Switzerland, Europe
Les Diablerets
87km pistes, 1,224-2,971m elevation, Glacier 3000 access. Swiss resort in Vaud Alps near Geneva.
Season 2025 - 2026
Opens
7 Dec 2025
Closes
6 Apr 2026
Days open
120
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 2025 - 2026
7 Dec 2025
Opens
6 Apr 2026
Closes
120
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
Spain Moves to Ban Smoking at Ski Resorts Under New Tobacco Law
Spain's government has approved a draft tobacco law that would ban smoking across a wide range of outdoor spaces, including sports venues - a category Spanish winter sports media expect to cover ski resorts, potentially extending to slopes and lifts themselves. The rules would also apply to e-cigarettes and vaping devices, even nicotine-free ones. The bill still has to clear the Spanish parliament before any ban, signage, or fines can take effect.
22 July 2026
South Tyrol Approves New 16-Person Ciampinoi Gondola in Val Gardena
South Tyrol has approved a full rebuild of the Ciampinoi cable car in Selva di Val Gardena, replacing the current 12-person gondola with a 16-person cabin and a new mountain-station restaurant. Capacity is capped at 3,200 people an hour rather than the 3,600 the operator wanted, and 250,000 euros must go toward compensatory measures. No construction or opening date has been set, though the upgrade is partly aimed at clearing bottlenecks before the 2031 Alpine Ski World Championships.
22 July 2026
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21 July 2026
La Thuile's New Cable Car Replaces Two Ageing Chairlifts
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21 July 2026
The Remarkables Adds Scarpa Bowl to Its Inbounds Terrain
The Remarkables is adding new inbounds terrain for winter, bringing the Scarpa Bowl - known locally as the Toilet Bowl - into its lift-accessed network after years as backcountry-only ground. The roughly 500 metre run is reached by bootpacking from the top of the Sugar Bowl chairlift, with a shuttle picking skiers up from the road at the bottom. It's a smaller, faster addition than the resort's planned Doolans expansion, though the new terrain hasn't opened yet due to a lack of snow this season.
21 July 2026
Ski Portillo Cut Off After Storm Dumps More Than 4.5 Metres of Snow
Ski Portillo remains isolated after an extended storm buried the Chilean resort under more than 4.5 metres of snow, with both ground and air access suspended since Tuesday while crews monitor avalanche hazards and worsening weather. Resort officials say further snowfall is expected in the coming days and haven't set a timeline for reopening the mountain road. Once access resumes, the scale of the snowpack could set up a strong season at one of the Southern Hemisphere's most historic ski resorts.
21 July 2026
Resort Spotlight: Lotte Arai - Japan's Corporate Ski Anomaly With 22 Metres of Annual Snowfall
Lotte Arai receives 22 metres of annual snowfall - exceptional even by Japanese standards - but its corporate ownership model and limited terrain create an unusual cost-benefit equation. Here's what the numbers actually mean on the ground.
19 July 2026
Resort Spotlight: Banff Sunshine Village - Nine Metres of Snow and a Season That Runs Until May
Banff Sunshine Village sits at 1,660m base and receives 9.27m of snow annually. Inside Banff National Park, it offers a six-month season and terrain split that skews heavily advanced - though the crowds and lift infrastructure tell their own story.
18 July 2026
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.