International (Europe/Japan/Southern Hemisphere) Verbier Where to Ski and what to Ski

[dovski]

Ok Starting a new thread on Verbier. I am going there for the first time Feb 1-3, basically making the most of a free weekend during a work trip to Europe.

I am staying right next to the Medran Gondola. I took @James advice and rented skis through Ski Service at Les Ruinettes.

So now the important stuff - where should I ski on that massive mountain. Would love recommendations as to what part of the mountain I should explore and which lifts access the best terrain. Love steeps and deeps, but also enjoy carving on Piste or booting down a steep downhill run. Would love any and all suggestions

I get unlimited swaps on my high end rentals so essentially have a 40-50 ski quiver at my disposal which brings me to the next question what should I ski? Was thinking of starting with the Mantra M5 or Enforcer 93 (what I normally ski) and going either wider or narrower depending on conditions.

Being Verbier they have a lot of Faction Skis (they are based there) and are running a free test day on Sunday. Not familiar with Faction but would love to get to know them better so any suggestions as to what to try from that line would be great. Ditto for Black Crows and Lacroix.

Likewise would love great restaurant recommendations too. Appreciate any and all suggestions.

 

[TQA]

Make sure you do these two

Piste de l’ours. in Thyon

Tortin. of Mt Gele NB Not pisted

 

[fatbob]

Don't try to judge what you are going to do in advance because vis, snowfall or lack of it, avy hazard can all change plans. Hopefully you are taking shovel probe and beep. If you have them you may find some English speakibg locals to show you the ropes.

Bruson if it's a white out. Weather can be completly different La Tsoumaz side to Verb main bowls. Stuff like Staurway to Heaven relatively easy to find but please know what you are doing.

 

[dovski]

Don't try to judge what you are going to do in advance because vis, snowfall or lack of it, avy hazard can all change plans. Hopefully you are taking shovel probe and beep. If you have them you may find some English speakibg locals to show you the ropes.

Bruson if it's a white out. Weather can be completly different La Tsoumaz side to Verb main bowls. Stuff like Staurway to Heaven relatively easy to find but please know what you are doing.

Is all that necessary if I stay on piste? I was thinking of hiring a guide for an off piste day and renting all the safety gear vs. bringing it with me.

 

[James]

I get unlimited swaps on my high end rentals so essentially have a 40-50 ski quiver at my disposal which brings me to the next question what should I ski? Was thinking of starting with the Mantra M5 or Enforcer 93 (what I normally ski) and going either wider or narrower depending on conditions.

That sounds fine. Faction is the local ski so you might want to try one. I've spent days on slalom skis but I ski them in places most won't. Last year I rented an Mx84 from those guys in town. It was nearly unskiable on the solid ice. The worst tuned skis I've ever demoed have been in Verbier.

Top of Mont Fort under the tram. Depends on conditions. You can climb over the fence at the tram or ski around and come in like 100m down.
There's some good snow skier's left of the piste that comes down from Mt Fort.

I don't recommend going over the backside of Mt Fort without a guide.

If you're interested in pow you should look into some sort of guide, likely not the Verbier ones unless you want to pay for the whole thing. Verbier does show up groups on Wed.

The itinerary route from Mt Gele down to Tortin. For sure.
The Vallon D'arbi itinerary route. I think it starts at Lac de Vaux? Maybe. Be aware that last March 4 people were killed there in an avalanche. That was a couple weeks after I was there. I didn't ski it last year because it had rained up to 2000m a few days before arrival. That route was awful I heard from someone who did it - refrozen cut up or slick.
If you do Vallon d'arbi there's a choice at the traverse that's cut buy a snowblower I guess. Stay on traverse or head down Vallon d'arbi and end up in Tsoumaz. Stay on traverse brings you over a ridge and heading back toward Medran and Savoleyeres. Again the name eacapes me but that route has a name.
That's another avalanche area. Down at the bottom there's a cat track that goes around to Medran. There's a gate with flashing lights. Last late Feb that was closed due to two avalanche paths through the woods clearings above that swept over the track.

You might not have time, or want to spend it, to go all the way to Thyon, but maybe.
Heading that way-
I highly recommend the restaurant Les Chottes. It's way over that way next to a t bar. Classic. Can only get to by aki or a long hike up. Miles. Great food, pretty simple, quickish, animal heads and cowbells. The thing they do in cast iron with bread and cheese and little onions and ham or something is fantastic. A crutte ?
Nothing like going into that place in a whiteout. Just amazing.

On the way over there from Nendaz (Tortin - Nendaz is a horizontal chair plus ski a green trail) there's some great skiing next to the tbar you have to go up. If snow is good you could lap it. There's two tbars next to each other. I'd have to look at a map.

