Gavarnie-Gèdre
Gavarnie-Gèdre, or Gavarnie-les Espécières, is a winter sports resort in the Pyrénées located in the commune of Gavarnie-Gèdre in the département of Hautes-Pyrénées, in the Occitanie region. It is part of the STEM International group. A high-altitude resort, it is renowned for its quality of snow, which is always fresh and natural[citation needed].
Translated from the French Wikipedia article (CC BY-SA), machine translation.
Seven criteria rated from 1 to 5 stars, in half-stars, from this page's sourced data. A rating is a rank among the 322 French resorts we cover — 5 stars means “among the best in France on this point”, not “perfect”. Nobody types these in.
- SnowCan you count on the snow?3.5 / 5
Top of the ski area: 2,258 m · Bottom of the pistes: 1,820 m · Days above 30 cm per winter, measured: 105 days · Days above 30 cm, December to March, model: 73%
- Ski areaIs there enough to ski all week?3 / 5
Km of pistes at the resort: 20 km · Km of pistes across the linked area: 20 km · Lifts: 11 · Balance between piste levels: 97%
- ValueIs the lift pass reasonable for what you get?3 / 5
Adult day pass: €34 · Day pass price per km of pistes: €1.7/km
- Families and beginnersIs it right for children and beginners?2 / 5
Share of green and blue pistes: 61% · Magic carpets: 0 · Sledging runs: 0 · Special prices out of 4 (beginner, child, family, free age): 2 · ESF ski school · Ice rink, pool, rail sledge…: 0
- AccessIs it easy to get to?2 / 5
Average drive time from 20 major cities: 7 hr 46 · Nearest railway station: 58 min · Station-to-resort shuttles per day: 0 · Nearest airport: 1 hr 12
- Atmosphere and après-skiIs there life in the evening and off the slopes?2.5 / 5
Bars and pubs: 4 · Nightclubs: 0 · Restaurants: 10 · Upcoming events: 0 · Collective tourist beds: 0 — index: what the map and the listings publish
- Luxury and comfortHow upmarket is the resort?1.5 / 5
5-star hotels: 0 · 4-star hotels: 0 · Share of hotel rooms in 4 and 5 stars: 8% · Spas and saunas: 0 · Jewellers, watchmakers, fashion boutiques: 0 · Adult day pass: €34 — index: what the map and the listings publish
“Atmosphere” and “Luxury” are indexes: they count what OpenStreetMap and the event listings publish within 2.5 km (bars, nightclubs, rated hotels, spas, upcoming events), not what you experience there. A zero means “nothing mapped”, not “nothing there”. Sources per criterion: snow (altitudes (OpenStreetMap, Wikidata), snow depth observed at the Météo-France station, ERA5-Land model) ; ski area (OpenStreetMap pistes and lifts, linked area (Wikidata)) ; value (the resort’s official price list) ; families and beginners (OpenStreetMap pistes, price list, ESF ski school, Famille Plus label, OpenStreetMap leisure) ; access (OSRM drive times from 20 cities, SNCF stations, GTFS shuttles, airports) ; atmosphere and après-ski (bars, nightclubs and restaurants within 2.5 km (OpenStreetMap), upcoming events (OpenAgenda), collective tourist beds (INSEE)) ; luxury and comfort (rated hotels within 2.5 km (OpenStreetMap) and by category across the commune (INSEE), spas and boutiques (OpenStreetMap), day pass price).
The domain is due to open on 19 December 2026 and close on 14 March 2027. Open pistes and lifts will appear here as soon as the resort publishes its daily report.
Avalanche danger
7-day forecast
Village 1,812 m · top 2,258 m
Forecast corrected for altitude; fresh snow = forecast total at the top; UV = peak of the day. Beyond 3 days, check the resort’s own report. Source:Open-Meteo.
Average snow depth by month
Good snow from February to March.
☀️ Average daily sunshine : Nov 6.8 h · Dec 6.4 h · Jan 6.7 h · Feb 8 h · Mar 8.6 h · Apr 9.8 h — 25 bright days in April (Open-Meteo estimate, 2015-2025).
