Trail map
Published by Grand Massif Domaines Skiables (GMDS), panorama by Kaliblue; this copy via Grand Massif Domaines Skiables. The current official map is at Grand Massif Domaines Skiables (GMDS).
Routable 3D map
The whole lift and piste network of Le Grand Massif is routable in the app: difficulty limits, live lift and piste status, alternative ways to the same place, and a 3D view of the terrain.
Open in SkiAllDayThe verdict
Le Grand Massif links five Haute-Savoie villages, Flaine, Les Carroz, Morillon, Samoëns and Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval, into one network on a single lift pass. The operator markets 265 km of pistes, but its own supplied copy elsewhere narrows that to 175 km of officially regulated piste, and our own measurement of the connected network finds 175.9 km, matching the smaller figure closely rather than the marketed headline. The terrain itself skews easy and intermediate, with only 11 of 139 marked pistes graded black.1234
Goes well for
- One pass covering a genuinely large network, most of it easy or intermediate terrain, without needing a car to move between sectors during the day
- Skiers who want long, low-effort mileage: skiresort.com's own breakdown of the marketed 265 km puts 51% of it as easy and 36% as intermediate
- Architecture-minded visitors: Flaine's purpose-built high-altitude village was designed by Bauhaus architect Marcel Breuer and opened to guests in 1969
Goes badly for
- Advanced and expert skiers wanting sustained steep or mogul terrain: only 11 of the 139 marked pistes are graded black, and skiresort.com's own difficulty split puts just 13% of the marketed total as difficult; the main outlet for harder skiing is the Combe de Gers freeride zone, which is ungroomed and needs proper avalanche equipment
- Travelers wanting a single high-altitude, snow-sure base reachable without a car: Flaine at 1,600 m is the only one of the five bases built directly at altitude, while Les Carroz, Morillon, Samoëns and Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval sit in valley villages between 700 m and 1,200 m and reach the snow by gondola
Key facts
Every card opens. The headline number is the answer; underneath is how it was measured and where it came from.
Elevation 1,780m vertical · 700–2,480 m
| Village | 700 m1 |
|---|---|
| Lowest piste | 700 m1 |
| Highest lift-served point | 2,480 m1 |
| Vertical drop | 1,780 m |
The operator's own current piste map marks the valley/gondola bases at 700 m for both Samoëns (Samoëns Village) and Morillon (Morillon Village), 760 m for Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval (Salvagny), 1,200 m for Les Carroz (Village) and 1,600-1,700 m for Flaine itself (Forum/Vernant); it marks the domain's highest lift-served point, the Grandes Platières above Flaine, at 2,480 m. The operator's own marketing prose elsewhere rounds this to "2,500 m". English Wikipedia's Flaine infobox instead gives 2,561 m for the summit; that figure matches the operator's own map label for Tête des Lindars, an unlifted peak visible from the Grandes Platières lift station but outside the ski area, rather than the lift-served altitude. Our own graph measures the connected network between 682 m and 2,484 m, closely matching the operator's own figures.
Pistes 265km 175.9 km measured from the network
- Easy 135km 51%
- Intermediate 95km 36%
- Difficult 35km 13%
Marketed vs measuredThe operator's own site and press copy state 265 km of pistes domain-wide; skiresort.com's independent measurement of that headline splits it into 135 km easy, 95 km intermediate and 35 km difficult. Aggregator copy that carries Grand Massif's own resort-supplied wording (skiinfo.fr's Morillon listing) gives a second figure alongside the 265 km headline: "265 km de glisse (175 km réglementés)", 175 km of officially regulated, patrolled piste, with the rest made up of unpatrolled or otherwise unregulated skiable terrain such as the Combe de Gers freeride zone. A 2013 study by ski-industry consultant Christoph Schrahe, reported by the French news site macommune.info, separately measured the domain's linear piste length at 172 km against the 265 km marketed total, a 56% gap the resort did not dispute; it explained the difference as the effect of skiers zigzagging rather than descending in a straight line. Our own measurement of the domain's single connected network, built from OpenStreetMap, finds 175.9 km of marked piste, closely matching the 175 km "réglementé" figure and the 2013 172 km measurement rather than the 265 km headline.