That tepee skiers left heading down towards Nendaz from Tortin has good quick food.

Cabane Mt Fort on the way down from Mt Fort or Mt Gele is a cabin on the trail. Very good food I hear. It maybe the recommended place for raclette. I forget. Le Dahu is a pretty expensive and good restaurant further down. Name of that area eacapes me now. Below Dahu there'a self service area. The crepe place to the left has been great.

On the way back to Medran if you go way left on the way down fromLes Ruinettes where your rental is you can get to Chez Danny or Danni. Your guys will know. It's pretty easy. People get taken up there for dinner by cat and snowmobile. It's a hotspot. It can be packed at lunch. Either way you can ski by it.
There's a deck above where Ski Service is I believe in Ruinettes. If it's nice that's a good spot. Different foods available inside to take away and sit.

 

[dovski]

That sounds fine. Faction is the local ski so you might want to try one. I've spent days on slalom skis but I ski them in places most won't. Last year I rented an Mx84 from those guys in town. It was nearly unskiable on the solid ice. The worst tuned skis I've ever demoed have been in Verbier.

Top of Mont Fort under the tram. Depends on conditions. You can climb over the fence at the tram or ski around and come in like 100m down.
There's some good snow skier's left of the piste that comes down from Mt Fort.

I don't recommend going over the backside of Mt Fort without a guide.

If you're interested in pow you should look into some sort of guide, likely not the Verbier ones unless you want to pay for the whole thing. Verbier does show up groups on Wed.

The itinerary route from Mt Gele down to Tortin. For sure.
The Vallon D'arbi itinerary route. I think it starts at Lac de Vaux? Maybe. Be aware that last March 4 people were killed there in an avalanche. That was a couple weeks after I was there. I didn't ski it last year because it had rained up to 2000m a few days before arrival. That route was awful I heard from someone who did it - refrozen cut up or slick.
If you do Vallon d'arbi there's a choice at the traverse that's cut buy a snowblower I guess. Stay on traverse or head down Vallon d'arbi and end up in Tsoumaz. Stay on traverse brings you over a ridge and heading back toward Medran and Savoleyeres. Again the name eacapes me but that route has a name.
That's another avalanche area. Down at the bottom there's a cat track that goes around to Medran. There's a gate with flashing lights. Last late Feb that was closed due to two avalanche paths through the woods clearings above that swept over the track.

You might not have time, or want to spend it, to go all the way to Thyon, but maybe.
Heading that way-
I highly recommend the restaurant Les Chottes. It's way over that way next to a t bar. Classic. Can only get to by aki or a long hike up. Miles. Great food, pretty simple, quickish, animal heads and cowbells. The thing they do in cast iron with bread and cheese and little onions and ham or something is fantastic. A crutte ?
Nothing like going into that place in a whiteout. Just amazing.

On the way over there from Nendaz (Tortin - Nendaz is a horizontal chair plus ski a green trail) there's some great skiing next to the tbar you have to go up. If snow is good you could lap it. There's two tbars next to each other. I'd have to look at a map.

That tepee skiers left heading down towards Nendaz from Tortin has good quick food.

Cabane Mt Fort on the way down from Mt Fort or Mt Gele is a cabin on the trail. Very good food I hear. It maybe the recommended place for raclette. I forget. Le Dahu is a pretty expensive and good restaurant further down. Name of that area eacapes me now. Below Dahu there'a self service area. The crepe place to the left has been great.

On the way back to Medran if you go way left on the way down fromLes Ruinettes where your rental is you can get to Chez Danny or Danni. Your guys will know. It's pretty easy. People get taken up there for dinner by cat and snowmobile. It's a hotspot. It can be packed at lunch. Either way you can ski by it.
There's a deck above where Ski Service is I believe in Ruinettes. If it's nice that's a good spot. Different foods available inside to take away and sit.

James I am starting to think the best plan would be for you to guide me

That sounds fine. Faction is the local ski so you might want to try one. I've spent days on slalom skis but I ski them in places most won't. Last year I rented an Mx84 from those guys in town. It was nearly unskiable on the solid ice. The worst tuned skis I've ever demoed have been in Verbier.

Top of Mont Fort under the tram. Depends on conditions. You can climb over the fence at the tram or ski around and come in like 100m down.
There's some good snow skier's left of the piste that comes down from Mt Fort.

I don't recommend going over the backside of Mt Fort without a guide.

If you're interested in pow you should look into some sort of guide, likely not the Verbier ones unless you want to pay for the whole thing. Verbier does show up groups on Wed.

