Les Karellis
Les Karellis is a ski resort in the Maurienne Valley, located in the commune of Montricher-Albanne, in the Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.
Introduction from the English Wikipedia article (CC BY-SA).
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: 2,496 m · Bottom of the pistes: 1,600 m · Days above 30 cm per winter, measured: 93 days · Days above 30 cm, December to March, model: 76%
- Ski areaIs there enough to ski all week?3.5 / 5
Km of pistes at the resort: 49 km · Km of pistes across the linked area: 49 km · Lifts: 14 · Balance between piste levels: 92%
- ValueIs the lift pass reasonable for what you get?n/a
Not rated: “adult day pass” is missing from this page.
- Families and beginnersIs it right for children and beginners?2.5 / 5
Share of green and blue pistes: 56% · Magic carpets: 1 · Sledging runs: 0 · ESF ski school · Ice rink, pool, rail sledge…: 1 · Famille Plus label
- AccessIs it easy to get to?3 / 5
Average drive time from 20 major cities: 4 hr 37 · Nearest railway station: 22 min · Station-to-resort shuttles per day: 0 · Nearest airport: 1 hr 25
- Atmosphere and après-skiIs there life in the evening and off the slopes?1.5 / 5
Bars and pubs: 0 · Nightclubs: 0 · Restaurants: 3 · Upcoming events: 0 · Collective tourist beds: 2,129 — index: what the map and the listings publish
- Luxury and comfortHow upmarket is the resort?1 / 5
5-star hotels: 0 · 4-star hotels: 0 · Share of hotel rooms in 4 and 5 stars: 0% · Spas and saunas: 0 · Jewellers, watchmakers, fashion boutiques: 0 — 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 10 April 2027. Open pistes and lifts will appear here as soon as the resort publishes its daily report.
Right now at the ALBIEZ-MONTROND station (1,633 m)
Avalanche danger
7-day forecast
Village 1,614 m · top 2,496 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 6.6 h · Dec 5.8 h · Jan 6.2 h · Feb 7.5 h · Mar 8.7 h · Apr 10.1 h — 26 bright days in April (Open-Meteo estimate, 2015-2025).
- November—no record
- December36 cmVariable · 54%
- January52 cmVariable · 77%
- February65 cmGood skiing · 91%
- March64 cmGood skiing · 83%
- April41 cmVariable · 60%
- 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
24 complete winters measured, from 1972-1973 to 2022-2023 — on average 93 days a winter with at least 30 cm on the ground.
- 1-15 Dec30 cmInsufficient · 40 %
- 16-31 Dec35 cmInsufficient · 48 %
- 1-15 Jan42 cmVariable · 65 %
- 16-31 Jan50 cmVariable · 77 %
- 1-15 Feb60 cmGood skiing · 88 %
- 16-29 Feb67 cmGood skiing · 91 %
- 1-15 Mar66 cmGood skiing · 88 %
- 16-31 Mar53 cmVariable · 78 %
- 1-15 Apr33 cmInsufficient · 48 %
- Best winter of the series
- 2012-2013 — 133 days at 30 cm or more
- Worst winter of the series
- 2000-2001 — 10 days at 30 cm or more
How much snow actually falls — 355 cm a winter on average, spread over 50 days of snowfall. Measured over 24 complete winters, from 1996-1997 to 2022-2023.
- Biggest 24-hour snowfall
- 55 cm — 2006-2007
- Snowiest winter
- 2012-2013 — 540 cm
- Leanest winter
- 1996-1997 — 173 cm
The ski area
Compare with another resort →54 pistes, by level — 49 km
- Skiable vertical
- 896 m (1,600 m → 2,496 m)
- Lifts
- 6 chairlifts, 7 drag lifts, 1 magic carpet
- Snowpark
- Yes
- Without skis
- 2 km of snowshoe and walking trails
- Piste aspect
- N 37% · E 44% · S 7% · W 12% (descent direction of 59 OSM pistes, terrain model)
- Season 2026-2027
- opens on 19 December 2026, closes on 10 April 2027
- Tourist office
- Office de tourisme Les Karellis · Le Forum, 73870 · +33 (0)4 79 59 50 36 · [email protected] (declared by the resort, ANMSM)
- Piste map (PDF)
- Les Karellis - Domaine Alpin (declared by the resort, ANMSM)
- Resort app
- Android (declared by the resort, ANMSM)
- Famille Plus
- The resort’s family page (declared by the resort, ANMSM)
Resort data: declared by Office de tourisme Les Karellis and distributed by ANMSM · read on 18 September
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 detail →
The price list for this resort is being collected: most resorts publish winter prices between September and November.
