Skiing at La Clusaz: 125km across five massifs, from Beauregard to Balme

Five massifs, five ways of skiing

The resort itself puts it this way: “5 massifs, 5 different ways of experiencing the mountain”. The simplest approach is to take them from the gentlest to the most demanding.

Beauregard is reached without a car: the cable car departs from the village and opens onto a plateau around 1650m, facing the Aravis chain and, when skies are clear, Mont-Blanc. The resort recommends it to beginners and intermediate skiers, though it holds a few black runs for those who want to tackle them.

Manigod spreads around the Merdassier pass and connects to L’Étale. It too is recommended for beginners and intermediates.

L’Étale is the sun-facing massif with gentle slopes. Its lifts rise to the Belvédère at 1980m, beneath the L’Étale summit (2483m), and the Transval cable car links it to Aiguille.

With Aiguille, the character changes. The lifts climb to 2257m and the resort reserves this massif for advanced and expert skiers: this is the domain of Lapiaz and Mur Edgar.

Then comes Balme, the highest. The Balme pass sits at 2477m, the massif reaches 2600m, and it opens first in December and closes last in spring. La Vraille descends from La Torchère (2364m). So does Le Choucas. And, since 2025, a black run that bears the village’s most celebrated name.

85 pistes and some fifty lifts

The official map lists 85 pistes:

• 16 green
• 31 blue
• 30 red
• 8 black

Around fifty lifts serve them, 49 according to the resort’s map. The up-to-date version and an interactive map are published on the official domain page.

A village that names its pistes after its champions

On the map, names tell the story of local skiing. On L’Étale, a piste bears the name of Régine Cavagnoud, a member of the La Clusaz ski club, world champion in super-G in 2001 and who died the same year following a training accident. At Beauregard, a piste is named after Guy Périllat, born in the village in 1940, bronze medallist in downhill at the Squaw Valley Games in 1960, then world champion in giant slalom in 1966.

The most recent is also the most renowned. Candide Thovex was born in Annecy in 1982 and grew up in La Clusaz, where his father was a ski instructor. A multiple gold medallist at the X Games, he brought freeride to a global audience through his series of films One of Those Days (2013, 2015 and 2016), then launched his brand, Candide Skis, in 2023.

In March 2025, the resort inaugurated on Balme the Candide Thovex black run. The terrain that shaped him is there, open to those with the legs to follow it.

Beginners, families or experts: where to ski

A family starting out finds what they need on Beauregard and Manigod, the two massifs the resort recommends for beginners. Those gaining confidence move towards L’Étale, in the sun. Advanced and expert skiers spend their days between Aiguille and Balme.

The choice of chalet often follows this division. Staying near the Beauregard cable car departure simplifies every morning, whether for children or parents. Committed skiers tend to look towards Balme and Aiguille.

When to ski at La Clusaz

The season generally runs from mid-December to April, with dates specific to each massif. In 2025-2026, Balme ran from 13 December to 26 April, Aiguille and Beauregard until 12 April, L’Étale from 20 December to 5 April. The dates for the 2026-2027 season are published by the resort on its website.

Getting to La Clusaz

• By train: Annecy station is 32km away.
• By plane: Geneva airport is 50km away, Lyon-Saint-Exupéry is 150km away.
• By car: the resort states 40 to 45 minutes from Annecy and one hour from Geneva.

Planning your stay

A single pass, the La Clusaz-Manigod pass, opens all five massifs. It can be purchased online on the resort’s website. And when the snow melts, the village transforms: here’s what to do at La Clusaz in summer.

Five massifs mean five different mornings. To experience them from a quiet chalet or in the heart of the village, discover our chalets and apartments in La Clusaz.