Les Orres, France | Welove2ski
Ski Resorts

Les Orres, France

Les Orres, France | Welove2ski
Photo: © OT Les Orres

 

The Stats

Altitude: 1550m

Top Lift: 2720m

Ski area: 88km of piste

Adult lift pass: 277€ for six days

site Official Site | site Ski Map | site Webcam

In a Nutshell

A longstanding favourite with locals – and on the brink of being discovered.

Essential Advice for the Perfect Trip

Things are looking good for Les Orres. Created during the 1970s wave of high-altitude construction when concrete was king, the ski village was until recently a huddle of high-rise apartment blocks which was somehow absorbed by the scale and majesty of the surrounding mountains. In fact it’s still barely visible from the valley below, unlike the vast expanse of the Lac de Serre-Ponçon. So it’s hardly surprising that while local family skiers spent every spare moment up here, having a great time, the rest of the world passed by oblivious of what it was missing.

What suddenly changes everything is the recent arrival of Bois Méan, a slopeside village at a respectable 1800m (some 150m above the original development). The landscaping and architectural approach reflect the current taste for a return to more traditional timber-and-stone chalet style, and the result is just what the tour operators have been waiting for: plenty of premium self-catering accommodation, backed up by massive investment in new high-speed lifts. And great skiing, of course. Not that we’d write off the 1650 village. There’s no escaping the fact that the internal dimensions of many of the original apartments now relegate them to the budget sector, but the village layout actually functions remarkably well and offers a cocoon-like protection at ground-level from whatever winter might throw at it. It also offers all the services you’ll need and then throws in an auditorium, a large indoor skating rink and free WiFi internet access. The message, then, is clear: Les Orres is looking like it has finally and convincingly come of age.

“This is our ideal resort. It is very low key, very unpretentious, and the ambience on the slopes is very friendly and cool. There aren’t big ego skiers here, which we found the complete opposite of Meribel. It was just fun to go out and ski without being bombed or struggling just to get back down to the main lifts,” said a reader.

The Loveometer

Where to Ski Loveometer 68% | Welove2ski

We Love

We Hate

tick Big mountain skiing with mostly modern lifts.
tick The dramatic, high-altitude setting.
tick The varied terrain, with forests, some good steeps and potential for freeriders.
tick The affordable family lift pass.
tick The ski-in ski-out 1800 Bois Méan village development.
tick The friendly on-mountain mood (even in the restaurants).
cross The very highest terrain is only accessible by steep drag-lifts, which don’t open until the icy, compacted snow has softened and refuge holes dug.
cross The style of the original resort now looks dated, even if it still functions well.
cross The cramped apartments in the original village – but things are dramatically better at 1800 Bois Méan.

Continue Exploring Les Orres

About the author

Felice Hardy

Felice was one of the founders of Welove2ski and regularly contributes, as well writing for a range of other publications including The Evening Standard, The Guardian, Conde Nast Traveller, Tatler, Harpers Bazaar, Country Life, BA Highlife and House & Garden. She started skiing at the age of three. She also enjoys hiking with her dogs and mountain biking in the Alps.

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