Can anyone advise what the link runs to access the main skiing above Verbier are like? Are they interesting in their own right or just boring tracks to traverse along the mountain?
Any idea how long it'd take and whether there would be a chance to explore the Verbier side, or just enough time for a quick glance down at the village and then need to head back again?
They are boring but it is worth it for the skiing after Siviez. We do this journey regularly returning from the Etygeon itinerary. It takes approx 1h30mins from the Les Masses chair to Verbier (Médran) assuming moderate traffic. So if you are good skiers and start early you could in theory get a good 4 hours skiing over on the Verbier side, which is enough to also cover Nendaz, La Tzoumaz and even Bruson if you have strong legs!
The route we take is:
Les Masses
Etherolla (this is a great lift with good skiing underneath it)
Travers across to Tsa drag lift
Les Chottes
Then you either take the first section of Greppon Blanc or if you are good skiers you can cut underneath it through the trees for the shortcut that joins the Combatseline piste
That takes you to Siviez.
From there you can take the Plan de Fou bubble to ski Nendaz
Or the Tortin chair followed by either:
Chassoure bubble to access Lac des Vaux (and Col des Mines and Vallon d’Arbi itineraries)
Or Gentianes Câble car to access Mont Fort
Here's a simplified plan-view map I did for our clients. It's just meant as a slightly different, topographically correct map-type perspective vs the official ski map. The trouble with the latter is that it foreshortens some areas, like all perspective views.
I think it's always worth a diversion to go up to Plan du Feu - the views over to La Tzoumaz are interesting
and there's a big café at the top and the runs down from there back to Siviez are pleasant. If you're after a challenge, the itinerary down from there to the black down to Prarion are, well, challenging and the new lift up from Prarion is makes it easy to return to PdF. This is often moguls so you need to be competent at these if you do it, obviously. This photo gives a better ides of how steep and mogul-y it can be (there's the old télécabine in the photo to give you an idea of scale):
The café is the crinkle-roofed building in the photo' and the télécabine has been replaced by a new fast gondola link.
On the way back from Lac des Vaux, I suggest that you don't embark on the Chassoure mogul field unless you've surveyed it first, as it's pretty relentless. As mentioned, one route into Zone 1 on the map is to take the gondola up from Tortin to Lac des Vaux, which runs above Chassoure. I have a photo' but it doesn't really do it justice in terms of how long and wide it is.
-----------
Now, I'm obviously biased, as our place is in La Tzoumaz, but all I'd say about Les Collons is that is is somewhat at the far edge of the 4 Vallées. A sort of Terminus to Verbier's Trantor. I'm not a great fan of the Greppon Blanc 1 and 2 drag lifts. I'd say that if you'r after a satellite to Verbier, then either Nendaz or La Tzoumaz are nearer, plus consider Le Chable in the valley (which would mean you'd not need a car as the train goes there). Verbier, obviously, is the hub, but I'm assuming that you're not staying there because of accommodation cost. Although even Verbier has some lower-priced accomodation. I'd admit that the downside of La Tzoumaz is the ancient bubble up from Verbier (which has a lower tolerance to high winds than more modern ones) and that if the avalanche gate is closed, you have to ski down into Verbier to get a poma up to Mayentzet.
Last edited by You need to Login to know who's really who. on Thu 30-11-23 16:35; edited 1 time in total
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
That's very helpful, thanks. Les Collons was being looked at because it seemed reasonably high and had some ski in/out accommodation that our group liked the look of.
Looking at the piste map, it looks like you have to ski a black run either to get over to the Verbier side or to get back to Les Collons? I'm talking about the area at the top of the Combatseline lift? Some of us will be OK with that in the group, but some would likely struggle. If that's the case, then we may well explore alternative bases.
Coming 'home' from Combatzeline you'd take one of the two button drags up to Greppon Blanc and the left hand (as you ski it) red down to the button drag up to Thyon. So no black involved. I'm an intermediate who only skis pistes and it's well within my ability. But it' is all a bit of a drag. I've done it once, but the next time, facing the Greppon Blanc drags, I told the other guys to go ahead and I had a leisurely and pleasant ski on my own home to La Tzoumaz. It was just too much hassle for me for only shortish time around Thyon. In fact, they were too late coming back that day to catch the last Savoleyres connection, and had to ski back via the Vallon d'Arbi (which is a non-trivial itinerary). Now, when we go over to ski around Thyon, we drive from La Tzoumaz and park at Veysonnaz, so there's no range anxiety. Les Collons to the Verbier Sector is less distance than LTZ<>Thyon, but you'd still be facing a bit of a trek to get home.