- November—no record
- December42 cmInsufficient · 49%
- January50 cmVariable · 70%
- February63 cmGood skiing · 80%
- March81 cmGood skiing · 94%
- April—no record
- May—no record
30 cm on the ground: the benchmark for groomed-piste skiing. Bar = monthly average depth; percentage = share of time above 30 cm.
- Good skiing: 30 cm on more than 8 days in 10
- Variable: 30 cm on 5 to 8 days in 10
- Insufficient: 30 cm less than one day in two
Snow actually measured, winter by winter
14 complete winters measured, from 1992-1993 to 2021-2022 — on average 105 days a winter with at least 30 cm on the ground.
- 1-15 Dec54 cmVariable · 71 %
- 16-31 Dec52 cmVariable · 78 %
- 1-15 Jan57 cmVariable · 78 %
- 16-31 Jan76 cmGood skiing · 91 %
- 1-15 Feb96 cmGood skiing · 87 %
- 16-29 Feb93 cmGood skiing · 88 %
- 1-15 Mar94 cmGood skiing · 82 %
- 16-31 Mar73 cmVariable · 74 %
- 1-15 Apr59 cmVariable · 65 %
- Best winter of the series
- 2013-2014 — 133 days at 30 cm or more
- Worst winter of the series
- 1992-1993 — 36 days at 30 cm or more
How much snow actually falls — 536 cm a winter on average, spread over 58 days of snowfall. Measured over 13 complete winters, from 1995-1996 to 2021-2022.
- Biggest 24-hour snowfall
- 99 cm — 2012-2013
- Snowiest winter
- 2012-2013 — 985 cm
- Leanest winter
- 1996-1997 — 342 cm
The ski area
Compare with another resort →28 pistes, by level — 20 km
- Skiable vertical
- 438 m (1,820 m → 2,258 m)
- Lifts
- 4 chairlifts, 7 drag lifts
- Piste aspect
- N 40% · E 34% · S 0% · W 26% (descent direction of 26 OSM pistes, terrain model)
- Season 2026-2027
- opens on 19 December 2026, closes on 14 March 2027
Pistes and lifts surveyed on OpenStreetMap within 4 km of the resort — for a resort in a linked area, the figure may include neighbouring pistes.
Lift passes (2026-2027) detail →
| Adult pass | Price |
|---|---|
| 1 day | €34 |
| Season | €390 |
| Child, 1 day | €29 |
| Free | Free under 5 · free from 75 years |
Read on the official price list, full price, excluding promotions. Official price list ↗
The ski area in figures
Measured on 9 September 2026Measured on OpenStreetMap (altitudes: IGN RGE ALTI), not taken from the brochure. The vertical above is that of one piste, not of the whole ski area. Population: INSEE municipal population via geo.api.gouv.fr.
Source: national register of mechanical lifts (STRMTG, CAIRN), fleet as of 1 January 2025 — lifts attributed to Gavarnie-Gèdre only (“GAVARNIE”), magic carpets included.
Staying and hiring gear in Gavarnie-Gèdre
We compare the partners that cover this resort. Some links earn us a commission — never at the expense of the price or of the data.
Stay & accommodation
Live webcams
All webcams (3) →Official players of the resort, live image.
Piste map
Open on OpenSnowMap ↗Pistes coloured by level, lifts as lines. The resort’s official map is the reference in season.
Base map © OpenTopoMap (CC-BY-SA) · pistes © OpenSnowMap (CC-BY-SA) · data ©OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
Getting to Gavarnie-Gèdre
From Paris: 9 hr 38 (883 km) by road.
