The Vars ski area

Vars has 69 runs, 19 lifts carrying 30,669 people an hour, 1,100 m of vertical, from 1,650 m to 2,750 m. 10 green runs, 30 blue, 22 red and 7 black.

Vars is a ski resort in the Southern Alps (Hautes-Alpes). The village sits at 1,850 m and the ski area rises to 2,750 m, a skiable vertical of 1,100 m.

← Vars resort page Version française

Runs by level

69 runs:

10 green 30 blue 22 red 7 black

Vertical drop: 1,100 m — from 1,650 m to 2,750 m
Slope aspect: 44 % east · 32 % north · 14 % south · 10 % west — computed from the fall line of 84 runs

As declared by the resort(ANMSM feed)

Ski area: Vars La Forêt Blanche
Linked area: La Forêt Blanche · 185 km
Pistes: 69 pistes
By grade: 10 green · 30 blue · 22 red · 7 black
Lifts: 18 in total · 1 gondolas · 10 chairlifts · 2 conveyors
Altitude: 1,650 m → 2,750 m (resort base 1,850 m)
Beginners: Beginner zone, free lifts
Fun & sledging: 10 snowparks · 1 sledge run · fun zone
Passes (as declared): Adult, 1 day (linked-area pass) €58 · Child, 1 day (linked-area pass) €49 · Senior, 1 day (linked-area pass) €49 · Adult, 2 days (linked-area pass) €110 · Child, 2 days (linked-area pass) €94 · Senior, 2 days (linked-area pass) €94 · Adult, 3 days (linked-area pass) €160 · Child, 3 days (linked-area pass) €136 (official page)

Figures entered by the resort itself in the ANMSM feed. Our own survey (OpenStreetMap, STRMTG register) is shown above; when the two differ, the resort usually counts its whole linked area.

The ski area in figures

Measured on 9 September 2026

4 kmLongest piste — Les Chardons (green), 366 m of vertical

456 mBiggest vertical without changing piste — 2,719 → 2,263 m, 1 km

2,732 mHighest lift top — Speed Master (detachable chairlift), national lift register

30,669Total lift capacity, people per hour — 19 installations: 10 chairlifts, 5 drag lifts, 4 magic carpets

21 yrsAverage age of the lift fleet — oldest 1964, newest 2024

3,600Biggest lift, people per hour — Claux (magic carpet, 2019)

28 kmTotal length of lifts — 28 lifts mapped

5,718 haSki area boundary (OSM)

588Inhabitants — Vars (INSEE 05177)

Measured 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 Vars only (“VARS”), magic carpets included.

The lifts

19 lifts , carrying 30,669 people an hour in total , 21 years old on average (from 1964 to 2024).

Type (as registered, in French)	Count	Capacity (people/h)
Télésièges	10	20,154
Téléskis	5	3,465
Tapis roulants	4	7,050

Lift by lift

The 19 lifts whose capacity the register publishes, largest first.

Lift	Type	Capacity	Length	Vertical	Year	Manufacturer
CLAUX	Tapis roulant	3,600	143 m	9 m	2019	LST
MAYT	Télésiège débrayable	2,800	2252 m	609 m	2022	LEITNER
CHABRIERES	Télémix	2,600	1328 m	353 m	2019	LEITNER
PEYROL	Télésiège débrayable	2,600	1414 m	391 m	2004	LEITNER
PEYNIER	Télésiège	2,000	1345 m	478 m	2024	CCM
PLANS	Télésiège	1,800	617 m	151 m	2023	CCM
SPEED MASTER	Télésiège débrayable	1,800	1549 m	522 m	2022	LEITNER
CENTRE	Tapis roulant	1,800	35 m	2 m	2019	LST
SIBIERES	Télésiège débrayable	1,800	1529 m	361 m	2006	LEITNER
FONT BONNE	Télésiège	1,754	234 m	86 m	2009	ALTIM
ZAKOPANE	Tapis roulant	1,650	43 m	3 m	2018	EMMEGI
Ste MARIE	Télésiège débrayable	1,500	1562 m	514 m	1999	LEITNER
ESCONDUS	Télésiège débrayable	1,500	1426 m	367 m	1995	LEITNER
CREVOUX 1	Téléski à perche débrayable	900	1158 m	230 m	1964	POMAGALSKI
CREVOUX 2	Téléski à perche débrayable	865	1159 m	229 m	1975	POMAGALSKI
EYSSINA	Téléski à perche débrayable	710	595 m	106 m	1972	POMAGALSKI
ECRINS	Téléski à perche débrayable	670	360 m	67 m	1969	POMAGALSKI
JARDIN ENFANTS BABY G2	Téléski à perche fixe	320	123 m	14 m	1991	MONTAZ MAUTINO
ECRINS	Tapis roulant	—	89 m	2 m	2020	LST

French national lift register (STRMTG / CAIRN database) — listed as “VARS” · open the database. Safety register: it also counts lifts that do not run every day.

Official piste map

No downloadable piste map published by the resort.

Plan your stay in Vars

All offers on the resort page →

Where to stay in Vars

Sowell

Club hotels and flats in the resorts, northern and southern Alps.

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Holidu

Holiday-rental comparison site.

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Ski hire in Vars

Skiset UK

Skiset’s UK site: ski hire in the resort shops, booked in English, paid in pounds.

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Resort data: declared by Office du Tourisme and distributed by ANMSM · read on 25 September