Glières (nordic skiing)

Much like Savoie Grand Revard, which I wrote about previously, Glières is another fantastic nordic skiing resort that is within comfortable driving distance from Sevrier and Annecy.

Want a quick video appetizer? Take a look at their official intro.

From Sevrier, the Glières plateau is about 1 hour by car. This strongly depends on city traffic, because you must get across Annecy. I suggest trusting Google Maps or similar to provide you with the best route.

As with all nordic skiing: if the weather is good, get there as early as possible. 🙂 It's worth the scenery, the pristine snow and the lack of crowds. Plus, the journey itself can be a treat; after Thorens-Glières, you will have delightful morning views of Rocher Blanc and Plan de l'Aigle, especially with a foggy inversion at lower altitudes. As always, it's best to check the trail conditions and the webcam before you decide to go.

Just under Col des Glières, you should find plenty of parking space. At the top, there is an info centre and ski school where you can buy the tickets. One-day pass costs 9 eur, at least online. (I forgot how much I paid on the spot, but there is a minor surcharge for the disposable passcard.)

Further along the road, there is a ski rental place (FOL74). In my experience, it was well equipped and the service was brisk.

Once equipped, head below the rental shack, pass the turnstille and off you go!

The whole trail network is on a slender plateau about 7 kilometers in length, lot of it on deforested meadows. This makes orientation easier, as there are many vantage points with good views. As for the trails, if you want to plan ahead, consult the trail summary - there are exact distances and elevation profiles.

The easiest way to warm up is on the green loop, Les Frêtes. It's a very gentle 5 km and 100 m of elevation. At the turn-around point, there is a restaurant (Chez Constance), where you can also extend this to the blue Frechet loop. This adds another ~3 km / 50 m to the total, with a slightly more challenging climb, but still well within the "gentle" category. You can circle these loops all day, the track is wide and safe and there are plenty of fast straights for skaters to enjoy (and for classic skiers to curse).

Once you get bored of this (🙂), check out the red Les Rennes loop (3 km / 100 m). It has a very interesting profile - the track is full of undulations and turns to always keep you focused. The route also passes through some nice wood passages.

If you're the ambitious type, sooner or later you will start eyeing a sign in the middle of this red loop, which indicates a turn to the black Les Mouilles loop (4 km / 160 m). The colour coding is no mistake - you've been warned. Take a deep breath and prepare to put the hammer down, because the entirety of the ~160 m vertical elevation happens in one unrelenting, steep climb over just the first 1700 meters. For some extra joy, you may get passed by the youngsters from the local racing club (as I have been), who may leave you gasping for air while seemingly not breaking a sweat themselves 😆 At the top, you'll want to take a break, because while the cardio part is over, you still have to get back down. Be careful with the turns, some of the sections are steep and treacherous, especially when the snow gets worse in the afternoon.

All of the above is just northern half of the trail network. You may also wish to explore the southern part - Plaine de Dran. This is all just one big loop - the red Dran (13 km / 160 m), and an optional black Québlette extension (3 km / 70 m). It's a decent challenge, with lots of medium-length climbs and descents, some of them pretty steep. But there are several shortcuts inbetween, if you don't feel like committing to the whole thing. The southernmost part of this area is especially beautiful in the late afternoon, when the sun is lower on the sky and starts to cast shadows. See for yourself.

There is one last major segment that I haven't explored - the black Les Cros loop. Unfortunately, it was closed off and seems to have been all season (2024/2025).

For lunch, the only trail-proximate choice in the northern half of Glières is Chez Constance. On busy days, expect to be turned away during lunchtime without a reservation (although I got lucky). The food tastes great, but it's heavy on fat and the portions are rather enormous. Not the smartest choice if you intend to keep on skiing afterwards, as I've learned the hard way 🙂 Better to start small and optionally order a second round.

Enjoyed the report? Leave a comment or reach out to hi@lanfonnet.com, and perhaps we can meet trailside!