Fri, 28 February 2025
Minimum altitude: 1,214 meters
Distance: 22.9 km
Slope Aspect: Various
Vertical Climbed: 543 meters (1,782 feet)
Vertical Descended: 538 meters
One of the unique features of the Hautes-Combes area is the seamless connection between its villages—allowing visitors to explore the region effortlessly on cross-country skis or snowshoes via an extensive network of groomed trails. As you glide through the terrain, you’ll be captivated by the towering spruce forests and the deep valleys, with stunning views stretching toward the iconic Monts Jura.
La Pesse: A Village in the Heart of the Jura Mountains
Located at an altitude of 1,160 meters, La Pesse is a charming mountain village with a population of just 340 inhabitants. Despite its small size, it offers all the essential services and amenities for a comfortable stay: ski schools, equipment rentals, and a variety of trails suited for beginners and advanced skiers alike—ensuring fun for the whole family.
The area provides diverse winter activities, including multi-activity trails with play areas, sledding slopes, and snow tubing. Visitors can also enjoy long snowshoeing treks, Nordic ski touring, or scenic walks through the pristine landscape.
For those interested in downhill skiing, La Pesse has a single ski tow and a beginner-friendly surface lift (operated by the ESF ski school) dedicated to ski lessons—an ideal place to start learning in a relaxed environment. The village’s main trailhead serves as the gateway to all cross-country ski trails in the area, ranging from easy green runs to challenging black trails.
A Haven for Dog Sledding and Ski-Jöring
La Pesse is also well-known for its excellent facilities for mushers, with three dedicated trails (5 km, 8 km, and 15 km) and interconnecting routes exclusively for dog sledding and ski-jöring. A special staging area at the trailhead includes a parking zone and a shelter with a rest area. Usage fees vary depending on the type of activity.
From La Pesse, skiers and snowshoers can access both the northern and southern parts of the Jura Massif via the Grande Traversée du Jura (GTJ) route, linking La Pesse to Giron (8.9 km for cross-country skiers).
Services & Attractions
La Pesse offers a range of accommodations, restaurants, a cheese shop, a bakery, a small grocery store, a motorhome parking area, a ski school, equipment rentals, tourist information, a postal agency, and a health center.
For those looking for cultural experiences, the village is home to the Musée des Métiers d'Autrefois (Museum of Traditional Trades) and Jur’Aventures, an interactive discovery trail revealing the secrets of La Pesse.
Trip Report
I was scouting around for somewhere with snow - not easy in this warm winter - that wasn't too far from Lyon. La Pesse came up 120km but 100km on Autoroutes to Oyannax then an easy road into the heart of the Jura. I arrived at the trail head at 9.20am only to find I'd left my ski shoes at home. Return to the village, 1km away, to Mchel Sports for a pair of classic boots - 4.90 for the morning's hire.
The trail starts with a climb on the Route de la Borne du Lion road. There waa about 20cm of snow but it was a bit bare on the descent down to the Berbois cross roads with the Grand Traversee du Jura trail. From here you can ski to the south towards Giron. The Ramble blue offered a nice loop through the woods with cold snow. Then along towards Giron but the GTV was not pisted all the way. The Closttes black had been pisted on Wedneday but no longer had enough snow to ski but it was possible to follow the Malatrait piste to the north as far as the Reculet cross roads. The GTV wasn't pisted further but it was possible to take the Malatrait further, possible back to the trailhead although I didn't ski all the way.
20 to 30cm of fresh snow that fell largely on bare ground on Wednesday 26th. Generally good conditions although some bare
