Verbier, Switzerland

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Description of Verbier:

Verbier is located in the southwest corner of Switzerland situated approximately in between Chamonix, France and Zermatt. It is a city in the heart of the extensive "Four Valleys" ski region, and provides access to what has been called the most challenging and varied skiing in the Alps. A well planned lift system connects the Four Valleys and rises to the two main peaks of over 9000'. The main lift system starts from the east of the village with 2 gondolas and a double chair lift ascending to Les Ruinettes at 6600'. From there, you will find many lifts and varying standards of terrain. Northeast of Attelas, the 3 chair lifts of the Lac des Vaux bowl will provide a good range of skiing for all grades of skiers. Veriber's subsidiary ski area of Savoleyres, which can be reached by bus and gondola in a short time, has many opportunities available for both packed and powder runs that will allow you to ski all the way back to Verbier via La Troumaz. A great advantage for the beginning skier is that the nursery slopes are right in the village, and one can find many English speaking instructors ready to offer their expertise. Most grades of skier will find happiness in Verbier. Intermediate skiers will love the long and diverse runs throughout the area. In particular, Ruinettes and Attelas offer a variety of interesting situations to discover. Experts will love the extensive opportunities for powder and mogul skiing throughout the Four Valleys. From the Mont Gele at 9100', there is a variety of challenging off-piste areas and from Col de Chassoure, you might want to try the steep descent down the north wall to Tortin. Once there, you could ski to Super-Nendaz, Veysonnaz, Thylon 2000, and Haute Nendaz. The Verbier lift ticket covers about 80 lifts covering over 180 miles of runs. Certainly enough to keep any skier busy for a week.

If skiing is not enough to tire you out, then give Verbier's apres ski life a chance. English-style pubs are plentiful, as well as coffee house, cafes, and discos. If you're looking for more athletic activities, there is an artificial ice rink, curling (bowling on ice), parachuting, and hang-gliding with instructions available. You might also want to try out a ski-bob, which is like a scooter on skis. The public indoor swimming pool also has two saunas, a solarium, and a movie theater that shows English-speaking films once a week. Excursions to Montreux, Lausanne, or Geneva can be accomplished quite easily by the trains, and could provide a wealth of enjoyment by browsing in the shops, seeing the sights of the old town centers, or just having a drink by the lake.