Savoleyres (2,345m) and La Tzoumaz (1,500m) meet on a ridge line to lookers left of the main resort town of Verbier.
There are two gondolas connecting the two ski areas, from the valley floor in La Tzoumaz across into Verbier, with an additional 6 ski lifts giving access to a small mixture of blue and red pistes (see the piste maps). There is also a 10km sledge track which starts at the top of the ridge and takes you all the way to La Tzoumaz and a 5km winter hiking trail.
Savoleyres
This part of the ski area is south-facing and so attracts lot of lovely sunshine. It's popular with beginners and families, who enjoy skiing on the blue pistes in Les Esserts
La Tzoumaz
Situated right behind Savoleyres’ south-facing slopes, La Tzoumaz’s pistes quickly plunge into the tree-line, offering a nice choice of red and blue runs.
Le Nord (6-man high-speed detachable chair) services a short but sweet, moderately steep ridgeline speckled with trees, Le Taillay (4-man chair) on the other side of the ski area gives access to mellow terrain which starts off very open and gradually enters the tree-line. With both, you have the option of either staying on the piste or wandering off-piste, without ever having to venture too far to the sides to find fresh powder. Be careful however when skiing off-piste to the skier’s right of Le Taillay, not to go too far right, as you will miss the cat track which brings you back to the lift & you'll be on your way to the bottom of the resort through a mess of tight trees!
The Les Etablons (2-man chair) can offer some great turns when the snow is good lower down. The second half of the red slope which starts directly to the left or skier’s right of the lift has a good moderate pitch and can be quite fun. What more, with the brand-new 8-man La Tzoumaz gondola, great “top to bottom” runs can be enjoyed, knowing that line-ups are now a thing of the past!
La Tzoumaz features one of the longest sled runs in the Swiss Alps, with 848 metres of height difference over 10km. The toboggan run follows the Petite Combe run from the top of the gondola, so don't be surprised to see some sledges whizz pass as you ski down.
Off-piste skiing in La Tzoumaz & Savoleyres
La Marleinaz
This off-piste “classic” is situated not far from the top of the Savoleyres lift station and can easily be reached with a 15 minute traverse…or an even quicker one from the top of La Tournelle (2-man chair).
From the top of Savoleyres, head along the ridge towards the direction of Pierre Avoi (skier’s right of the bubbles). Continue past the top of La Tournelle and its red run until you reach a huge mountain hump to your left. Make your way past it to the right, and you are officially at the start of La Marleinaz. Follow the big, moderate grade, open bowl down until you reach the tree-line and first few chalets. At this point, start traversing left until you eventually fall onto the Rte de la Marlène which will lead you back towards the bubbles. When you come flush with the Savoleyres lift-line, wind your way down through the chalets until you reach the lift station!
Due to its south-facing exposure, this is an itinerary which should only be attempted in the morning, before the snow has heated up. Usually, unless we’re experiencing a cold snap, it must be hit the first day following a snowfall, as the sun will quickly transform the powder into crud. Also, to avoid a long, annoying walk back to the lift station, make sure the snowline goes down all the way to the village.
Vallon d’Arbi - Ski itinerary [guide recommended] – access from Les Attelas
Lovers of off-piste will revel in this great ski itinerary which is reached from the summit of Les Attelas, en route to the Col des Mines.
Make your way down the Lac des Vaux area keeping on the skier’s left past the 4-man chair (ducking under the rope) until you enter the gully. This moderately pitched gully feeds onto a traverse, which, when not officially open, can be quite hairy as it’s a “no fall zone”, given the cliffs & exposure to the right. When officially open a protected track is carved through the snow making the traverse much more secure. There is also quite a big slope overhead, so you must consider the avalanche risk before entering the traverse.
As early as midway through the traverse (after the cliffs), the Vallon d’Arbi itinerary starts off in an open bowl but quickly enters a section of well spaced big larch trees, making it a pleasure to pull fast, sweeping turns through its moderately steep pitch. For a slightly more exciting run, you can choose to continue traversing right past the Col des Mines & “around the corner”. Slopes there tend to be more loaded, so do take extra care when entering this area & if in doubt: don’t go. Either route you choose will eventually funnel to the same spot at the bottom of the vallon. Once you’ve crossed the stream, a long and at times quite flat cat road eventually brings you to the bottom of the La Tzoumaz bubbles.
Because of the access, which in whiteout conditions can be quite tricky, as well as the risk of avalanche danger given the moderately steep gradient of the slope, it is advisable to always carry with you all pertinent gear, and not to engage in the area when it is closed. Basically, we strongly recommended you hire a guide to bring you safely to this & other great places! If you are up the mountain in the higher alpine areas & the weather suddenly deteriorates leaving you caught in a whiteout, the best thing to do is to head carefully down the mountain as soon as possible. Usually (but not always the case), the lower you get on the mountain, the more the clouds will dissipate and the better the visibility will get. When in “pea-soup” fog, descend the cat roads at a pace which allows you to follow safely (and stay within) the safety markers posted on either side of the trail, thus ensuring you don’t fall off the road.
More inspiration...
Take a look at this year's Ski Pass Prices or, if you're not sure which pass to buy, read Ski Pass Options for more information. Find your way around with Piste Maps for Verbier.
