How good is Verbier Switzerland?

[Hayduke]

When are you coming over Brett?

[Roo]

When are you coming over Brett?

That sentence so needs a comma, man.

[Hicks]

If they open the lifts/mountains in sequence after a dump is when it's scaling up to a real rat race for the obvious stashes.

OTOH if willing to hike you can still find untouched stuff long after the resort itself is tracked out.

And Hayduke, listen to Roo, he's in the know!

[TDJ]

Let's put it this way: I skied Les 4 vallées for about 80 days last season. I did al the well known routes many times. I aso did quite some less obvious stuff(up to 2h hiking). If I compare this to all the possibilities and their variations.. I didn't even ski 50% of all that is possible.

Off course the obvious slopes around Verbier and the mt Fort are tracked out quickly. But the area is so big it’s possible to find pow days after the last dump. Especially in the sector near Nendaz & Siviez there are some superb secret spots that don’t get tracked very fast.

[Endlessseason]

How good is Verbier Switzerland?

Out of the hundred twenty some-odd ski areas I've skied in the world, I've always said Verbier is my favorite so far. And that includes Cham, Las Lenas, Grand Montet, Whistler/BC, Zermatt, etc., etc.

[comish]

The terrain is amazing, but I'm gonna agree with Subtle Plague, the snow can definitely leave something to be desired. If coming from the No. Am. you are playing probabilities of getting good snow/pow and Verbier is kinda middle of the road in that equation. The Valais does not get storms from a variety of directions so things have to line up. Now, if that happens. Wow, the place will blow your mind. The terrain, vert, touring access, terrain, and terrain are amazing. There is a shit ton of steep, easily and not so easily accesible stuff there that could keep one busy for a reeeaaally long time.

I think its well known I'm a fan of the Arlberg because its probabilities of having pow are on the higher end of the Euro spectrum (along with Andermatt and Engleberg), but Verbier/4 valleys definitely has the Arlberg beat for terrain and especially vertical which is one of the things that seperates Euro skiing from the US. Not so many 5 or 6 thousand vertical foot runs at Squaw...

[TDJ]

Quote about the snowfall.. Las season was probably worse then average. A pisteur from nendaz told me that the annual record, somewhere in the eighties, is 22meters (measured on the mt Fort).

According to the Verbier lift company, Televerbier, the resort gets on average "just over six metres of snow," between December 1 and "the middle of April". That's roughly 235 inches. Lech in Austria, the snowiest of the large Alpine resorts, gets 7.15m on average, and Val d'Isère in France about five metres.


Verbier's average is a good figure for the Alps, especially given the period of measurement is so short. And it holds its snow well, especially on the upper slopes (although one of the reasons we don't rate it as an intermediate resort is because the lower pistes above the town are susceptible to the sun).

However, it's worth noting that the snowiest American resorts - such as Snowbird and Alta - post figures which are double that. They measure their snow between November 1 and April 30, so it's not an exact comparison. But all the same, if powder's your thing, you should always keep one eye on what's happening across the Atlantic.

source:http://www.welove2ski.com/jsp/index....nd&pageid=1680

[Scottish_Skier]

I am little surprised that Verbier gets more snow than Val D'Isere?
It probably has better terrain...

Which is all good. As I have officially quit my office job, and am off to Verbier for the winter

Was slightly concerned that Valais has a reputation for being dry and sunny. But I reckon Verbier is one of most complete european off piste resort's. (my other favourites being Cham, La Grave and Val D'Isere).

Looks like there will be plenty to explore. Only been there a week - and skied most of the obvious stuff (Mont Fort, Stairway etc). But looking forward to seeing it mid winter on a big powder day

[jskierpx]

Are you around this season???

Right now I am back at school in California, but am going to bust my ass my 6 weeks off in January so I can make a trip to see some friends in Leysin and SKI VERB, Dialblerets etc...this March

But the ultimate plan is to save up over the next year and ether rent out a chalet in Nendaz which is proving to be affordable, or crash at a friends place for the season in Leysin. But that is for not this season but the next.
hah I tried not to, but I fell in love with Le Alpes. If you are around when im back lets grab a beer at the Yeti!

[Blurred]

When are you coming over Brett?

I'm taking 4 months of this Winter and will go where the snow is.

Not having time constrictions, it seems stupid to plan a trip right now not knowing what conditions will be.

We'll see. Japan is on the list too.

[sharcsplean]

Verbs is great - I even got married there in 2001 - at the hotel Farinet. My family got relocated to Switzerland eariler this year, so I am hoping to spend at least 4 weeks there this winter! Don't go at x-mass - too many people. If you are only there for a few days, it is so worth it to hire a guide - or try to hook up with mags here.

So let us know when you are going and we'll get a pint at the pub!

[Snowhead]

now that you guys have my interest, how's the snow?

Verb, Cham, La Grave...any other ones not to miss while in Euroland?

Arlberg region: St Anton. Lech and Zurs,...some of the best stuff in europe

Report from verbier las year (is in catalan, look the pics and videos):
http://malaltsdeneu.mforos.com/49599...les-4-vallees/

Report from Arlberg (the same xdDDD):
http://malaltsdeneu.mforos.com/49599...u-sense-pitet/

[comish]

Quote about the snowfall.. Las season was probably worse then average. A pisteur from nendaz told me that the annual record, somewhere in the eighties, is 22meters (measured on the mt Fort).

