If you haven’t already done so, time to dust off your skis and go and enjoy one of our family’s favourite ski areas: ⛷ Les Contamines-Montjoie / Hauteluce.

Here you’ll find :

• ❄️ excellent snow conditions and snow machines to ensure good snow at the start and end of the season;
• ❄️ broad, sunny pistes;
• 🗻 panoramic views of the Mont-Blanc Massif and Beaufortin,;
• ☕️ lovely restaurants on the slopes . . . 
• a super ludo park;

The ski station straddles over both sides of the 🗻 Col du Mont Joly, linking Haute-Savoie and Savoie, from Les Contamines to Hauteluce-Belleville.

Access from Les Contamines-Montjoie is via two departure cable-cars (from 🚡 Notre Dame de la Gorge or 🚡 Montjoie) or from 🚠 Hauteluce-Belleville (one cable-car).

Both the 🚡 Télécabine de la Gorge and  Télécabine de Montjoie come together at l’Etape for the next stage of the journey to le Signal (another bubble).

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⛷ Ski Pass Options 

On its own, ⛷ Les Contamines-Montjoie / Hauteluce boasts 120km of pistes from 1200m-2500m altitude, 46 slopes (a varied selection of green, blue, red and black), the 🌈 Ludo-Parc for family fun (between the blue piste Les Coins and the red piste Les Tierces) and 🚩 1 slalom.

⛷ Les Contamines-Montjoie is also part of the extensive ⛷ Evasion Mont Blanc skiing area (445km of pistes in six ski stations au Pays du Mont-Blanc: Saint Gervais, Megève, Saint Nicolas de Véroce, Combloux and la Giettaz), though not connected directly to the other stations.

NEW for 2021 – 2022 season: le télésiège de l’Olympique ! The old 3-seat télésiège de Roselette, one of the oldest in the resort (dating from 1985), has been replaced with a 6-seater! This chairlift enables the liaison with Hauteluce, and the new one is twice as fast!

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⛷ Beginner & Family Skiing 

With its mix of ⛷ green, blue, red and black pistes, Les Contamines has something for the whole family!

For ⛄️ very young beginner skiers there are two green slopes in the centre of the resort equipped with drag lifts: ⛷ Nivorin and ⛷ Loyers.

⛷ good to know: especially appealing if you have young skiers or beginners, is the gentle 🗺 Col-ruelle green piste that meanders at a very leisurely pace downs on the Hauteluce side of the ski station (I rather enjoyed this myself!)

⛷ good to know: 🗺 the ski piste map highlights a great route for beginners on green and blue pistes (staying up high), leaving from 🚡 Le Signal!

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⛷ Intermediate & Advanced Skiing

⛷ Les Contamines-Montjoie has plenty of excellent ⛷ skiing for more advanced skiers!

piste map

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🌈 Ludo-Parc & Ecureuils Park 

🐿 NEW in 2020 ! – there are two new features for children:

• 🐿 one is a playground and relaxation area at l’Etape;
• 🐿 and the other is a parcours ludique on the Ecureuils green piste:

We’ve had some great fun at the 🌈 Ludo–Parc over the years . . . it gets better every year, with new additions!

🐿 NEW features 2021-2022 at 🌈 the Ludo-Parc:

• 💤 relaxation zone;
• 📷 photo frame;

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🌈 NEW chill-out zone au Col du Joly

Also 💤 a NEW « chill out zone » for this winter season, with lounge chairs is available at the arrival of the télésiège du Col, between Hauteluce and Les Contamines.

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🛷 Sledging

There are NO sledging zones within the main domaine de ski, but Les Contamines-Montjoie has two designated 🛷 sledging areas:

• 🛷 Piste de Luge Nivorin (next to téléski);
• 🛷 Piste du Chalet Nordique;

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☕️ Eating Options on the pistes

One of the many reasons we love skiing in Les Contamines-Montjoie is the excellent selection of ☕️ restaurants and snack bars on the pistes.

