Les Mosses
495m vertical, 40km piste, 12 lifts. Family resort in Vaud Alps with Magic Pass, 90min from Geneva.
Season 2026 - 2027
Opens
1 Dec 2026
Closes
15 Apr 2027
Days open
135
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 Mosses operates between 1,379 and 1,874 metres across 40 kilometres of piste served by 12 lifts, delivering 495 metres of vertical drop in the municipality of Ormont-Dessous. The resort records 430 centimetres of average annual snowfall and maintains snowmaking coverage across its entire 40-kilometre network. Terrain divides 25% beginner and 75% intermediate with no advanced runs, whilst 42 kilometres of Nordic trails spread across the high plateau between 1,450 and 1,650 metres elevation. Connectivity to neighbouring Leysin via regular shuttle bus extends the combined domain to over 100 kilometres.
The ski area splits between Les Mosses and La Lécherette sectors across gentle wide slopes ideal for progression, with named runs including the red piste Les Folliets. A terrain park offers jumps and rails catering to multiple ability levels. The longest descent measures two kilometres, whilst the most challenging run is designated Parchet 1. Les Mosses sits at Col des Mosses pass at 1,445 metres, spreading across a protected high valley that contrasts with Leysin's sun-exposed south-facing bowl.
The resort maintains a relaxed family atmosphere with minimal queuing and traditional Alpine village character at 1,450 metres base elevation. A snow garden equipped with magic carpets offers free access for children up to age nine. Off-slope activities include dog-sledding, with the resort hosting international dog-sled races, snowtubing, and ice diving at frozen Lac Lioson at 1,850 metres. On-mountain dining includes Cabane des Monts-Chevreuils and Pra-Cornet hut.
Magic Pass inclusion provides unlimited access from early December through mid-April, alongside entry to over 100 partner resorts across Switzerland. Adult day tickets cost 52 francs standard rate, rising to 58 francs peak periods, whilst seniors born 1946 or earlier ski free. The combined Leysin-Les Mosses-La Lécherette network suits families and intermediates seeking uncrowded slopes with reliable snow preservation above the Rhône Valley inversions.
495m
Vertical
18
Runs
40 km
Piste
4m
Annual snow
The Terrain
18 runs across 40 km of piste
Les Mosses spreads 18 runs across 40 km of piste of terrain. It leans intermediate at 75%, with 5 beginner runs to find your feet.
Terrain split
18
runs
18 runs across 4 grades
Beginner5 runs · 25%
Intermediate14 runs · 75%
Advanced0 runs · 0%
Expert0 runs · 0%
Time it right
When to visit Les Mosses
The 2025-26 season operates from 1 December 2025 through 15 April 2026, delivering approximately four and a half months of skiing. Typical season length extends mid-December through mid-April depending on snowfall, with early and late season dates varying annually. The resort opened for early season on 29-30 November 2025 when conditions permitted. December through April represents standard operating months across the Vaud Alps region.
Les Mosses records 430 centimetres average annual snowfall with peak accumulation during January and February. The resort's 1,450-metre base elevation and 1,874-metre summit provide superior snow preservation compared to lower Leysin during warming periods. Comprehensive snowmaking covers all 40 kilometres of piste, ensuring reliable coverage despite the area's abundant sunshine hours. February typically delivers optimal snow depth averaging 145 centimetres at summit elevation.
January through March offers the most consistent conditions, with December seeing 81 centimetres average snowfall and January delivering 117 centimetres. Spring conditions from March onwards favour Les Mosses' north-facing aspects over Leysin's sun-exposed terrain. The high plateau location between 1,450-1,650 metres maintains relative snow security throughout winter. Quieter periods occur weekdays outside Swiss school holidays, whilst weekends draw families from Geneva and Lausanne within 90 minutes' drive.
The resort frequently operates above cloud cover during winter inversions settling over the Rhône Valley, delivering exceptional sunshine hours. No night skiing operates at Les Mosses itself, though nearby La Forclaz village offers lit runs. The area hosts international dog-sled races during winter. Cross-country skiing on 42 kilometres of Nordic trails, including 850 metres of illuminated track, extends throughout the season. The plateau's exposed position creates reliable snow conditions from early season through April closure.
Season 2026 - 2027
1 Dec 2026
Opens
15 Apr 2027
Closes
135
Days open
4 m
Annual snow
Getting there
Getting to Les Mosses, and where to stay
Les Mosses sits at the Col des Mosses pass at 1,445 metres elevation in the municipality of Ormont-Dessous within Aigle District, Canton of Vaud. The hamlet occupies a high plateau in the western Bernese Alps between the Grande-Eau valley and Pays-d'Enhaut, approximately 20 kilometres from Aigle in western Switzerland's French-speaking region. Surrounding peaks include Pic Chaussy at 2,351 metres to the south and Gros Van overlooking the pass, whilst Lac Lioson sits at 1,850 metres nearby.
