Orcières Merlette 1850
Orcières-Merlette, also known as Orcières Merlette 1850, is a ski resort near to Orcières, Hautes-Alpes, in the French Alps. It has been a summit finish for Tour de France stages on multiple occasions, most notably in 1971, when Luis Ocaña beat Eddy Merckx by over eight minutes to take the yellow jersey as leader of the general classification.
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?4 / 5
Top of the ski area: 2,655 m · Bottom of the pistes: 1,850 m · Days above 30 cm per winter, measured: 130 days · Days above 30 cm, December to March, model: 92%
- 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: 26 · Balance between piste levels: 81%
- 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?3 / 5
Share of green and blue pistes: 58% · Magic carpets: 4 · Sledging runs: 0 · ESF ski school · Ice rink, pool, rail sledge…: 2 · Famille Plus label
- AccessIs it easy to get to?2.5 / 5
Average drive time from 20 major cities: 5 hr 09 · Nearest railway station: 44 min · Station-to-resort shuttles per day: 1 · Nearest airport: 2 hr 40
- Atmosphere and après-skiIs there life in the evening and off the slopes?3 / 5
Bars and pubs: 5 · Nightclubs: 0 · Restaurants: 26 · Upcoming events: 0 · Collective tourist beds: 3,316 — 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 12 December 2026 and close on 11 April 2027. Open pistes and lifts will appear here as soon as the resort publishes its daily report.
Right now at the ORCIERES-NIVOSE station (2,280 m)
Avalanche danger
7-day forecast
Village 1,850 m · top 2,655 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 December to March: a long, reliable season.
☀️ Average daily sunshine : Nov 7.1 h · Dec 6.6 h · Jan 7 h · Feb 8.2 h · Mar 9.5 h · Apr 10.6 h — 26 bright days in April (Open-Meteo estimate, 2015-2025).
- November—no record
- December83 cmGood skiing · 86%
- January90 cmGood skiing · 87%
- February106 cmGood skiing · 99%
- March123 cmGood skiing · 95%
- April91 cmVariable · 62%
- 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
17 complete winters measured, from 2007-2008 to 2025-2026 — on average 130 days a winter with at least 30 cm on the ground.
- 1-15 Dec47 cmVariable · 70 %
- 16-31 Dec70 cmGood skiing · 92 %
- 1-15 Jan90 cmGood skiing · 98 %
- 16-31 Jan107 cmGood skiing · 100 %
- 1-15 Feb122 cmGood skiing · 100 %
- 16-29 Feb131 cmGood skiing · 100 %
- 1-15 Mar134 cmGood skiing · 100 %
- 16-31 Mar134 cmGood skiing · 100 %
- 1-15 Apr125 cmGood skiing · 100 %
- Best winter of the series
- 2007-2008 — 137 days at 30 cm or more
- Worst winter of the series
- 2015-2016 — 103 days at 30 cm or more
Snowfall: no long enough record of fresh snow at this station. Rather than an estimate, we show nothing.
The ski area
Compare with another resort →99 pistes, by level — 49 km
- Skiable vertical
- 805 m (1,850 m → 2,655 m)
- Lifts
- 3 gondolas, 4 chairlifts, 14 drag lifts, 4 magic carpets
- Piste aspect
- N 8% · E 24% · S 54% · W 13% (descent direction of 79 OSM pistes, terrain model)
- Mountain restaurants
- Chalet de Roche Rousse (2284 m)
- Season 2026-2027
- opens on 12 December 2026, closes on 11 April 2027 (declared by the resort, ANMSM)
- Tourist office
- Office de Tourisme d'Orcières · 1 rue des Écrins, 05170 · 04 92 55 89 89 · [email protected] (declared by the resort, ANMSM)
- Piste map (PDF)
- Plan-des-pistes-Orcieres-HIVER-25-26 (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 d'Orcières 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
Open the piste map (image, 3.3 MB) ↗
Link to the resort’s own file — a piste map is a copyrighted artwork, we host no copy.
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 Orcières Merlette 1850 only (“ORCIERES MERLETTE”), magic carpets included.
