Ancelle
Ancelle is a ski resort in the Southern Alps (Hautes-Alpes). The village sits at 1,364 m and the ski area rises to 1,960 m, a skiable vertical of 704 m.
The area offers 44 km of alpine pistes, 89 marked pistes (32 green, 34 blue, 21 red, 2 black), 24 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 (Varney) and the highest lift tops out at 1,799 m.
Access: 1 h 56 by road from Grenoble and 21 min from Gap railway station.
5 official webcams show the pistes live (on the French page).
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: 1,960 m · Bottom of the pistes: 1,256 m · Days above 30 cm per winter, measured: 16 days · Days above 30 cm, December to March, model: 64%
- Ski areaIs there enough to ski all week?3.5 / 5
Km of pistes at the resort: 44 km · Km of pistes across the linked area: 44 km · Lifts: 24 · Balance between piste levels: 84%
- 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: 74% · 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 50 · Nearest railway station: 21 min · Station-to-resort shuttles per day: 0 · Nearest airport: 2 hr 22
- Atmosphere and après-skiIs there life in the evening and off the slopes?2 / 5
Bars and pubs: 3 · Nightclubs: 0 · Restaurants: 3 · 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: 62% · 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. Open pistes and lifts will appear here as soon as the resort publishes its daily report.
Right now at the ANCELLE station (1,354 m)
Avalanche danger
7-day forecast
Village 1,364 m · top 1,960 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
45 complete winters measured, from 1964-1965 to 2017-2018 — on average 16 days a winter with at least 30 cm on the ground.
- 1-15 Dec7 cmInsufficient · 8 %
- 16-31 Dec8 cmInsufficient · 9 %
- 1-15 Jan9 cmInsufficient · 10 %
- 16-31 Jan13 cmInsufficient · 15 %
- 1-15 Feb17 cmInsufficient · 24 %
- 16-29 Feb15 cmInsufficient · 21 %
- 1-15 Mar10 cmInsufficient · 13 %
- 16-31 Mar4 cmInsufficient · 5 %
- 1-15 Apr2 cmInsufficient · 1 %
- Best winter of the series
- 2008-2009 — 96 days at 30 cm or more
- Worst winter of the series
- 1964-1965 — 0 day at 30 cm or more
How much snow actually falls — 152 cm a winter on average, spread over 26 days of snowfall. Measured over 43 complete winters, from 1968-1969 to 2017-2018.
- Biggest 24-hour snowfall
- 60 cm — 1970-1971
- Snowiest winter
- 1993-1994 — 295 cm
- Leanest winter
- 1989-1990 — 48 cm
The ski area
Compare with another resort →89 pistes, by level — 44 km
- Skiable vertical
- 704 m (1,256 m → 1,960 m)
- Lifts
- 4 chairlifts, 17 drag lifts, 3 magic carpets
- Cross-country skiing
- 6 named trails — 49 km of marked loops (11 km of distinct track: the loops overlap) · Régie des remontées mécaniques d'Ancelle area, right by the resortOpenStreetMap, lengths measured on the geometry, surveyed on 12 September 2026. A trail with no difficulty tag is shown as "n/a" — never guessed.
See the trails(6)
Trail Level Length Rouanne Haute · Régie des remontées mécaniques d'Ancelle intermediate 16 km Pomponne · Régie des remontées mécaniques d'Ancelle intermediate 13 km Les Orcierettes · Régie des remontées mécaniques d'Ancelle easy 6.6 km Le Peintre · Régie des remontées mécaniques d'Ancelle very easy 5.6 km Les Auches · Régie des remontées mécaniques d'Ancelle very easy 4.9 km Mestrinquier · Régie des remontées mécaniques d'Ancelle very easy 2.5 km - Snowpark
- Yes
- Without skis
- 1 sledging run
- Piste aspect
- N 51% · E 11% · S 1% · W 38% (descent direction of 59 OSM pistes, terrain model)
- Season 2026-2027
- opens on 12 December 2026 · lifts 9h à 17h
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 Ancelle only (“ANCELLE”), magic carpets included.
Staying and hiring gear in Ancelle
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 (5) →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 Ancelle
From Paris: 7 hr 45 (675 km) by road.
By road
- From Grenoble: 1 hr 56 · 102 km
- From Marseille: 2 hr 30 · 199 km
- From Chambéry: 2 hr 35 · 161 km
- From Valence: 2 hr 53 · 191 km
- From Annecy: 3 hr 04 · 208 km
From other major cities (15)
- From Lyon: 3 hr 08 · 205 km
- From Genève: 3 hr 34 · 246 km
- From Saint-Étienne: 3 hr 42 · 253 km
- From Nice: 3 hr 49 · 307 km
- From Montpellier: 3 hr 49 · 321 km
- From Dijon: 5 hr 00 · 405 km
- From Clermont-Ferrand: 5 hr 01 · 373 km
- From Perpignan: 5 hr 10 · 469 km
- From Besançon: 5 hr 19 · 435 km
- From Toulouse: 6 hr 06 · 556 km
- From Nancy: 7 hr 08 · 616 km
- From Strasbourg: 7 hr 43 · 673 km
- From Paris: 7 hr 45 · 675 km
- From Pau: 8 hr 01 · 745 km
- From Bordeaux: 8 hr 30 · 798 km
Excluding traffic and winter conditions; passes closed in winter are avoided.
