About Verbier & Four Valleys ski area

Verbier began as a small village of cows and herdsmen until 1946, when the first lift system was installed, marking its transformation into a ski resort. Today, it’s famed for both piste and challenging off-piste skiing, as well as vibrant après-ski and nightlife. Popular with the rich and famous, Verbier offers something for everyone. 

The ski area is divided into four main zones: Verbier, Savoleyres–La Tzoumaz, Bruson, and Mont Fort, the latter being part of the wider Four Valleys network. Each area provides varied terrain, ensuring options for beginners, intermediates, and expert skiers alike, alongside off-piste and freeride opportunities.

Verbier

Beginners and intermediates are well served in Verbier, with gentle pistes at La Chaux, Lac des Vaux, and the wide cruising boulevards of Attelas and Combes. The resort offers three nursery slopes and dedicated beginner areas. Modern lifts like Funispace, Les Attelas, and La Chaux Express provide access to long uninterrupted runs such as Attelas 2 and 3 and Combes 1 and 2. For those seeking more variety, Verbier also features a snowpark and challenging ski itineraries at Chassoure-Tortin and Mont Gelé, ensuring there is something for every level of skier or snowboarder.

Savoleyres - La Tzoumaz

Savoleyres is a south-facing area popular with beginners and families, offering gentle tree skiing and a 5km winter hiking trail. Two gondolas and six additional ski lifts provide access to a mix of blue and red pistes, making it ideal for progressing skills while enjoying scenic runs in a family-friendly environment.

Les Etablons offers challenging off-piste skiing, while the Petite Combe toboggan run provides a 10km, 848m descent. From La Tzoumaz gondola, skiers can enjoy full “top to bottom” runs, with additional off-piste opportunities from Le Nord and Le Taillay chairs, making it ideal for varied skiing experiences.

Bruson

Located opposite Verbier, Bruson spans 1,080m to 2,445m with 44km of pistes, accessed via gondola from Le Châble. Ideal for beginners and intermediates, it features one marked black run, La Pasay Noir, along with fun off-piste options. The area is also excellent for skiing in poor weather conditions, making it a versatile destination.

Mont Fort

Mont Fort, the highest point in the Four Valleys at 3,330m, offers some of the Alps’ most accessible advanced and expert terrain. The area can be reached via La Chaux (2,260m) on the Jumbo or Tortin (2,050m) via the upgraded Col des Gentianes tram, both converging at 2,950m. From Mont Fort’s summit, skiers can tackle the challenging, often mogulled black run on its front face or venture off the backside for adrenaline-filled descents, ideally with a certified mountain guide. The Col des Gentianes also provides access to the Glaciers 2 red runs, though glacier recession and snowfall dependence mean they are not always open.

Four Valleys

The Printze area of the Four Valleys encompasses Nendaz (1,400m), Siviez (1,730m), Veysonnaz (1,400m), and Thyon (2,100m), extending north to northeast from Tortin. This sector offers a variety of blue and red runs, with some black pistes for advanced skiers. 

The highest point is Greppon Blanc at 2,700m, featuring red and black runs leading back to Siviez or across to Thyon. 

Thyon’s backside provides additional blue pistes, marking the farthest reaches of the Four Valleys. Traversing this area requires confidence on red runs, making it ideal for intermediates seeking long descents and advanced skiers exploring more challenging terrain.

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

You might want to check the Verbier webcams too, for an up-to-the minute view of conditions on the ground.

Verbier is part of the Four Valleys (Les 4 Vallées) ski area, one of the largest interconnected ski regions in Switzerland. This massive network links Verbier with several other resorts, giving access to a total of 410 km of marked pistes. The main linked areas include La Tzoumaz, Nendaz, Veysonnaz, Thyon, La Châble. 

Skiers and snowboarders can move seamlessly between these resorts on lifts and pistes without taking off their skis.

Verbier and the Four Valleys are a playground for expert skiers. The Col de Chassoure offers the mogul-heavy Chassoure-Tortin “wall,” ending on a cat-track to the gondola. Mont Gelé (3,023m) has multiple itineraries to La Chaux or Tortin, while Mont Fort features a steep black from the Mont Fort 2 tram. 

In Bruson, La Pasay Noir merges two black lines. The wider Four Valleys adds more challenges: Printze has four blacks, Nendaz’s Plan-du-Fou offers Les Fontaines, Veysonnaz’s Greppon Blanc includes three black runs, and Thyon features the sustained Étherolla pitch. It’s terrain that will test even the most skilled skiers.

Verbier is perfect for beginners and those looking to progress. In Verbier, Les Esserts is a large beginner area, Les Moulins caters mostly to children, and there are three magic carpets, including one at La Tzoumaz. 

La Chaux is a favourite with a six-seater chairlift and easy, south-facing runs that soften in the afternoon. Savoleyres offers quiet, wide blue runs ideal for practising, but beginners should watch their route to avoid accidentally dropping onto a steep red run through the trees. These areas provide a safe, varied environment for learning and building confidence on the slopes.

Verbier has a couple of snowparks catering to different abilities. 

La Chaux Snowpark is well-maintained and features jumps, rails, boxes, and fun elements suitable for all skill levels, popular with both locals and visitors for progression. 
Savoleyres Snowpark is smaller and ideal for beginners and intermediate riders looking to improve in a more relaxed setting. 

Additionally, there are four Copperfield areas for extra freestyle fun. Together, these parks provide a variety of options for learning, practicing, and enjoying snowpark features across Verbier.

Verbier is renowned for off-piste skiing, offering a vast range of accessible itineraries across the Four Valleys. 

Popular routes include Col de Mines, a moderately steep descent ending at Medran; Col de Mouches, a large open bowl linking to Tortin; and the challenging Backside Mont Fort, suitable only for experts with avalanche awareness. 

Classic runs like Gentianes-Tortin and Stairway to Heaven offer well-preserved powder, while La Tzoumaz and Savoleyres provide options like La Marleinaz and Vallon d’Arbi, best tackled in the morning or with a guide. 

In Bruson, La Pasay and Le Grand Tsai offer longer descents with tree skiing, though caution is needed around cliffs and flat spots. 

Always carry avalanche safety gear and consider hiring a guide.

In Verbier, high, open pistes can be disorienting in whiteout conditions as slope and sky blend together. For better visibility, head to tree-lined areas. 

Bruson is a local favourite in poor weather, with 95% of terrain among trees. Whilst there are only a few marked blue, red, and black runs, the best skiing is found off La Pasay and Le Grand Tsai, offering excellent tree skiing and safer navigation in low visibility. 

It’s ideal for powder enthusiasts seeking contrast and a more controlled environment during snowstorms, making it the go-to spot in the Four Valleys for bad weather conditions.