Lifts 62 4 types in the fleet
- Fixed-grip chairlift 25
- High-speed chairlift 22
- T-bar/drag lift 9
- Gondola/cable car 7
The operator's own site states 62 lifts across the domain but does not itemise them by type. Skiresort.com's independent count comes to 63, split into 7 gondolas/cable cars, 22 high-speed chairlifts, 25 fixed-grip chairlifts and 9 t-bars; we use that breakdown here and note the one-lift difference from the operator's total rather than silently reconciling it. Two companies operate the network: Grand Massif Domaines Skiables (GMDS) runs 49 lifts across Flaine, Morillon, Samoëns and Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval, the four resorts Compagnie des Alpes bought in 1997, while Les Carroz's lifts are run by a separate operator under the same lift pass.5
Season December – April winter season
| Winter season | mid-December – mid-April |
|---|---|
| Lift hours | 08:30–16:30 |
Day pass EUR 63 adult, main season
| Adult | EUR 636 |
|---|---|
| Youth | EUR 506 |
| Child | EUR — |
| Multi-resort passes | Villages Pass (Les Carroz, Morillon, Samoëns and Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval only, without Flaine): €58.50 adult, €46.80 youth (8-14) per day. Flaine Pass (Flaine only): €60.70 adult, €48.60 youth per day. A 4-hour pass is sold on each of the three tickets at a reduced rate, for example €56.70 adult on the full Grand Massif Pass. Winter season pass: €1,316 adult (26-74), €878 youth (8-25), €59 child or senior (under 8 or 75 and over). Not part of the Ikon or Epic multi-resort passes; no evidence of either covering Le Grand Massif was found. |
Grand Massif Pass (all five resorts) day-ticket prices for the 2026/27 winter, from the operator's own price list; the per-day rate is flat whether buying a 1-day ticket or a 2-to-7-day pass. "Youth" covers ages 8-14; skiing is free for children under 8 and for anyone 75 or over, shown at ticket offices on proof of age, so there is no separate paid child rate. Skiresort.com's independently listed adult day rate for the same season is lower, €61 against the operator's €63; we could not reconcile the two and report the gap rather than picking one.
The mountain
These figures come from measuring the resort's actual piste and lift network rather than from its brochure. Measured from the SkiAllDay routing graph on 3 September 2026. Where the resort publishes a figure of its own, that figure is the one shown.
Piste km per lift km
1.54
Piste km opened by each kilometre of lift line. It measures how sparse the lift network is, not how good it is: a high figure means long runs off few lifts, so more skiing between rides but more traversing and more people funnelled onto each lift; a low one means dense lift service, quick laps and short waits, at the cost of repeating the same runs.
measuredLift minutes per ski hour
78 min
Time riding up for every hour spent descending, from the graph’s own traversal times.
measuredLongest continuous descent
14.0 km
we measure 11.8 km
The longest run of linked pistes that never rides a lift.
officialReachable on easy runs only
54%
Share of piste a skier can reach from the base without ever descending something harder than an easy run.
measuredNorth-facing terrain
80%
we measure 64%
Piste facing N, NE or NW, from the bearing of each descent. Shaded aspects hold snow longest.
officialVertical on that descent
1,735 m
measuredUphill on surface lifts
24%
Share of climbing served by drag lifts and platters, weighted by vertical rather than by lift count.
measuredPiste above 2,500 m
0%
measuredMedian piste altitude
1,740 m
Half the piste length lies above this height and half below, weighted by length.
measuredSkiers per piste km
86
At full lift capacity — a ceiling for comparing resorts, not a forecast of your day. Derived from uphill capacity, lift ride times and the split between riding and descending.
measuredAverage lift capacity
1,682/h
People per hour, averaged across lifts. High can mean short queues, or a lot of people arriving on the same runs.
measuredMean piste gradient
19%
Length-weighted across every piste. Comparable between countries in a way that piste colour is not.
measuredPiste measured
175.9 km
measuredLift length measured
114.0 km
measuredHow steep is it, really
Piste colour is set by each resort under its own rules, so a red in one country is a blue in another. Measured gradient is comparable everywhere.
- 19% 0–10%
- 37% 10–20%
- 31% 20–30%
- 11% 30–40%
- 3% 40%+
Guide
Five bases feed one connected network across the Arve and Giffre valleys. Flaine, at 1,600 m, is the only one built directly at altitude; Les Carroz, Morillon, Samoëns and Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval sit in their valley villages between 700 m and 1,200 m and reach the snow by gondola.
