INSIGHT #1 – Even if you’ve never been on a two-family holiday, consider asking a family of like-minded friends to join you.  If the kids get on together and you enjoy the adult company then this can be a great mix.

I got my first lesson in the complexity of the self-catered multi-family holiday before we left home.  As we ran around hastily shoving the last few items in the food box, with no idea if we had the makings of at least one meal for eight or not, I started to understand why so many groups plan a long time in advance.  I’ve often been bemused by clients contacting me up six weeks in advance to ask what dimensions of baking trays would be available in their chalet or whether there was a soup-mixer.  Now I realised that this is simply the sign of an organised, experienced holidaymaker and that I was hopelessly outclassed.

INSIGHT #2 – Plan at least the first few meals in advance, and make sure you have the relevant spices, herbs and oils.  You can expect the previous clients to have left behind some salt, pepper and random condiments, but if you really need Piri-Piri sauce or extra virgin olive oil, then take it with you.  Don’t forget the basics like butter, milk and coffee/tea, along with paper towels, dishwasher tablets, a few bin bags, sandwich bags and hand soap as these are not normally provided.

Given the late time that we were scheduled to arrive, I had cleverly pre-cooked the dinner for our arrival.  As such, I found myself sitting in the passenger seat of our overstuffed car with a big cooking pot of chilli between my feet and a bag of raincoats on my lap while the children bounced all over the back seats in excitement.

Our next good idea for the trip was to meet the other family at the village playground when we arrived.  The trampoline, table tennis, swings and slides acted like a huge sponge as the boys kept feeding them more and more energy.  When the others arrived, we got to have a quick hug and catch up whilst the kids all tried to show off their latest gymnastic and judo moves to us and to each other.

INSIGHT #3 – Plan somewhere to meet so you can all arrive at the chalet together, either a playground or a handy café.  The first family to arrive can visit the agency to check in and get the keys, along with a host of local and tourist information.

We had chosen the fabulous Chalet Chaupine for our holiday and as we drove up the winding road everyone was peering out of the car windows in anticipation to try and get the first glimpse of where we were going call home for the duration of our trip.

“Wow!” came the first call, as a large black, three-storey chalet came into sight.  It was raised up from the side of the road into a prominent position and set in a wonderful, varied-level garden area.  Before I had time to cut the engine, the kids had bolted out of the car to run around exploring.  “Coo-eee!” came a small voice from the upstairs balcony.  “Coooooool! I found a tree-house!” came another from the wild meadow area up level with the top floor.  I breathed a sigh of relief, safe in the knowledge that happy, excited children were virtually all that we needed for an excellent holiday, and this place seemed to ooze adventure and discovery.

INSIGHT #4 – Make the most of the outdoors.  The change of environment makes it very easy to set the expectation that there will be no screens or computer games during the holiday, and children will enjoy the freedom and creativity that comes with unstructured time outside.

As the heavy wooden door swung open we were hit by the wondrous smell of larch wood.  “Shoes off right now please!” I wailed helplessly after the children as they ran through the entrance area like a charging herd of buffalo.  It was a well thought-out space, with plenty of hooks and shelf space with a long bench running the whole length through.  There was even a second row of hooks at child height, which was sadly ignored by the boys as they threw their jackets on the floor and sprinted into the chalet.

I soon learned that there are three phases to moving into a chalet.  The first part is one of Exploration and Decisions.  We had already had a pre-discussion on who would be sleeping where and why. Paying no attention to such boring logic, the kids ran straight into the room with four bunk beds and decided to make camp.  The adults went more methodically through each floor, looking into all the rooms and figuring out which room they wanted to negotiate for.  Thankfully, they were all great options with plenty of storage space and access to good-sized bathrooms.  The downstairs rooms had wooden beams running across the ceiling, access to the lower level garden and either a fabulous view across the valley or a promise of morning sunrise over the distant mountain peaks.  The two upstairs had a charm of their own as they were set into the exposed rafters.  Although we all secretly understood that we were not actually intending to use it, we were all excited at the prospect of there being a sauna in the chalet.

The second phase of moving in is the Grand Unpacking.  The kitchen was large, modern and well-stocked.  We pulled open cupboard after cupboard to discover pots, pans, raclette machines, fondue sets, mixing and baking kit, more glasses, bowls and mugs than we could hope to use and even a champagne bucket.  I loved the huge double fridge with its multitude of large vegetable drawers and its ice-machine. The fact that the kitchen was so well-stocked presented the first challenge.  Each family had brought supplies.  Where was there an empty cupboard tall enough to store enough breakfast cereal for a horde of eight hungry holidaymakers?  The next challenge was trying to get the hob to work, before realising that my precious pan of homemade chilli was not actually compatible with the induction hob.

The final phase is setting up the Moment of Calm.  Once the children had been fed, bathed, storied and put to bed with promises of a holiday jam-packed with adventure, the chalet took on a calm, serene feel.  Within minutes, the fire was lit, the wine was poured and the adults collectively took a deep sigh of relaxation. Snuggled up on the deep, comfy sofas, with music drifting from the stereo dock we let go of all the daily stresses and strains and allowed ourselves to be enveloped by the magic of the mountains.

INSIGHT #5 – Don’t forget that you are on holiday as well as the children!  If you keep the days full of adventure and activity, then there won’t be any complaints about being sent to bed at a reasonable time to allow you some adult time.

Daytimes were filled with an array of adventures and activities. A small amount of research had allowed us to sign up for the Trail de la Pierre Avoi, a heavyweight trail running race that climbs a dizzying 2000m from the valley floor to the top of the highest rocky outcrop and back through La Tzoumaz to return to the host village of Saxon, a punishing 36km later.  Thankfully there was a 1km children’s race so we didn’t have to sign up for the Trail itself.  All participants were awarded a commemorative trophy and a barbecue ticket so that took care of lunch as we applauded each muddy, exhausted and exhilarated finisher as they sprinted or limped home after five or six or more hours of racing.

A short drive from La Tzoumaz is the Parc des Iles, a fabulous green space with a large lake, playground with miniature steam train, and plenty of other attractions.  There are trampolines with elastic harnesses, a climbing wall, mini golf and a high-rope park with 160 features, some of which are accessible to children from age 4.  When we were there, there was a paddle-boarding open day on the lake with have-a-go lessons and wacky races. There was also a life-sized model dinosaur exhibition amongst the trees with a quiz for the children.

INSIGHT #6 – Look online before you travel to see what events are organised in the area.  Often there are more things scheduled over the weekend, which can leave you a bit stuck for ideas on a weekday.  If you arrive on a Friday or Saturday list a few options for the first day or two, and save the lazy days in and around the chalet for the quieter weekdays.

A visit to Saillon took in this historic walled town perched on an island of rocks near the valley floor, with its steep and curving streets and tower perched on top.  There is a Museum of Counterfeit Money and an easy walk up to the castle tower, which is open for climbing up the spiral staircase to admire the incredible views from the top.  From here you can clearly see up and down the length of the wide and glaciated Rhone Valley, with the tiny cars crawling along the bottom, and the rocks of the Pierre Avoi towering overhead. It was a rainy morning for us so we were privileged by a host of large snails clinging halfway up the grass stalks, and small fluffs of clouds clinging halfway up the huge mountainsides.  On another day, we planned to visit the thermal baths at Bains de Saillon with their indoor and outdoor pools, hot swimming stream and range of saunas and plunge pools.