The other thing about being based in La Tzoumaz or Nendaz (and Verbier, obviously), or down in the valley at Le Chable is that you can still get to/from a lot of the area on foot. It might not be a factor for you but it can be if someone gets exhausted or is slightly injured. Or perhaps if the weather is lousy but wants to get out and use their ski pass. Or just fancies a day off and wants to meet up with the skiers.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Thanks. I've found some accommodation in Nendaz. Nothing in La Tzoumaz for our party, unfortunately. I get obsessed with worrying about snow - is Nendaz usually OK for the first week of March? It's our only trip this year, so keen to make sure we can ski back down to the accommodation. It's lower than Les Collons, but north-facing.
After all it is free
After all it is free
@LaForet, love that map!
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
milzibkit wrote:
Thanks. I've found some accommodation in Nendaz. Nothing in La Tzoumaz for our party, unfortunately. I get obsessed with worrying about snow - is Nendaz usually OK for the first week of March? It's our only trip this year, so keen to make sure we can ski back down to the accommodation. It's lower than Les Collons, but north-facing.
It’ll be fine in March. And you have the bonus option of getting the ski bus to Siviez which is the best access point of all to the high north facing skiing in the 4V.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Roll up, roll up…
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Here is the wider angle view of the slopes between Tracouet (left, E) Prarion (centre, D) and Plan du Feu (right, A).
There is now a fast gondola from Prarion [D] to PdF [A] replacing the button drag and big télécabine. The area in the photo in my previous post is outlined around [1].
Outbound, you’d catch the big télécabine from Nendaz up to Tracouet [E], then ski down the piste [3] to the new lift base [D], and take it up to PdF [A], then ski down the other side to Siviez.
Return, you’d catch the lift up from Siviez to PdF and either 1. Ski down the mogul field [1] then down the black [2] to the chairlift at Prarion [C] or 2. just hop on the new gondola down to [D] and ski the short run to [C] and back up to Tracouet [E].
In the middle of the picture is a large area with large trees somewhat dispersed. This is an ancient larch (‘meleze’ in French) forest and is one of only three remnant Alpine larch forest left over from the last Ice Age. Some of them are massive, with a circumference of over 12 metres.
Last edited by snowHeads are a friendly bunch. on Thu 30-11-23 23:06; edited 1 time in total
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Tell me more about these larches, go to la tzoumaz for 3rd time & might take a detour, though I’m not really one for off piste so would prefer a walking route!
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Here’s an article about a summer hike to see the larches, one of which is the largest in Europe (apparently) at 14.6m circumference. They range in age from 800 to over 1,000 years and are the offspring of trees that grew there after the last Ice Age ended around 10,000 years ago. There are only three such sites in the Alps.
Visiting in winter is going to be a bit trickier as (hopefully) the area is somewhat more snow-covered and the pistes down to Balavaux/Prarion aren’t necessarily that near to them. You could probably get a reasonable aerial view from the chairlift up from Prarion to Tracouet.
Been snowing steadily yesterday and warming up slightly. Snow here at 1500 is a little soft. Just started snowing again at 14:00 and forecast to continue through tonight. Cloud but clear tomorrow. This side is only partially open this Weekend.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
20cm of fresh at Attelas but snow is heavy today after Foehn wind yesterday. Got a few nice turns with the boy above Jumbo in the pm
Last edited by Ski the Net with snowHeads on Thu 14-12-23 10:21; edited 1 time in total
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
After the rain we have snow again!!!
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Lac des Vaux now at record snow depths for this time of season since they started recording snow depths 31 years ago
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
A mate of mine had a very bad accident in the Attelas coulouirs last weekend, ended buried in a slide triggered from above. He's likely to be in hospital for the next few months.....take it easy out there folks!
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
That sucks. Hope he heals up quickly.
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
