Sunny, snow sure and wooded, which is a rare combination in France. Vars and Risoul face each other across a high ridge in the southern Alps and share one large area. There is a great deal of intermediate cruising, good beginner terrain, and a speed skiing track on the Vars side that has held world records. Most of the runs are cut through larch forest, so flat light is less of a problem here than at the high treeless resorts.

Vars is spread across several hamlets with an old village, Sainte Marie, at the bottom worth the trip down for dinner. Risoul is a single purpose built base of wooden buildings right on the snow. Apartments dominate on both sides, mostly ski in and ski out, at prices well below the northern Alps. February is a safer bet than April, because the south catches spring early.