There are hiking trails criss-crossing the mountainside, labelled with a liberal sprinkling of the ubiquitous yellow signposts that are almost a trademark of Switzerland.  Many lead steeply up to fantastic peaks marked with crosses or cairns, or to beautiful cols where the mountain range spans away from you on all sides.  The celebrated footpaths that follow the “bisses” make perfect family hiking routes as they follow the ancient streams that were channelled in a gentle incline around the mountains.  With very little encouragement, the children discovered a veritable treasure trail of fascinating birds, insects, plants and creepy crawlies.

INSIGHT #7 – There’s hours of fun to be had out on the mountain footpaths and trails.  Pick up a map from the local tourist office and ask them if they have a Treasure Hunt or quiz or themed trail with animal sculptures.  Then put a picnic in your backpack and get out there, keeping an eye out for interesting flora and fauna to keep excitement levels up.

The traditional “Inalpe” at Balavaud took us right into the local culture.  After twenty minutes’ drive up an impossibly narrow and winding forest road we arrived at the fabulous Chalet des Alpes restaurant, set in a tiny hamlet with a backdrop of traditional wooden chalets on stilts and an operational chairlift.  We had turned up too late to see the moment the huge and muscular black Herens cows were released as they arrived for the first time in the pastureland.  Each year they naturally go through a fighting process to define the hierarchy for the herd, with each pair locking horns and pushing until one gives way to cede her place in the hierarchy.  The local villagers have long made a festival out of this occasion, and we were delighted to find a marquee complete with hot cheese raclette being scraped onto plates with special miniature potatoes and paired with cornichons and silverskin onions.  This was being washed down with plenty of local Fendant wine as the delightful notes of an alphorn trio drifted through the air.  A handful of delighted tourists mingled with the assorted locals and weather-beaten farmers who spoke in thick Valaisan accents.  Everyone was in high spirits and looking forward to the late afternoon finals, where the cows would again be brought out for the final stages of the tournament that lead up to the final knockout round to identify which one will be crowned Queen. Each cow wore a number and a handy brochure told us the stage name of each cow so that we could pick our favourites.

The area is famous for much more than fighting cows, and every available inch of land seems to be cultivated for wine-growing or fruit production.  The landscape is smothered with row upon row of neatly-arranged vines and blooming apricot trees.  Strawberries and asparagus were in season so we called into one of the many local farm-shops to savour the freshness of the produce and left with our arms laden with goodies. Along with enough fruit and vegetable to feed the hungry hordes, we also picked up some locally-brewed beers and loads of real fruit juice, along with some Iserables cheese and a perfectly-spiced dried sausage for aperitif.

INSIGHT #8 – There are plenty of handwritten signs at the side of the road showing you where you can pick up fresh fruit and veg, just follow one and see what’s in season.  It may be asparagus season or apricot time when you visit, but you’re guaranteed that freshly-picked flavour and freshness.

Early evenings back at the chalet were filled with lazy barbecues, which had to compete with tree-house adventures, swing-ball tournaments and table-tennis matches, or the children quite simply running around the surrounding pastureland with sticks and butterflies, alpine flowers and the imagination of five-to-nine-year-old group-think.  Randomly clad in socks and shorts, shoes and raincoats, sunhats or t-shirts, it didn’t seem to matter to them.  The blissful freedom and wonder of life in the mountains is such an easy place for the young to step out of their day-to-day world of homework or electronic devices and re-discover creative free-play.  My only regret was forgetting to pack paper towels, as the children were quickly plastered from head-to-toe in chicken marinade.  A beginner’s error.

INSIGHT #9 – Garden games can provide hours of fun for children.  Some chalets have table tennis or boules.  We provide Swingball sets in many of our chalets as it is hilariously good fun and can be adapted to suit all ages – try asking Dad to play on one leg to make it fair for the younger ones!

Late evenings were filled with that gorgeous peacefulness of parents enjoying the well-earned knowledge that the children are sleeping deeply once again.  Conversations moved easily from subject to subject as the evenings moved easily from the long dining table under its impressive two-level stag-antler chandelier to the soft cushions and animal-skin rug of the lounge area.  The open mezzanine area upstairs that served both as a den and a boardgame battleground during the day was transformed into a quiet haven for reading, or sometimes a chilled zone to watch the match without disturbing the rest of the group.  Even the dishwasher seemed to be an ultra-quiet version that didn’t intrude on the evening calm as the lights across the valley slowly winked out, one by one.  There is no light pollution here, so the stars are an amazing sight to behold from the balcony.

INSIGHT #10 – If you have gone for the highly-recommended screen-free holiday option check if there are books, board games, toys or even a deck of cards in the chalet, if not it would be wise to bring a couple to ensure you get that downtime after dark.

It was a shame to leave at the end of our stay, but nobody seemed too sad as everyone was still buzzing from our adventures.  We had spent a lot of quality time together and the two families had smoothly merged into one.  When the family bonds are this tight, it seems that all is right with the world and I smiled contentedly to myself as I drove them back to the real world, already planning our next summer holidays here in the mountains.

Do you have any insights to share?  We’d love to hear them in the comments section below.

Further reading

• Check out our extensive range of chalets in La Tzoumaz to see which one would suit you and your tribe.
• Can’t decide when to visit?  Here’s our month-by-month guide on when to visit.
• Links galore on the family resort of La Tzoumaz and the surrounding area here on our links page.

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Designing the hike

1) Go up!  I don’t know if it’s due to short stride length, inefficiency of motion or reduced body weight, but compared to adults, children seem much better at hiking upwards than hiking along the flat.  We unintentionally proved this one day by selecting a route with 8km of flat followed by 800m of climb.  The 8km of flat took us four hours, the 800m hike upwards took less than two hours.  Lesson for the future: save walking along the flat for the grand-parents.

2) Hike in woods.  When the boys were young, they would walk much better on a woodland path than on an open footpath.  I don’t know why, but perhaps it’s because a path lined with trees demands to be followed?

3) Do a one-way walk.  A great route is to take the route de foret vert from La Tzoumaz around the mountain to Iserables, then take the bus back to La Tzoumaz.  Be warned, the bus only runs every two hours.   www.cff.ch.  Another favourite is hiking from the station in Grenolier through the woods to St Cergue.  The hike would take 2 to 3 hours, and we’d finish with lunch in a cafe before taking the train back down the hill to the car.  

4) Hike to a trampoline, or a bouncy castle.  The croix-de-coeur restaurant between Verbier and La Tzoumaz has a magic trampoline and a bouncy castle outside until the end of October.  We know the trampoline is magic:  we had dragged our five year old on a four hour hike, and every step he told us how tired his legs were.  Within seconds of seeing his brother on the trampoline, the tiredness seemed to magically evaporate!
http://www.buvette-alpage.ch/croix-de-coeur

Having fun on the hike

5) Find some snow in Summer!  Need I say more?  If there are two children of different ages/speeds, the child in front can use a stick to write messages or draw pictures in the snow for the child coming behind.

6) Look for mountain flowers.  Every swiss child has heard of the mysterious edelweiss.  The locals here know where to find them.  If you search for our edelweiss blog you will know too!

7) Dam a stream, or cross it on stepping stones.

8) Listen for birdsong, and look for animals. Cuckoos are fabulous as you can have a conversation with them by imitating their familiar sound, and there is usually at least one to be found somewhere in the forests around La Tzoumaz. Mischievous marmots can often be heard on sunny slopes, always sitting just out of range of whatever photography equipment you’ve bought with you.

Motivating the little ones

9) Start from different places, or at different times, and do a race.  Every time the children walk faster or further the new pace seems to stick, so even just doing this occasionally makes a big difference to the other walks.  And they really enjoy winning.

