Champery

Champery is one of the oldest, and prettiest, Swiss ski resorts. Part of the large but low lying Portes du Soleil ski area, it appeals to skiers who value charm and character above ski-in, ski-out convenience.


Nestled at the base of the Dents du Midi and close to the equally scenic Dents Blanches, Champery is more famous for its “chocolate box” looks than its pistes. One reason for this is that there are no ski slopes within easy walking distance: instead skiers commute to and from the skiing at Planachaux, via either Champery’s iconic cable car or the fast chairlift at Grand Paradis which is a short free bus ride away. Whilst this is slightly inconvenient (and expensive for first time skiers who have to buy a lift pass just to access nursery slopes) it helps preserve an attractive, relaxed, village-like ambience which is very different from that of a purpose-built ski resort.

At Planachaux skiers and boarders will find a small ski area, with something for everyone from beginners to advanced and experts who can test themselves on the infamous Swiss Wall. And there’s more of the same on the other side of the Croix de Culet at Les Crosets, a tiny modern resort clustered around a crossroads in the lift system that’s easily reached from Champery, on blue or red pistes.

The combined Champery-Les Crosets ski area will keep most skiers busy for a couple of days, but it’s just a small fraction of the huge Portes du Soleil ski domain. From the top lifts at Champery, you can ski into Avoriaz in France and then onto Morzine, Chatel or Les Gets. Alternatively you can stick to the Swiss-side and meander northwards through Champoussin to Morgins. In total, there are nearly 200 lifts and 300 pistes, and that should be more than enough for anyone.

Champery’s apres-ski scene is mostly hotel-based and tends to be quiet rather than raucous. There are several excellent restaurants and a few late night clubs and bars. Champery also offers a wider range of activities for non-skiers than most ski resorts, and its quick transfers from Geneva airport make it a good destination for a short break.

Although Champery’s skiing is high by Portes du Soleil standards, it’s all below 2300m and much of it faces south-east. Therefore it’s not snowsure, so booking an early or late season ski holiday well in advance is risky.

Helpful Links

  • Accommodation in Champery. Hotels, Chalets, Self-Catering Apartments, Package Holidays, Where to stay… Read more >
  • How to get to Champery Nearest Airports and Railway Stations, Airport Transfers, Hire Cars… Read more >
  • Discounted Ski & Snowboard Rental in Champery:
    • ALPINRESORTS.com works with several ski hire shops in Champery and Les Crosets and can secure you savings of up to 50% if you book online via this link.
    • SKISET also has outlets in both resorts and has agreed to give online booking discounts to Ultimate-Ski readers if they book   ski hire in advance here

Champery Pros & Cons

+ A pretty resort in a scenic setting
+ Part of the huge Portes du Soleil area
+ Easy to reach / “Weekend-able”
– Too low to be snowsure
– No runs back to the resort
– Poor choice for absolute beginners.

Read More...

Champery is about 60km from Geneva airport as the crow flies; by road it’s almost double that so transfers take about 1 hour and 40 minutes. Sion airport is even closer but fewer airlines go there. Champery also has two...

Accommodation in Champery ranges from luxury hotels and chalets to self-catering apartments and simple guesthouses. Given the size of Champery, you’re never going to be more than 10 to 15 minutes' walk of the Telepherique. There are also a few...

Champery Ski Area The Champery-Les Crosets ski area has good slopes for all standards, except absolute beginners. But intermediate-level skiers and above will regard it as just a starting point, and a gateway to other Portes du Soleil resorts like...

Champery Lifts & Lift Passes The Portes du Soleil pass is expensive but covers a huge area. Beginners and people planning to spend very little time on the slopes might prefer a 'Swiss-side-only' pass covering Champery, Les Crosets, Champoussin and...

Champery Beginner Skiing In Champery, it’s important to make the distinction between near and absolute beginner. If you’ve never skied before, Champery is not a good place to start; but for near novices comfortable on blue slopes, Champery, Les Crosets...

Champery Intermediate Skiing Intermediates can ski the Portes du Soleil for days without skiing the same run twice. Closer to home both Champery and neighbouring Les Crosets have interesting blue runs and some great reds such as Grand Paradis. The...

Champery Advanced & Off-Piste Skiing Have you done the Swiss Wall? It’s not possible to have a conversation about tough skiing in the Portes du Soleil without Champery's Swiss Wall being mentioned. The Wall is one of the steepest and...

Champery Boarding & Freestyle There are three snowparks on the Swiss side of the Portes du Soleil and seven parks in total in the region. The largest is the Superpark underneath the TSD Crosets lift which has a wide variety...

Champery Mountain Restaurants There are over 90 mountain restaurants in the Portes du Soleil – you’ll need a good three months to try them all. The first you’ll encounter is La Croix-de-Culet in the Telepherique complex and the furthest is...

Champery Village The village of Champery sits on two roads beneath the spectacular peaks of the Dents du Midi. The higher road is pure Swiss "Chocolate Box" charm.The lower, newer, through road runs up to the Telepherique and takes care...

Champery Restaurants & Bars The apres ski scene in Champery isn’t busy. But this is compensated for the bars and restaurants later in the evening. As you come off the Telepherique, the Le Gueullhi and Le Jonquille just over the...

Champery Other Activities While Champery is not an ideal destination for the absolute beginner, there’s still plenty to do both indoors and out. The ultra modern Palladium (a National Centre for Ice Sports) not only hosts major ice sports events...

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