Official piste map
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 Les Karellis only (“KARELLIS (LES)”), magic carpets included.
Staying and hiring gear in Les Karellis
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 (4) →Official players of the resort, live image. Checked on 18 September 2026.
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 Les Karellis
From Paris: 7 hr 01 (661 km) by road.
By road
- From Chambéry: 1 hr 14 · 92 km
- From Grenoble: 1 hr 30 · 122 km
- From Annecy: 1 hr 43 · 139 km
- From Genève: 2 hr 12 · 177 km
- From Lyon: 2 hr 24 · 191 km
From other major cities (15)
- From Valence: 2 hr 33 · 214 km
- From Saint-Étienne: 2 hr 57 · 239 km
- From Dijon: 4 hr 16 · 392 km
- From Clermont-Ferrand: 4 hr 17 · 359 km
- From Besançon: 4 hr 32 · 349 km
- From Montpellier: 4 hr 40 · 419 km
- From Marseille: 4 hr 45 · 428 km
- From Nice: 5 hr 10 · 413 km
- From Perpignan: 6 hr 02 · 567 km
- From Nancy: 6 hr 23 · 602 km
- From Strasbourg: 6 hr 27 · 567 km
- From Toulouse: 6 hr 58 · 653 km
- From Paris: 7 hr 01 · 661 km
- From Bordeaux: 8 hr 15 · 746 km
- From Pau: 8 hr 52 · 843 km
Excluding traffic and winter conditions; passes closed in winter are avoided.
By train
Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne Arvan station
regional station · then 22 min drive (17 km)
Nearest main station: Chambéry - Challes-les-Eaux, 1 hr 12 by road.
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
- Chambéry-Savoie (CMF): 1 hr 25 by road · 100 km
- Grenoble-Alpes-Isère (GNB): 2 hr 03 by road · 167 km
Take me there
These links open the app with Les Karellis 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 22 kW
- KGNZ- Montricher-Albanne - D81B · EASYCHARGE · 2 points · 22 kW · 0.4 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: Enfers · Mottes
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 Les Karellis — up to 1,311 m of climb.
| Summit and route | Ski grade | Climb | Altitude | Aspect | From resort |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tête d'Albiez le Vieux · Par la combe de la Rama | 2.1 · E1 · F | 872 m | 1,600 → 2,472 m | NE | 1.2 km |
| Pointe des Chaudannes · Par les pistes des Karellis | 2.1 · E1 · F | 950 m | 2,519 m | NE | 1.5 km |
| Casse Massion · Casse Massion par Les Karellis | n/a | 833 m | 1,600 → 2,433 m | E · NE | 2.1 km |
| Pointe d'Emy · Versant SE | 2.2 · E1 · PD | 1,180 m | 1,620 → 2,797 m | SE | 3.3 km |
| Col d'Emy · Versant E | n/a · PD | 1,060 m | 1,630 → 2,694 m | E | 3.8 km |
| Paroi du Midi · Couloirs N | 4.1 · D- | 1,000 m | 1,610 → 2,564 m | N | 3.8 km |
| Grande Chible · Versant NE | 3.1 · E1 · AD- | 1,311 m | 1,621 → 2,932 m | NE | 3.9 km |
| Grande Chible · Versant SE par le Pas de Pertuité | 3.3 · E2 · AD | 1,310 m | 1,620 → 2,932 m | SE | 3.9 km |
| Pointe d'Emy · Couloir N | 4.2 · E2 · D+ | 1,280 m | 1,520 → 2,797 m | N | 4.1 km |
| Pointe d'Emy · Variante au couloir N | 4.2 · E2 | n/a | n/a | N | 4.1 km |
| Pointe d'Emy · Versant NW par le Col d'Albanne | 3.3 · PD+ | 1,270 m | 1,520 → 2,797 m | NW · N | 4.2 km |
| Grande Chible · Rampe NE | 4.3 · E2 · AD+ | 1,311 m | 2,932 m | NE | 4.4 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 ↗
Beyond skiing at Les Karellis
Swimming pool
- Espace Aquatique et Piscine · Montricher-Albanne · 0 km away
- Piscine de Valloire · Valloire · 7 km away
- Centre nautique et Espace aqualudique · Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne · 7.4 km away
Dog sledding
- MUSHING SPIRIT · Valloire · 7.3 km away