The village of Le Sépey lies seven kilometres downvalley, whilst Château-d'Oex sits north over the pass. Aigle serves as the primary valley town 20 kilometres south at 415 metres elevation on the Rhône plain. Montreux sits 30 kilometres southwest on Lake Geneva's eastern shore. The resort occupies Col des Mosses pass linking Aigle with Château-d'Oex, a historic route through the western Vaud Alps.
From the A9 motorway, exit 17 signposted Aigle/Ollon/Les Mosses provides direct access via the Col des Mosses road. Geneva lies 130 kilometres or 90 minutes west via A9 and lakeside routes. Lausanne sits 64 kilometres or one hour northwest via A9. The pass road remains open year-round with winter maintenance, though chains may be required during heavy snowfall. Swiss motorway vignette costs 40 francs annually and is compulsory.
Geneva Airport lies 130 kilometres or 80 minutes by road, serving as the closest international hub. Sion Airport sits 60 minutes east, whilst Bern Airport lies 90 minutes northeast. Rail access requires Swiss Federal Railways to Aigle station, then the Aigle-Leysin (AL) cog railway to Le Sépey, followed by bus 175 to Les Mosses village. Total journey from Geneva by public transport takes approximately three and a half hours with transfers. TGV Lyria from Paris Gare de Lyon reaches Lausanne in five hours fifteen minutes.
Where to stay
Search all stays →Hotels and lodges near Les Mosses, powered by Stay22.
Latest News
From the SnowStash desk
Aspen Snowmass Marks 80th Anniversary With $3.75 Throwback Lift Tickets
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.
17 Sept 2026
Doppelmayr Group Posts 9.1% Revenue Growth in 2025/26, Passing 1.3 Billion Euros
Doppelmayr closed its 2025/26 business year with revenue up 9.1 percent to 1.3 billion euros, driven by projects including the Big Sky Explorer Gondola, Deer Valley's Mayflower East Village Gondola, and the first TRI-Line installation at Hoch-Ybrig. Headcount grew too, with the ropeway manufacturer now employing almost 4,000 people worldwide.
16 Sept 2026
Hintertux Glacier Replaces 40-Year-Old Gondola to Tuxer Fernerhaus
Hintertux Glacier is retiring its 40-year-old gondola to the Tuxer Fernerhaus. The replacement carries 10 people per cabin instead of four, with seat heating and nearly 40 percent more hourly capacity. Doppelmayr's new line opens at the end of October 2026, right as the glacier's high-altitude terrain becomes accessible again for the new season.
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 Mosses Lift System
Les Mosses operates 12 lifts comprising 11 T-bar drag lifts and one magic carpet surface lift concentrated across the high valley terrain. The system delivers an uphill capacity of 10,000 skiers per hour across the 40-kilometre network. All installations are surface lifts - no chairlifts or gondolas serve the Les Mosses-La Lécherette sector independently. Connected partner Leysin adds a gondola and chairlifts to the combined 100-kilometre domain accessible via shuttle bus.
Key installations include Téléski des Chaux providing primary summit access and Téléski de l'Arsat serving mid-mountain terrain. The Dorchaux I and Dorchaux II T-bars access separate slope sectors. A magic carpet in the snow garden facilitates beginner progression near the village base at 1,379 metres. Named lifts spread across both Les Mosses and adjacent La Lécherette, with La Lécherette's 13 installations overlapping in combined resort statistics reported variously as 12-14 total lifts.
Base-to-summit flow relies entirely on drag lift progression with no high-speed detachable installations present. The predominantly surface lift infrastructure creates an old-school Alpine experience requiring T-bar proficiency. Shuttle buses connect to Leysin every 15 minutes during operating hours, providing strategic access to that sector's more modern gondola and chairlift network. Lift tickets grant access across both sectors, though the connecting bus journey requires nine minutes between bases.
No recent major infrastructure upgrades have been documented, with the resort maintaining its traditional drag lift character. The system serves terrain efficiently given the moderate vertical drop and gentle gradient favouring beginners and intermediates. Bottlenecks rarely occur due to the uncrowded nature and spread of installations across multiple sectors. Facilities operate reliably throughout December to April season with regular grooming maintaining piste quality across the predominantly intermediate terrain profile.
12lifts across 2 types
11
T-Bars
1
Surface Lift
Les Mosses lift system
Les Mosses is served by 12 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 Mosses intelligence: trail map, snow report, webcams, resort overview.