Saint-Léger-les-Mélèzes
Saint-Léger-les-Mélèzes is a ski resort in the Southern Alps (Hautes-Alpes). The village sits at 1,076 m and the ski area rises to 1,982 m, a skiable vertical of 720 m.
The area offers 31 km of alpine pistes, 63 marked pistes (32 green, 20 blue, 10 red, 1 black), 21 ski lifts, plus a snowpark. Green and blue runs dominate: terrain suited to beginners and families.
Measured on the OpenStreetMap map: the longest piste runs 3 km (Les Chamois) and the highest lift tops out at 1,982 m.
The resort holds the Station Verte label.
Access: 1 h 53 by road from Grenoble and 23 min from Gap railway station.
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
Top of the ski area: 1,982 m · Bottom of the pistes: 1,262 m · Days above 30 cm per winter, measured: 1 day · Days above 30 cm, December to March, model: 64%
- Ski areaIs there enough to ski all week?3 / 5
Km of pistes at the resort: 31 km · Km of pistes across the linked area: 31 km · Lifts: 21 · Balance between piste levels: 77%
- 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: 83% · Magic carpets: 3 · Sledging runs: 1 · ESF ski school · Ice rink, pool, rail sledge…: 0
- AccessIs it easy to get to?2.5 / 5
Average drive time from 20 major cities: 4 hr 48 · Nearest railway station: 23 min · Station-to-resort shuttles per day: 0 · Nearest airport: 2 hr 19
- Atmosphere and après-skiIs there life in the evening and off the slopes?2.5 / 5
Bars and pubs: 2 · Nightclubs: 0 · Restaurants: 4 · Upcoming events: 0 · Collective tourist beds: 199 — 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 ANCELLE station (1,354 m)
Avalanche danger
7-day forecast
Village 1,076 m · top 1,982 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
Reliable snow mainly in February; more irregular the rest of the winter.
☀️ Average daily sunshine : Nov 7.2 h · Dec 6.7 h · Jan 7 h · Feb 8.2 h · Mar 9.6 h · Apr 10.6 h — 26 bright days in April (Open-Meteo estimate, 2015-2025).
- November5 cmInsufficient · 2%
- December26 cmInsufficient · 44%
- January45 cmVariable · 72%
- February52 cmGood skiing · 84%
- March44 cmVariable · 54%
- April13 cmInsufficient · 15%
- 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
10 complete winters measured, from 2016-2017 to 2025-2026 — on average 1 days a winter with at least 30 cm on the ground.
- 1-15 Dec4 cmInsufficient · 0 %
- 16-31 Dec3 cmInsufficient · 1 %
- 1-15 Jan6 cmInsufficient · 4 %
- 16-31 Jan5 cmInsufficient · 1 %
- 1-15 Feb4 cmInsufficient · 0 %
- 16-29 Feb1 cmInsufficient · 0 %
- 1-15 Mar2 cmInsufficient · 1 %
- 16-31 Mar0 cmInsufficient · 0 %
- 1-15 Apr0 cmInsufficient · 0 %
- Best winter of the series
- 2017-2018 — 10 days at 30 cm or more
- Worst winter of the series
- 2016-2017 — 0 day 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 →63 pistes, by level — 31 km
- Skiable vertical
- 720 m (1,262 m → 1,982 m)
- Lifts
- 4 chairlifts, 14 drag lifts, 3 magic carpets
- Cross-country skiing
- 4 km of nordic trails
- Snowpark
- Yes
- Without skis
- 1 sledging run
- Piste aspect
- N 60% · E 5% · S 1% · W 33% (descent direction of 49 OSM pistes, terrain model)
- Mountain restaurants
- Le Clos du Rocher (1360 m)
Resort data: declared by Saint-Léger-les-Mélèzes 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.
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 Saint-Léger-les-Mélèzes only (“SAINT LEGER LES MELEZES”), magic carpets included.
Staying and hiring gear in Saint-Léger-les-Mélèzes
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
Saint-Léger-les-Mélèzes publishes no public webcam (checked on 12 September 2026 on its website, its tourist office and the operators’ directories). Know of one? Tell us.
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 Saint-Léger-les-Mélèzes
From Paris: 7 hr 41 (673 km) by road.
By road
- From Grenoble: 1 hr 53 · 101 km
- From Chambéry: 2 hr 31 · 159 km
- From Marseille: 2 hr 32 · 201 km
- From Valence: 2 hr 49 · 190 km
- From Annecy: 3 hr 01 · 206 km
From other major cities (15)
- From Lyon: 3 hr 04 · 203 km
- From Genève: 3 hr 30 · 244 km
- From Saint-Étienne: 3 hr 38 · 251 km
- From Montpellier: 3 hr 50 · 324 km
- From Nice: 3 hr 51 · 310 km
- From Dijon: 4 hr 57 · 404 km
- From Clermont-Ferrand: 4 hr 57 · 371 km
- From Perpignan: 5 hr 12 · 472 km
- From Besançon: 5 hr 16 · 433 km
- From Toulouse: 6 hr 08 · 558 km
- From Nancy: 7 hr 04 · 614 km
- From Strasbourg: 7 hr 39 · 671 km
- From Paris: 7 hr 41 · 673 km
- From Pau: 8 hr 03 · 748 km
- From Bordeaux: 8 hr 31 · 800 km
Excluding traffic and winter conditions; passes closed in winter are avoided.