[ ⇒ see lescontamines.com for more details ]

We particularly enjoyed our lunch recently at La Roselette: (located on the red Tièrge piste):

You will also find 🍏 a Salle Hors Sac at Le Signal and picnic areas . . . look at this wild picnic spot . . .

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⛷ ESF Les Contamines / Ski Lessons

For ⛷ ESF (Ecole de Ski Français) Les Contamines details and Piou Piou ski classes for small children, see here.

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Ski rando (ski touring) routes

There is a 4km itinéraire de ski de randonnée damé, balisé et sécurisé, open every day from 9h until 16h, with 700m dénivelé, leaving from Télecabine de Montjoie / ⇒ more information here;

NEW for 2021 – this summer saw the opening of the new Refuge des Prés (1935m) located in an alpage revalorisé in the réserve naturelle. It is open for this winter season, and open to ski rando and raquette visitors! You can even spend the night: 7 small dortoirs sleeping four people, and one for a couple / ⇒ more information here:

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❄️ Domaine Nordique: ski de fond, biathlon, ice-climbing, chiens de traineau & traineau à cheval

The ❄️ domaine nordique is located near the beautiful Notre-Dame de la Gorge, and has 25km of cross country ski trails. You can choose from:

• ❄️ 1 FREE piste découverte (piste violette, 0.5 km) – a Beginner area, next to the Chalet d’Accueil;
• ❄️ 2 pistes familiales et débutants (piste verte “les Lacs”, 3.3 km, and piste verte “la Gorge”, 1.9 km);
• ❄️ 3 pistes classiques and skating (piste bleue “les Chapelles”, 4.6 km; piste rouge “le Belvédère”, 8,2 km; and piste noire des Dômes, 8,3 km);
• ❄️ 1 nocturnal piste – cross country skiing at night on a 2km piste, lit every Wednesday night from 19h to 21h, and FREE!
• ❄️ biathlon;

[ 🗺 cross country skiing map ⇒ see here  ]

The ❄️ Chalet Nordique is open from 9h to 16h30;

🐺 chiens de traineau – Les Voyageurs de l’Hiver (Les Contamines-Montjoie) – see website;

❄ cascade de glace & ruisseling – this you’ll need to book with a guide, unless you are skilled yourself!

🐎  traineau à cheval – Centre Equestre Les Contamines-Montjoie – see here;

good to know: the Domaine Nordique is a lovely place to head en famille, as you’ll find plenty of activities: ❄️ winter wonderland walk in the woods, along the Bon Nant river up to Notre Dame de la Gorge, ⛪️ the pretty church of Notre Dame de la Gorge and the ⛪️ Sainte-Chapelle chapel, 🐺 husky dog-sledding, 🐴 sometimes ski-joering, 🛷 sledging . . .

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Raquette (snow shoe) trails 

You’ll find plenty of ❄️ snow shoeing trails in Les Contamines-Montjoie!

An easy trail for families (and you’ll often not need snow-shoes as the trail is well trodden!) is up to the Auberge de Colombaz.

This pink booklet is free from your tourist office!

[ ⇒ see here for Les Contamines’ 🗺 snow shoeing trail map ]

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Ice-Skating rink

For more information about ⛸ the semi-natural outdoor rink in Les Contamines, see separate MBFF article ⛸ Seasonal ice-skating au Pays du Mont-Blanc.

website

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Fat Biking & Fat Trottinettes

You can rent 🚵‍♂️ fat bikes or fat trottinettes from one of the ski rental shops in Les Contamines-Montjoie. There is a lovely trail along the river and in the Domaine Nordique.

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Practical Information 

🅿️ parking: ou can park for FREE either at the 🚡 Télécabine de la Gorge or 🚡 Télécabine de Montjoie;

Les Contamines-Montjoie website / FB page

Domaine skiable des Contamines FB