Molines – Saint-Véran is paradise found. And whilst the impossibly gorgeous village of Saint Véran is a major drawcard in this laidback, cruisy Queyras ski resort. Reasonable skiable verticals, high-quality freeride powder, breathtaking views, serene quiet, uncrowded slopes, super-cheap lift passes, & incredible restaurants are all hard to ignore! Even the drive up the valley is intriguing with its remote feel and many tunnels, gorges, mountains & castles.
After a few mis-steps at the start of the ski day, including taking different Beauregard J-bars and splitting the group (despite starting together and appearing to run adjacent to each other, they end up at completely different locations – take note of the trail map!), we cruised around the ski area seemingly all alone. Sigh….. what a pleasure on a chilly but sunny winter’s day.
Whilst the snow wasn’t deep during our visit, it was of such magnificent quality that depth hardly mattered. We skied off-piste, putting in fresh lines when we weren’t actually expecting to be able to. The pistes are long and fulfilling. Sadly the resort’s few advanced trails were suffering from a lack of snow including Le Lievre. All the more reason to come back during the right winter weather pattern. Another reason is the lusty backside freeride terrain and the beautiful, accessible backcountry.
Overnighting in Saint Veran, we stayed in the slightly weird, but acceptable, Les Chalets du Villard. Wandering the village is a real treat, just like the superb L’Aigue Blanche restaurant & bar that hides up a slippery slope in the centre of St Veran.
A stiff walk is required to get to the base of the ski lifts in Saint Veran village (although there are a few alternatives). If not keen on walking up the road to the main base area at Saint Veran village, a small car park near the base of the Ste Marie Madeleine J-bar is the best place to drive to as an alternative. Otherwise, a simple option can be to start lower down with the ‘masses’ (there are no ‘masses’ here!) at the large Molines car park near the Burge quad chair.
The drive into the Queyras after the town of Guillestre is simply spectacular. Extremely narrow and cliff hugging in parts, it is in turn interspersed with tunnels, gorges, and bridges. The natural surrounds feel as wild as one could get and still be in France. And then of course a castle appears – Fort Queyras. All the boxes ticked!
We spent far too short a time in this gorgeous ski resort and region. Do yourself a favour, break away from the big industrial resorts and put Molines – Saint-Véran on your ski agenda. We will be back next season for sure. Will we see you there?
For more on what we think the pros & cons of this resort are, see the Molines / Saint Veran overview page.