Staying and hiring gear in Orcières Merlette 1850
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 (6) →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 Orcières Merlette 1850
From Paris: 8 hr 02 (692 km) by road.
By road
- From Grenoble: 2 hr 14 · 119 km
- From Chambéry: 2 hr 52 · 178 km
- From Marseille: 2 hr 53 · 220 km
- From Valence: 3 hr 10 · 208 km
- From Annecy: 3 hr 22 · 225 km
From other major cities (15)
- From Lyon: 3 hr 26 · 222 km
- From Genève: 3 hr 51 · 263 km
- From Saint-Étienne: 3 hr 59 · 270 km
- From Montpellier: 4 hr 11 · 343 km
- From Nice: 4 hr 12 · 329 km
- From Dijon: 5 hr 18 · 422 km
- From Clermont-Ferrand: 5 hr 18 · 390 km
- From Perpignan: 5 hr 33 · 491 km
- From Besançon: 5 hr 37 · 452 km
- From Toulouse: 6 hr 29 · 577 km
- From Nancy: 7 hr 25 · 633 km
- From Strasbourg: 8 hr 00 · 690 km
- From Paris: 8 hr 02 · 692 km
- From Pau: 8 hr 24 · 767 km
- From Bordeaux: 8 hr 53 · 819 km
Excluding traffic and winter conditions; passes closed in winter are avoided.
By train
Gap station
regional station · then 44 min drive (39 km)
Nearest main station: Grenoble, 2 hr 13 by road.
- From Gap station (stop “IUT - Pôle d'Échanges Reynier”): line 524 — 524 _ ORCIERES-GAP (ZOU ! Proximité), 45 min to the “Orcières Village Mairie” stop — 1 departure a day on weekdays, 1 a day at weekends · first 12:15, last 18:15 · timetable from 15 December 2026 to 31 December 2026 · official timetable ↗
Direct journeys read from the official timetable files published on transport.data.gouv.fr — no connections.
By plane
- Grenoble-Alpes-Isère (GNB): 2 hr 40 by road · 161 km
- Chambéry-Savoie (CMF): 3 hr 04 by road · 186 km
Take me there
These links open the app with Orcières Merlette 1850 as the destination. Your starting point is never sent by us — the app asks you for it, if you agree.
Charging an electric car
4 charging stations within 2 km
9 charging points · up to 25 kW
- Parking Rte des grands Prés_ Mairie Orcières · STATIONS-E · 3 points · 25 kW · 0.1 km
- Brochier Place du Queyrelet · STATIONS-E · 2 points · 24 kW · 0.4 km
- ORCIERES - Merlette, Casse Blanche · EASYCHARGE · 2 points · 22 kW · 0.4 km
- ORCIERES - Parking de la Poste · EASYCHARGE · 2 points · 22 kW · 1.4 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.
Ski touring routes described
Resorts for ski touring →12 ski touring routes documented within 10 km of Orcières Merlette 1850 — up to 1,558 m of climb.