Five bases, one network
Two lift companies run the domain under one pass: Grand Massif Domaines Skiables (GMDS) operates 49 lifts across Flaine, Morillon, Samoëns and Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval, the four resorts Compagnie des Alpes bought in December 1997, while Les Carroz's lifts are run separately. Our own measurement of the OpenStreetMap network finds the whole domain forms a single connected component, matching the operator's own "skis aux pieds" marketing rather than a set of areas that merely share a ticket.784
265 km marketed, 175 km on the ground
The operator's own headline figure is 265 km of pistes. Resort-supplied copy carried on aggregator listings narrows that to "265 km de glisse (175 km réglementés)", 175 km of officially regulated, patrolled piste. A 2013 study by consultant Christoph Schrahe, reported by macommune.info, separately measured the domain's linear piste length at 172 km, a 56% gap against the marketed total the resort did not dispute, attributing it instead to skiers zigzagging rather than skiing in a straight line. Our own measurement of the connected network finds 175.9 km, matching the 175 km "réglementé" figure rather than the 265 km headline.1234
Mostly easy and intermediate, by design
Skiresort.com's breakdown of the marketed 265 km puts 51% of it as easy and 36% as intermediate, with only 13% graded difficult. The operator's own piste counts agree with that shape: 23 green, 61 blue and 44 red pistes against just 11 black. A skier who wants long cruising runs across several villages will find more of this domain suits them than a skier looking for sustained steep terrain.910
The Combe de Gers and the Cascades
The two features most associated with this domain are not the same kind of terrain. The Combe de Gers is marked on the operator's own current piste map as a freeride zone above Flaine, an 800 m ungroomed descent the operator itself describes as holding untouched snow; it is a reserved, avalanche-controlled area rather than a marked piste. The Cascades is a marked run, a 14 km descent from the top of the Flaine sector near the Grandes Platières down to Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval at 760 m; our own routing measurement of the longest unbroken descent that never rides a lift finds 11.8 km, shorter than the marketed figure but still the longest continuous run in the domain. The same map flags that the return from Sixt is not ski-in-ski-out: skiers have to take the Navettes du Giffre shuttle bus back, on its own published timetable, rather than riding a lift straight from the piste's end.1104
North-facing, but not uniformly high
The operator states that 80% of the domain's pistes face north, which it credits with holding snow longer through the season; our own measurement of piste bearings from the routing graph finds a lower share, 64% facing north, northeast or northwest. Both readings point the same way against a wide altitude range: only Flaine's own sector stays above 1,600 m throughout, while the connecting runs down to Samoëns, Morillon and Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval drop to 700-760 m, altitudes where natural snow cover is far less reliable, particularly early and late in the season.1014
| Skier | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Confident intermediate | excellent | This is the domain's dominant terrain: long cruising runs across five linked sectors, including the 14 km Cascades descent from Flaine down to Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval, a run built for exactly this level.910 |
| First-timer | good | Skiresort.com's own breakdown of the marketed piste length puts 51% of it as easy, and the network's low-altitude gondola plateaus at Samoëns 1600 and Morillon 1100 give first-timers gentle terrain to progress on without leaving the connected network.91 |
| Second-week skier | good | With 36% of the marketed total graded intermediate and easy terrain spread across several sectors, a second-week skier has plenty of room to build mileage without repeating the same runs.9 |
| Family with mixed abilities | good | Each of the five bases runs its own dedicated children's area under the operator's own piste map, including fun zones at Flaine, Les Carroz, Morillon and Samoëns, so a family does not have to travel far from any base to find beginner-specific terrain.1 |
| Advanced or expert skier | fair | Only 11 of 139 marked pistes are graded black, and skiresort.com's own split puts just 13% of the marketed total as difficult. The Combe de Gers freeride zone above Flaine is the main outlet for harder skiing, but it is ungroomed and reserved terrain that calls for avalanche equipment and, ideally, a guide, not a lift-served black run.91 |
| Budget skier | fair | The full Grand Massif Pass costs €63 a day against €58.50 for the Villages Pass (which excludes Flaine) and €60.70 for the Flaine-only pass, so a budget skier has to decide in advance which sectors they will actually use; the operator's own site lists no discount days or off-peak pricing.6 |
By car
About an hour from Geneva by road, via the A40 motorway to Cluses and then up into whichever valley leads to the chosen base (Flaine, Les Carroz, Morillon, Samoëns or Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval).
