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
4.3m
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
4.3m
Annual snow
The Terrain
18 runs across 40 km of piste
Les Mosses is a small, low-key area with 18 runs over 40 kilometres, climbing from 1,379 metres at the base to 1,874 metres for a vertical of 495 metres. The grading is simple: 25% beginner and 75% intermediate, with nothing steeper. Eleven T-bars and a single surface lift carry skiers up the slopes, so there are no chairs or gondolas to wait for. Here the snow is a reasonable bet through winter because the Col des Mosses sits well above the Rhône valley inversions. It is a mellow place to build mileage rather than chase vertical.
Les Mosses and the neighbouring La Lécherette share a broad, open plateau of wide, forgiving slopes, with the two sectors joined by the Arsat lift. A shuttle bus runs to Leysin, and both areas are covered by the Alpes Vaudoises regional passes. The Col des Mosses is also well known for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and dog-sledding, so mixed groups can split between downhill and nordic days. There is little genuine steep terrain, so experts should look elsewhere. Beginners stepping up to blues and reds, and families wanting uncrowded cruising, are well served.
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
4.3 m
Annual snow
The record
Historical snowfall at Les Mosses
Daily snow reports at Les Mosses go back to 2025, 3 winters on the books. Open the record to compare winters, lifts and piste.
9.6 cm
Snowiest day
24 Oct 2026
26 cm
This winter · 2026-27
so far
0 cm
Typical winter
average of complete seasons
Winter totals
cm
Past wintersThis winter
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
Kitzbüheler Horn Summit Cable Car to Be Replaced After 70 Years
A Tyrolean summit lift that has been carrying guests up the Kitzbüheler Horn since 1955 is on borrowed time. Its licence runs to 2045, but a new inspection rule has made refurbishment uneconomic, so Bergbahn AG Kitzbühel will spend around €15 million on a replacement on the same line. It should hold roughly 100 people and keep running in winds that would stop today’s lift. Building starts in autumn 2027, which makes this winter and next summer the last chances to ride the old one.
30 Oct 2026
What’s New in Japan Skiing This Winter: Niseko Gondola, a Private Resort and a Bigger Ikon Pass
Niseko Village is replacing a lift from the early 1980s with an eight-person gondola, Tsugaike gets a six-person chairlift, Madarao joins the Ikon Pass and Togari opens Asia’s first private ski resort. Here’s what is actually new in Japan skiing for 2026/27, plus what is still a year or two away.
30 Oct 2026
Wolf Creek Opens on Halloween Weekend as Colorado’s Early Season Gathers Pace
Colorado’s early-season dominoes keep falling. Arapahoe Basin opened on Wednesday, Keystone follows on Friday, and now Wolf Creek is joining in on Saturday 31 October, just in time for Halloween. A storm on 23 and 24 October left 20 inches of natural snow in the San Juans, and three lifts will turn from 9:00 am, covering about 30% of the mountain. Expect rocks, unmarked obstacles and open water, but also Local Appreciation lift tickets at $73 for adults.
30 Oct 2026
Keystone Resort Opens for 2026/27 With More Than Two Miles of Skiing
Keystone is next. After Arapahoe Basin claimed the first chairlift skiing of the season on Wednesday, Keystone opens on Friday 30 October at 9:00 am with more than two miles of snowmaking-built terrain on Schoolmarm and Silver Spoon, plus free donuts, coffee and a live DJ. Last year the order was reversed, when Keystone squeezed in a three-hour afternoon session to beat A-Basin by a day. Snowmaking has been running since 15 October.
29 Oct 2026
Beaver Creek Installs 16 Automated Snow Guns on Birds of Prey Ahead of Record World Cup
Beaver Creek is getting ready for the biggest Birds of Prey ever, and this time it is not leaving the snow to chance. Crews started making snow on 27 October with 16 newly installed automated guns on the lower third of the course, after last December’s warm spell forced a downhill off the schedule. Seven races across two weekends run from 3 to 13 December, the most the course has hosted since its 1997 debut, and the guns start themselves whenever the weather allows.
29 Oct 2026
Arapahoe Basin Opens First for North America’s 2026/27 Ski Season
Winter has officially started in North America, and it is one blue run long. On Wednesday 28 October, Arapahoe Basin fired up the Black Mountain Express at around 10:30 am after a surprise announcement just hours earlier, becoming the first major North American resort open for 2026/27. Cold nights, a dusting of natural snow and a lot of snowmaking made it happen in the resort’s 80th winter. More terrain is promised as the snow guns keep running.
28 Oct 2026
Sulden am Ortler Pushes Its Season Start Back a Week to 7 November
Sulden am Ortler has called off its 31 October opening. The South Tyrol ski area has pushed its 2026/27 start back to Saturday 7 November, citing current weather and snow conditions and saying it will use the extra week to get the slopes in the best possible shape. The season is still scheduled to run through 2 May 2027. Elsewhere in Europe, around a dozen areas are already open, led by Sölden’s 30 kilometres of groomed runs.
28 Oct 2026
Pinheiro Braathen Wins Sölden Giant Slalom Opener by 0.48 Seconds
Two days at Sölden, two races decided by a hundredth somewhere on the podium, and one very quick Brazilian. Lucas Pinheiro Braathen led from the first run to win the men’s World Cup opener by 0.48 seconds, with Loïc Meillard second and Marco Odermatt third. River Radamus charged from 15th to fourth on a rutted course, and Britain’s Freddy Carrick-Smith banked his first World Cup points. Braathen still hasn’t lost a giant slalom since Olympic gold.
25 Oct 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.