Ski resorts in close proximity of Orcieres Merlette.
Compare nearby terrain scale, altitude and lift access before choosing a base in the wider ski region.
SkiWeather.eu resort profile
Orcieres Merlette resort profile
Hautes Alpes · France · 1850–2725 m
Altitude1850-2725 m
Vertical drop875 m
Slopes100 km
Lifts28
- Altitude1850 mStateHautes AlpesCountryFrance
Orcieres Merlette ski area
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Orcieres Merlette is part of this ski area.
Terrain and lift totals on this page refer to the complete ski area rather than only the resort centre.
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Mountain rangeGrajische AlpenVertical drop1850 - 2725 metersDescent875 metersMountain(s)Col de Freissinieres 2705m
Scale and terrain across the full ski area, not only Orcieres Merlette.
This profile covers the Orcieres Merlette ski area. Across the full ski area, the profile combines 100 km of slopes, 1850-2725 m altitude, 28 lifts. Intermediate terrain is the largest difficulty share at about 68%.
Ski areaAltitude range1850–2725 m94% confidenceSki areaTerrain mix100 km slopes94% confidenceSki areaLift network28 lifts94% confidence
Large ski areaHigh-altitude terrainIntermediate focus
Ski-area scale
100 km. An extensive slope network offers broad terrain choice for a longer stay.
Terrain character
The terrain is clearly weighted toward intermediate skiing. The largest share is about 68%.
Vertical range, lift access and terrain value.
Useful upper altitudeStrong terrain value
Altitude resilience
The upper mountain has a useful altitude advantage in warm or marginal snow periods.
Lift infrastructure
About 3.6 slope km per lift indicates a broadly balanced lift-to-terrain ratio. Published hourly capacity is 31,535 persons, about 1126 persons/hour per lift and 315 per slope kilometre. The lift system totals 18.1 km, averaging about 0.6 km of lift line per lift.
Ski slopes
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Terrain size and difficulty distribution across Orcieres Merlette.
This ski area is clearly oriented toward intermediate skiers. The displayed kilometre shares describe the full ski area rather than only the current resort base.
Manageable terrain scaleIntermediate terrain focusSlopes3 ski slopesTotal100 kmBlue18 km18%Red68 km68%Black14 km14%Ski routes15 kmLoipes43 km
Ski lifts
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Lift mix, access density and published capacity across Orcieres Merlette.
The ski area has 28 lifts. T-bar / platter is the largest published category at 13. Chairlifts and gondolas account for about 23% of the published lift-type breakdown. Type is not published for 6 lifts. The network provides about 3.6 slope km per lift.
Chairlift 5Combined gondola/chair 3Rope tow / baby lift 1T-bar / platter 13Type not published 6
Ski pass
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Published ticket prices and terrain-adjusted value.
The adult day pass offers strong terrain value relative to the published slope network.
Strong terrain valueTicket Price Price/km Daycard adult €46 €0.46/km 6-day adult €255 €2.55/km Daycard child €38.50 €0.39/km 6-day child €216.50 €2.17/km
Altitude
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Share of mapped ski terrain by elevation band.
The mapped terrain is entirely above 1,000 m and is predominantly above 2,000 m. This generally supports colder snow retention and reduces dependence on vulnerable low-elevation return terrain.
High-elevation majorityNo low terrainLargest share: High (≤3000m)Intermediate (≤2000m)8%High (≤3000m)92%
Slope angle
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Share of mapped terrain by slope-angle class.
Around 22% of mapped terrain is in a steeper class and 78% is moderate or gentler. Strong intermediate to advanced skiers have substantial technical options, while expert-level ability is mainly relevant on selected sectors.
Selective technical terrainLargest share: Moderate or gentlerModerate or gentler78%Bit steep12%Steep6%Very steep3%Extrem. steep1%
Orientation
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Aspect distribution and its likely influence on sun and snow retention.
South-facing terrain is prominent. It can provide sunnier skiing, but surfaces are more likely to soften early and lose snow faster during mild or late-season periods.
Sunny but melt-sensitiveSun-exposed majorityLargest share: SouthNorth3%East25%South58%West15%
No visitor review is available for Orcieres Merlette yet.
Address
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AddressOffice de Tourisme dOrcieres-Merlette Maison du Tourisme Merlette 05170 Orcieres FrancePlaceOrcieres Merlette Hautes Alpes France
Contact
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Websiteorcieres.com
What makes this resort different
High-altitude snow anchor
Mountain character
Orcieres Merlette is best understood as a high-altitude snow anchor: altitude, upper-mountain terrain and snow-reliability evidence dominate the structural profile.
Top elevation 2,725 m
Snow-reliability 72/100
The trade-off
Trips where upper-mountain altitude and snow resilience matter most.
Exposure and high-alpine weather can still interrupt otherwise resilient snow conditions.
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Terrain, snow and weather for Orcieres Merlette.