Risoul
Slope Breakdown
Risoul at a glance
Risoul is a ski resort in France, part of the Forêt Blanche ski area. It offers 185 km of slopes served by 42 lifts, with skiing between 1,850 m and 2,750 m (900 m vertical). That makes it the 25th largest of the 40 ski resorts in France listed on Intski. The season usually runs from December to April. Risoul offers a balanced mix: 41% easy, 49% intermediate and 10% expert slopes.
Top features of this resort
Snow forecast
About 12 cm of new snow at the top (2,750 m) in the next 3 days, 1 cm at the base.
New snow and temperature at the top station. Estimated by Intski from the MET Norway forecast, updated every few hours. Where it snows most this week
Email me when it snows
An alert when 15 cm or more is on the way at Risoul, and a heads-up before it opens.
Getting there & lift pass
Nearest airport
Cuneo (CUF) — about 78 km from the resort, straight-line distance, allow more by road.
Lift pass
Adult day pass around 58 EUR (2026/27 season). Risoul - La Forêt Blanche day pass, high season rate.
2025/26: 58 EUR (±0%)
About €0.31 per km of piste the pass covers (185 km).
Compare lift pass prices at all resortsPrice source, checked 2026-09-14
Driving to Risoul
Rules for a car in France, checked 30 September 2026 against official sources.
Road charge
Motorway tolls by distance. A43 (AREA) Saint-Quentin-Fallavier barrier (Lyon) to Chambéry Nord, 88 km, class 1 €13.40, A43 (AREA) Chignin barrier to Aiton, 31 km, class 1 (towards Albertville and Maurienne) €4.20
Winter tyres
Winter tyres or chains on board, 1 Nov to 31 Mar, in the signed mountain zones
Studded tyres
Allowed 1 Nov to 31 Mar (90 km/h, rear disc)
Risoul resort facts
These figures cover the whole Forêt Blanche area, which Risoul shares with 1 other resort on Intski, not Risoul's own sector. Difficulty shares from skiresort.info.
About Risoul
Risoul, Risòl in Occitan, is a commune in the Hautes-Alpes department of south-eastern France, in the French Alps between the towns of Briançon and Gap.
Resort Highlights
Risoul 1850 and the Forêt Blanche
Risoul, Risòl in Occitan, is a commune in the Hautes-Alpes department of south-eastern France, in the French Alps between the towns of Briançon and Gap. Its resort is often called Risoul 1850, because that is its altitude: 1,850 m above sea level. Together with the neighbouring town of Vars it forms the Forêt Blanche ski area, the “white forest”, which lies between the Queyras and Écrins parks.
The skiing
The 185 km of pistes and 42 lifts in our data are the whole Forêt Blanche, shared between Risoul and Vars, not Risoul’s slopes alone. The base is at 1,850 m and the top station at 2,750 m, a vertical of 900 m. Those two numbers together explain the snow-sure tag: a village base at 1,850 m is high by any Alpine standard, so the home runs hold snow well, and a top at 2,750 m means the altitude helps snow reliability on the upper slopes too. The season runs from December to April.
No difficulty split is recorded. Forty-two lifts for 185 km is a healthy ratio, roughly one lift per 4.4 km, and a linked area of this size is enough for a full week without repeating runs. The two-resort structure is worth understanding before booking: Risoul and Vars are separate towns, each with its own base, sharing one lift pass and one piste map. For most skiers the choice between them comes down to accommodation rather than terrain, since the pass covers both, and the profile suits anyone who wants a high, reliable base with a big enough area to explore.
On timing, the altitude favours the full length of the season. December and April weeks are less of a gamble from a village at 1,850 m than from one at 1,000 m, and the 2,750 m top keeps the upper slopes in play at both ends of the winter. That is the practical meaning of the snow-sure tag, and it is the strongest argument for choosing Risoul over a lower resort of similar size.
Setting
Our data flags Risoul for scenic views, and its position between the Queyras and Écrins parks is the reason. Briançon and Gap, the two towns Risoul lies between, are the nearest urban centres, and the Occitan name is a reminder that this is the southern part of the French Alps rather than Savoie.
Practicalities
The nearest airport in our data is Turin (TRN), across the border in Italy, roughly 100 km away as the crow flies. Local information is on the commune’s official website.
Frequently asked questions about Risoul
Because the resort sits at 1,850 m above sea level. The number is simply its altitude, and it is a high base by Alpine standards.
The ski area Risoul shares with the neighbouring town of Vars: 185 km of pistes and 42 lifts, lying between the Queyras and Écrins parks, all on one lift pass.
Risoul lies between Briançon and Gap in the Hautes-Alpes department of south-eastern France.
Our data tags it as snow-sure. The base is at 1,850 m and the top station at 2,750 m, so both the village runs and the upper slopes benefit from altitude.
Risoul has 185 km of marked slopes: 75 km easy (blue), 90 km intermediate (red), 20 km expert (black), served by 42 ski lifts.
The skiing in Risoul ranges from 1,850 m at the base to 2,750 m at the top — a vertical drop of 900 m.
The ski season in Risoul typically runs from December to April. Exact opening dates vary by year and snow conditions.
Risoul works for beginners, though it is not a dedicated beginner resort: about 41% of the slopes (75 km) are easy blue runs.
Risoul has 20 km of expert (black) slopes — about 10% of the total.
An adult day pass in Risoul costs around 58 EUR (2026/27 season). Risoul - La Forêt Blanche day pass, high season rate.
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