Your quote on snowfall amounts was interesting. The one thing to consider is where is this measured? Town, mid mtn, top of the mountain. Given the vertical is a lot more in the Alps than N.Am. there is a much greater variability in snowfall from town to the top. As an example, Mammoth measures near the main lodge which is nearly 1000 feet higher than the lowest point in the resort and gets significantly more snowfall than the lowest point, but the summit and mid mountain get considerably more snowfall than the main lodge, so its always hard to compare apples to apples with snowfall stats. In the Alps I have wondered where these stats were taken from, but my guess is that they are measured in town. So take a place like Verbier with a lot of vertical and the amount of snowfall in the high elevation is probably considerably more than the figure quoted. Lech, which has less vertical probably doesn't have as big a difference between town and the highest elevations.

[FFsup]

What snowhead failed to mention is that arlberg had a real shit season this year. Without looking at the numbers he presented i guess it probably snowed a lot, but all of it was wet and if you skied after the big dumps you got buried...

I'm generalizing, but you get the picture.

Arlberg is fucking awsome if the winter is cold enough... Powder mania, spent 05/06 winter there and pretty much only skied powder.

[FFsup]

Also, i guess i could say that verbier is fucking great, but that would bring nothing new to this discussion..

[Big Tim]

I've skied about 100 days at Verbier. I still can ski lines I've never done almost every day (snow permitting). My buddy Bob The Mayor likes to call it lift served heli skiing (Backside, North Face, Hidden valley, Stairway variations, Mont Gelle variations). As written By Steve Casimiro in the Powder Intro in 1994 http://www.stevecasimiro.com/intros/23.3.html. It used to be a little better back in the late 80s when not so many peeps went off-piste.and skiing the "Backside" was only done by a few.

BT

[verbier61]

There's no doubt that - on average - verb gets less snow than arlberg, and less snow than NW valais (marecottes, dents de midi, ovronnaz....). Said that, the advantage of verb is the possible access to neverending (albeit not obvious/easy to reach) north-faced spots where snow remains good (or even untouched) for long time after the last dump. Another relevant issue is that there is a lot of smaller resorts around verb that are reachable in 40-60 min by car. some of these minispots get good snow when verb is dry (or vice-versa, though).
The really relevant snow coverage issue, in the last 2-3 winters, has been for monterosa and dolomiti, two otherwise magnificent gems. It seems that the (once) large scandi troops in alagna are migrating towards a-matt and e-berg to find better snow coverage, which would be very good ..... less competition for tracking on the next dump

[Scottish_Skier]

Anyone want to spill the beans on where the hidden valley is ?
With a name like that it has to be a good spot

Is this the same as the rock garden ? (diagnol hike out of Lac De Vaux then ski into Vallon D'Arby?)
Yup - I am trying to do some pre-season research!

Cheers.

D.

[verbier61]

you enter the rock garden, then climb to the col on your right, stay close to the ridge for a while, than cross another col and than enjoy a secret valley that does NOT end to the vallon. If you're lucky, you can reconnect with the nendaz lift system, if you're not lucky, you have to walk and then to take a taxi back to verb. Do not try it alone, finding the right entrance is tricky

[subtle plague]

. less competition for tracking on the next dump

too bad there hasn't been one in alagna for the last 5 years

and TDJ: in the Valais the last season had more snow than average. a lot more in the west and about or above 100% of the average further east. The Attelas station had about 130% pretty much all the late season. I watched the % charts from the SLF the whole winter.

the Arlberg was about at 60-70-80% (but that's a wild guess. the austrians don't have such neat charts so im just comparing to the northeastern switz region which had about that amount). btw. i'm not a big fan of the arlberg either.

as i said: Verbier is good, but it has some flaws.

[Scottish_Skier]

"enjoy a secret valley that does NOT end to the vallon"

Merci Bien...
I am sure half the fun is gonna be working some of these routes out.

[verbier61]

too bad there hasn't been one [big dump] in alagna for the last 5 years

look, I have no interest in supporting alagna (at variance, I'd like to have no competition at all for powder when there), but the spot have been blessed with snow consistently in the last 3 winters.... only after mid march. and you know that when it snows in alagna, the place is AWESOME

[Ripzalot]

regarding verbier snowfall, it seems to me that verbier is not in the best position in the alps to catch snow. storms that approach from the west, unload on chamonix and the haute savoie before pushing through to verbier. sometimes they skirt the western edge of the alps, unloading on the alpes vaudiose and entirely missing verbier. storms that approach from the north, unload on the berner oberland and alpes vaudiose first, and verbier second if the storm is large enough to push through. from the south, the italian side gets it first before hitting verbier (and not too many southernly approaching storms anymore). so it seems verbier (and the southern valais) sits in a weather "hole". that's my anecdotal evidence from the last 6 or so years. i'm sure it was quite different 'back in the day'.

having said that, verbier is a love/hate resort for me. i love the terrain. i hate the crowds. but when it's on, it's on!

[verbier61]

rip, your analysis is cool. The only issue is that sometimes spots that should be the first to get a storm (like for instance alagna with is the first obvious stop for a storm from the south) never get a dump for months. I guess a possible explanation for alagna is that the "genoa low" is becoming the most frequent south-storm scenario, and its merry-go-round effect only marginally hits that part of the alps. Other side of the coins, places that are hidden in the very center of the alps (and thus are the last to be hit) are quite consistently blessed by snow (eg a-matt, which is not a logical first stop for both south and north storms, but has a good snow record....)
bah...

[Ripzalot]

i think the difference may be that engelberg and andermatt are the first high mountain in line-of-sight from a north approaching storm. verbier is surrounded by 3000+m mountains. as the storms approach eberg (and over the top to amatt) the weather pushes up the mountain and what may have been rain up to that point gets hit with snow. alternatively in verbier, this scenario has already played out with the surrounding mountains in all directions.

EDIT: i will also add - on the arlberg, same situation as eberg. first big mountain line-of-sight from a north approaching storm. and because AT and the east always get colder quicker and earlier than the west - badabing - more annual snow.

on a side note, i think a v61 spanced tour of verbier is in order soon!