Les Portes du Mont-Blanc - Combloux/Megève le Jaillet/La Giettaz

The praise is for the view and the calm: the slopes face straight at the Mont Blanc massif, and you can climb from three different villages - Combloux, Le Jaillet on the Megève side, and La Giettaz. The runs lie almost entirely below the tree line, the sunny Combloux and Le Jaillet sectors are given over to families, and those after steeps and powder head for La Giettaz. There are more than a dozen mountain restaurants, plus equipped picnic spots and toboggan runs.

Altitude draws the criticism: the top falls short of two thousand metres and the lower slopes go slushy in mild winters. The area is not directly linked to Megève proper, which needs a more expensive pass. Strong skiers find little that is difficult.