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Verbier
Critics say the region is hard to find your way around – partly a function of its enormous and varied terrain as much as poor signposting – and that the lift system is imperfect. But the biggest issue is simply that Verbier is a victim of its own success – a situation the resort has addressed with increased lift capacity. Let’s hope it continues to grow.
Thanks to legendary off piste opportunities and competitions like the Verbier Ride and O'Neill Xtreme, top skiers and boarders come from all over the world to ski Verbier. So do plenty of wannabes: get ready to fight your way through gaggles of helmeted, shovel-toting freeriders warming up at the top of the main lifts each morning.
There’s no question, the standard of skiing here is high, but there’s no need to feel outclassed, whatever your level. Intermediates might ask themselves why they’re fighting Verbier’s crowds when the Portes du Soleil, just across the valley, might deliver more of their kind of skiing without the hustle. The answer is simple: when you leave the slopes for the après ski and nightlife, there’s no contest.
Verbier at a glance
On the mountain
Ski area
The Four Valleys area around Verbier may be difficult to navigate, but
its two main peaks, Mont Fort and Mont Gele, offer superb skiing.
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Lift system
Verbier's once disastrous queues have been mostly alleviated, mainly because of a new gondola to Les Ruinettes that has taken the sting out of the first lift up. more...
Ski schools & guiding
Verbier is a good place for learning to ski off-piste terrain and steeps, for example at the English-speaking Warren Smith Academy. more...
Advanced
Mont Fort forms the heart of Verbier's challenging skiing – there’s only one run down, but it’s steep, broad, bumped and over 1300 metres from top to bottom. more...
Intermediate
Strong intermediates enjoy the variety of terrain and the opportunity to move through high mountain scenery; others might struggle to see the point. more...
Beginner
Les Esserts, within Verbier itself and well away from the main runs, is ideal for beginners, but progressively more challenging runs are hard to reach; Les Moulins has a special children’s area. more...
Boarding & freestyle
The snow park - with cheap lift ticket - is right by La Chaux, but it's the off-piste that makes Verbier one of the extreme boarder resorts in Europe. more...
Off-piste
Arguably one of the birthplaces of the modern freeskiing movement, Verbier also boasts a seemingly endless amount of awesome off-piste skiing. more...
Mountain restaurants
Most mountain restaurants in Verbier are of the self-service variety, perhaps reflecting the serious attitude taken by many of the skiers to the area. more...
Ski Map
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Off the mountain
Village
Verbier looks like picture-postcard chalet heaven from afar, but in town there's too much traffic and commercial development.
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Accommodation
Verbier is the ideal place for a chalet holiday, but you can also stay in luxury at the plush Chalet de L'Adrien - or in a bunk bed at the sports centre. more...
Après-ski
Verbier's main après-ski scene is below the Medran base station - a downhill pub crawl back to the Place Centrale and beyond. more...
Restaurants & bars
Dining options in Verbier range from hamburgers at
Harolds to gourmet at much-lauded Pierroz. Then on to some of the most exclusive nightclubs in the Alps.
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Other information
Winter walking, ice climbing, snow shoeing and tobogganing (on the impressive 10km run from Savoleyres-Tzoumaz) are all popular pastimes in Verbier. more...
Getting there
Verbier is 170 km from Geneva; the drive takes about 2 hours. Zurich is 300 km away. more...
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Verbier facts
Ski Area
| Base | 4,921 ft 1,500 m |
| Summit | 10,925 ft 3,330 m |
| Elevation | 6,004 ft 1,830 m |
| Area size | 521 a 211 ha |
Trails/runs
| Number of trails | 70 |
| Advanced | 19 % |
| Intermediate | 45 % |
| Beginner | 36 % |
Lifts
| Gondolas/Cable cars | 11 |
| Chairs | 14 |
| Surface lifts | 12 |
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