Les Rafforts
Les Rafforts is a winter sports resort in France located in Savoie, in Ugine.
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?2.5 / 5
Top of the ski area: 1,749 m · Bottom of the pistes: 915 m · Days above 30 cm per winter, measured: 70 days · Days above 30 cm, December to March, model: 93%
- Ski areaIs there enough to ski all week?3 / 5
Km of pistes at the resort: 44 km · Km of pistes across the linked area: 44 km · Lifts: 17 · Balance between piste levels: 86%
- 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: 66% · Magic carpets: 0 · Sledging runs: 0 · ESF ski school · Ice rink, pool, rail sledge…: 0 · Famille Plus label
- AccessIs it easy to get to?3.5 / 5
Average drive time from 20 major cities: 4 hr 18 · Nearest railway station: 22 min · Station-to-resort shuttles per day: 0 · Nearest airport: 1 hr 10
- Atmosphere and après-skiIs there life in the evening and off the slopes?2.5 / 5
Bars and pubs: 3 · Nightclubs: 0 · Restaurants: 12 · 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-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).
Open pistes and lifts will appear here during the season, as published by the resort. Out of season we show nothing rather than a misleading zero.
Right now at the COL-DES-SAISIES station (1,614 m)
Avalanche danger
7-day forecast
Village 900 m · top 1,749 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 January to April: a long, reliable season.
☀️ Average daily sunshine : Nov 6.2 h · Dec 5.6 h · Jan 5.8 h · Feb 7.1 h · Mar 8.2 h · Apr 9.9 h — 25 bright days in April (Open-Meteo estimate, 2015-2025).
- November15 cmInsufficient · 21%
- December62 cmVariable · 76%
- January101 cmGood skiing · 96%
- February124 cmGood skiing · 100%
- March130 cmGood skiing · 100%
- April94 cmGood skiing · 94%
- May34 cmVariable · 51%
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
36 complete winters measured, from 1988-1989 to 2023-2024 — on average 70 days a winter with at least 30 cm on the ground.
- 1-15 Dec21 cmInsufficient · 31 %
- 16-31 Dec28 cmInsufficient · 42 %
- 1-15 Jan33 cmVariable · 55 %
- 16-31 Jan45 cmVariable · 73 %
- 1-15 Feb54 cmVariable · 74 %
- 16-29 Feb56 cmVariable · 72 %
- 1-15 Mar49 cmVariable · 64 %
- 16-31 Mar29 cmInsufficient · 39 %
- 1-15 Apr12 cmInsufficient · 16 %
- Best winter of the series
- 2012-2013 — 134 days at 30 cm or more
- Worst winter of the series
- 1989-1990 — 3 days at 30 cm or more
How much snow actually falls — 349 cm a winter on average, spread over 35 days of snowfall. Measured over 36 complete winters.
- Biggest 24-hour snowfall
- 50 cm — 1994-1995
- Snowiest winter
- 1998-1999 — 691 cm
- Leanest winter
- 1996-1997 — 117 cm
The ski area
Compare with another resort →58 pistes, by level — 44 km
- Skiable vertical
- 834 m (915 m → 1,749 m)
- Lifts
- 1 cable car, 1 gondola, 3 chairlifts, 12 drag lifts
- Cross-country skiing
- 23 km of nordic trails
- Without skis
- 6 km of snowshoe and walking trails
- Piste aspect
- N 39% · E 12% · S 4% · W 45% (descent direction of 56 OSM pistes, terrain model)
- Mountain restaurants
- Le Vent Volet (1315 m) · Le Mazot (1251 m) · Le Telemark (1244 m) · L'Arche de Zoé (1240 m) · Le Montana (1238 m) · L'arrêt Bognette (1216 m) · Le 145 Beef N' Beer (1127 m)
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.
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.
Staying and hiring gear in Les Rafforts
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 (1) →Nearby cameras listed by Windy: the link opens the image at its publisher. Checked on 18 September 2026.
Webcams provided by windy.com — add a webcam.
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 Rafforts
From Paris: 6 hr 46 (642 km) by road.
By road
- From Annecy: 57 min · 47 km
- From Chambéry: 59 min · 73 km
- From Grenoble: 1 hr 15 · 103 km
- From Genève: 1 hr 20 · 85 km
- From Lyon: 2 hr 09 · 172 km
From other major cities (15)
- From Valence: 2 hr 19 · 195 km
- From Saint-Étienne: 2 hr 43 · 220 km
- From Besançon: 3 hr 48 · 259 km
- From Dijon: 3 hr 55 · 341 km
- From Clermont-Ferrand: 4 hr 02 · 340 km
- From Montpellier: 4 hr 26 · 400 km
- From Marseille: 4 hr 31 · 409 km
- From Strasbourg: 5 hr 43 · 476 km
- From Perpignan: 5 hr 47 · 548 km
- From Nice: 5 hr 52 · 487 km
- From Nancy: 5 hr 57 · 544 km
- From Toulouse: 6 hr 43 · 634 km
- From Paris: 6 hr 46 · 642 km
- From Bordeaux: 8 hr 00 · 727 km
- From Pau: 8 hr 38 · 824 km
Excluding traffic and winter conditions; passes closed in winter are avoided.