| Summit and route | Ski grade | Climb | Altitude | Aspect | From resort |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orcières-Merlette · Roc des Hommes | n/a · PD | n/a | 2,775 m | n/a | 0.2 km |
| Sommet Drouvet · face S par les pistes | 2.1 · E1 · PD- | 830 m | 1,820 → 2,655 m | S | 1.3 km |
| Les Pélissons / Crête des Dents · par le Lac de Jujal, depuis Orcières Merlette | 1.3 · E1 · F | 620 m | 1,850 → 2,468 m | SW | 1.7 km |
| Col de Freissinières · Versant SW | 2.1 · E1 · PD | 1,000 m | 1,850 → 2,787 m | SW | 2.6 km |
| Crête Chapan - Diolon · Versant N | 4.1 · E2 · AD+ | 900 m | 2,480 → 3,071 m | N | 2.9 km |
| Le Garabrut · Canyon NW | 5.3 · E4 · TD+ | 1,290 m | 1,510 → 2,780 m | NW | 3.6 km |
| Col de Freissinières · Versant W par le Torrent du Lac du Col | 2.3 · E1 · PD+ | 1,222 m | 1,560 → 2,782 m | S · SW · W · SE | 3.6 km |
| Serre de Jean Raymond · Voie normale | 2.2 · E2 | 835 m | 1,513 → 2,349 m | NE | 3.6 km |
| Col des Jalabres · Couloir E | 3.3 · E2 · AD+ | 1,260 m | 2,320 → 3,071 m | E · NE | 3.7 km |
| Le Garabrut - Sommet W · Face W | 4.1 · E3 | n/a | 1,466 → 2,787 m | W | 3.7 km |
| Roc Diolon · Face SE par Les Pisses | 3.1 · E2 · AD- | 1,558 m | 1,513 → 3,071 m | SE | 3.8 km |
| Aiguille d'Orcières · Face N | 3.1 · AD- | 1,327 m | 1,466 → 2,793 m | N | 3.8 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 Orcières Merlette 1850
Ice rink
- Patinoire - Orcières Arena 1850 · Orcières · 0.1 km away
Swimming pool
- Piscine - Orcières Arena 1850 · Orcières · 0.1 km away
Paragliding
- JP Parapente 05 · Saint-Jean-Saint-Nicolas · 9 km away
Museum
- Musée de la Casse · Orcières · 3.8 km away
- Musée du moulin - visite de l'annexe · Saint-Jean-Saint-Nicolas · 8.1 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
3,316 bed spaces in tourist residences, holiday villages and hostels
- 5 hotels · 80 rooms (1 × 3★, 2 × 2★)
- 1 holiday village or family centre · 588 bed spaces
- 5 tourist residences and apartment hotels · 2,728 bed spaces
- 1 campsite · 25 pitches
Commune: Orcières · 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 d'Orcières
📍 Place des drapeaux, 05170 Orcières
Ski school
ESF Orcieres Merlette
128 instructors
🇬🇧 80 English-speaking instructors — lessons in English available
🗓️ This school sells its lessons online — book ↗
Source: esf.net
Days without skiing
- Ice rink · Patinoire d'Orcières Merlette 1850
- Cinema · Le Poom
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 Orcières Merlette 1850?
Orcières Merlette 1850 sits at 1,850 m at village level, and its ski area rises to 2,655 m.
How many kilometres of pistes does Orcières Merlette 1850 have?
Orcières Merlette 1850 has 49 km of pistes served by 26 lifts (OpenStreetMap survey).
What is the longest piste in Orcières Merlette 1850?
The longest piste is Camille Ricou: 2 km (red run), for 523 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 Orcières Merlette 1850?
The highest lift, Gnourou (chairlift), tops out at 2,725 m. Source: STRMTG, French national register of mechanical lifts (CAIRN database), file dated 1 January 2025.
How many lifts does Orcières Merlette 1850 have, and what is their capacity?
The French national register of mechanical lifts records 29 installations at Orcières Merlette 1850 (9 chairlifts, 18 drag lifts, 2 magic carpets), for an authorised capacity of 27,509 people per hour, of which 2,425 for Drouvet 1 alone. The fleet spans 1962 to 2015, an average age of 29 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 Orcières Merlette 1850?
By road, Orcières Merlette 1850 is 2 hr 14 from Grenoble (119 km), excluding traffic and winter conditions. By train, the nearest station is Gap, 44 min by road from the resort. From Gap station, line 524 — 524 _ ORCIERES-GAP (ZOU ! Proximité) reaches the “Orcières Village Mairie” stop in 45 min, 1 departure a day on weekdays, 1 a day at weekends. The nearest airport is Grenoble-Alpes-Isère, 2 hr 40 away.
How long is the drive from Paris to Orcières Merlette 1850?
8 hr 02 for 692 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 Orcières Merlette 1850 open?
According to the dates declared by the resort (ANMSM feed), the resort opens on 12 December 2026 and closes on 11 April 2027 (2026-2027 season).
Is the snow reliable in Orcières Merlette 1850?
Yes: good snow through most of the winter according to twenty winters of Météo-France measurements; in season the daily report prevails.
Is Orcières Merlette 1850 good for beginners and families?
58% of the pistes are green or blue: a rather technical area. The resort holds the Famille Plus family label.
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