Vars Hautes Alpes

Vars sits in the Hautes-Alpes, just before the Queyras Regional Nature Park begins. Together with its neighbour Risoul, it forms the expansive La Forêt Blanche ski domain. It is a Southern Alps resort, which means you get the classic combination of Mediterranean sunshine and heavy, periodic snow dumps. Skiers usually come here for two things: the extensive larch forest runs and the terrifying Chabrières speed-skiing track. With 185 kilometres of linked pistes and four distinct valley villages, it feels distinctly more relaxed than the massive purpose-built resorts further north. The resort balances high-altitude thrills with a sunny climate, offering a compelling alternative to the busier Northern Alps.

Mountain culture & milestones

Skiing here started in 1936. The first lift was a crude rope tow near the Col de Vars, rigged up to an old aeroplane engine by a few local enthusiasts. It was a chaotic but effective system that proved the valley had winter sports potential. Things stayed relatively quiet through the war years until 1962, when developers built the modern Vars-les-Claux base at 1,850 metres. This transformed the high-altitude summer pastures into a dedicated winter sports hub, bringing purpose-built accommodation and a network of drag lifts.

In 1990, the lift company finally linked the network over the ridge to Risoul, creating La Forêt Blanche. This merger instantly doubled the skiable terrain and put the resort on the map for international visitors. Today, the resort is best known internationally for its Kilomètre Lancé (KL) track. Speed skiers drop down the near-vertical face of Chabrières, regularly breaking the 250 km/h mark. The resort has hosted numerous World Cup speed skiing events, cementing its reputation in this extreme niche. The track is a sheer ribbon of ice that drops 435 vertical metres over a distance of just 1,400 metres, making it one of the fastest non-motorised arenas on earth.

Valley bases: where to stay

You can stay in four different villages along the Route des Grandes Alpes, each representing a different era of the valley’s development. Saint-Marcellin is the original farming settlement – quiet, old, and largely untouched by the ski industry. It features traditional stone and wood architecture, offering a peaceful retreat away from the main lifts. The narrow streets and ancient church give it a completely different feel to the upper resort.

Sainte-Marie sits slightly higher up at 1,650 metres; it is where the first lifts were built and remains a practical mid-station with direct access to the Olympic slopes and the Peynier sector. It has a handful of traditional hotels and a very relaxed evening atmosphere. Sainte-Catherine is essentially a sunny residential enclave, popular for self-catered chalets and offering sweeping views down the valley.

Most visitors end up in Les Claux at 1,850 metres. It is the modern centre of gravity, holding almost all the ski schools, larger hotels, ski hire shops, and commercial life. The architecture in Les Claux is a mix of 1960s apartment blocks and newer, more sympathetic timber-clad developments. It was designed for convenience, meaning most accommodation is either ski-in/ski-out or a very short walk from the main lift hubs.

Ski sectors at a glance

The Vars side of the mountain splits into a few distinct zones, each with its own character and microclimate. The Peynier sector, accessed directly from Sainte-Marie, is heavily wooded and often overlooked by the morning crowds. It is the best place to head when the weather closes in, as the trees provide crucial definition and shelter from the wind. The runs here are classic winding reds and blues that follow the natural fall line of the forest.

The Chabrières sector is the high-altitude engine room of the resort. It is exposed, steep, and home to the speed track and the most challenging red and black runs. The snow here stays cold and chalky long after the lower slopes have softened. L’Eyssina is the freestyle heartland, hosting the sprawling Vars Park and offering wide, rolling blue runs that are perfect for confident intermediates. The ridge line above L’Eyssina also provides the main access points for the resort’s lift-served off-piste itineraries. Finally, the Sainte-Marie sector provides long, cruising descents back to the valley floor, including the renowned Olympic run which sweeps through the lower forests and is a favourite for the final run of the day.

The mountain & skiing

La Forêt Blanche has 185 kilometres of marked runs. The defining feature here is the trees – the larch forests protect the snow and provide brilliant visibility when the weather closes in. Unlike the dense pine forests of the Northern Alps, the larch trees are deciduous, dropping their needles in winter to create a bright, dappled light on the pistes. The piste map leans heavily towards intermediates, with blue runs making up 46% of the terrain and reds taking another 29%. Beginners have their own dedicated zones near the Les Claux base, featuring gentle gradients, easy-to-use surface lifts, and wide-open spaces free from faster traffic.