By train
Albertville station
regional station · then 22 min drive (21 km)
Nearest main station: Chambéry - Challes-les-Eaux, 57 min 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 10 by road · 81 km
- Genève (GVA): 1 hr 44 by road · 93 km
Take me there
These links open the app with Les Rafforts as the destination. Your starting point is never sent by us — the app asks you for it, if you agree.
Charging an electric car
2 charging stations within 2 km
4 charging points · up to 22 kW
- QOWATT 22KW |CHALET DE MONT CHARVIN · DREAM ENERGY · 2 points · 22 kW · 1.7 km
- QOWATT 22KW |CHALET DE MONT CHARVIN · QoWatt · 2 points · 22 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: Chemin de la Palettaz · Ancienne Liaison Saisie - Crest Voland/Cohennoz
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 Rafforts — up to 2,800 m of climb.
| Summit and route | Ski grade | Climb | Altitude | Aspect | From resort |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Praz Vechin · Par Hery-sur-Ugine | n/a · F | 543 m | 1,200 → 1,743 m | SE | 3 km |
| Mont Charvin · Voie Tardivel | 5.5 · E4 | 1,800 m | n/a | SE · S | 4.8 km |
| Mont Bisanne · La Légette | 1.1 · E1 · F | 500 m | 1,500 → 2,000 m | E | 4.8 km |
| Traversée des Aravis S - Charvin au col des Aravis | 5.1 · E2 · D+ | 2,800 m | 1,314 → 2,483 m | n/a | 5 km |
| Mont Charvin · Presque directe NE | 5.2 · E3 | 1,200 m | 2,400 m | NE · N | 5 km |
| Mont Charvin · Face N directe | 5.5 · E4 · ED- | 1,150 m | 1,300 → 2,409 m | N · NE | 5 km |
| La Rouelle · Couloir W | n/a · AD | 950 m | 1,110 → 2,082 m | W | 5 km |
| Mont Charvin · Aux rêveurs | 5.5 · E4 · ED+ | n/a | 2,409 m | S | 5 km |
| La Goenne · Facette NW | 4.1 · E2 · D- | 1,070 m | 1,108 → 2,174 m | NW | 5.1 km |
| La Goenne · Versant SW | 2.2 · PD- | 1,066 m | 1,108 → 2,174 m | N | 5.1 km |
| Aiguilles du Mont · Couloir des Sorcières | 5.4 · E2 · ED- | 1,050 m | 1,000 → 2,050 m | SE | 5.3 km |
| Aiguilles du Mont · Les farfadets | 5.4 · E4 | 1,400 m | 2,100 m | S · SE | 5.4 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 Rafforts
Ice rink
- Patinoire · Notre-Dame-de-Bellecombe · 3.8 km away
Swimming pool
- Spa des Cîmes - Hôtel Mont Charvin · Cohennoz · 1.4 km away
- Centre Atlantis - Piscine · Ugine · 6.7 km away
- Centre Atlantis - Espace Balnéothérapie · Ugine · 6.7 km away
Paragliding
- Megève Aventure Parapente · Praz-sur-Arly · 9 km away
Museum
- Musée de la Maison du Meunier et Moulin à Tienne · Flumet · 4.3 km away
- Musée "La Maison des Contes de Fées" · Notre-Dame-de-Bellecombe · 4.3 km away
- Musée digital - L'agriculture de montagne et nos savoir-faire fromagers · Flumet · 5.5 km away
- Ecomusée de Hauteluce · Hauteluce · 9.1 km away
Cinema
- Cinéma Chantecler · Ugine · 6.2 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
- 1 hotel · 16 rooms
Commune: Ugine · 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 de tourisme "le cernix"
Ski school
ESF Crest Voland
66 instructors
🇬🇧 41 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 Les Rafforts?
Les Rafforts sits at 900 m at village level, and its ski area rises to 1,749 m.
How many kilometres of pistes does Les Rafforts have?
Les Rafforts has 44 km of pistes served by 17 lifts (OpenStreetMap survey).
What is the longest piste in Les Rafforts?
The longest piste is Galbier: 2 km (blue run), for 311 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 Rafforts?
The highest lift, Rafforts, tops out at 1,228 m (IGN RGE ALTI terrain model). The 3 lifts mapped on OpenStreetMap total 2 km.
How do I get to Les Rafforts?
By road, Les Rafforts is 57 min from Annecy (47 km), excluding traffic and winter conditions. By train, the nearest station is Albertville, 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 10 away.
How long is the drive from Paris to Les Rafforts?
6 hr 46 for 642 km from central Paris, excluding traffic and winter conditions. Computed on the real road network (OpenStreetMap): allow more on a school-holiday Saturday.
Is the snow reliable in Les Rafforts?
Yes: good snow through most of the winter according to ten winters of reanalysis (estimate); in season the daily report prevails.
Is Les Rafforts good for beginners and families?
66% of the pistes are green or blue: a rather easy area. The resort holds the Famille Plus family label.
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