Les Diablerets
87km pistes, 1,224-2,971m elevation, Glacier 3000 access. Swiss resort in Vaud Alps near Geneva.
Season 2026 - 2027
Opens
28 Nov 2026
Closes
11 Apr 2027
Days open
134
Annual snow
4m
The Overview
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
Les Diablerets operates between 1,224 and 2,971 metres across 87 kilometres of marked runs and 29 lifts, with the Meilleret sector connecting directly to Villars and Gryon for access to over 100 kilometres of combined terrain. The resort's 2,020 Winter Youth Olympics pedigree shows on the Willy Favre piste, which hosted downhill events. Glacier 3000 extends season access from early November to late April with year-round glacier skiing at Scex Rouge.
The terrain splits heavily towards learning progression, with 76 per cent beginner runs, 21 per cent intermediate, and 3 per cent advanced. The Meilleret area features predominantly blues and reds connecting through to Villars via chairlift. Glacier 3000's Combe d'Audon descends 10 kilometres with 1,000 metres vertical, whilst the Isenau sector remains closed since 2017 pending lift replacement.
The village sits at 1,200 metres in the Ormont Valley, built from traditional wooden chalets beneath the 3,210-metre Diablerets massif. Free ski buses link to Col du Pillon for Glacier 3000 access. The Musée des Ormonts and 14th-century chapel at Vers l'Eglise preserve valley heritage three kilometres from the main village.
Multi-day passes include the Alpes Vaudoises network covering Leysin and Les Mosses, whilst three-day-plus tickets allow Glacier 3000 access. Magic Pass holders ski free across the Villars-Gryon-Diablerets domain. The resort suits families and intermediates seeking uncrowded pistes with glacier reliability, though expert terrain remains limited outside Glacier 3000's off-piste zones.
896m
Vertical
50
Runs
87 km
Piste
4m
Annual snow
The Terrain
50 runs across 87 km of piste
Les Diablerets spreads 50 runs across 87 km of piste of terrain. It leans beginner at 76%, with 38 beginner runs to find your feet and 2 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.
Terrain split
50
runs
50 runs across 4 grades
Beginner38 runs · 76%
Intermediate11 runs · 21%
Advanced2 runs · 3%
Expert0 runs · 0%
Time it right
When to visit Les Diablerets
The 2025-26 season runs from 7 December 2025 to 6 April 2026 across the Villars-Gryon-Diablerets domain, with Glacier 3000 opening from early November through 30 April dependent on conditions. Typical season length spans 18 weeks valley-side, extending to 26 weeks including glacier access. Operating hours run 8.30am to 4.30pm daily.
Annual snowfall averages 430 centimetres at village elevation, rising to 618 centimetres at glacier altitudes. Current base depth sits at 135 centimetres with 41 centimetres recorded over seven days. Glacier 3000's elevation between 2,525 and 2,971 metres guarantees reliable coverage from November through spring, whilst Meilleret's tree-lined runs between 1,224 and 1,949 metres benefit from natural snowfall patterns.
January and February deliver peak powder conditions with consistent cold temperatures and regular fresh snow cycles. March offers warmer spring skiing with extended daylight hours. December and early January can feel cold at glacier elevations. Late March through April provides corn snow conditions on south-facing Meilleret runs whilst maintaining powder at altitude.
Thursday night skiing operates on the floodlit Jorasse piste from 25 December to 19 March 2026, conditions permitting. The resort hosts FIS giant slalom events at the Diablerets Alpine Centre. Summer activities include the Alpine Coaster and Peak Walk by Tissot suspension bridge. The Les Diablerets Film Festival runs annually since 1969.
Season 2026 - 2027
28 Nov 2026
Opens
11 Apr 2027
Closes
134
Days open
4 m
Annual snow
Getting there
Getting to Les Diablerets, and where to stay
Les Diablerets occupies the Ormont Valley in the canton of Vaud at 1,200 metres elevation, beneath the north face of the 3,210-metre Diablerets massif. The municipality of Ormont-Dessus spans 61.65 square kilometres with 1,467 residents. The village sits in Switzerland's French-speaking Alpes Vaudoises region, 40 kilometres from Lake Geneva.
