Where to Ski And Snowboard - Les Gets boosts snowmaking to 50% of ski area

Les Gets boosts snowmaking to 50% of ski area

16th August 2019, by Abi Butcher

Some 50% of the Les Gets ski area will be covered by snow guns this winter. Pic: OTLesGets

The French ski resort of Les Gets has massively increased its snow-making facilities for this coming winter, as well as creating a new blue run, a new ski touring piste and building a brand new spa in the centre of the village.

Les Gets, which is just over an hour’s drive from Geneva, is part of the Portes du Soleil ski area. It’s a traditional village and much of the ski area is wooded — but it’s low, with only a couple of runs starting at over 1900m. Following seasons of hit-and-miss snow over the Alps (and the whole world) in recent years, the ski resort is increasing its capacity for artificial snow coverage from 35 per cent to 50 per cent of the ski area, following the construction of a new hillside reservoir. The €7 million investment made by Les Gets in its snowmaking is the largest in France this year — and in coming summers the resort says it will continue work (subject to ‘strict environmental regulations’ to take capacity for artificial snow coverage to 75 per cent of its ski area.

Elsewhere in the resort, the new blue piste called Les Trembles has been created in the Les Perrières area (home to a large, popular and free car park), making it easier for intermediates and beginners to return to the base of the Perrières Express chairlift.

The 3km-long ski touring piste on Mont Chéry will be sectioned off from downhill skiers, starting from the bottom of the Chamois piste next to the Mont Chéry cable car, climbing 665m to the 1827m summit.

Elsewhere on the mountain, Les Gets has also created a picnic area where the Rhodos and Violette pistes meet which will have barbecues, WIFI access and recharging sockets — bound to be a hit with all ages.

The new “Les Sources du Chéry” spa will sit at the foot of Mont Chéry, providing three interconnected areas, including a 1000m2 spa only for adults, an area for children and an area for beauty treatments. There will also be an art gallery and shop attached.

There are also a couple of new shops and restaurants — for more details, visit lesgets.com

To read Where to Ski & Snowboard’s independent review of Les Gets click here.