10) Climb to the top of something and promise to take a silly picture at the top.  It works to motivate adults as well!

And some bonus tips…

1) In Switzerland, the hiking routes are marked differently from mountain trails, which are significantly more dangerous.  The enclosed site gives a good description
http://www.wanderland.ch/en/hiking-trail-network-and-signalization.html

2) Take warm and waterproof clothing, and don’t forget the sunscreen, and a spare pair of socks if you’re going anywhere near water

3) Take non-sugar based snacks, and plenty of water.

4) Remember that being tired is necessary in order to get stronger.  The average time to the first “I’m tired” is normally less than 15 seconds, as is the time to subsequent repetitions.  Short of finding a magic trampoline, I don’t know of a way to stop this.  Patience, tolerance or earplugs are recommended.

This post first appeared as a Guest Blog by Percy Kirkman, on http://www.genevafamilydiaries.net/, a great blog for families in the Geneva area.

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We took our clients on a guided Harley Davidson tour from La Tzoumaz to Sanetsch.  It was a beautiful, sunny day and the scenery was mind-blowing…  the wiggly roads were jam-packed with hairpin bends and long winding corners… just what we were looking for!

See the video here:

Other fantastic routes to try on a motorbike

Here are a few of our other local roads with stunning scenery and nice blacktop:

• From Martigny, Col de La Forclaz, Trient Village and visit the dam at Barrage d’Emosson
• From Sierre ride up to Loèche by the old road and visit the Gemmi or spend the day in the thermal baths there
• From Viège, ride up to Stalden and Moosalp, with super view and super restaurant, perhaps even riding on to Zermatt
• From Gampel, go up towards the Loetschberg and arrive at Goppenstein.  Here take the train (organised for motorbikes, 16 CHF, train leaves every 30 minutes, trip lasts for 15 minutes, see video here: http://bls.ch/e/autoverlad/goppenstein.php) to arrive at Kandersteg.  Visit the Blausee and the Bernese Oberland
• From Brig, head up the Conches Valley to the Rhône Gletscher at the start of the Furka
• From Bex head up to Gryon, Villars et follow the Col de la Croix as far as Les Diablerets

If you’re heading out by bike in the region, give us a call as we’d love to join you on our Fatbob and share our tips and top cafes with you!

With grateful thanks to the Harley Owners Group of Geneva Chapter West Switzerland for showing us so many of the beautiful places to go in the region (and for making our 2013 wedding so memorable!)

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“It’ll be a bit steep for 15 minutes before you turn left into the forest and into the more gentle section.”  This was the only technical advice we received before he headed back into his cabin, despite neither of us having really seen a trottinette before.  Upon closer inspection, we accepted that his briefing was probably sufficient – a trottinette is essentially made up of a short plank between two small mountain-bike wheels that is equipped with front and rear suspension, two disc brakes and a large sticker displaying the telephone number for the emergency services.

We let off the brakes and started to roll down the hill.  As a keen mountain-biker, I first had to adjust to the fact that there are no pedals, no gears and no saddle.  Although I instinctively bent my knees a little to absorb the bumps, I found the lateral balance options a little restricted.  Once you get used to the fact that there is no possibility of shifting your weight between the pedals or even sticking your knee out for balance, the only option is to hold on tightly and try to start the braking sequence in time.  Trottinettes are quite heavy and the mountainside is steep, so they accelerate quickly and brake slowly.  Another feature of continental biking became painfully obvious as I desperately tried to scrub off some excess speed to get round one particular corner in the loose earth.  British bikes have the front brake on the right, like a motorcycle.  Continental bikes have the front brake on the left and under pressure I find it easy to confuse the front and back brakes.  The worst thing was that my husband was fiddling with his camera and missed

the whole graceful performance that ended with me crashing down into the soft earth with a grunt at his feet.

Now mildly winded and authentically decorated with muddy scrapes, this tumble had given me new confidence.  I now understood how the laws of physics would prevent my trusty steed from behaving like anything other than a runaway bicycle with no pedals, and if I treated it with such low expectations we would get along just fine.  We squealed with laughter at each twist and turn of the dirt track, fighting to stay upright as we raced each other down the hill.  Each bump, gravel patch and deep rut in the ground provided its own challenge to negotiate and required such focus that we were barely aware of the stunning mountain panorama around us.

We bounced past hikers and dog-walkers who waved us a cheery “Bonne descente!”  We whizzed past serious cyclists climbing up the long road to the summit.  Children and adults alike stopped to look at us with amazement, perhaps wondering if they should have a go themselves.  We took pity on a novice mountain-biker who was sliding gingerly down the footpath and we stopped off to adjust his bike and give him a few pointers.  All too soon, and before you could say “trottinette-tastic” we had arrived in the village and were grinning from ear to ear.  “Again…?” we said in unison and then burst out laughing.

Trottinette rental

Rent your trottinette for 15 CHF per hour at the la Tzoumaz telecabin base station, or 20 CHF including one-way lift ticket

http://www.verbierbooking.ch/en/activites-ete/trottinette-0-175

Be prepared

Take good trainers or hiking boots, a cycle helmet if you have one (they’ll lend you one if you don’t), long sleeves/long trousers and mountain-bike gloves

Recommended for

Group or family activity on a dry day

Not recommended for

Children under 7 or the faint-hearted

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Percy had new boots.  And new skis.  And new skins.  And then he remembered that he had snapped his ski poles at the end of last season, but his hiking poles had no baskets.  Surely this was a recipe for disaster…?  There’s surely not enough snow.  Perhaps when we get to the top there will be more?  We can always walk if it’s too rocky.  And buy new skins if we ruin them.  And get the skis serviced if we wreck the bases.  And do 5 weeks of rehab before Christmas if we injure ourselves…

Enough excuses and we were on the piste, fighting to click into our Dynafit bindings.  Even after 32 years skiing, I find the first ski of the year is always exciting as it feels so unfamiliar after the long summer.  There’s a thrill that rushes through me when I first slide over the snow, hearing it squeak underfoot, trying to remember how to balance.  The skis felt heavy as we pushed them uphill, our legs conditioned to the easy life of summer hiking in light trail shoes.  The clouds that had swirled around us all day were settling into the valley below, looking like a sea of fluff filling the valley, with a delicate sprinkling of city lights here and there.  I chuckled as I thought of all the city people, blanketed below and unaware of the magic above.  The sunlight played on the last few mountain peaks, giving us a stunning display of mountain panorama, then it was gone.  We had head-torches in the rucksack just in case, but we chose to rely on our night vision as dusk overcame us.

Percy was struggling with his new equipment and grumbling about his bindings so we had just about decided to head back down again, when we noticed our shadows in front of us…  Is that the moon?  Is it full??  Wow isn’t it beautiful!!!  The snowy scene came back into view in an almost unearthly light.  The moonlight caught the ice crystals in the snowdrifts, making them sparkle and twinkle in a dizzying manner.  The tree branches glowed eerily, laden with the new snowfall, and struggling to deal with the extra task of shedding the snow along with their autumn needles.  There were one or two tracks from earlier in the day, where winter walkers had passed by, and these were illuminated like the emergency exit lights on an airplane, guiding us ever upwards.

Before long, we were at the summit  of our climb, the Croix-de-Coeur restaurant on the ridge, with its altiport, heli-ski meeting point and its view over both La Tzoumaz and Verbier.  The Verbier side also had a blanket of cloud, but here it glowed orange, tinged with the lights from the densely-packed resort.  There was an icy cold breeze, but it made no sound and we looked around in wonder, each quietly confirming that our move to the mountains a year ago had been an inspired decision.