By road
- From Pau: 1 hr 44 · 96 km
- From Toulouse: 3 hr 00 · 233 km
- From Bordeaux: 3 hr 45 · 306 km
- From Perpignan: 4 hr 50 · 428 km
- From Montpellier: 5 hr 18 · 463 km
From other major cities (15)
- From Clermont-Ferrand: 6 hr 53 · 602 km
- From Marseille: 6 hr 58 · 626 km
- From Valence: 7 hr 08 · 661 km
- From Grenoble: 8 hr 05 · 753 km
- From Lyon: 8 hr 15 · 760 km
- From Saint-Étienne: 8 hr 18 · 639 km
- From Nice: 8 hr 36 · 784 km
- From Chambéry: 8 hr 50 · 811 km
- From Annecy: 9 hr 15 · 870 km
- From Paris: 9 hr 38 · 883 km
- From Genève: 9 hr 45 · 908 km
- From Dijon: 9 hr 48 · 898 km
- From Besançon: 10 hr 24 · 956 km
- From Nancy: 11 hr 55 · 1108 km
- From Strasbourg: 12 hr 47 · 1194 km
Excluding traffic and winter conditions; passes closed in winter are avoided.
By train
Lourdes station
main station, high-speed trains · then 58 min drive (56 km)
No direct bus line from the station to the resort appears in the open-data timetables (checked on 13 September 2026): ask the resort about a private shuttle or a taxi.
Shuttles and buses from the station: see the resort’s official website.
By plane
- Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrénées (LDE): 1 hr 12 by road · 68 km
- Pau-Pyrénées (PUF): 1 hr 50 by road · 105 km
Take me there
These links open the app with Gavarnie-Gèdre as the destination. Your starting point is never sent by us — the app asks you for it, if you agree.
Charging an electric car
1 charging station within 2 km
2 charging points · up to 44 kW
- FR-S65-E65188-001 · Load Stations · 2 points · 44 kW · 1.7 km
Freely accessible charge points read from the French national EV charging database (data.gouv.fr ↗, operators’ own declarations), checked on 9 September 2026. Check availability before you leave: the database says what is installed, not what is free tonight.
Road conditions
From 1 November to 31 March, snow chains or winter tyres are compulsory in most mountain areas (French “Loi Montagne II”).
Driving times computed on the OpenStreetMap road network (OSRM), SNCF stations (open data), airports (Wikidata). Indicative, not a timetable: allow extra time in snow.
Off-piste & ski touring
The resorts for off-piste skiing →Named itineraries: Desman
Itineraries surveyed on OpenStreetMap within a 4 km radius (7 September 2026): “marked” means an itinerary exists on the map, not that it is open or safe on the day.
Ski touring routes described
Resorts for ski touring →12 ski touring routes documented within 10 km of Gavarnie-Gèdre — up to 1,155 m of climb.
| Summit and route | Ski grade | Climb | Altitude | Aspect | From resort |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pic Mourgat · Face NE | 3.2 · E1 · AD- | 370 m | 1,830 → 2,101 m | NE | 0.7 km |
| Pic Mourgat · Cheminée S | 4.3 · D+ | 265 m | 1,840 → 2,101 m | S · SW | 0.7 km |
| Pic de Lary · Face W | 3.3 · E1 · PD- | 740 m | 1,720 → 2,350 m | W | 0.9 km |
| Pic des Tentes · Depuis les Especières | n/a · PD | 522 m | 1,800 → 2,322 m | NW | 0.9 km |
| Pic de la Pahule : Versant NE depuis Gavarnie | 2.3 · E1 · PD- | 930 m | 1,370 → 2,292 m | NE | 1 km |
| Pic de la Pahule · Face NW | 4.3 · E2 · D+ | 500 m | 1,830 → 2,292 m | N · NW | 1 km |
| Pic de Lary · Tour antihoraire | 2.1 · E1 · PD | 600 m | 1,720 → 2,278 m | NE | 1.2 km |
| Pic de la Montagnette · par le col de Lary | n/a · E1 · F | 900 m | 1,700 → 2,401 m | NE | 1.4 km |
| Crête des Ligades · Face E | 3.1 · E1 · PD+ | 790 m | 1,692 → 2,343 m | E · NE | 1.4 km |
| Pic de Saint André · Couloir S | 4.1 · E2 · AD+ | 1,155 m | 1,850 → 2,605 m | S | 1.5 km |
| Pic de Saint André · Versant E (voie normale) | 2.1 · E1 · PD | 800 m | 1,800 → 2,608 m | E · NE · SE | 1.5 km |
| Pic de Lary · Couloir NE | 3.1 · E2 · PD+ | 700 m | 1,700 → 2,397 m | NE | 1.6 km |
