At the northern end of our selection of natural sites in Southern Bugey and the Valromey, the Retord plateau is a large mid-mountain area geared towards Nordic skiing in winter and mountain biking and walking in summer. Its main entry point on the Valromey side is the Les Plans d’Hotonnes resort, in the commune (municipality) of Haut-Valromey.
The Nordic area is run by the Syndicat mixte du Plateau de Retord, a joint public body based at the Refuge, in Les Plans d’Hotonnes (tel. +33 4 79 87 59 67, or 04 79 87 59 67 from within France). The plateau is part of Natura 2000 site FR8201642, “Plateau du Retord et chaîne du Grand Colombier”, the same site as the Grand Colombier.
Three entry points
According to the resort’s website and the Bugey Sud Grand Colombier tourist office, the area is organised around three starting points:
| Starting point | Winter activities announced |
|---|---|
| Les Plans d’Hotonnes | Downhill skiing, Nordic skiing, snowshoeing, sledging, biathlon |
| Cuvéry | Nordic skiing, snowshoeing, dog sledding, sledging |
| La Chapelle-de-Retord | Nordic skiing |
Altogether there are more than 150 km of marked cross-country ski trails and 11 snowshoe routes. The tourist office does not break down the distances between the three entry points as of the date we checked. The neighbouring Lachat area (Centre montagnard de Lachat) adds 46 km of cross-country trails and 4 snowshoe routes.
Winter: dates, passes and services
Season dates
Ain Tourisme announces that the Nordic area at Les Plans d’Hotonnes will be open from 1 December 2026 to 31 March 2027, every day, depending on snow (checked on 9 November 2026). These dates are provisional: only the resort’s “Ouverture des pistes” (trail status) page shows the actual state of the area on the day.
For the downhill ski area at Les Plans d’Hotonnes, we found no dates published by the resort or the tourist office as of 9 November 2026.
Required passes
- Cross-country skiing: the Nordic pass (pass nordique) is required.
- Snowshoeing and walking: a snowshoe/walking pass (pass balade-raquettes) is required on the marked trails.
- Where to buy: online through the Espace nordique jurassien.
According to the tourist office, this fee pays for trail maintenance and rescue services. Prices for the 2026-2027 season were not shown on the pages we consulted.
On-site services
The tourist office lists free sledging runs at Les Plans d’Hotonnes and Lachat, indoor rooms where you can eat your own packed lunch (salles hors-sac: the Refuge and the biathlon stadium at Les Plans d’Hotonnes, and at Cuvéry) and a ski school at Les Plans d’Hotonnes. Dog-sled rides take place at Cuvéry, by booking.
The Les Plans d’Hotonnes information office is part of the Bugey Sud Grand Colombier tourist office. For equipment hire, our directory lists, among others, Sports 360.
Roads and equipment
The tourist office points out that winter tyres or other winter equipment (such as snow chains) are compulsory from 1 November to 31 March to reach the resorts in the area, under France’s Mountain Law (loi Montagne).
Summer on the plateau
For the warmer months, the resort’s website lists summer biathlon and roller skiing, mountain biking and electric mountain biking, walking, an adventure course, orienteering, horse riding, hiking with a dog harnessed to you (cani-rando) and tennis at Les Plans d’Hotonnes. The pages we consulted do not say exactly who manages the mountain-bike network or when the routes are waymarked.
Rules to know
| Topic | Rule |
|---|---|
| Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing | Fee required on marked trails |
| Dogs | On a lead on snowshoe trails, with the owner having paid the fee |
| Picking plants | Not specified by the tourist office |
| Wild camping | Not specified by the tourist office |
For more winter ideas in the area, our page on winter in Southern Bugey is currently available in French only.