Montreux lies 40 kilometres north via the Rhône Valley, whilst Gstaad sits 30 kilometres east over Col du Pillon at 1,546 metres. The satellite hamlet Vers l'Eglise dates from the 13th century and sits three kilometres west. Aigle, 20 kilometres northwest in the valley, serves as the main rail junction. The village preserves traditional chalet architecture with 20 restaurants and five bars along the pedestrianised main street.
Geneva Airport lies 120 kilometres west via the A9 autoroute. Exit Junction 19 at Bex, then follow signs through Gryon to Les Diablerets - total drive time approximately 90 minutes. The A9 motorway parallels Lake Geneva before turning south through the Rhône Valley. Col de la Croix provides summer access east towards Château-d'Oex when open June through October.
The Aigle-Sépey-Diablerets narrow-gauge railway reaches the village in 50 minutes from Aigle station, which connects to Geneva in 90 minutes total via SBB mainline services with one change. Trains from Geneva Airport require transfer at Aigle. Sion Airport sits 70 minutes southeast but operates limited scheduled services. Free ski buses run between village and Col du Pillon for Glacier 3000 access throughout winter.
Where to stay
Search all stays →Hotels and lodges near Les Diablerets, powered by Stay22.
Latest News
From the SnowStash desk
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16 Sept 2026
FIS Weighs Holding World Championships in Almost Every Winter, Starting 2032
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.
4 Sept 2026
Mount Buller Becomes Latest Australian Resort to Call Time Early on 2026
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.
4 Sept 2026
Tremblant to Add New Timber Summit Ski Sector for 2027/28 Season
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.
2 Sept 2026
Mount Hotham to Close for the 2026 Season on Sunday, September 6
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.
1 Sept 2026
Thredbo to Replace Ageing Gunbarrel Quad With New Six-Seat Chairlift for 2028
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.
31 Aug 2026
Les Diablerets Lift System
The resort operates 29 lifts across the Meilleret and linked Villars-Gryon sectors: 3 gondolas, 2 eight-seat chairs, 4 six-seat chairs, 4 quad chairs, 5 surface lifts, and 11 t-bars. Separate Glacier 3000 infrastructure comprises 10 lifts serving 28 kilometres. Combined uphill capacity reaches 16,200 skiers per hour across local terrain.
The Diablerets Express 10-seat gondola replaced the Vioz-Mazots quad in 2018, running 2,318 metres from village edge at 1,170 metres to Mazots at 1,710 metres in seven minutes with 2,500 hourly capacity. Laouissalet-Meilleret six-seat chair accesses snowpark terrain and links towards Villars. Col du Pillon cable car ascends Glacier 3000 in two stages via Cabane des Diablerets to Scex Rouge at 2,971 metres.
The Meilleret gondola base sits 500 metres from village centre with free parking. Chairlifts Conche Mi Laouissalet and Sodoleuvre-La Croix form the critical connection to Villars terrain, whilst Croix des Chaux provides onward links to Gryon. Surface lifts and t-bars serve beginner zones and upper-mountain terrain across both sectors.
Infrastructure investment focused on replacing dated fixed-grip chairs with detachable models through the 2010s. The BVB cog railway from Bex to Bretaye via Villars provides alternative mountain access. Glacier 3000's Ice Express chairlift and Scex Rouge quad serve high-altitude terrain, with first lifts at 9am and last descent at 4.30pm winter.
29lifts across 6 types
3
Gondolas
2
8-Person Chairs
4
6-Person Chairs
4
Quad Chairs
11
T-Bars
5
Surface Lifts
Les Diablerets lift system
Les Diablerets is served by 29 lifts, listed here by type. Check which lifts are turning against the live conditions before you plan your first laps - early lifts and high-speed chairs get you to the best snow fastest.
More Les Diablerets intelligence: trail map, snow report, webcams, resort overview.