European Ski Resorts A-Z

Le Grand Bornand, France

Resort height:

 1000m

 

Slopes:

 1000-2100m

 

Pistes:

 90km

 

 

General snow cover

 

3/5

 

Snow quality (upper)

3/5

 

Snow quality (lower)

2.5/5

 

Resort level snow

             (Le Chinaillon)

2.5/5

3.5/5

 

Powder potential

2.5/5

Le Grand Bornand itself is very low and the runs back to the village are vulnerable in warm weather.

 

Fortunately, most of the skiing takes place above the satellite village of Le Chinaillon, where natural snowfall is high and snow cover is reasonably reliable.

 

Overall altitudes are still modest though (as in neighbouring La Clusaz), and snow quality is variable.

Where to ski in bad weather:

Many of Le Grand Bornand's runs are quite open, but nearby La Clusaz has significantly more trees, so is perhaps the best option in bad weather.

 

Locally, most of the wooded runs are just above Le Grand Bornand, but they are low and so not always reliable for snow.

Where to head in poor snow conditions:

Locally, the best snow is usually found on the shady north-facing runs off Mt Lachat. However, in really poor snow conditions you should drive the short distance to the Col de la Balme sector in La Clusaz, which will probably have the best snow in the whole area.