowmaking coverage across 650 snow cannons. La Folie Douce occupies the Mont Joux summit at 2,000 metres.
The Évasion Mont-Blanc pass covers all lifts for €63.50 daily (2025-26 adult rate). Mont Blanc Unlimited adds Chamonix, Courmayeur, and Verbier for extended exploration. The domain suits intermediates seeking mileage and families requiring varied terrain, though modest summit elevations make spring conditions variable. Ikon Pass holders receive conditional access to the full Évasion network.
Megève / Saint-Gervais spreads 232 runs across 263 km of piste of terrain. It leans intermediate at 51%, with 86 beginner runs to find your feet and 28 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.
The 2025-26 season runs from 6 December 2025 (partial opening Côte 2000 and Mont d'Arbois) to 6 April 2026 for Megève sectors, with Rochebrune and Mont d'Arbois closing simultaneously. Saint-Gervais operates the same window, though upper lifts may extend through Easter depending on cover. Typical seasons span mid-December to early April, with Côte 2000's higher elevation occasionally holding snow into late April. Full terrain opening typically occurs by Christmas week.
Annual snowfall averages 321 to 331 centimetres, supplemented by 650 snow cannons covering approximately 15 per cent of marked runs. Base elevations between 850 and 1,113 metres make the domain vulnerable during warm spells, particularly March onwards when lower runs require artificial support. Summit zones above 2,000 metres maintain more consistent coverage. January and February deliver the most reliable natural accumulation.
Peak powder months run January through mid-February, avoiding February half-term crowds (8 to 22 February typically). Early December offers uncrowded slopes but limited terrain access. March provides spring conditions with extended daylight and warmer temperatures, though base runs often close by afternoon. Post-Easter skiing concentrates on Côte 2000 north-facing aspects.
The calendar includes traditional markets each Friday in Megève village. Night skiing operates periodically on select runs. Folie Douce après-ski runs daily from 14:00 atop Mont Joux. No major competitions anchor the season. Horse-drawn sleighs transport skiers between Megève centre and Jaillet base during daylight hours.
Megève occupies the Arve valley in Haute-Savoie at 1,113 metres, with Saint-Gervais-les-Bains 12 kilometres northwest at 850 metres elevation in the same watershed. The Mont Blanc massif dominates eastern views, rising to 4,808 metres 20 kilometres distant. The ski domain spreads across forested mid-mountain terrain between the Aravis range west and the Mont Blanc foothills east. Both villages sit within the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes administrative region.
Sallanches lies 12 kilometres northeast as the nearest valley town with rail connections. Combloux neighbours 4 kilometres from Megève, whilst Chamonix sits 30 kilometres east via the Arve valley. Annecy occupies the lakeshore 60 kilometres northwest. The area developed as a medieval farming district before the Rothschild family conceived Megève as France's answer to St Moritz during the 1920s.
Road access follows the A40 Autoroute Blanche from Geneva, exiting at Sallanches (Exit 20) then continuing 12 kilometres via the D1212 departmental road to Megève. From Lyon 200 kilometres south, the A43 and A41 motorways connect via Albertville. Swiss travellers require a motorway vignette; Italian arrivals use the Mont Blanc tunnel (A40). Journey time from Geneva airport averages 70 minutes in clear conditions.
Geneva International Airport lies 90 kilometres northwest with the highest frequency of international routes. Chambéry airport sits 95 kilometres south, Lyon 172 kilometres. Sallanches-Combloux-Megève train station receives direct TGV services from Paris Gare de Lyon (4 hours 40 minutes weekends), plus regional TER trains from Annecy and Geneva via Léman Express connections. Bus transfers complete the 12-kilometre link from Sallanches station, operated by SAT Mont Blanc on line Y83.
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Aspen Snowmass turns 80 this December, and it's marking the milestone with $3.75 lift tickets on the anniversary itself - the original 1946 price. A discounted long weekend, $19.46 dining specials, lodging deals up to 46 percent off, and a season of anniversary programming round out the celebration across all four mountains.

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The International Ski and Snowboard Federation is looking at a major shake-up to its title events calendar. From 2032, World Championships could run not just in odd-numbered years but in every non-Olympic winter too, effectively putting a global title event on the calendar almost every season. The FIS Council has approved the concept following a feasibility study, though an accelerated rollout as early as 2028 is also under consideration.

Mount Buller closes out its 2026 season this Sunday, joining Falls Creek, Hotham and Charlotte Pass in a cluster of closures landing almost simultaneously and roughly a month ahead of schedule. The culprit is stark: Spencers Creek's benchmark snow depth hit 31.2cm on 3 September, just 18% of the 73-year average and an all-time low for this point in the season. Six of Victoria and NSW's best-known resorts will have shut their lifts early within a span of about two and a half weeks.

Tremblant has confirmed a major expansion of its Quebec ski area, with a new Timber Summit sector adding 62 acres of terrain, eight trails and a high-speed quad chairlift for winter 2027/28. It's part of a CAD 42.5 million investment that also includes a new beginner learning zone at Versant Soleil opening this coming season. The project has grown considerably since it was first announced back in 2020, when it carried a far smaller budget and an opening date that never eventuated.

We knew when the Bird Bath Pond Skim showed up on Hotham's Instagram that the season was on its way out. It's been a rough one - I only managed two days on snow all year, at Falls Creek - and now Baw Baw, Selwyn and Hotham have all called it, possibly the worst Australian season I've seen in a decade. Hotham's last day of lift operations is Sunday, 6 September, with a Retro Day, Father's Day après and closing sales before the lifts stop turning for good.

Thredbo Alpine Resort has confirmed plans to replace its 37-year-old Gunbarrel quad chairlift with a new six-seat Doppelmayr D-Line, targeting winter 2028. The AUD 35 million project will keep travel time roughly the same but lift capacity from 2,800 to 3,000 skiers per hour. It's part of a broader investment push that also includes doubled snowmaking capacity at Friday Flat for 2027, with the ageing Kosciuszko Express now flagged as the resort's next major lift replacement after Gunbarrel.
The 2025-2026 season at Megève / Saint-Gervais closed on Apr 6, 2026. Check back for next season's opening date and ticket pricing.
More Megève / Saint-Gervais intelligence: snow report, webcams, resort overview.