  We gently peeled off our skins and stowed them in our rucksack, glad to pull out helmets and jackets and gloves, goggles and head-torches from the seemingly tiny daysack we had taken out on our impromptu outing.  Clicking our bindings into “ski” mode and snapping our boots shut in the soft fluffy powder seemed a very strange thing to be doing in early November, a world away from the mountain-bike ride we did up here a mere three days ago.

Heading off down the mountain, I made a mental note to wax my skis before my next outing.  The snow was grabbing at them, begging me to stay at the top, but I pushed on.  My balance was uncertain, my style was not pretty.  The 18-month-old reconstruction work in my right knee complained bitterly at every twist and turn.  We gathered speed as we wound our way down the mountain, often choosing to stick to the smooth snowy roads rather than the unpredictable rocks and shrubs of the wilder terrain.  The moon was still watching over us, and I reflected on how natural the first day back on skis can feel when you are in glorious sunshine on a freshly-groomed resort run.  Here I was on a random Thursday night, laying down the first tracks of the season and I was butchering them!  When you’re skiing on the first snowfall, there is no base layer and the grass pokes through.  We had 6 – 10 inches of fresh powder sprinkled on top of a full autumn regalia of bilberry bushes and azaleas that were red and gold.  Autumn was not yet ready to be finished.  Luckily for my embarrassingly awkward track marks, the locals round here say that when snow falls before the meleze have shed their leaves, it will not stay for long.

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Choosing a holiday was very exciting, as there was so much choice between resorts and different chalets, so many tour operators and packages and independent offerings.  We used the Sunday papers, teletext and the telephone like weapons to find the best deal, frantically watching the prices change as the snow began to fall around the Alps.

After 10 or 15 years of memorable family holidays, we decided to buy our first place in the Alps, and spent a summer cruising around the resorts and wading through the hundreds of options available.  The first ski trip over brought a whole new dimension to the pleasures of a skiing holiday: we were now part of the village!  Now that we could come out several times during a season, we started getting to know the locals and making friends in the lift queues.  We had our favourite routes and circuits, challenging ourselves to find the best route to “Ski All the Black Runs in One Day” or “Get to the Furthest Mountain Restaurant for Lunch and Back without Missing the Last lift Home”.

As time went by and I got more involved in different outdoor sports, I discovered the Alps outside the ski season.  A whole new world of breathtaking experiences opened up to me!  I had no idea that the mountains could be so beautiful when they weren’t covered in snow!  My world changed overnight.  Now I could go hiking along mid-altitude trails in the ever-changing colours of a larch forest in autumn.  Now I could struggle up the last hundred metres of a 4000m peak at sunrise as a 360º mountain panorama opened up before my very eyes.  Now I could ride a mountain bike around the valleys and paraglide over the mountaintops.  I took up rock-climbing and via ferrata, canyoning and mountaineering, road cycling and trail running.  I spent my holidays ice-climbing, glacier-walking,  and swimming in refreshing mountain lakes.  I was mesmerised every time I saw a grazing herd of bouquetin, or a fleeting glimpse of the shy chamois.  I grew thirsty for knowledge of alpine flowers and high-altitude birds, wanting to name them all and capture them in macro photographs.  I quizzed the mountain guides on the names of the peaks, on the formations of the rocks, on the changes and developments that they’ve seen over the last decades.

I now live with my equally-mountain-mad husband in the incredible resort of La Tzoumaz, a secret well-kept from mass-marketing and tour operators, nestling on the back of  Verbier’s Mount Savoleyres and directly linked into the huge and world-renowned 4-Valleys ski area.  It doesn’t have Verbier’s night life.  It doesn’t have Verbier’s chic bars and restaurants.  It doesn’t have more than 200 residents year round, or more than 6,000 visitors in the high season.  But it does have the magic of the mountains.

We will never tire of our ever-changing view across the huge expanse of the Rhone valley, looking up to the peaks of the Haut de Cry, and over to Gstaad’s Glacier 3000, or looking down to where the clouds sometimes sit, hundreds of metres below us, with the Swiss Air Force F18s skimming over the tops.  The expanse of vineyards and fruit trees below bears testament to the long hot summers and provides a stunning multi-coloured vista from every window.

As La Toumaz is ideally situated on a T-junction of two valleys, we also have a view across to the narrow-streets of Iserables, listed on the Swiss Inventory of Heritage Sites Worthy of Protection, its public transport cable car up from the floor of the Rhone Valley, and the 4-Valleys ski lifts of Tracouet and Plan-du-Fou.

Sometimes, I sit on the balcony of our chalet and watch the Savoleyres telecabin gently bumping over the pylon as it carries another group of skiers up to the 4-Valleys, and I smile to think what has become of the summer dreams from my childhood sofa.

Click here to see our range of chalets and apartments for sale in La Tzoumaz

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FATMAP is our favourite app for detailed off-piste / backcountry skiing data and informed decision-making.  It is only useful if you know how to read and interpret the avalanche bulletin (see here and here), can work with slope angles and exposition to minimise the risk of provoking avalanches, are familiar with avoiding terrain traps and equipped with ARVA/shovel/probe and maybe an airbag and are trained and practised in using all of the above (see here or here).

 Links

• Download the FATMAP App here
• Avalanche bulletin
• Avalanche bulletin & information app
• International Snow Training Academy
• Avalanche avoidance skills for amateurs

FATMAP in their own words

Welcome to FATMAP

Welcome to FATMAP – a new mapping technology for outdoor environments – a map, guide book, terrain toolkit and local insider all in one. We created FATMAP when we realised that current ski maps – on or off the piste – don’t give people the information they really need to know to make the most of their skiing.

At FATMAP’s core is an ultra-high resolution 3d model of the terrain to which we have added the essential information you want as a skier.

Whole ski areas have been mapped together with descriptions and detailed information to help you make better decisions about where to ski. Want to know where to find the moguls, which runs will be in the sun or where to find the steepest black runs? Looking for a restaurant with a nice sunny terrace for lunch? It’s all here in FATMAP.

Check out user comments and ratings for every line and use 3D fly-throughs to help you see and experience your chosen line virtually before you set out. Locate yourself with precision on the map and share your location with your friends so you never get separated again. And record your performance to keep track of your stats throughout the day.

For people wanting to venture off-piste, FATMAP gives you detailed information about the lines plus a whole terrain intelligence toolkit to understand gradient, aspect, altitude, avalanche and crevasse zones.

It is important to note that FATMAP is designed as a tool that provides you with information to make your own decisions. We are not suggesting or encouraging you to cross the safety barriers of the ski resort. Off-piste skiing is a dangerous sport which requires a great deal of expertise. There is no such thing as zero risk. FATMAP will never replace the knowledge and experience of a professional. You always ski at your own risk.

FATMAP is the manifestation of a lifelong-obsession with maps, a mis-spent youth with computers, a friendship founded in the mountains, and a shared ski addiction. We’ve worked with pro skiers, Mountain Guides, Mountain Rescue Associations and skiers everywhere to create FATMAP. We hope you like it and that it will help you to explore further and push your limits, safely.

Technical Details

FATMAP uses two different 3d models and a texture map.

Terrain Model – DTM

The base data for FATMAP is an ultra-high resolution 3d model of the terrain. Our model has the average height of every 2m2 area of terrain. The terrain model (DTM) shows the ground surface. It does not account for trees, rocks or buildings. It provides an accurate representation of the terrain to calculate gradient and other information. Our terrain models are created using aerial and satellite imagery. Whilst extremely accurate they have an error margin of +/- 3m.