The itinerary route from Mt Gele down to Tortin. For sure.
The Vallon D'arbi itinerary route. I think it starts at Lac de Vaux? Maybe. Be aware that last March 4 people were killed there in an avalanche. That was a couple weeks after I was there. I didn't ski it last year because it had rained up to 2000m a few days before arrival. That route was awful I heard from someone who did it - refrozen cut up or slick.
If you do Vallon d'arbi there's a choice at the traverse that's cut buy a snowblower I guess. Stay on traverse or head down Vallon d'arbi and end up in Tsoumaz. Stay on traverse brings you over a ridge and heading back toward Medran and Savoleyeres. Again the name eacapes me but that route has a name.
That's another avalanche area. Down at the bottom there's a cat track that goes around to Medran. There's a gate with flashing lights. Last late Feb that was closed due to two avalanche paths through the woods clearings above that swept over the track.

You might not have time, or want to spend it, to go all the way to Thyon, but maybe.
Heading that way-
I highly recommend the restaurant Les Chottes. It's way over that way next to a t bar. Classic. Can only get to by aki or a long hike up. Miles. Great food, pretty simple, quickish, animal heads and cowbells. The thing they do in cast iron with bread and cheese and little onions and ham or something is fantastic. A crutte ?
Nothing like going into that place in a whiteout. Just amazing.

On the way over there from Nendaz (Tortin - Nendaz is a horizontal chair plus ski a green trail) there's some great skiing next to the tbar you have to go up. If snow is good you could lap it. There's two tbars next to each other. I'd have to look at a map.

That tepee skiers left heading down towards Nendaz from Tortin has good quick food.

Cabane Mt Fort on the way down from Mt Fort or Mt Gele is a cabin on the trail. Very good food I hear. It maybe the recommended place for raclette. I forget. Le Dahu is a pretty expensive and good restaurant further down. Name of that area eacapes me now. Below Dahu there'a self service area. The crepe place to the left has been great.

On the way back to Medran if you go way left on the way down fromLes Ruinettes where your rental is you can get to Chez Danny or Danni. Your guys will know. It's pretty easy. People get taken up there for dinner by cat and snowmobile. It's a hotspot. It can be packed at lunch. Either way you can ski by it.
There's a deck above where Ski Service is I believe in Ruinettes. If it's nice that's a good spot. Different foods available inside to take away and sit.

James I am starting to think the best plan would be to have you join me in Verbier

 

[dovski]

Verb

• dovski
• Feb 3, 2019

top of Mont Fort

Verb2

• dovski
• Feb 3, 2019

Verbier

Ok Verbier is simply amazing. I arrived at 2 am Saturday morning and it was dumping snow. Grabbed 5 hours sleep and hit hill hard. Every run had at least 1-2 feet of fresh powder. What is really cool about Verbier are their itineraries - marked off piste runs that are pretty epic. You can also go on some back country routes that let you ski to another village and take a train back from their to Verbier. I started the day on a pair of Volkl Mantra M5s, a nice ski, but not nearly as much fun as the Faction Candide 3.0 I switched to, probably the perfect choice for my two days there. Today there was even more snow but limited visibility, the skiing however was great. The only possible drawback to Verbier was the cost, this place is expensive … expensive but totally worth it.

Thanks everyone for all the great advice it was put to great use .

 

[James]

Verb

• dovski
• Feb 3, 2019

top of Mont Fort

Verb2

• dovski
• Feb 3, 2019

Verbier

Ok Verbier is simply amazing. I arrived at 2 am Saturday morning and it was dumping snow. Grabbed 5 hours sleep and hit hill hard. Every run had at least 1-2 feet of fresh powder. What is really cool about Verbier are their itineraries - marked off piste runs that are pretty epic. You can also go on some back country routes that let you ski to another village and take a train back from their to Verbier. I started the day on a pair of Volkl Mantra M5s, a nice ski, but not nearly as much fun as the Faction Candide 3.0 I switched to, probably the perfect choice for my two days there. Today there was even more snow but limited visibility, the skiing however was great. The only possible drawback to Verbier was the cost, this place is expensive … expensive but totally worth it.

Thanks everyone for all the great advice it was put to great use .

So where did you ski?

 

[dovski]

So where did you ski?

Well the photo are from Mont Fort, which I skied once. It was pretty icy at the top and not the best skiing. Really loved Tortin and Tortin-Chassoure area, but also skied Col Des Gentianes, Mont-Gele, Attelas and some of the lower stuff around Les Ruinettes (actually made a wrong turn and skied Clambin all the way to the bottom). Amazing place and look forward to going back. Thanks for all the pointers and guidance.