Paragliding
- Parapente Air Line - Activités · Albiez-Montrond · 5 km away
- Lenvair Parapente · Valloire · 9 km away
- Envergure - Parapente · Valmeinier · 9.6 km away
Museum
- Ecomusée "Montricher autrefois" · Montricher-Albanne · 1.1 km away
- Musée de la Résistance Rosine Perrier · Villargondran · 4.2 km away
- Espace Alu · Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne · 5.6 km away
- Musée des Costumes, Arts et Traditions Populaires · Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne · 7 km away
Cinema
- Cinéma · Montricher-Albanne · 0.2 km away
- Cinéma Casse-Massion · Albiez-Montrond · 5 km away
- Cinéma Star · Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne · 6.9 km away
- Cinéma · Valloire · 7.4 km away
Source: DATAtourisme (open data), within 10 km of the resort; places in a large town of the valley are left out. Checked on 12 September 2026. Opening times and prices are the operator’s — check before you go.
Practical information
Collective accommodation
2,129 bed spaces in tourist residences, holiday villages and hostels
- 3 hotels · 141 rooms
- 5 holiday villages and family centres · 1,850 bed spaces
- 1 youth hostel or sports centre · 279 bed spaces
Commune: Montricher-Albanne · 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
Office du tourisme Les Karellis
Ski school
ESF Les Karellis
54 instructors
🇬🇧 9 English-speaking instructors — lessons in English available
🗓️ This school sells its lessons online — book ↗
Source: esf.net
Days without skiing
- Cinema · Les Karellis
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 Les Karellis?
Les Karellis sits at 1,614 m at village level, and its ski area rises to 2,496 m.
How many kilometres of pistes does Les Karellis have?
Les Karellis has 49 km of pistes served by 14 lifts (OpenStreetMap survey).
What is the longest piste in Les Karellis?
The longest piste is Ponsonnière: 4 km (green run), for 333 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 Les Karellis?
The highest lift, Tete D'albiez 2 (platter lift), tops out at 2,490 m. Source: STRMTG, French national register of mechanical lifts (CAIRN database), file dated 1 January 2025.
How many lifts does Les Karellis have, and what is their capacity?
The French national register of mechanical lifts records 18 installations at Les Karellis (6 chairlifts, 10 drag lifts, 2 magic carpets), for an authorised capacity of 17,003 people per hour, of which 2,000 for Vinouve alone. The fleet spans 1969 to 2016, an average age of 33 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 do I get to Les Karellis?
By road, Les Karellis is 1 hr 14 from Chambéry (92 km), excluding traffic and winter conditions. By train, the nearest station is Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne Arvan, 22 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 Chambéry-Savoie, 1 hr 25 away.
How long is the drive from Paris to Les Karellis?
7 hr 01 for 661 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 Les Karellis open?
According to the official website, the resort opens on 19 December 2026 and closes on 10 April 2027 (2026-2027 season).
Is the snow reliable in Les Karellis?
Yes: good snow through most of the winter according to twenty winters of Météo-France measurements; in season the daily report prevails.
Is Les Karellis good for beginners and families?
56% of the pistes are green or blue: a rather technical area. The resort holds the Famille Plus family label.
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