Surface Model – DSM

In addition to the DTM we have a surface model which provides information about the surface of the terrain – including trees, buildings, large rocks and other objects. This provides a true-to-life view of the world as we see it. In Swiss areas we only have a surface model up to an altitude of 2000m so trees and other objects above this altitude do not appear in 3d on the model.

Texture Map

To bring FATMAP to life and show the terrain as it is in real-life, our terrain model is overlaid with the latest winter satellite imagery. Different areas use different satellites based on availability. Imagery is either 40cm monochrome or 50cm colour imagery which means each pixel of the image covers an area of 40cm or 50cm on the ground. The imagery has been ortho-rectified to the terrain model (DTM) so that it provides excellent GPS positional accuracy. The imagery is not live but provides a useful indication of the typical snow cover during the winter. You will need to inform yourself about the actual snow cover in the resort before setting out.

Verbier

As one of the largest ski areas in Europe, Verbier exists as both a top-class ski resort and cosmopolitan get-away. This combination has drawn many a skier and snowboarder, regardless of their experience level, as well as those looking for a relaxing holiday and lively nightlife. Its location on a sunny plateau at the heart of the 4 valleys grants easy accessibility to those coming from Britain, Netherlands and the Scandinavian regions, giving the area a vibrant and diverse culture.
It’s known as a premiere off-piste ski area with infamous runs like the Back-Side of Mont Fort, Stairway to Heaven and the Couloir de la Banane. Perhaps the most intimidating run is the Bec des Rosses. This run hosts the annual Freeride World Tour which ends its exhibition of the world’s most adventurous athletes on Verbier’s excellent slopes. This massive area joining Nendaz, Veysonnaz, La Tzoumazand and Val de Bagnes all create the 4 Vallées. With 94 lifts and over 400km of piste, all which can be serviced by one lift pass, offers endless opportunity of exploration.
From the resort at 1500m, heights of more than 2700m can be reached by two consecutive gondola rides that take under 11 minutes in total. There, the high altitude guarantees abundant snow. A regular, free shuttle bus links the Médran gondola with the lifts for the other, smaller ski areas via different routes among the chalets – it also provides the majority of people with access to the central area and its slopes.

Off Piste Skiing

Off-piste skiing outside the safety of the marked pistes carries with it significant risks. There are many routes detailed in each area, of varying seriousness and technical difficulty. There are routes just by the side of the piste, others far away from the resort in alpine terrain including glaciers and everything in between. Each route will necessitate a different approach. One which is solely your responsibility.
Whether it is avalanches, crevasses, cliffs, steep terrain, navigation or other hazards, know that the dangers involved in off-piste skiing can kill you.
It is important to note that FATMAP is not something that will make decisions for you. It will not tell you where and when to go, where is and isn’t safe, guarantee outcomes or your safety in any way. It is not the only tool you will need and it definitely does not replace your eyes, ears or brain.

Know the conditions and weather forecast – and keep track of them throughout the day

Read the avalanche bulletin carefully

Learn about avalanche safety – take a course.

Have the right equipment and know how to use it (e.g. transceiver, shovel and probe).

Never follow tracks blindly

Ski according to your ability

Tell people where you are going and what you are planning

Always ski in a group and never venture off on your own

Always be prepared to turn back

Avoid the steepest sections of a given slope

Always travel with a good distance between you and descend key passages one at a time

Ski within visibility of each other. Stop and regroup on islands of safety.

Ski in small groups of similar ability

More experienced skiers should be both at the front and at the back

Avoid steep slopes at the sides of gullies, slopes with roll overs and slopes where wind-slabs form.

Avoid long traverses – or if one cannot be avoided, stay as high as possible.

FATMAP also includes some marked itinerary runs. These are runs which are marked and avalanche controlled by the ski resort. They are still considered off-piste runs which are not maintained or controlled. Whilst avalanche controlled, all the other dangers of off-piste skiing exist and they should not be underestimated.
If you don’t feel that you have sufficient expertise, or don’t feel comfortable with taking on the full responsibility of decision making off-piste, we strongly recommend hiring a UIAGM/IFMGA mountain guide.

Glaciers

Some of the terrain in FATMAP is glaciated. This terrain can be identified using the Crevasse Zone feature available with a FREERIDE subscription. Skiing on glaciers carries additional risk and demands a level high level of experience and skill.
Crevasses are the principle danger when skiing on a glacier. In the winter, crevasses are often covered by snow bridges that can give way under the weight of a single skier. Glaciers are moving all the time and it is not possible to ‘map’ crevasses accurately on a map. Whilst different ‘risk zones’ are defined in FATMAP, you ski at your own risk and with the understanding that crevasses may form anywhere on a glacier. Crevasses are a serious danger that carry the risk of death.

Find out about conditions on a glacier before setting out

Ski in a controlled manner

Always wear a harness and carry safety equipment (rope, pulley system / crevasse rescue kit etc.) when skiing on a glacier

Never take your skis or board off

Cross snow bridges with some momentum – don’t stop in the middle

Rope up if necessary

Equipment

Essential equipment for off-piste skiing

Avalanche transceiver

An essential item for off-piste skiing. You should wear a transceiver whenever you ski off-piste. The device transmits a signal/digital beacon which allows a buried person to be found using another transceiver. It is essential to practice using a transceiver regularly. Statistics show that there is 95% chance of finding a victim alive if they are found and dug out of the snow within 15 minutes. Make sure you check all the transceivers in your group are switched on and working.

Avalanche probe

Essential to locate a buried person precisely during the final stages of a transceiver search. Carry a sturdy probe and know how to use it.

Snow shovel

The last of the absolutely essential three items. You need a shovel to dig for a buried friend. Carry a shovel with a metal blade and a long, sturdy (preferably extensible) handle. Learn shovelling techniques and practice – it’s not as straightforward as it might sound!

Airbag

Recent research and statistics show that airbags increase your chances of survival in an avalanche and are quickly becoming standard avalanche safety equipment for many people.
Map & Compass & Altimeter

FATMAP is an excellent tool, but it only works so long as your battery lasts. We strongly recommend you always carry an altimeter, compass and contour map which also has additional information not shown in FATMAP.

Whistle

For attracting attention in case of an accident.

First aid kit

Carry an emergency blanket, spare sunglasses/goggles, basic medicines, bandages, plasters and compresses as a minimum.

Decision Making 3×3

Decision-making involves examining, choosing, and carrying out options. When off-piste skiing the decisions we need to make can be complex. There is a lot to think about at once and using a framework can be useful as a reminder and to ensure you don’t forget something and think about things systematically.

The ‘3 × 3 Filter’ developed by Werner Munter is a commonly used probabilistic strategy of decision-making in the mountains, particularly for the assessment of avalanche risk. Three avalanche factors are looked at through three regional filters.

The aim of the 3×3 filter method is to minimize the risk of triggering an avalanche as much as possible. In practice, this means to work out whether we believe a certain slope is safe to travel on.
Three key avalanche factors to consider are:

• Conditions (snow and weather)
• Avalanche terrain (principally gradient)
• People (person moving in the terrain)

These can be considered from three different perspectives:

• Regional
• Local
• Zonal (individual slope)

Always start with an assessment of avalanche risk at a regional level. Check the avalanche bulletin reports and weather forecasts and understand the conditions and general danger levels in the region.

Once in a local area, constantly observe your surroundings to help identify possible danger zones – and perhaps differences with your earlier assessment at a regional level.

When evaluating individual slopes for a decent, look at the terrain for clues of potential avalanche danger.