By train
The nearest SNCF station is Cluses, about 15 km from the nearest Grand Massif village. Altibus runs scheduled buses from Cluses station to Flaine and the other villages; advance reservation is recommended.
Where to base yourself
| Flaine | The domain's only purpose-built high-altitude base, at 1,600-1,700 m; Bauhaus-designed by Marcel Breuer and opened to guests in 1969 |
|---|---|
| Samoëns | Valley village at 700 m, linked by gondola to the Samoëns 1600 plateau where the skiing starts |
| Morillon | Valley village at 700 m, linked by gondola to Morillon 1100 |
| Les Carroz | Mid-mountain village at 1,200 m, with its own separate lift operator under the same lift pass |
| Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval | The smallest and lowest base, at 760 m (Salvagny); also the arrival point of the Cascades piste |
-
Refuge du Lac de Gers
Staffed through winter and reachable while skiing via the Combe de Gers freeride zone and the Forêt Magique, or via the Cascades piste, though the operator's own listing notes the final approach from the ski patrol cabin is a 10-minute walk rather than skiable all the way to the door.1112
What skiers say
-
During New Year and February half-term, avoid the Samoëns Grand Massif Express ski-school surge by driving to Vercland and using its normally quieter lift.1314
A snowHeads poster who spent a season in Samoëns and a May 2026 r/skithealps thread describe the GME queue peaking around morning lesson start times, French and UK school-holiday weeks being especially busy, and parking at Samoëns 1600 as another escape.
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When crossing from Samoëns, Morillon or Les Carroz into Flaine, reach the Vernant chair on the first lifts and ski Tourmaline before the incoming traffic makes it crowded and chopped.151617
Two snowHeads threads and a February 2020 skipass.com discussion identify Vernant as the sole gateway into Flaine from the village sectors, and Tourmaline as the only piste down into the bowl, one that grows rough and congested later in the day.
-
In Flaine, bypass a long Grandes Platières DMC queue by taking Tête des Verds followed by Désert Blanc.181920
Two snowHeads threads, including a 2022-23 season snow report, describe half-hour DMC waits and, on one disrupted day that season, nearly an hour even in the express queue, while a 2006 skipass.com thread found the chairs comparatively uncongested.
-
For a piste return from Flaine to the village sectors, reach Grands Vans well before the last link time rather than joining the late-afternoon rush.2122
A July 2019 skipass.com thread gave historical closing times of about 15:45 early season and 16:00 from February, while an October 2003 skipass.com thread reported serious congestion from 16:00; check the day's displayed time, since operating hours change.
-
For a Flaine-focused day, park at Vernant and ride into the bowl instead of continuing to Flaine's congested paid parking.231715
skipass.com threads from 2003 and 2020, and a snowHeads discussion, describe the Vernant lot beside the chair as free and roughly 15 minutes' skiing and lifting from Flaine; because these reports span more than a decade, verify current signs and charges.
-
At Morillon village, enter the car park on the left opposite the gondola and behind the buildings, using the lift-side drop-off before the driver parks.2425
snowHeads posters say the lot is easy to miss when looking immediately beside the terminal, and describe it as free at the time and generally adequate outside powder weekends and peak periods.
-
Drive up to Morillon 1100 when you want to bypass the village gondola and start directly from the chairlift.2524
snowHeads posters place the large car park at the entrance to Les Esserts, followed by a short walk to the chair; it fills earlier on peak dates but also gives an easy ski-back at day's end.
-
From Les Carroz, choose among the Kédeuze gondola, Carroz 1500 and Vernant rather than automatically joining the main-gondola queue.15
A snowHeads thread describes all three lots as free at the time, with Vernant the strategic choice for reaching Flaine before skiers arriving across Tête de Saix.
-
Lap Serpentine and neighbouring Cristal from the top of Flaine, especially when the central bowl is busy.2618
A December 2015 skipass.com thread singles out Serpentine for its varied rolls and multiple possible lines, while a snowHeads tips thread rates the quieter far side of the Flaine bowl above the busier central pistes.