By train
Gap station
regional station · then 23 min drive (20 km)
Nearest main station: Grenoble, 1 hr 52 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
- Grenoble-Alpes-Isère (GNB): 2 hr 19 by road · 143 km
- Chambéry-Savoie (CMF): 2 hr 43 by road · 167 km
Take me there
These links open the app with Saint-Léger-les-Mélèzes as the destination. Your starting point is never sent by us — the app asks you for it, if you agree.
Charging an electric car
No freely accessible charge point is declared within 2 km of the resort (checked on 9 September 2026). Covered car parks in the resort may offer chargers reserved for their customers: those are not listed here.
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 Saint-Léger-les-Mélèzes — up to 1,200 m of climb.
| Summit and route | Ski grade | Climb | Altitude | Aspect | From resort |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Le Cuchon (Ancelle) · Par le plateau de Libouse | 1.2 · E1 · F | 720 m | 1,280 → 2,002 m | NW | 1.2 km |
| Petite Autane · Traversée Arête W depuis Le Cuchon >> combe N | 4.1 · E3 · D- | 560 m | 2,000 → 2,519 m | N | 2 km |
| Puy de Manse · Versant NE | 1.2 · E1 · F | 300 m | 1,340 → 1,637 m | NE | 2.8 km |
| Col de la Casse du Diable · Par la cabane de Combeau | 2.1 · E1 · F | 835 m | 1,250 → 2,185 m | NW | 3.4 km |
| Petite Autane · Face SE | 3.1 · E2 · AD- | 1,152 m | 1,400 → 2,519 m | SE | 4.1 km |
| Pointe de la Pourrachière · Versant E | 2.1 · E1 · F | 800 m | 1,400 → 2,216 m | NE | 4.1 km |
| Petite Autane · Versant S | 2.3 · PD | 1,200 m | 1,341 → 2,519 m | S · SE | 4.2 km |
| Aiguille d'Ancelle · Arête SW et Face N | 5.1 · TD- | 1,000 m | 1,400 → 2,367 m | N | 4.4 km |
| Aiguille d'Ancelle · Face N | 4.3 · E1 · D+ | 950 m | 1,430 → 2,367 m | N | 4.4 km |
| Aiguille d'Ancelle · Couloir NE | 3.3 · E2 · AD | 950 m | 1,430 → 2,367 m | NE | 4.4 km |
| Col de Combeau · Face S | 2.3 · E1 · PD+ | 963 m | 1,400 → 2,363 m | S | 4.5 km |
| L'Aiglière (Ancelle) · Voie Normale | n/a · PD- | 600 m | 1,510 → 2,105 m | NW | 4.6 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 ↗
Beyond skiing at Saint-Léger-les-Mélèzes
Swimming pool
- Centre aquatique du Champsaur · Saint-Bonnet-en-Champsaur · 9.8 km away
Paragliding
- JP Parapente 05 · Saint-Jean-Saint-Nicolas · 2.7 km away
- Parapente - Site de Chorges · Chorges · 9.5 km away
Museum
- Le refuge des animaux · Saint-Léger-les-Mélèzes · 0.1 km away
- Du vent dans les plumes - Le Refuge des animaux · Saint-Léger-les-Mélèzes · 0.1 km away
- Musée du moulin - visite de l'annexe · Saint-Jean-Saint-Nicolas · 3.6 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
199 bed spaces in tourist residences, holiday villages and hostels
- 1 hotel · 10 rooms (1 × 2★)
- 1 holiday village or family centre · 199 bed spaces
Commune: Saint-Léger-les-Mélèzes · 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
Ski school
ESF St Leger Les Melezes
56 instructors
🇬🇧 31 English-speaking instructors — lessons in English available
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 Saint-Léger-les-Mélèzes?
Saint-Léger-les-Mélèzes sits at 1,076 m at village level, and its ski area rises to 1,982 m.
How many kilometres of pistes does Saint-Léger-les-Mélèzes have?
Saint-Léger-les-Mélèzes has 31 km of pistes served by 21 lifts (OpenStreetMap survey).
What is the longest piste in Saint-Léger-les-Mélèzes?
The longest piste is Les Chamois: 3 km (green run), for 256 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 Saint-Léger-les-Mélèzes?
The highest lift, Cuchon (chairlift), tops out at 1,982 m. Source: STRMTG, French national register of mechanical lifts (CAIRN database), file dated 1 January 2025.
How many lifts does Saint-Léger-les-Mélèzes have, and what is their capacity?
The French national register of mechanical lifts records 10 installations at Saint-Léger-les-Mélèzes (2 chairlifts, 6 drag lifts, 2 magic carpets), for an authorised capacity of 7,381 people per hour, of which 1,600 for Cuchon alone. The fleet spans 1967 to 2013, an average age of 38 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 Saint-Léger-les-Mélèzes?
By road, Saint-Léger-les-Mélèzes is 1 hr 53 from Grenoble (101 km), excluding traffic and winter conditions. By train, the nearest station is Gap, 23 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 Grenoble-Alpes-Isère, 2 hr 19 away.
How long is the drive from Paris to Saint-Léger-les-Mélèzes?
7 hr 41 for 673 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 Saint-Léger-les-Mélèzes?
Yes: good snow in the core of the winter according to ten winters of reanalysis (estimate); in season the daily report prevails.
Is Saint-Léger-les-Mélèzes good for beginners and families?
83% of the pistes are green or blue: a very accessible area.
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