The general concept is that when you look at the three key avalanche factors for each of the three perspectives and therefore 9 times come to the conclusion that conditions are good/safe, it is reasonable to continue. If, however one or more times we come to the conclusion that conditions are not right then we can adjust our plan and do not ski to avoid putting our lives at risk.
Always start with a regional assessment (preparation), followed by the local evaluation (area assessment) and finally look at the individual slope.

Avalanche Risk

Source: ANENA, France
People die in avalanches every year. The chance of being killed in an avalanche is estimated at about 15% once you are in an avalanche and the chance of survival once buried diminishes very quickly from almost 95% in the first 15 minutes (unless the avalanche has caused fatal injury) to 35% after 35 mins.
When skiing off-piste, everyone in your group should carry an avalanche transceiver, shovel and probe. A shovel or probe between two is NOT sufficient. The absence of any one piece of equipment undermines the usefulness of the others and compromises your safety. Regular training is essential and it is important to recognise that this equipment is a last resort should the worst happen. It is much better to avoid avalanches in the first place.

Key Factors

There are a number of key factors involved in assessing avalanche danger. The main ones are:

Terrain

The risk of avalanches increases with the angle of the slope. Beyond 30 degrees, all slopes can potentially be unstable – although rare, avalanches are possible below this gradient, particularly wet snow avalanches in spring time. It is possible to trigger an avalanche remotely – potentially setting off slopes that are above you when you are on a flat – from as far away as 150m.
Even very gentle slopes can be threatened by avalanches coming from above and lower slopes can be threatened by avalanches coming from the slope opposite.
Avalanche risk is also affected by the nature of the terrain surface, profile, aspect and wind.

Fresh snow

New snow affects avalanche risk significantly.
10-20cm of new snow in unfavourable conditions is enough to increase the risk to CONSIDERABLE.

Snow Pack

The structure of the snow pack is a key factor affecting avalanches.
Fragile layers in the snow pack can create layers on which others can slide. Weighting of the snow pack, by a skier for example, can cause a fragile layer to break, triggering a slide.
Wind
The wind transports snow and deposits it on lee slopes forming a ‘slab’’. This is the principle mechanism by which windslab avalanches form which are particularly dangerous for skiers.
A warm wind can also increase the avalanche risk, particularly if it continues for some time.

Temperature

For cold and dry snow. In low temperatures, below 0 degrees, the increased risk of avalanche can persist for several days after a snow fall.
A rise in temperature above 0 degrees increases the avalanche risk in the short term, but also causes the snow to stabilise.
The first time the zero degree isotherm rises above 3000m in the season is one of the three typical avalanche situations.
In spring time slopes which are stable in the morning can become dangerous due to the warm temperatures which can cause wet snow avalanches.

Munter Elementary Reduction Method

The Elementary Reduction Method is a method developed by Werner Munter from avalanche statistics in Switzerland to determine whether it is reasonable to travel on a given slope. It is an easy way for a skier or boarder to make decisions about travel in the back country without having to be an expert.
In the Elementary Reduction Method a skier or boarder simply completely avoids travelling on certain slopes depending on the avalanche forecast:
moderate danger level (2): avoid slopes steeper than 40° – extreme caution on 35-40
considerable danger level (3): avoid slopes steeper than 35° – extreme caution on 30-35
high danger level (4): avoid slopes steeper than 30° – extreme caution on 25-30.
extreme danger level (5): avoid all off-piste.
Using this method does NOT eliminate risk but the large majority of historical avalanche fatalities would have been avoided using this method.
The principal avalanche problem this method addresses is slab avalanches which is the main problem that off-piste skiers and snowboarders have to deal with in the Alps. It is possible for wet snow avalanches to occur on gradients lower than this but these are principally a problem in late winter and spring only, often easier to predict and typically play a smaller role in skier/boarder avalanche fatalities.
The chart below shows the recommendations of the Elementary Reduction Method.

Reduction Method

The FATMAP avalanche zones tool provides information about gradient to contribute to your assessment of a given slope. We highlight areas of terrain in three different bands to correspond to the Elementary Reduction Method.

• 30° to 35°
• 35° to 40°
• Over 40°

These zones do not provide any indication about whether a given area is dangerous or safe. The zones can be useful in making an assessment of terrain where avalanches typically start. This should not be confused with where they can be triggered or where they can reach. It is possible to remote trigger avalanches and often reach terrain that is less steep than 30 degrees – always be aware of terrain above you and terrain traps such as gullies and depressions.

Using our routes

Each line in FATMAP is accompanied by useful information.
Pistes are categorised according to their difficulty by colour (Green through to Black). These are defined by the ski resorts themselves and we have made efforts to try and ensure our map matches the latest piste map.
You should never follow a closed piste it may be dangerous for yourself or others in the ski resort – e.g. avalanche risk threatening another slope or area. You should consult the resort status feature in the app and information provided by the resort themselves to understand what is open in the resort.

Route lines

The route lines in FATMAP have been mapped to a very high degree of accuracy. It is important to note that they show a general line and are there as a guide, not to be followed blindly. Pistes are subject to be changed by the resort at any time and whilst every endeavour has been made to ensure lines are accurate, it is possible that there exist inaccuracies in the drawn pistes.
Freeride lines show the general direction and route taken by a given line. It is not a precise line to be followed. You will need to make your own route choices when in the terrain. Changes in snow conditions and other factors may change the route that a given line takes.
Each route is described to provide an overview of the Piste or line and the route it takes. We have made every effort to ensure they are accurate but you should not follow the lines blindly.
In addition to the description additional information is sometimes provided including:

Difficulty

The difficulty provides an indication of the technical difficulty of the skiing. It does not indicate the skill level of any approach. We provide a general indication of the difficulty in good conditions but that you should appreciate that even a MODERATE route can become quite serious in bad conditions. We have used the same grading scale used in the well-known VAMOS guides for familiarity.

• EASY (Wide gentle slopes)
• MODERATE (slopes a little steeper of up to 25/25 degrees)
• DIFFICULT (Serious gradient of 30/35 where a real risk of slipping exists)
• V.DIFFICULT (steep skiing – 40/45 requiring extremely good technique – the risk of falling has serious consequences)
• EXTREME (extreme skiing terrain above 45 degrees – reserved for experts and professionals)

Seriousness

Each FREERIDE line has an indication of the seriousness. This should NOT be confused with an indication of the difficulty. The seriousness provides an indication of the proximity to the resort. We have used the same grading scale used in the well-known VAMOS guides for familiarity.

• NOT SERIOUS (close to the pistes)
• QUITE SERIOUS (away from the pistes but visible from them and finishing on the piste)
• SERIOUS (little chance of being seen in case of an accident)
• VERY SERIOUS (isolated in the high mountains, skiers must be completely autonomous in every situation)

Ski Grade – Toponeige technical skiing grade

Some routes include a Toponeige technical ski grade to help provide an indication of the difficulty of the route. The grade is given for the overall route, considering the length and configuration of the difficulties, rather than the hardest section only.
The grade includes 5 levels. The first four have three subdivisions (for example x.1, x.2, x.3) and the fifth level is open-ended.

• Ski 1. Initiation. Slopes do not exceed 30° with no narrow sections. Vertical descent is less than 800m.
• Ski 2. Few technical difficulties. Slopes do no exceed 35°.
• Ski 3. Some technical sections. Long slopes at 35° with very short sections at 40-45°.
• Ski 4. Couloir or steep skiing : slopes between 40 and 45° over more than 200m vertical.
• Ski 5. Starts with slopes of 45°-50° during more than 300m vertical or above 50° for more than 100m vertical.

