Verbier Overview

At the centre of the Four Valleys, one of the largest ski areas in Europe, Verbier has everything a top-class winter-sports resort should have. The chalet-style village perches atop a sunwashed plateau and provides views of the majestic mountain peaks. It's a veritable eldorado for any snowsport fan, and the skiing area stretches from 1,500 to 3,330m. Thanks to the height and fine snow conditions, 93 lifts let you access 412 km of runs. Mont-Fort or Mont-Gelé and other legendary routes make every ski ace drool. Novices and experts alike will find exactly the kind of skiing they are looking for here. Verbier offers a rich variety of restaurants, shops, bars and discos.

Airports

The resort is serviced by two airports - the local Sion and the international Geneva, with destinations all over the world. 

Sion Airport (40km) 60 minutes by road. Mainly a military airport and is principally served by lowcost Snowjet from London Stansted.

Geneva Airport (160km) 1hr50 by road; +41(0)227-177-111. A third of the flights to this international airport are by easyJet. United Airlines serves Washington- Dulles, JFK and Toronto.

Trains

There is the super-efficient Swiss railway network that takes you to Martigny linked via the international rail network to London and Paris. Swiss national railway (SBB) times are on www.cff.ch. Traveling on public transport in Switzerland is pretty easy.

Transfers

There are a host of taxi firms that arrange transfers of varying degrees of luxury from shuttle buses at CHF 49 alpineexpress.com to the new prestige service www.alpinecab.com. If you want to combine thrilling views of the Swiss mountain scenery and a quicker journey, private helicopters are available for upwards of CHF 3,000 for an exclusive service from Geneva. A gondola takes you straight from the heliport to the heart of the resort. Shared helicopter services are also available at www.whitetracks co.uk

Getting around

There is a public bus system within the resort with free shuttle buses every quarter of an hour. The resort is relatively compact and walkable. It is not car-free but car use is restricted so walking in the center is a pleasure.

The Mountain

With 410 kilometers of runs and 89 lifts covered by a single lift pass, Les 4 Vallées ski area is big. Its wealth of activities, reliable snow cover and sunny slopes make it an exceptional place to ski. From the top of the Mont-Fort glacier (3,330 m) to the kindest blue run the ski area is a paradise for all  whether expert or beginner. Open from early November until the end of April, it links the resorts of Verbier, La Tzoumaz and Bruson, as well as Nendaz, Veysonnaz and Thyon. Verbier is now officially the Verbier-St Bernard ski region.

Although the possibilities for skiing and snowboarding are endless it is not quite the seamless web of ski areas that you find in Les 3 Vallées in France. A guide is a good investment to avoid queues and tracked out off-piste runs.

Take the opportunity whilst you are in the resort, if you don't get vertigo, to clamber up the last few meters to the top of the Mont Fort from the cable car and enjoy the amazing views. Not for nothing has Verbier attracted filmmakers and photographers over the years. You can get up there by cable car without skis if necessary.

Freeriders

Verbier is famous for off-piste skiing. The better your skiing, the more the resort comes into its own. Easier blue and red skiing can be found in the central valley area but on the whole this is an intermediate/expert rather than a beginner resort.

Of the many steep runs, you'll remember skiing from the top of Mont Fort forever. It starts as a precipitous mogul field, the challenge is how early you get into your tuck as it begins to flatten into a very smooth glacier motorway run where even the worst skiers can look stylish. It is one of the steepest runs in the Alps and you need to know what you are doing. The other signature ski run for the hardy is Tortin, a cold north-facing mogul field that eventually turns into an easy undulating ride down to another sector of the 4  Vallées. Over on Mount Gelé at 3030m is another vertiginous run that rewards the skillful and is apt to paralyze the inexperienced.

Heli-skiing is a great option in this resort famous for its freeriding. Just because you get there by helicopter does not mean that the skiing available is only for experts. Trips can be arranged to provide ‘a gentle powder smoothie' for all the family.

Groomers and Families

There is a dedicated children's area in Verbier at Les Esserts with a magic carpet. There's also a separate area for children at Les Moulins with gentle nursery slopes. There are good runs for beginners - Savoleyres and La Tzoumaz through the trees. To be sure of better snow it pays to pluck up the courage and go up to La Chaux where you'll find plenty of blue runs.

Once you have made a bit of progress it all becomes a lot more enjoyable as the occasional red sections that link the blue runs seem less daunting. The long run from Attelas to Verbier (1224m) is particularly enjoyable for groomers but it can get a bit hectic at the end of the day with experienced skiers zooming home. Bruson, a short (free) bus ride from Verbier is a quiet area away from the crowds and good for families.

There are no less than eight ski schools and no shortage of instruction in English. Warren Smith, the founder of the famous annual Verbier Ride free ski event, runs his innovative Warren Smith Ski Academy here and has a reputation for bringing on hesitant intermediate skiers. He also runs special off piste lessons for those that really want to progress.

Parks/Pipes

There is now only one snowpark in the La Chaux area of the Four Valleys.  It is here that the annual Verbier Ride event is held every year. A  number of competitions are held throughout the season. There is an express ski lift to give maximum time in the park.

Four different points of access, each one taking a different line give access to a total of 20 modules. The first entrance with nine modules is for experts only. The second is black and has thirteen modules. The third entrance is blue. The fourth entrance gives access to the whole lower blue area of the park. There is a giant Big Air Bag available to everyone over the age of 12. This enables beginners to experience the really big sensations without serious injury and the more experienced to try out different moves in complete safety. Each jump is filmed and can be accessed immediately on Swatch shoot my ride.

There are two spectacular skiing events held at Verbier: XSpeed and Verbier Ride. The XSpeed ski races where top-speed skiers go from 3330m on the Mont Fort hitting speeds of 200km an hour are held in April. Verbier Ride, one of the top freeskiing competitions in the world, is held in the La Chaux snow park in January.

Not to be missed is the 10-kilometer-long toboggan run at La Tzoumaz with a drop of 848 meters - crash helmets required and children accompanied.

A must-do is a visit to the top of the Mont Fort with its unforgettable view so even if you are a beginner get up there before you leave and enjoy it. If you have a Four Valleys ski pass you will not have to pay extra for the cable car. For competent skiers there is the possibility of staying in the somewhat Spartan Cabane Mont Fort at 2457 meters. The only access is on skis. Julien, who has been staying there for years told us "Amazing, you're on top of the world, sunset and sunrise over the clouds, the world of the every day are little specks of light far below. You should come and see for yourself".