- Top of the skiing597m below the median of 2,697m across the 55 resorts we cover.
- 2,100m
- The village350m below the median of 1,350m across the 55 resorts we cover.
- 1,000m
- SeasonThe standard Alpine season, shared by 42 of the 55 resorts we cover.
- December to April
Is Le Grand-Bornand right for you?
Le Grand-Bornand is a traditional farming village in the Aravis, known for its Reblochon cheese as much as its skiing. The village sits at 1,000m and the skiing tops out at 2,100m, and the season runs December to April. On the piste it is a real strength for first timers.
Le Grand-Bornand at a glance
- Area
- Aravis
- Best for
- Families with young children · Beginners · Food lovers
- Fly to
- Geneva, Lyon or Chambéry
- Transfer
- About 50 min by road from Geneva
- Doorstep skiing
- Limited, use lifts
Who Le Grand-Bornand suits, and who it suits less
Best for
- Families with young children. It holds the Famille Plus label, with beginner areas in both bases, a learning snowpark, sledging areas and an aquatic centre of 12,500 square metres.
- Beginners. Beginners have areas at Le Chinaillon, Charmieux and Floria and on the Rosay plateau above the village, and we measure 61 percent of the piste as easy.
- Food lovers. This is the birthplace of farmhouse Reblochon, so the cheese turns up in tartiflette, fondue and on every board, and La Source is a working farm with workshops.
- Non skiers. The aquatic centre, an ice rink, sledging areas, snowtubing at Rosay and the farming story at the Maison du Patrimoine fill a day without skis.
Less good for
- Snow sure. The village sits at 1,000 metres and the skiing tops out at 2,100 metres, so the slopes rely more on the weather than in higher resorts.
- Après. Evenings are relaxed and family focused, a drink and an early night before ski school, and for bigger nights La Clusaz is a free bus ride away.
- Mileage chasers. With about 90 kilometres and five black runs, strong skiers may run out of new terrain in a week, and the area is not linked on skis to La Clusaz.
Skiing from 1,000m to 2,100m, village at 1,000m.
Where these heights are
- Lowest skiing
- 1,000mVillage base.
- Village
- 1,000m
- Top of the skiing
- 2,100mOur measurement of the highest marked piste.
- 14 runs green29%
- 15 runs blue31%
- 14 runs red29%
- 5 runs black10%
Counted by the resort, covering Le Grand-Bornand, the village and Chinaillon. No official kilometres by colour are published.
- Black piste
- 11km, 13% of the pisteMore than the median of 11% across the 55 resorts we cover.
- Ski area
- Le Grand-Bornand, 90kmNot linked on skis to La Clusaz.
- Lift pass
- Aravis pass, with La Clusaz by ski bus
- Cross country
- 74.5km of trails
Sources
- Village height: onthesnow.co.uk
- Runs by colour: legrandbornand.com
- Cross country: legrandbornand.com
- Ski area: pass.legrandbornand.com
- Top of the skiing: our measurement of the highest marked piste
- The steep end: our measurement of the OpenStreetMap piste map
The published figures were read on 29 October 2026.
85km of graded piste, measured ourselves.
- 52km green and blue61%
- 22km red26%
- 11km black13%
Of the 52km green and blue, 17km is green.
- First timersA real strength
- Improvers, blue into redFine
- Confident intermediatesFine
- Strong skiersThin
The spreadIt scores 0.83 for evenness, where 1 is a perfect three way split between green and blue, red and black. The largest share is green and blue, at 61%.
Longest pisteLe Var, 2.4km of blue with 182m of vertical.
Measured from the run geometry, Le Grand-Bornand has 85km of graded piste: 52km green and blue, 22km red and 11km black. We do not print the resort's published kilometres until we have checked what they count.
Le Grand-Bornand among its French peers
Know the mountain before you go.
The skiing
The skiing is mostly easy and intermediate, ideal for families and those finding their feet, with a separate beginner village at Le Chinaillon higher up. It is not the place for experts chasing steeps, but it is lovely for a relaxed week.
The village and the evenings
The village keeps its agricultural heart, with a busy weekly market and chalets that still feel like homes rather than lets. It is quiet and unspoilt.
Getting there
Geneva is around an hour away by road, so you are on the snow in no time.
- Genevaabout 50 min by road
- Lyonabout 1h45 by road
- Chambéry
Guides to skiing in France
If you like Le Grand-Bornand, try…
- Village
- 1,350 mLe Grand-Bornand 1,000 m
- Measured piste
- 115 kmLe Grand-Bornand 85 km