Ski Grade Labande

Some routes include an indication of their difficulty using the Labande grading scale. This grade gives additional information to that provided by the Toponeige or general grade. It evaluates the difficulty of the most difficult section of downhill skiing on the route. It is essentially related to the slope but also takes into account exposure. It is split into the following grades:

• S1: Easy descent which does not require any particular technical abilities such as forest tracks for example.
• S2: Wide slopes which are easy to manoeuvre, maybe fairly steep (25°).
• S3: Slopes up to 35° (equivalent to the steepest runs in ski resorts, on hard snow). Requires good skiing abilities in all snow conditions.
• S4: Slopes up to 45°, if exposure is low (between 30 and 40° if it is high or the passage is narrow). Very good skiing abilities are required.
• S5: Slopes between 45 and 50° or more if exposure remains low. From 40° upwards if exposure is high. As well as a perfect downhill skiing technique, control of nerves becomes very important at this level of difficulty.
• S6: Above 50° if exposure is high (which is often the case) or short stretches above 55° with little exposure.
• S7: Stretches at 60° or more, high rock bands to jump or more generally very steep or exposed terrain.

Ski Exposure Grade

Some of the routes shown include an exposure grade. It is intended as a general guide but should not be relied upon.
The exposure grade does not take into account objective hazards (stone fall, seracs…) but only the consequences of a skier falling.

• Exposure 1 (E1): Exposure is limited to that of the slope itself. Getting hurt is still likely if the slope is steep and/or the snow is hard.
• Exposure 2 (E2): As well as the slope itself, there are some obstacles (such as rock outcrops) which could aggravate injury.
• Exposure 3 (E3): In case of a fall, death is highly likely.
• Exposure 4 (E4): In case of a fall, the skier faces certain death.

Download the FATMAP App here

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La Tzoumaz, Verbier’s 4-Valleys, Switzerland

16-20 March 2015

Day 1 Blog Entry

My wife and I had ski lessons in our early days, but none in the 21^st century so, we decided to sign up for the inaugural Godille International Ski Week in La Tzoumaz to gain some new experiences.  The price included accommodation, ski pass and a full week of guiding/instruction in the 4 Valleys, Switzerland.  Not knowing what to expect, we were somewhat nervous at the thought of being dragged around unknown mountains by a demonic Swiss ski instructor and we’d even heard rumours of the quantity of wine to be consumed en route.

We arrived in resort in the late afternoon and were immediately whisked off to Vitho’s Bar for tea and cakes with our other Godilleurs and members of the Swiss Ski School.   Whilst eating delicious home-made chocolate cake and drinking hot wine, we heard a babble of questions and answers around us – “Is the Vallon d’Arbi open?”, “Where can I rent an ARVA for the week?”, “What time’s the first lift?”, “What are the moguls like on Mont Fort?”.  We were feeling more and more nervous as we were looking for a less challenging week.  We were saved by Mario, the course coordinator from Ecole Suisse de Ski, who explained that the week was aimed what at the participants (not what the ski school) wanted to do.  We explained that at our age (to give you a clue, we’ve been married for over 40 years!) we preferred to stay on the pistes and to be shown the whole area with some tips on the way to iron out our bad ski habits.  Thankfully, the response was ‘no problem!”.

Next morning, we were up on the first lift to meet our instructor, Jindra, at the restaurant at 09:00.  He gave us a friendly welcome and we immediately hit it off.  His English was excellent and we spent a while agreeing the objectives of our first day.  Having left the ARVA brigade behind, our group felt much more comfortable already.  We donned our skis and set off down a beautifully prepared blue run with Jindra watching behind him to check our level of skiing.  Being mid March, we had the slopes almost to ourselves – superb.

After the initial trepidation, our first day was such a pleasant surprise!  By lunchtime, we’d corrected a few habits already – my feet were no longer locked together so I was more balanced and my wife was looking back to admire her beautifully carved tracks.  On the lifts, our lively conversations with Jindra covered anything from British food and Swiss tennis players to the meaning of the names of the mountains and ski servicing techniques!  Periodically, Jindra would check that we’d been concentrating on his guided tour by asking us in which direction La Tzoumaz lay and quite often we pointed in completely the wrong direction, so thank goodness we didn’t have to find our own way home.

For lunch in Verbier we managed to meet up with an off-piste group led by Harald so we were able to swap stories.  We decided to try some of the local specialities (Rosti Bacombe and Boeuf Tapaki which were excellent) and the story of unlimited wine consumption was immediately dispelled as relatively few of us had a welcomed beer before we set off again.

Jindra picked up the pace in the afternoon as we followed in his tracks consolidating what we had learned in the morning.  He kept emphasizing that he would not make us do anything we didn’t want to do but he still managed to encourage us to go down a boarder-cross course and a timed speed run! In fact, his gentle encouragement to move us a little out of our comfort zone was just what we needed and at the end of our first day we were able to reflect on a worthwhile experience that we hoped would continue as we looked forward to the rest of our week.  In fact, we were delighted at Jindra’s unintended compliment when he told my wife and I that he actually stopped a lot less during the day with us than with his younger clients!  Bring on Day Two!   (KJM)

Day 1 Blog Entry

After organizing avalanche equipment and making our way to the top of the telecabine, we all met for a coffee before the day started.  The views of the mountains were magnificent.  We had a brief discussion with our instructor/ guides on the plans for the day, a quick “renversee” each (the local swiss version of a Café latte), then our group headed off down the slopes following Harald, ski-school style.  My first group lesson for 15 years!  Harald began gently carving his way down the blue.  Carving’s easy right?  So why were we all slower than Harald?  He skied more turns, covered twice the distance, yet still went faster.  After a brief lesson in carving, the slope became steeper, so Harald checked out our short turns.  Individual feedback to each of us followed, before Harald bobbed down the slopes looking incredibly cool, and videod us from the bottom.  Now we have a base point.

Over to Verbier with more carving technique, and we were starting to get the feel of it before we headed up the Col de Chassoure.  Our first lesson in Moguls.  Apparently what we needed was “overcooked spaghetti legs”.  Harald demonstrated this, traversing from side to side, faster and faster, legs pumping like pistons.  After we had bounced over the moguls a few times, we slowly got the feel of them, before learning our next lesson.  Turning when only the centre of the ski is touching the snow, rather than jumping to free the ski.

After the Col de Chassoure we stopped for a beer or a coffee in “The Tepee”, before heading down another unpisted moguled itinery for feel-good rostis in the Carrefour Restaurant.  After more lessons on the Vallon d’Arbi, we returned back to the Etablons Bar for 4pm.

Key thoughts on the day.