Advanced skiers usually head straight for the steep, technical bowls off the Pic de Chabrières and the Col de Crévoux. The black runs here are genuinely challenging, often left un-groomed to allow moguls to form. The “Coni” black run is particularly notorious for its steep pitch and challenging snow conditions. Vars also invests heavily in its freestyle setup. The Vars Park is massive, spreading multiple zones across the Eyssina sector. It includes a slopestyle course, a boardercross track, a beginner-friendly park, and a dedicated jib zone, making it one of the most comprehensive freestyle setups in the Southern Alps. The link to Risoul is relatively seamless, allowing strong skiers to easily explore both sides of the domain in a single day, though you need to keep an eye on the lift closing times to avoid a long taxi ride back.

The village & après-ski

If you want late-night clubbing, Vars is the wrong valley. The après-ski scene in Les Claux is cheerful but firmly family-oriented. You will find plenty of sunny terraces for a beer when the lifts close, but the energy dissipates after dinner. The village centre features a compact selection of restaurants serving both traditional Hautes-Alpes specialities, such as tourtons (stuffed fried pastries) and oreilles d’âne (a spinach and wild herb gratin), alongside standard international mountain fare like fondue, raclette, and pizza.

Down in Sainte-Marie and Saint-Marcellin, the dining options are much quieter and lean traditional, often housed in converted farm buildings with vaulted stone ceilings. Non-skiers have access to winter walking trails, a natural ice rink, and dog-sledding excursions through the lower forests. The resort also has a small cinema and a wellness centre for bad weather days.

Snow & season

The Southern Alps climate dictates the season. Vars claims around 300 days of sunshine a year, relying on big Mediterranean storm cycles to build the base. These storms, known locally as “retours d’est”, can dump massive amounts of snow in a very short period, often transforming the resort overnight. Because the main village sits at 1,850 metres and the lifts reach 2,750 metres, the snow cover holds up reliably from mid-December to mid-April.

The dense larch forests on the lower half of the mountain do an excellent job of sheltering the snowpack from the spring sun and wind, preserving the conditions long after the exposed peaks have been scoured. The resort also deploys an extensive snowmaking network across the lower arterial runs to guarantee the return to Les Claux and Sainte-Marie, ensuring that the main arteries remain open even during dry spells. The combination of altitude, snowmaking, and favourable geography makes it one of the most snow-sure destinations in the southern half of the French Alps.

Summer & year-round

In summer, the ski resort completely shifts gears. The Col de Vars, sitting at 2,108 metres, is a notorious climb on the Route des Grandes Alpes. It pulls in road cyclists from across Europe and frequently hosts stages of the Tour de France, with riders tackling the punishing gradients from both the Guillestre and Ubaye sides. Mountain bikers take over the Vars Bike Park, using the summer lift network to access over 100 kilometres of downhill and enduro trails that wind through the larch forests and alpine meadows.

For hiking, the Val d’Escreins nature reserve sits just behind the resort. This completely uninhabited valley, often called the “Little Canada” of the Hautes-Alpes, feels a world away from the winter lift infrastructure and offers pristine trails through ancient pine forests and past ruined hamlets. The reserve is a protected habitat for chamois, marmots, and golden eagles, making it a major draw for wildlife enthusiasts and hikers looking to escape the summer heat of the Provence valleys below.

Safety & mountain etiquette

The off-piste terrain around the Eyssina ridge and Chabrières is serious mountain environments. The larch forests are great for safe tree skiing, but the high-alpine bowls above the tree line are notorious avalanche traps after a big Southern Alps storm. Anyone heading off the marked runs needs standard avalanche gear – transceiver, shovel, and probe – and a good understanding of the local avalanche bulletin. The local guides bureau offers off-piste clinics for those looking to safely explore the backcountry.

The Chabrières speed track itself is strictly off-limits to the public during training and competition days, and attempting to ski it without authorization is highly dangerous due to the sheer ice surface required for the athletes. Skiers should also be aware of the high-altitude sun; the Southern Alps location means UV exposure is intense, even in mid-winter, so high-factor sunscreen and good quality goggles are essential.

Who it suits best

Vars works perfectly for intermediate cruisers, families, and park riders who want reliable snow without the frantic pace of the Tarentaise mega-resorts. The tree skiing is genuinely excellent, and the traditional lower villages add some welcome character to the overall experience. The extensive freestyle infrastructure is a major draw for snowboarders and twin-tip skiers, who travel from across the region to ride the Vars Park.

It is less ideal if you want endless extreme freeride itineraries or a loud après-ski scene. Beginners will find enough to learn on, but the progression from the nursery slopes to the steeper red runs can be quite a jump, requiring a degree of confidence. However, for those seeking a sunny, relaxed, and snow-sure destination with a distinct Southern Alps flavour, Vars is a highly compelling option.

Getting there

– Nearest airports: Marseille Provence Airport (235 km), Turin Airport (150 km), Grenoble Alpes-Isère Airport (155 km) – Nearest rail hub: Mont-Dauphin – Guillestre

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.