Ski area in Verbier

Located in the French speaking western part of canton Valais, southwest Switzerland, Verbier is 170km from Geneva international airport, and is a one-hour drive from Chamonix and Aosta.

The enormous and varied terrain attracts winter holidaymakers from around the globe and offers something for every level of skier and snowboarder, from complete beginners to extreme freeride professionals and mountaineers.

Verbier was once a simple village inhabited by cows and herdsmen. When the Swiss government concluded it was an ideal spot for a ski resort, the first lift system was installed in 1946. 

A popular resort, not only for its great piste skiing and challenging off-piste, Verbier has a (well-deserved) reputation for aprés ski and nightlife. Loved by the rich and famous, this Swiss ski area has something for everyone.

The skiing in and around Verbier can be broken up into four areas, namely:

• Verbier
• Savoleyres - La Tzoumaz
• Bruson
• Mont Fort (although Mont Fort is not strictly part of Verbier, it is in fact the Four Valleys)

Read more about where to stay in Verbier.

Verbier

For beginners and intermediates

Beginners and intermediates are well catered for by La Chaux and the mellow pistes of the Lac des Vaux and the wide, cruising boulevards of the Attelas and the Combes. 

The resort boasts three nursery slopes and beginner areas. 

State of the art lifts such as the Funispace, Les Attelas and La Chaux Express service long uninterrupted ‘boulevards’ such as Attelas 2 and 3 and Combes 1 and 2. 

Verbier also has a snowpark and challenging ski itineraries of Chassoure-Tortin and Mont Gelé - something for everyone (see the piste maps).

Savoleyres - La Tzoumaz

 Savoleyres is south-facing,  popular with beginners and families, and you'll find some good tree skiing and a 5km winter hiking trail.  

Two gondolas connect the areas with an additional six ski lifts giving access to a small mixture of blue and red pistes (see the piste maps). 

Grab a sledge

Home to one of the longest sled runs in the Swiss Alps, with 848m of height difference over 10km, the toboggan route follows the Petite Combe run from the top of the gondola, so don't be surprised to see some sledges whizz past as you ski down.

There is also some challenging off-piste off Le Nord chairlift and Le Taillay chair. Les Etablons chair can offer some great turns when the snow is good lower down, and from La Tzoumaz gondola, great “top to bottom” runs can be enjoyed.

Bruson

Sits across the valley directly opposite Verbier, and the ski terrain varies from 1,080m to 2,445m offering 44km of pistes. Accessed by gondola from Le Châble, if you're staying in Verbier, getting here is a little time-consuming but well worth the effort. 

Something for everyone 

It's a great place for beginners and intermediate skiers, and there is just one marked black piste, namely La Pasay Noir. A great place for bad weather skiing as well as some fun off-piste.

Mont Fort

The highest point in the Four Valleys at 3,330m, this sector offers, without a doubt, the largest array of easily reachable advanced/expert terrain of any ski resort in the Alps.

Steep terrain for experts

The area can either be accessed via La Chaux (2,260m) by loading onto the Jumbo, or via Tortin (2,050m) by taking the Col des Gentianes tram. The Col des Gentianes tram was upgraded to provide cabins similar to the Jumbo, meaning greater comfort and smaller queues. Both lifts converge at the same spot…the Col des Gentianes, at an altitude of 2,950m.

Those seeking the awe-inspiring panoramic views from the top of Mont Fort, as well as the challenging and often mogulled-out black run on its front face, can head up to its 3,330m summit via the Mont Fort 2 tram. From there, you can drop off the backside for some adrenaline packed descents (see our off-piste guide below) but it is not advisable to do so without the accompaniment of a certified mountain guide.

From the Col des Gentianes, there is also the possibility of skiing the Glaciers 2 red runs, but due to the glacier’s heavy recession in recent years, this area necessitates lots of natural snowfall to operate, and therefore it's not always open.

Four Valleys

The rest of the Four Valleys, namely Nendaz (1,400m), Siviez (1,730m), Veysonnaz (1,400m), and Thyon (2,100m) together go by the name of “Printze”. Spanning North to North-East from Tortin, the Printze area offers a great choice of blue and red runs, as well as a few blacks for the more intrepid.

The highest point in this sector is the Greppon Blanc (2,700m), under which you'll find a selection of red and black runs taking you either back to Siviez or traversing across the mountain to Thyon. Once in Thyon you'll find more blue pistes on the back side of the mountain, marking the farthest point in the Four Valleys ski area and you'll need to be competent in skiing red runs to get across here.

The winter season usually runs from mid-December to mid-April, with any early lift openings depending on snow conditions (check ski lift opening dates for this winter's schedule). 

That strong southern sun means the snow can turn from ice to slush pretty quickly if you're here late in the season. But whenever you choose to come, the local pisteurs will make the best of the conditions and groom the pistes to perfection.

If you're coming early or late in the season

It's a good idea to check which lifts are open at Verbier. You might want to check the Verbier webcams too, for an up-to-the minute view of conditions on the ground.

Skiers and boarders in search of steep, adrenaline packed descents will either want to head straight over to the Col de Chassoure to test their skills on the Chassoure-Tortin “wall” (a ski itinerary which takes you down a steep, often heavily moguled face) or, if the tram is running, head straight up to the peak of the imposing Mont Gelé, where, from its 3,023m summit, a multitude of ski itineraries will give even the most hardened experts a run for their money.

Chassoure-Tortin

Starting at the Col de Chassoure you either drop straight in and tackle the moguls, or traverse right and drop in wherever you like, just be careful - catching an edge here could result in an uncomfortable fall to the bottom. The bottom of the run funnels into a cat-track, which eventually drops you at the Chassoure gondola.