• The slopes were amazingly empty
• It felt special to be so surrounded by nature as on the Vallon d’Arbi.  We were never closer than 800m to another group during our entire descent.  The Vallon d’Arbi is avalanche controlled itinery, so you don’t need a guide to ski it provided you are a good skier and you stay within 20m of the yellow poles which run down the centre of the recommended line
• We were so energized by the lessons, that rather than finishing the day at 4pm, we raced up the lift for more moguls.  I’ve never felt so stable on moguls, and it’s just an awesome feeling!  (PJK)

D1 Tortin Demo H

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After the early snowfalls that swept across the Alps during November, we were delighted to share that the Verbier ski area officially opened on 11th November 2016:

Weekends in November

During December’s pre-season weekends, La Tzoumaz is connected to Verbier by high-speed telecabin (see here to read about how the connections were improved for 2014/15) but for any skiers who are super-impatient for the season to fully start it is only a 50 minute drive down the valley and back up the other side.  There is plenty of free parking at the telecabin lift in La Châble, and a quick scan of the car park reveals the cars of plenty of local tradesmen (plumbers, electricians, gardening companies…) and mountain companies (such as 4vallees4saisons.com), as well as Swiss cars registered all over the Valais, Vaud, Geneva and even Fribourg cantons.  In comparison to mid-week pre-season skiing in Zermatt, where the slopes are dominated by ski instructors and local business owners trying to network, the weekend clientele in Verbier is much more family-focused.  It seems that any hard-core skiing family with a child between 3 and 7 years old who lives within two hours drive gets out on the hill.  The one thing they all have in common?  The kids are incredibly good skiers for their age, compared to the groups you normally see in ski-school throughout the season.  This seems to make sense, as it’s a great way to spend a Sunday out in the fresh air, enjoying sport in the sunshine and they probably spend half of their weekends on the snow each year!

Convenient access

In the centre  of the free car park in Le Châble is the telecabin station that was upgraded for 2013/14 to also include a telecabin heading up the Bruson side that is only open for race training in the pre-season.  The Le Châble-Verbier gondola is open from 8.40 to 16.45.  You can buy a Verbier lift pass at the bottom for 49 CHF for the day, which is a reduction on the normal skipass rate.  You get a good view of some pretty chalets and some luxury chalets and then some forested areas as you are carried up to the heart of Verbier’s ski access, the Medran lift station.  Stepping out of one cabin at the Medran mid-station and into the next stage is easy, and then you are off again, up to Les Ruinettes.  From here there is one more lift, in one of the large Funispace cabins, and you are able to click into your bindings and ski the soft snowy bowl of the Lac des Vaux area.

Weekends in December

During the season, La Tzoumaz is connected to Verbier by high-speed telecabin (see here to read about how the connections were improved for 2014/15).  Anyone impatient for the season to start will be pleased to know that the Savoleyres Telecabin in La Tzoumaz is open daily from December 10th.  Even when there is not enough snow to ski back down, it is only an 8 minute ride up to the Savoleyres ridge, then an 11 minute ride down into Verbier.  From here the free ski-bus takes you directly to the heart of Verbier’s ski access, the Medran lift station.  At the half-way station stepping out of one cabin and into the next stage is easy, and then you are off again, up to Les Ruinettes.  From here there is one more lift, in one of the large Funispace cabins, and you are able to click into your bindings.  Keep an eye on the time while you are skiing as it can be an expensive taxi-ride home if you miss the last lift – starting for home at 15h45 from the top of the Medran lift can mean you barely make it over and have jump into the last telecabin home to LaTzoumaz at 16h30 as they close it behind you…

See below for opening dates for individual lifts and pistes

Progressive opening of the pistes

Opening of the pistes is progressive and varies every year depending on the snow fall and the conditions for snowmaking.  (See here for live information on lift and piste status)  Here’s the data from this year and how it compares to previous years:

 What to do for lunch and refreshments

If munching a picnic on the piste or in the free access picnic room is not your style, there are some mountain restaurants open for the pre-season.  We tried the Restaurant Olympique at the top of the Funispace lift (2,730m)  and its self-service section with lunch for two (soup and an omelette or sausage & chips with a drink) for around 40 Swiss Francs.  There is a full-service restaurant upstairs with even more stunning views across the Mont-Blanc Massif.  From November 22nd, there is also refreshment available at the traditional Mayentzet restaurant and the famous Chalet Carlsberg, halfway down the piste from Attelas to Ruinettes with its new enclosed apres-ski terrace.

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After the huge snowfalls that swept across the Alps from the 21st November 2015, we were hungry for some on-piste carving and a spot of mogul-hopping so we spent the weekends pre-season skiing in Verbier.

Weekends from the end of November

During the season, La Tzoumaz is connected to Verbier by high-speed telecabin (see here to read about how the connections were improved for 2014/15).  Anyone impatient for the season to start will be pleased to know that the Savoleyres Telecabin in La Tzoumaz is open for weekends all through December and daily from mid-December.  Even when there is not enough snow to ski back down, it is only an 8 minute ride up to the Savoleyres ridge, then an 11 minute ride down into Verbier.  From here the free ski-bus takes you directly to the heart of Verbier’s ski access, the Medran lift station.  At the half-way station stepping out of one cabin and into the next stage is easy, and then you are off again, up to Les Ruinettes.  From here there is one more lift, in one of the large Funispace cabins, and you are able to click into your bindings.  Keep an eye on the time while you are skiing as it can be an expensive taxi-ride home if you miss the last lift – starting for home at 15h45 from the top of the Medran lift can mean you barely make it over and have jump into the last telecabin home to LaTzoumaz at 16h30 as they close it behind you…

See below for opening dates for individual lifts and pistes

Weekday skiing from early December

During the pre-season weekends, La Tzoumaz is connected to Verbier by high-speed telecabin (see here to read about how the connections were improved for 2014/15) but for any weekday skiers who are super-impatient for the season to fully start it is only a 50 minute drive down the valley and back up the other side.  There is plenty of free parking at the telecabin lift in La Châble, and a quick browse reveals the cars of plenty of local tradesmen (plumbers, electricians, gardening companies…) and mountain companies (such as 4vallees4saisons.com), as well as Swiss cars registered all over the Valais, Vaud, Geneva and even Fribourg cantons.  In comparison to mid-week pre-season skiing in Zermatt, where the slopes are dominated by ski instructors and local business owners trying to network, the weekend clientele in Verbier is much more family-focused.  It seems that any hard-core skiing family with a child between 3 and 7 years old who lives within two hours drive gets out on the hill.  The one thing they all have in common?  The kids are incredibly good skiers for their age, compared to the groups you normally see in ski-school throughout the season.  This seems to make sense, as it’s a great way to spend a Sunday out in the fresh air, enjoying sport in the sunshine and they probably spend half of their weekends on the snow each year!

Convenient access

In the centre  of the free car park in Le Châble is the telecabin station that was upgraded for 2013/14 to also include a telecabin heading up the Bruson side that will open during the season.  The Le Châble-Verbier gondola is open from 8.40 to 16.45.  You can buy a Verbier lift pass at the bottom for 53 CHF for the day, which is a 20% reduction on the normal skipass rate.  You get a good view of some pretty chalets and some luxury chalets and then some forested areas as you are carried up to the heart of Verbier’s ski access, the Medran lift station.  Stepping out of one cabin at the Medran mid-station and into the next stage is easy, and then you are off again, up to Les Ruinettes.  From here there is one more lift, in one of the large Funispace cabins, and you are able to click into your bindings.

Progressive opening of the pistes

Opening of the pistes is progressive and varies every year depending on the snow fall and the conditions for snowmaking.  (See here for live information on lift and piste status)  Here’s the data from this year and the previous year:

 What to do for lunch and refreshments

If munching a picnic on the piste or in the free access picnic room is not your style, there are some mountain restaurants open for the pre-season.  We tried the Restaurant Olympique at the top of the Funispace lift (2,730m)  and its self-service section with lunch for two (soup and an omelette or sausage & chips with a drink) for around 40 Swiss Francs.  There is a full-service restaurant upstairs with even more stunning views across the Mont-Blanc Massif.  From November 22nd, there is also refreshment available at the traditional Mayentzet restaurant and the famous Chalet Carlsberg, halfway down the piste from Attelas to Ruinettes with its new enclosed apres-ski terrace.  From December 13th, the Restaurant des Gentianes opened under new management.

Video teaser

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