-
Use Sairon into Morillon Les Esserts and Marmotte around Tête de Saix for long technique-building laps away from Flaine's main bowl.2718
An April 2026 r/snowboarding post and a snowHeads tips thread praise both, though Marmotte has a narrower upper passage; Sairon continues through trees and finishes close to Morillon 1100.
-
For worthwhile sheltered descents, take blue Combe or red Timalets into Les Carroz, with Portet as another good tree run if you accept some poling near its top.1814
A snowHeads tips thread and a May 2026 r/skithealps post recommend these over the minor linking pistes around Molliets, and note they stay useful when visibility is poor above the treeline.
-
For broad, dependable cruising in Flaine, work the blues below Désert Blanc and stay on Tanzanite when you do not want the steeper central funnels.28
A snowHeads thread on Flaine piste difficulty describes these upper blues as wide with usually good snow; dropping below Tanzanite commits skiers toward Faust, Almandine or Jade and their steeper lower pitches.
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For a large self-catering shop, drive to Super U near Taninges rather than relying on central Samoëns' Sherpa or the closer Carrefour.1329
A snowHeads poster who lived a season in Samoëns found Super U noticeably cheaper; a May 2024 r/skiing post says Carrefour is practical for a main shop but Sherpa charges a convenience premium.
-
Use Le Bissac near Grands Vans or K beside the top of the Kédeuze gondola for straightforward self-service food instead of defaulting to Flaine Forum.1830
A snowHeads tips thread praised Le Bissac for a large tartiflette, though the quoted €14 price is historical; its 2023-24 season snow-report thread found K's frites and meals good value while its Flaine Forum stop was awkward and no cheaper.
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Book popular Samoëns-area restaurants before peak weeks, but call La Luge à Teran that morning because a snowHeads poster reports it accepts same-day rather than advance lunch reservations.13
A snowHeads poster who lived in Samoëns describes Le Sérac as repeatedly filling with returning customers, and also recommends book-ahead stops La Reposette, Grand Crêt and compact fine-dining restaurant 8M.
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Before buying the full Grand Massif pass for every day, compare the current Massif-sector product plus a one-day Grand Massif extension for Flaine, Gers and Cascades.20
A 2006 skipass.com thread found the Morillon-Les Carroz-Samoëns sector sufficient for much of a week but worth extending for Flaine's longer, steeper terrain; the discussion is old, so confirm the products and supplement still exist at current prices.
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Do not assume there is a marked piste beneath the Grand Massif Express back to Samoëns village.29
A May 2024 r/skiing post advises downloading the gondola or skiing toward Vercland, Morillon or Sixt and using the valley bus instead, noting the piste map can obscure the extra Damoiseaux or Demoiselles chair needed for some Samoëns returns.
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Do not treat Cascades as an effortless blue: carry speed into its flats and save energy for frequently icy final switchbacks above Sixt.312620
Three skipass.com threads (2004, 2006 and 2015) agree that snowboarders may have to walk, and that a tired intermediate can find the low, shaded final section much harder than the blue grading suggests.
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From Grandes Platières, avoid a sharp left unless you deliberately want Diamant Noir, and do not trust Almandine's gentle-looking upper section to represent its hidden steep finish.28
A snowHeads thread on Flaine piste difficulty reports a family mistaking Diamant Noir's black markers for blue in poor visibility, and describes Almandine funnelling into a sometimes icy pitch that cannot be seen from its entrance.
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Do not book an early-January valley stay on the assumption that all advertised home runs and the full Cascades mileage will operate.1832
A snowHeads tips thread and a November 2003 skipass.com thread say the lowest pistes into Morillon village, Vercland, Samoëns and Sixt need substantial cover and often require gondola downloads early in the season; Cascades is especially vulnerable because it finishes near 700-800 metres.
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On a windy forecast, base the day around Les Carroz and Morillon because closure of the Tête de Saix links can isolate Samoëns and Flaine while leaving the largest useful tree-lined local circuit there.15
A snowHeads poster who returns repeatedly calls Les Carroz the domain's most weather-proof base for precisely this reason.