Source: Camptocamp.org topo guide (CC BY-SA), routes starting within 10 km, read on 13 September 2026. Descriptions and photos are on Camptocamp; an empty cell is a field nobody has filled in. Camptocamp ski touring routes ↗
Practical information
Collective accommodation
- 6 hotels · 98 rooms (1 × 4★, 1 × 3★, 2 × 2★)
- 4 campsites · 187 pitches
Commune: Gavarnie-Gèdre · INSEE tourist accommodation survey, 2026, read on 12 September 2026. Collective accommodation only — privately let flats and second homes are not counted. INSEE dataset ↗
Tourist office
Informations/Billetterie
Ski school
ESF Gavarnie
9 instructors
🇬🇧 3 English-speaking instructors — lessons in English available
🗓️ This school sells its lessons online — book ↗
Source: esf.net
In case of accident
112 — the European emergency number, free of charge, triggers mountain rescue. On the pistes, the ski patrol number is printed on the piste map and at lift ticket offices. Piste rescue is charged: check your insurance or take the option sold with the lift pass.
Nearby resorts
Frequently asked questions
How high is Gavarnie-Gèdre?
Gavarnie-Gèdre sits at 1,812 m at village level, and its ski area rises to 2,258 m.
How many kilometres of pistes does Gavarnie-Gèdre have?
Gavarnie-Gèdre has 20 km of pistes served by 11 lifts (OpenStreetMap survey).
What is the longest piste in Gavarnie-Gèdre?
The longest piste is Les bronzés: 2 km (blue run), for 240 m of vertical. Measured on the OpenStreetMap map, segments of the same name and level joined end to end, altitudes from the IGN RGE ALTI terrain model — a resort sometimes advertises a longer run by chaining several pistes.
How high do the lifts go in Gavarnie-Gèdre?
The highest lift, Pic Des Tentes (chairlift), tops out at 2,282 m. Source: STRMTG, French national register of mechanical lifts (CAIRN database), file dated 1 January 2025.
How many lifts does Gavarnie-Gèdre have, and what is their capacity?
The French national register of mechanical lifts records 8 installations at Gavarnie-Gèdre (2 chairlifts, 6 drag lifts), for an authorised capacity of 6,157 people per hour, of which 1,070 for Pic Des Tentes alone. The fleet spans 1971 to 1991, an average age of 45 years. This count covers the resort itself, magic carpets included, not the whole linked ski area — a resort brochure often announces a different number. Source: STRMTG, French national register of mechanical lifts (CAIRN database), file dated 1 January 2025.
How much is a lift pass in Gavarnie-Gèdre?
The adult day pass costs €34 (2026-2027, read on the official price list).
How do I get to Gavarnie-Gèdre?
By road, Gavarnie-Gèdre is 1 hr 44 from Pau (96 km), excluding traffic and winter conditions. By train, the nearest station is Lourdes (main station, high-speed trains), 58 min by road from the resort. No direct bus line from the station to the resort appears in the open-data timetables. The nearest airport is Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrénées, 1 hr 12 away.
How long is the drive from Paris to Gavarnie-Gèdre?
9 hr 38 for 883 km from central Paris, excluding traffic and winter conditions. Computed on the real road network (OpenStreetMap): allow more on a school-holiday Saturday.
When does Gavarnie-Gèdre open?
According to the official website, the resort opens on 19 December 2026 and closes on 14 March 2027 (2026-2027 season).
Is the snow reliable in Gavarnie-Gèdre?
Yes: good snow through most of the winter according to twenty winters of Météo-France measurements; in season the daily report prevails.
Is Gavarnie-Gèdre good for beginners and families?
61% of the pistes are green or blue: a rather easy area.
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