Mont Gelé

There are two official itineraries here. One takes you down the south face to La Chaux, the other takes you off the back ending up in Tortin. 

Mont Fort

There is one black run over here, from the top of the Mont Fort 2 tram. It's steep and often mogulled, mellowing out near to the top of the Glaciers 1 and 2 draglifts. 

Bruson

La Pasay Noir is a black run with two different starting points, both of which fuse eventually lower down. 

The Four Valleys

The Printze area has four distinct black runs. In the Plan-du-Fou sector of Nendaz is Les Fontaines, the Greppon Blanc sector above Veysonnaz has Greppon 1, 2 and 3, and the steep, sustained pitch of the Étherolla run in Thyon is well worth the trip. 

The high, open pistes in Verbier generally lack the contrast required for orientation during whiteout conditions and slope and sky can blur into one. However there are certain runs that offer more contrast providing vast amounts of skiing and snowboarding when the flakes are falling. 

Our favourite is:

Bruson

• the locals' rendez-vous in bad weather, 95% of its terrain is tree-lined which means you can actually see something
• although there are only a handful of marked trails (blue, red and black) to choose from, Bruson offers the best tree skiing of the Four Valleys area
• most of the good skiing is found off La Pasay and Le Grand Tsai 

Verbier ski area is ideal for beginner skiers and those wishing to progress. 

Slopes for beginners in Verbier

There are three magic carpets - two in Verbier itself at Les Esserts and Les Moulins, and one in La Tzoumaz. 

• Les Esserts is a large beginner area
• Les Moulins caters mostly for children

Slopes for beginners in La Chaux

A firm favourite, it has a six-seater chairlift and is a great place to practise your technique as there are nice, easy runs which tend to soften up in the afternoon given the south-facing orientation. 

Slopes for beginners in Savoleyres

Quiet and often forgotten, its blue runs are wide and friendly, just be sure to stay on the right path as a wrong turn could take you down a steep red run through the trees. 

When it comes to off-piste, Verbier is one of the most renowned resorts in the Alps. This is mainly due to the accessibility of numerous possibilities found over an extensive region. For more information on these itineraries visit our off-piste guide.

Off-piste skiing in Verbier

• Col de Mines - nice moderately steep gradient, can be bumpy if it hasn't snowed in a while. Drops you off at the Medran 1 cat track, a blue which will bring you to the Medran.
• Col de Mouches - locals call this 'La Mouche'. Large open bowl of moderate, consistent gradient that eventually joins up with the bottom of the Gentianes-Tortin itinerary, and once on the flat section you're close to the Tortin lifts. In spring beware of the 'melt-freeze' effect that takes place here and can leave an unpleasant crust on the whole bowl.

The Four Valleys and Mont Fort

• 'Backside' Mont Fort - probably the most awesome off-piste in the Four Valleys. The slope inclination is very steep, at times glaciated, terrain with avalanche potential and a relatively long walk out - only expert skiers and snowboarders with a good avalanche awareness need apply.
• Gentianes – Tortin - probably the easiest off-piste to reach in the entire Four Valleys, this itinerary gets so much traffic it could be mistaken for a mogulled piste only days after a snowfall. Because of its northern exposure and higher altitude, the snow can hold quite well on the face.
• Stairway to Heaven - Yet another classic itinerary for the off-piste enthusiast, and no trip to Verbier is complete without having carved some turns down “Stairways”…good cold winter powder can often be found right into the Spring on this north-facing slope.

La Tzoumaz and Savoleyres

• La Marleinaz - An off-piste “classic” situated not far from the top of the Savoleyres lift station, easily reached with a 15 minute traverse…or an even quicker one from the top of La Tournelle chair. Due to its south-facing exposure, this is an itinerary which should only be attempted in the morning, before the snow has heated up.
• Vallon d’Arbi - Reached from the summit of Les Attelas en route to the Col des Mines, we recommend hiring a guide for this itinerary because the access in whiteout conditions can be quite tricky, and the risk of avalanche is high given the moderately steep gradient of the slope. It is advisable to always carry your avalanche gear, and do not enter the area when it is closed. 

Bruson

• La Pasay - The terrain, which is generally quite moderate, gets progressively steeper as you head away to the skier’s right of the lift. This area is entirely off-piste, so head this way with caution and care, go equipped and we'd advise hiring a guide.
• Le Grand Tsai - The drag is sometimes closed due to avalanche risk, but when open it offers longer front-side descents. During snowstorms, it can be bitterly cold and windy on these two lifts so make sure you come prepared with warm clothing.
• As far as the tree skiing is concerned, pretty much everywhere on the front face goes, with the bigger part of the skiing found in the area between the triple chair La Pasay and Le Grand Tsai. There are however a few flat spots and cliff zones to beware of and avoid. 

Always make sure you are prepared before embarking on any off-piste skiing or snowboarding. Check out our avalanche safety guide. It's always advisable to hire an off-piste guide who will have extensive knowledge of the area and the mountains.

There are a couple of snowparks in Verbier:

La Chaux Snowpark

Known for its varied setup, Verbier snowpark features jumps, rails, boxes, and fun features suitable for all skill levels. It’s well-maintained and is often used by both locals and visitors for progression and practice.

Savoleyres Snowpark

Smaller than La Chaux but still offers a variety of features, a good park for beginners and intermediate riders looking to improve their skills in a more relaxed setting.

There are also the four Copperfield areas to enjoy, visit our snowparks page for more information.