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If the inter-area links are closed by wind but visibility remains reasonable, consider driving directly to Flaine because its pistes can become almost empty.1533
The same snowHeads thread warns against this in a whiteout, since most of Flaine is exposed above the trees; a March 2026 snowHeads trip report recommends the Les Carroz and Morillon forests instead when cloud is the main problem.
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During a warm spell, move uphill to north-facing Flaine after the lower Les Carroz pistes soften rather than persisting with their hard-morning, slushy-afternoon cycle.341418
A snowHeads trip report and a May 2026 r/skithealps post found cut-up powder and colder snow high in Flaine while village-level runs were already springlike; a snowHeads tips thread notes the rockier right side of the Flaine bowl may still need more base early in winter.
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Treat Cascades as a planned one-way excursion, allowing roughly 45-60 minutes for a first descent plus the Sixt bus rather than squeezing it into the end of the day.35
A January 2013 skipass.com thread estimated 20-30 minutes for a fast skier who knows every flat, buses every 20 minutes and about 15 minutes by bus to Samoëns; confirm the current timetable before committing.
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If the main bus queue at the foot of Cascades is overflowing, use the drag lift into Sixt village and take the red valley bus instead.29
A May 2024 r/skiing post found the red service less frequent and slower but roomier than the usual green route, where 20-minute headways sometimes left skiers waiting for a second bus.
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Telephone Refuge du Lac de Gers before skiing down and explicitly confirm both access and extraction arrangements.1836
A snowHeads tips thread says the refuge used to collect diners from Cascades and return them by snowmobile, but a February 2026 r/skithealps post from a home-resort visitor says that pickup no longer operates and warns of a very long walk when Cascades is closed.
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Enter the Combe de Gers only when it is officially open and avalanche-controlled, and never treat a closure as a minor inconvenience.203726
skipass.com threads from 2006 and 2015, and a January 2024 r/skiing post, prize its huge vertical and powder but describe it as a single major avalanche slope that opens rarely; when open, its isolation is the attraction.
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Above Flaine, do not follow apparently benign tracks across the limestone pavement without a guide who knows the lapiaz.383918
A 2004 skipass.com thread and a snowHeads tips thread warn of concealed holes reportedly reaching about four metres around Grandes Platières and Aup de Véran; a November 2016 Camptocamp discussion specifically recommends guides with local karst experience.
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Do not improvise a Sales-to-Sixt or east-side Pointe de Perfia descent from the piste map alone.38
A 2004 skipass.com thread says the direct Sales exit is roped, technical terrain needing climbing equipment, while drifting too far right from Perfia leads toward the cliffs and Cascade du Rouget; it recommends a qualified local guide for these lines.
History
-
1939
The first ski lift in what becomes the Grand Massif opens at Les Carroz, on 29 January.8
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1959
Geophysicist Éric Boissonnas and his wife Sylvie discover the future site of Flaine, intending to combine outdoor recreation with architecture and design.40
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1967
Flaine's first ski lift opens and the resort receives its first guests, on 6 December.8
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1969
Flaine officially opens on 17 January, after a three-year construction delay, built to a masterplan by Bauhaus architect Marcel Breuer with runs designed by champion skier Émile Allais.40
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1975
A lift connection is established between Samoëns and Flaine.8
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1980
The Grand Massif is born as all five resorts are joined into one connected lift network.8
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1997
Compagnie des Alpes acquires four of the five resorts, Flaine, Samoëns, Morillon and Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval.8
Nearby and comparable
- Chamonix-Mont-Blanc
The high-Alpine, expert-oriented resort at the foot of Mont Blanc, roughly 45 minutes further into the valley from Cluses; steeper and higher than Le Grand Massif, without its beginner-friendly mileage.
- Portes du Soleil
Another large lift-linked domain spanning the France-Switzerland border in the Chablais, reached via a different valley rather than directly from Le Grand Massif.
Questions
How many kilometers of piste does Le Grand Massif actually have?
The operator markets 265 km domain-wide. Its own supplied copy, carried on aggregator listings, narrows that to "175 km réglementés", officially regulated piste, and a 2013 industry study reported by macommune.info separately measured the linear length at 172 km. Our own measurement of the connected network, built from OpenStreetMap, finds 175.9 km, matching the smaller figures rather than the 265 km headline.1234
Is Le Grand Massif good for beginners?
