French ski areas begin opening for brief periods for the 2026 summer ski season this weekend.
Val d’Isère had initially announced a three week opening from this weekend but now say it hopes to offer summer glacier skiing for five weeks to 12th July if conditions permit.
The resort offers skiing and riding on the Pisaillas Glacier accessed via the Col de l’Iseran, with slopes divided up between race team training and the general skiing public. Summer ski terrain is located between 2,725 m and 3,197 m and served by the Cascade chairlift an, Montets drag lifts. Three runs open to the public are Moraine, Montet and Combe du Géant.
On Friday morning the Pisteurs Secouristes de Val d’Isère noted, “Feeling happy, -3,5C° in Pissaillas, a little fresh snow at altitude,” and posted the image above.
Just across the valley, Tignes will open its Grande Motte Glacier for summer skiing and riding in a fortnight’s time from 20 June to 19 July 2026, again subject to snow conditions. Skiable terrain in summer spans roughly 2,724 m to 3,456 m, with early‑morning access via the Perce‑Neige funicular and then Grande Motte cable car, and a selection of high‑alpine chairlifts and surface lifts. The glacier typically offers up to 20 km of pistes and again attracts both recreational skiers and race clubs.
The two areas join Les 2 Alpes which is still operating its 2025-26 season, having kept ski lifts running daily since early December last year and intends to carry on to July 5th. It has given mixed messages in recent weeks, seeming to say in some posts that from June 1st to July 7th its glacier slopes are only open to race teams, but when asked resort representatives stress anyone can still go up and ski and ride alongside the race teams training.
Three other glaciers are open through June in the Alps at Hintertux in Austria, Passo Stelvio in Italy and Zermatt/Cervinia on the Swiss/Italian border. You can also ski at the Stryn and Galdhopiggen glaciers in Norway and at weekends at Riksgransen in the Swedish Arctic Circle until midsummer.