Skiing home to Chalet la Vigne is easy via fun on piste and off piste routes. Accessed from Savoleyres, the home of intermediate skiers in Verbier, both of these first two routes offer good skiing, great views and include essential apres ski stops at either La Marmotte or Marlenaz - two of the most celebrated on mountain restaurants in Verbier. Meanwhile, videos of Les Esserts and Atlas Groomers give a sense of the on piste skiing available in Verbier.
Located in the middle of Verbier, Les Esserts is the best spot for those new to skis. Gentle terrain, a spot for hot chocolate and the odd powder snow opportunity make a great environment for kids and adults.
No matter where you go skiing in Verbier, you are likely to head through Attelas en route. This makes it a great spot for a warm up groomer or two...
Verbier’s reputation for legendary off piste skiing is well deserved. Below is a far from exhaustive selection of lines that can be easily found within or near the resort - some of these involve a short bootpack, others a quick skin. These moderate barriers to entry ensure great skiing, as long as you’re willing to put the effort in…
The Highway is one of Verbier's great all round lines - readily accessible, with a relatively easy gradient. Anyone who is functional off piste can ski this - to light it up a bit, ski it at speed! Or just take Secret Couloir nearby...
Just off the Gentianes tram, No Name is accessed after an easy 15 minute skin. Undulating and wide on top, it ends in a moderately tight couloir - just be sure to check your slough every now and then!
Mt Rogneux is a great off piste skiing descent immediately across the valley from Chalet la Vigne. Typically accessed by helicopter then randonée (skinning), this classic line has over 1200m of steep couloirs, flowy mid sections, and a massive apron leading to the bar.
Arguably Verbier's most famous peak, the Bec de Rosses is the site of the World Freeride Tour event held annually in April. Offering multiple lines ranging from uber challenging to less consequential, the Bec is a must do if steep skiing is your thing. This video shows your correspondent on one of the easier lines - the Dogleg Couloir - on a day where 10-15cm of fresh dry powder covered a layer of bulletproof ice. Tough up top but fun down below!
This video was shot about 100m from Lac des Vaux, one of the most heavily trafficked areas in Verbier. It isn't steep but it is very easy to access, and few people know it is there. It leads to a great descent into the Vallon d'Arbi. This video was shot 4 days after snowfall.
A five minute traverse and a 30 second hike yields this not so secret couloir high up in Verbier. Steep and flowy, it is one of many easily accessed lines that ski better as the season progresses. This video was shot in mid April, when the couloir is most filled in.
The North Face of Mont Fort is one of Verbier's must do lines for anyone who enjoys off piste skiing. Steep at the top with exposure mid way, it's a great line that can be tricky to ski at speed if you don't know the line or haven't been on it in a while (like your correspondent!). The downside is that it is short; but the basin leads to multiple climbs (Bec des Etagnes, Super Bowl), each offering plenty of additional powder on the right day. Total descent is circa 1300m.
Located below the Gentianes tram, Gentianes is one of Verbier's best known runs, with nearly 1000m of vertical. Catering to all abilities above Intermediate, it offers multiple pitches with varying degrees of difficulty. Usually a mogul field, warm temperatures and solar radiation make it virtually flat at the end of the season - all it takes is a little powder on top to make for a really fun descent...
The Highway in Verbier is known for holding good conditions well after snowfall. On a big pow day, you can ski it several times before it is even remotely tracked. This video shows round two - your correspondent's second descent on a recent pow day - the tracks at the end are his from round one.
Just off the top of Verbier's Mont Gele tram, Peel Couloir is a great warmup run en route to a day of excellent lines. A short bootpack, followed by a quick traverse along a knife ridge leads to this perfect northeast couloir - that spills onto a huge apron called Col de Mouche, then Tortin, 1000m below.
Just off the Col des Gentianes lies a series of lines, some with names, some without, and some never tracked because they require a huge season to work. That wasn't a problem for this one, christened "Chicken Run" in April 2018...
A 20 minute skin leads to Turtle, one of Verbier's great lines. Just before the Wings of Icarus, Turtle offers steep terrain with a few features along the way...
The Mont Fort area offers some of the most exciting skiing in Verbier. Legendary lines like the North Face, Super Bowl, the Bec de Rosses and many others are all accessed from the top. But every now and then there's no need to venture further afield - fresh powder under the tram should not be looked over...
This descent is rarely skiable because of the blue ice underneath; the normal way down the front of the PC is the northeast shoulder. However on this day in June 2013 it worked. Well, not really, based on the bad skiing then cartwheel in this video, a few seconds off the top - not a good place to fall.
Thinking about a summer visit? Directly accessed from Chalet la Vigne, the ride to Croix de Coeur is a good way to stretch your legs in the summer - 650m of ascent on deserted roads followed by a mix of singletrack, doubletrack, farm animals and great spots for a beer!
Croix du Six Blanc is Ride 14 on Verbier's official "Carte VTT" and it doesn't disappoint. Over a total of 50km, the ride begins from Chalet la Vigne with a 750m descent and a 1300m climb to the Croix, all rewarded by excellent single track and double track riding on fabulous terrain. If you bother to stop and check out the view, it's great!
Want to see more? Check out our channel on Vimeo here.