Combloux

Combloux sits directly opposite Mont Blanc. You get the view without the Chamonix crowds. It is a working farming village in Haute-Savoie that happens to have a ski resort attached, rather than the other way around. The village centre wraps around the baroque onion dome of the Saint-Nicolas church, and the local building codes keep everything restricted to wood and stone. The skiing here leans heavily towards gentle, tree-lined cruising. It makes an excellent base for beginners and intermediates who want a relaxed pace. As part of the Portes du Mont-Blanc area, the local lifts connect you to 100 kilometres of pistes. If you need more mileage, the village also acts as an entry point to the Evasion Mont-Blanc network, which covers 445 kilometres across the neighbouring valleys.

Mountain culture & milestones

People came to Combloux for summer holidays long before anyone thought to strap planks to their feet. The Grand Hôtel du Mont-Blanc opened in 1912 to host wealthy summer guests.

The Paris-Lyon-Méditerranée (PLM) railway company bought the hotel a few years later and added a golf course, tennis courts, and an ice rink. Winter tourism finally started in 1935 when PLM rigged up a motorised rope to pull skiers up the hill towards Ormaret.

The modern lift network took decades to piece together. In 2006, Combloux linked its slopes with Megève’s Jaillet sector and La Giettaz over in Savoie to form the Portes du Mont-Blanc area. The connection turned a quiet local hill into a proper ski domain.

Valley bases: where to stay

Combloux sprawls across the hillside. Where you book dictates whether you can walk to the lifts, catch a bus, or ski straight from your door.

Village Centre

The old village surrounds the church. Staying here puts you next to the bakery, the weekly market, and the few local bars. The catch is that the centre sits below the ski lifts. You have to catch the free ski bus or drive up to the La Cry or Cuchet car parks to start your ski day.

Ormaret and Le Feug

These hamlets sit higher up the mountain road. They are mostly old farmhouses and quiet chalets. They are physically closer to the snow than the village centre, but you usually still need a car or the shuttle to reach the main lifts without a hike.

La Cry and Cuchet

These are the actual ski bases, located at 1,180 metres and 1,280 metres. If you want convenience, this is where you stay. The accommodation is mostly low-rise apartments and chalets. Many places here offer ski-in/ski-out access, or at least a very short walk to the Beauregard gondola and the nursery slopes.

Ski sectors at a glance

The Portes du Mont-Blanc pass covers four distinct zones.

Combloux and Megève Le Jaillet

These two linked sectors form the bulk of the local skiing. The runs are wide, rolling blues and reds cut through thick pine forests. The trees provide much-needed contrast during whiteouts, making this a reliable place to ski when the high-altitude bowls in Chamonix are closed by weather. The gradients are flattering and encourage fast cruising.

La Giettaz

You reach La Giettaz by skiing over the Christomet peak into the Savoie side of the domain. The slopes here face north, so they hold cold, chalky snow long after the Combloux side gets slushy. The terrain is steeper and feels much wilder. Locals head here for the challenging red and black runs, and for the accessible tree-skiing just off the marked pistes.

Cordon

Cordon shares the Portes du Mont-Blanc lift pass but is not connected by lifts or pistes. It is a tiny, standalone sector with just a few drag lifts. It feels like stepping back in time. It works best for a quiet half-day when you want to escape the crowds entirely.

The mountain & skiing

You come to Combloux for the scenery and the cruising, not for terrifying vertical drops. The local 100-kilometre Portes du Mont-Blanc pass is plenty for a weekend trip or for families with young children. The lift company grooms the pistes heavily and has recently upgraded older drag lifts to modern gondolas.

If you are staying for a week, you will probably want the Evasion Mont-Blanc pass. This ticket unlocks 445 kilometres of skiing, covering Megève, Saint-Gervais, Les Contamines, and Saint-Nicolas-de-Véroce. You cannot ski directly from Combloux to Saint-Gervais – you have to take a short bus ride across the valley floor – but the sheer volume of terrain means you will not get bored.

First-time skiers get dedicated beginner zones with magic carpets at the Combloux base. Intermediates can lap the long red runs under the Pertuis and Jouty chairlifts all day. Advanced skiers will find the immediate Combloux slopes a bit tame, but they can easily push over to La Giettaz or take the bus to the steeper faces in the wider Evasion network.

The village & après-ski

Combloux shuts down early. If you want table-dancing and loud après-ski bars, book somewhere else. After the lifts close, the village goes quiet.

The local council enforces strict building codes. You will not find any concrete apartment blocks here. The village is entirely wood and stone, built to face the Mont Blanc massif.

Food is standard Savoyard mountain fare. The high-altitude restaurants scattered across the ski area serve excellent tartiflette and fondue on sunny terraces. Down in the village, a handful of family-run restaurants handle dinner, but you need to book ahead during the February school holidays because tables are limited.

Snow & season

The village sits at 960 metres, and the highest lift stops at 1,930 metres. That is low for the Alps. Snow cover at the base can be patchy at the start and end of the winter.

The resort handles this by pumping out artificial snow. A heavy network of snow cannons covers the lower slopes and the main runs back to La Cry. They can usually keep the core mountain open even during a dry spell.

The season runs from mid-December to early April. January and February offer the most reliable conditions. By late March, the lower slopes turn to slush in the afternoon sun. When that happens, you just ski over to the north-facing runs in La Giettaz, which usually stay firm until closing day.

Summer & year-round

Combloux does not turn into a ghost town when the snow melts. The pastures green up, and the hiking and mountain biking trails open.

The main summer draw is the biotope lake, which opened in 2002 as France’s first ecological swimming pool. Aquatic plants filter the water instead of chlorine, and the sun heats it. You swim while looking straight across the valley at Mont Blanc.

The lift company runs a few gondolas in July and August. You can skip the sweaty climb from the valley floor and head straight to the high ridges for walks towards the Christomet and the Aravis range.

Safety & mountain etiquette

The trees that make Combloux so great in bad weather also hide rocks, stumps, and ditches. If you ski off the marked runs into the forest, you need to watch your speed.

Large avalanches are rare on the gentle Combloux side, but they do happen on the steeper pitches over in La Giettaz. If you leave the piste, you need standard avalanche gear and you must check the local bulletin first.

On the groomed runs, the main hazard is traffic. The rolling blue and red pistes funnel everyone back towards La Cry at the end of the day. Faster skiers need to slow down and give beginners plenty of space on these crowded return routes.

Who it suits best

Combloux works for families, beginners, and intermediates who want a pretty village and relaxed skiing. It is a genuine French farming town, not a concrete resort built for mass tourism.

Expert skiers will find the local slopes too flat for a whole week, but the Evasion Mont-Blanc pass makes it a reasonable base if you are travelling with a mixed-ability group. If you like tree-lined runs, old chalets, and huge views, Combloux delivers.

Getting there

– Nearest airports: Geneva (80 km), Lyon-Saint Exupéry (160 km) – Nearest rail hub: Sallanches

Written by the Alps2Alps editorial team.

This guide is published by Alps2Alps for general information only. It is not affiliated with Wikipedia or any resort, airport, or lift operator. Facts were accurate at the time of writing; always check official sources before travel.