By train
Gap station
regional station · then 21 min drive (18 km)
Nearest main station: Grenoble, 1 hr 56 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 22 by road · 144 km
- Chambéry-Savoie (CMF): 2 hr 46 by road · 169 km
Take me there
These links open the app with Ancelle 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
- ANCELLE - Place du Groupe Scolaire · EASYCHARGE · 2 points · 22 kW · 0.9 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 Ancelle — up to 1,152 m of climb.
| Summit and route | Ski grade | Climb | Altitude | Aspect | From resort |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Puy de Manse · Versant NE | 1.2 · E1 · F | 300 m | 1,340 → 1,637 m | NE | 1.5 km |
| L'Aiglière (Ancelle) · Voie Normale | n/a · PD- | 600 m | 1,510 → 2,105 m | NW | 1.8 km |
| Pointe de la Pourrachière · Versant E | 2.1 · E1 · F | 800 m | 1,400 → 2,216 m | NE | 1.9 km |
| Aiguille d'Ancelle · Arête SW et Face N | 5.1 · TD- | 1,000 m | 1,400 → 2,367 m | N | 2.1 km |
| Aiguille d'Ancelle · Face N | 4.3 · E1 · D+ | 950 m | 1,430 → 2,367 m | N | 2.1 km |
| Aiguille d'Ancelle · Couloir NE | 3.3 · E2 · AD | 950 m | 1,430 → 2,367 m | NE | 2.1 km |
| Le Cuchon (Ancelle) · Par le plateau de Libouse | 1.2 · E1 · F | 720 m | 1,280 → 2,002 m | NW | 2.7 km |
| Le Piolit · Face N | 3.3 · E2 · AD- | 1,100 m | 1,400 → 2,464 m | NE | 2.9 km |
| Petite Autane · Traversée Arête W depuis Le Cuchon >> combe N | 4.1 · E3 · D- | 560 m | 2,000 → 2,519 m | N | 3.1 km |
| Petite Autane · Face SE | 3.1 · E2 · AD- | 1,152 m | 1,400 → 2,519 m | SE | 3.2 km |
| Pointe de la Pourrachière · Versant W | 2.1 · E1 · F | 800 m | 1,430 → 2,216 m | NW | 3.4 km |
| Col de Combeau · Face S | 2.3 · E1 · PD+ | 963 m | 1,400 → 2,363 m | S | 3.7 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 Ancelle
Spa and thermal baths
- Excellence Spa · Chorges · 8 km away
Paragliding
- JP Parapente 05 · Saint-Jean-Saint-Nicolas · 5.4 km away
- Parapente - Site de Chorges · Chorges · 6.8 km away
- Fusion parapente · Chorges · 8.8 km away
- L'Expression Sport Parapente · Chorges · 9.5 km away
Museum
- Le refuge des animaux · Saint-Léger-les-Mélèzes · 3.2 km away
- Du vent dans les plumes - Le Refuge des animaux · Saint-Léger-les-Mélèzes · 3.2 km away
- Musée du moulin - visite de l'annexe · Saint-Jean-Saint-Nicolas · 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
- 2 hotels · 39 rooms (1 × 4★)
- 2 campsites · 193 pitches
Commune: Ancelle · 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 Ancelle
62 instructors
🇬🇧 14 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 Ancelle?
Ancelle sits at 1,364 m at village level, and its ski area rises to 1,960 m.
How many kilometres of pistes does Ancelle have?
Ancelle has 44 km of pistes served by 24 lifts (OpenStreetMap survey).
What is the longest piste in Ancelle?
The longest piste is Varney: 3 km (black run), for 232 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 Ancelle?
The highest lift, Coste Belle (platter lift), tops out at 1,811 m. Source: STRMTG, French national register of mechanical lifts (CAIRN database), file dated 1 January 2025.
How many lifts does Ancelle have, and what is their capacity?
The French national register of mechanical lifts records 14 installations at Ancelle (2 chairlifts, 11 drag lifts, 1 magic carpet), for an authorised capacity of 11,839 people per hour, of which 1,839 for Taillas alone. The fleet spans 1964 to 2019, an average age of 28 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 Ancelle?
By road, Ancelle is 1 hr 56 from Grenoble (102 km), excluding traffic and winter conditions. By train, the nearest station is Gap, 21 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 22 away.
How long is the drive from Paris to Ancelle?
7 hr 45 for 675 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 Ancelle open?
According to the official website, the resort opens on 12 December 2026 (2026-2027 season).
Is the snow reliable in Ancelle?
Yes: good snow in the core of the winter according to ten winters of reanalysis (estimate); in season the daily report prevails.
Is Ancelle good for beginners and families?
74% of the pistes are green or blue: a rather easy area.
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