Yes. Skiresort.com's own breakdown of the marketed piste length puts 51% of it as easy terrain, and each of the five bases has its own dedicated beginner area, so a first-timer does not have to travel far from wherever they are staying to find gentle terrain.91
What is the Combe de Gers?
It is a freeride zone above Flaine on the operator's own current piste map, an 800 m ungroomed descent the operator itself describes as holding untouched snow. It is reserved, avalanche-controlled terrain rather than a marked piste, and skiing it calls for avalanche equipment and, ideally, a guide.1
How do you get back after skiing the Cascades run down to Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval?
Not by lift. The Cascades is a 14 km marked run from the top of the Flaine sector down to Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval at 760 m, and the operator's own piste map flags that the return leg is not ski-in-ski-out: skiers take the Navettes du Giffre shuttle bus back, on its own published timetable.1
What does a day pass for Le Grand Massif cost?
The full Grand Massif Pass covering all five resorts was €63 for an adult and €50.40 for a youth (8-14) for the 2026/27 winter, with under-8s and over-75s skiing free on proof of age. A Villages Pass excluding Flaine was €58.50 adult, and a Flaine-only pass €60.70 adult.6
How do you get to Le Grand Massif from Geneva?
About an hour by road via the A40 motorway to Cluses and then up into whichever valley leads to your base. By rail, the nearest SNCF station is Cluses, about 15 km from the nearest village, with Altibus buses running on to Flaine and the other villages.1
References
Every claim on this page carries a numbered marker linking here, and every reference links back to the passages that used it. Numbers not yet checked against a source are marked like this.
- 1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Plan des pistes Grand Massif
- 2. ^ a b c Morillon - Plan des pistes de ski Morillon
- 3. ^ a b c Quand les stations de ski gonflent la longueur de leurs pistes...
- 4. ^ a b c d e f SkiAllDay routing graph, computed from OpenStreetMap
- 5. ^ Grand Massif Domaines Skiables: 5 resorts for all abilities
- 6. ^ a b c d Grand Massif ski pass prices
- 7. ^ L'entreprise Grand Massif Domaines Skiables et ses métiers
- 8. ^ a b c d e f Grand Massif
- 9. ^ a b c d e f Ski resort Le Grand Massif - Flaine/Les Carroz/Morillon/Samoëns/Sixt
- 10. ^ a b c d Le Grand Massif
- 11. ^ Refuge du lac de Gers
- 12. ^ Lac de Gers
- 13. ^ a b c Samoens
- 14. ^ a b c Skiing Grand Massif in France
- 15. ^ a b c d e Grand Massif - where to stay
- 16. ^ Grand Massif
- 17. ^ a b Le Grand Massif pour une immense déception
- 18. ^ a b c d e f g h i Le Grand Massif Tips and Tricks
- 19. ^ Grand Massif 2022-2023 Snow Report Flaine/Les Carroz/Morillon/Samöens/Sixt
- 20. ^ a b c d Sejour 1 semaine, forfait Massif ou Grand Massif ?
- 21. ^ Samoëns ou les Carroz
- 22. ^ samoens new telecabine
- 23. ^ Grand Massif - Flaine/Carroz
- 24. ^ a b Morillon:Free Parking at the Lift?
- 25. ^ a b Flaine (Samoens) vs Tignes (Val D'isere)
- 26. ^ a b c Les pistes mythiques en Haute Savoie.
- 27. ^ Samoems
- 28. ^ a b Flaine piste difficulty
- 29. ^ a b c Samoens Grand Massif Trip - Tips and Advice
- 30. ^ Grand Massif 2023-2024 Snow Report Flaine/Les Carroz/Morillon/Samöens/Sixt
- 31. ^ Projet de liaison Grand Massif / Portes du Soleil
- 32. ^ Grand Massif Express - la Suite V -
- 33. ^ TR - Flaine and Grand Massif 20th - 26th March
- 34. ^ Les Carroz & the Grand Massif
- 35. ^ piste des Cascades - Flaine
- 36. ^ Grand Massif - Best mountain restaurants
- 37. ^ Won't stop snowing in the French Alps (beer for scale)
- 38. ^ a b Itinéraires sur Grand massif (Flaine/Samoëns)
- 39. ^ Ski rando sur flaine
- 40. ^ a b Flaine
Page last updated 3 September 2026.