Verbier

Altitude

• Resort Top: 1500m
• Resort Bottom: 1500m
• Piste/run/trail top:
• Piste/run/trail bottom:

Size

• Pistes: 83

Piste Difficulty

• Beginner Pistes: 28
• Intermediate Pistes: 48
• Advanced Pistes: 7

Lift System

• Cable Cars: 14
• Regular Chairlifts:

Freestyle Features

Ticket Prices

• 1 day: CHF 63
• 6 day: CHF 375
• Season: CHF 1292

Food and Drink Prices

• Pint of lager: CHF 8
• Cheeseburger & fries: CHF 16
• Pizza: CHF 20

Closest Transport

• Airport: Geneva – 170km
• Train: Le Chable – 8km
• Bus: Verbier

BLIMEY!

You can hire Richard Branson’s holiday home in Verbier, this Christmas week, for a shy £100,000 – bargain! The price is slightly better by the fact that it sleeps 18 and you can apparently help yourself to house champagne … just hope this one doesn’t burn down!

Verbier has made a name for itself as a hedonistic retreat for millionaires. But while you won’t have any difficulty emptying your wallet (and everyone else’s for that matter!) this place has some serious substance as a shred destination too. In fact, Verbier is the Swiss version of Chamonix, with some of the most hardcore descents in the country. But in true Swiss style (and unlike Chamonix) it’s a fully polished resort with a massive, modern interlinked lift system and perfectly groomed pistes.

All the Swiss politeness goes right out of the window when there is a powder day however. If you want to get fresh tracks you had best sharpen your elbows for the queues and not wait too long surveying your line, as one moment’s hesitation will mean some nutter leaping over your head from a rock above, and stealing it. There is plenty of fine off-piste only a short traverse from the lifts however, and once the obvious stuff is tracked out, hire a guide or a heli and head off into the awesome backcountry.

Verbier is in fact just one part of the massive 4 Vallées area, which joins Nendaz, Veysonnaz, La Tzoumaz and Val de Bagnas. It has 94 lifts and over 400km of piste. There really is something for everyone and it’s a must for all serious snowboarders’ bucket lists – but none of it is cheap. However if you’re on a budget you can save some money by staying in Nendaz or one of the other villages.

THE PARKS (3 out of5)

Terrain parks have never really been Verbier’s focus, and it shows in the terrain park at La Chaux. It has a few jib and kicker features, but for a resort of this size it is definitely an afterthought. If it was at school it would get a C and a “could do better”. Nendaz goes to the top of the class though, with its WoodPark and the beginner Burton Progression Park, which are both accessible from the Tracouet area.

The WoodPark opened in 2010 and is a similar idea to the Burton Stash, with lots of obvious and hidden wooden jibs to hunt out. Really though, natural is the way to go for freestyle in Verbier – the mountain is littered with rock drops ranging from a few feet to insane cliffs, so you should head out and test your moves against mother nature.

THE POWDER (4 out of 5)

The Verbier Xtreme competition held here every year on the North face of the Bec des Rosses, is part of the Freeride World Tour, and probably the most prestigious freeride contest in the world. Google ‘Bec des Rosses’ and you’ll see why – the terrain on this face is pretty much the definition of gnar! It goes without saying that you must have the kit and know how to freeride in Verbier. Avalanches are common, so check local conditions before attempting anything. A good starter is to head to the Mont Gele cable-car. This serves no pistes, just a stack of off -piste runs and couloirs of varying difficulty. The Col des Mines, and Vallon d’Arbi are classic routes which steer you towards wide open powder fields, and are a must do.

A short walk from the Les Attelas chairlift or the Funispace cable-car will give you a fine long run down to the Mayentzet chairlift, and if trees are your thing, head to the Bruson area. When you’ve fully exhausted what is on offer and if you’ve still got some money to burn, then look into getting some heli time. But remember this is Richard Branson’s playground, so you’re looking at the wrong side of 700CHF for a day!

THE PISTES (4 out of 5)

There really is something for everyone here, and you couldn’t get bored even if you were here for the whole season. The best run is undoubtedly the long, wide, red piste that goes from the top of Attelas all the way back to the Medran lifts. There are plenty more excellent runs on Savoleyres and Ruinettes, and if you need lessons checkout the British snowboard school ES Ride.

THE PARTIES (4 out of 5)

Verbier is awash with cash and a drink in the town will match the price of slope side beer in any flash French resort. The Pub Mont Fort is a popular après and evening haunt, especially among seasonnaires, and it’s worth heading to their shots bar if you’re playing catch-up. The T-Bar in the Central Hotel and the Big Ben Pub are other well known places to have a few beers.

The Après- Ski bar in the Hotel Farinetm kicks off late afternoon with a happy hour and has a band playing every day. And if you need a club the Casbah underneath is open until 4am. Just avoid the Farm Club if you’re on a budget – a bottle of vodka will set you back a minimum of 100CHF!

“If you want to get fresh tracks you had best sharpen your elbows for the queues and get up early”