 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Here it comes...
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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?
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Sounds promising...
Towards a capacity restriction-free opening
This upcoming winter, unless otherwise instructed, Téléverbier will open its ski resort as per usual, as soon as the snow conditions permit it, all the while guaranteeing the safety of our staff. There is, to this day, no lift/skier capacity-limitation for the resort. However, new measures may be put in place, depending on the evolution of the government’s guidelines. The use of masks in lifts will, however, remain mandatory in the gondolas and cable cars.
https://verbier.eliberty-insight.com/campaign/email/en/mirror/YToyOntzOjE1OiJlbWFpbENhbXBhaWduSWQiO2k6MTIyO3M6ODoiZW50aXR5SWQiO2k6NDM3MzkxO30=?utm_source=CRM&utm_medium=email+campagne&utm_campaign=Mot+de+la+direction+-+COVID
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Nice pics. Coincidentally my lift passes arrived yesterday.
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Got this by WhatsApp so can’t vouch for it, but if true, big news for the Le Chablites!
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Lac des Vaux opening on Friday for weekends only.
Assuming there’s nothing that will prevent it in the Confederation COVID announcement planned for tomorrow.
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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.
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Lac des Vaux was lovely yesterday. Pistes in great condition, fairly busy, but didn’t queue for more than 5 minutes. Warm and Sunny too!
Same routine every weekend until 5th December when the lifts run 7/7.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Couple of questions for the regulars as I’m struggling to find the answer on the websites.
Is there a decent snow park on the Nendaz and Siviez side of the mountains?
Any ideas on when the Nendaz lifts normally start running? The website says the start date is depending on snowfall which is fair enough but would they normally be running by the 14th Dec?
Thanks
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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.
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By snow park do you mean the sort of thing that's at La Chaux, underneath the 133 La Chaux Express combimix? If so, I'd say not really. There's a 10km luge run and a small funpark in the Savoleyres sector but nothing on the scale of the La Chaux snow park - race track, jumps, equipment and an inflatable (conditions permitting).
We usually go out to prepare our apartment in La Tzoumaz in late Nov, early Dec and the degree to which things are opened-up is extremely condition-dependent. Worst case, we've had to drive to Le Chable and ski upper Verbier from there, best case, the links have all been working and the upper part of Savoleyres has been open:
and we've been able to use the La Tzoumaz«»Savoleyres lift from the village. The most annoying trip was when it snowed so hard and visibility was so bad that we just snowshoed:
You also need to appreciate that pre-Christmas, however good the snow is, the full area is rarely completely open. I think to preserve the snow for the holidays and perhaps also because the visitor numbers don't justify it.
FYI if you go around St.Nicholas (6th. Dec) and wear an appropriate outfit, you get to ski for CHF 5 (there's a thread from last year by someone who did this: https://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?p=3476570&highlight=#3476570).
I think that Nendaz is going to be similar, in terms of being very dependent on conditions as to how much of the ski area is opened-up. And my recollection from last December was that the new Prarion«»PlanDuFou«»Siviez télécabine connecting Nendaz and the rest of the 4 Vallées wasn't open.
So if it's important, then even 'though we're based in a Satellite, I'd have to say that it will be much safer bet if you can base yourself in Verbier for any pre-Christmas excursion. The thread from last year was by someone who stayed in the cheap accommodation incorporated into the télécabine station at Le Chable, which is literally less than 50m from the railway station. So the trip is do-able by train from inside GVA. There's also budget accommodation up the mountain at Ruinettes, which must be great for getting onto the snow for first tracks.
Last edited by And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports. on Sat 7-11-20 13:02; edited 1 time in total
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Thanks, that’s great information. If we’re able to travel then we’ll look at staying in Verbier.
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You know it makes sense.
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Generally, Nendaz itself has been closed until the weekend before Christmas for the past few years (Tracouet sector) This only started a couple of years ago, much to all the locals / Ski schools / Businesses annoyance, and seemed to coincide with the Veysonaz merger.
Siviez is open if you drive / Bus over for easy access to Verbier, but the Veysonnaz link has been closed as well.
There has been a lot of complaining about this, and the hope was that with the opening of the new Pariraron / PDF gondola, they may be open earlier this year. However, with the C19 situation this year, god knows!
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Also, a small snowpark at the top of Tracouet (if its open!!)
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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?
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Great pics and video
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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OK, since France isn't opening it's resorts for Xmas, we are starting to look at Swiss resorts.
Can anyone recommend a good area in 4 Valeys for a family holiday? What we want:
1. Ski-in ski-out or within a short walk to the slopes and ski schools
2. Lots of linked mileage
3. A good area for younger kids to mess in the snow and sledge.
Plus (Imagine this is a normal non-covid season):
4. xmas street festivities, fireworks, etc.
6. Bars close to #3, so that parents can have drinks and the kids be in the sight.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I would say Wengen probably quieter than the 4 valleys, fits the bill and one of the best snow making systems around Kids ski school in the village plus a bar on the nursery slopes
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Very hypothetical situation. We've moved our flights in January to March, and extended to 2 weeks.
Flying in to Geneva as this gives us the option of France, Italy and Switzerland.
Have found some airbnb places in Nendaz, La Tzoumaz and Verbier. Of those 3, obviously Verbier is the liveliest, but is there enough going on in Nendaz and La Tzoumaz for 2 weeks? Appreciate no idea of what will be able to open etc, but in an ordinary year? We're two 30 year olds, not looking for partying, but the option of a beer or two after a days skiing, and maybe the odd night out for food or a couple of drinks.
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| swskier wrote: |
Very hypothetical situation. We've moved our flights in January to March, and extended to 2 weeks.
Flying in to Geneva as this gives us the option of France, Italy and Switzerland.
Have found some airbnb places in Nendaz, La Tzoumaz and Verbier. Of those 3, obviously Verbier is the liveliest, but is there enough going on in Nendaz and La Tzoumaz for 2 weeks? Appreciate no idea of what will be able to open etc, but in an ordinary year? We're two 30 year olds, not looking for partying, but the option of a beer or two after a days skiing, and maybe the odd night out for food or a couple of drinks. |
I am a Zermatt quasi-resident but a friend of mine has an apartment in Nendaz so I pop round there regularly. Yes, Nendaz is not “party central” but it has a wide range of restaurants from burger bars to high end and a couple of decent bars. In fact the “Cheers” bar at the bottom of the slopes coming back down to the Nendaz lift station is one of the best après-ski bars around.
Everything is lively enough as long as you don’t want to go crazy. The only caveat to this comment is that I am close to your two ages combined.
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| Oleski wrote: |
OK, since France isn't opening it's resorts for Xmas, we are starting to look at Swiss resorts.
Can anyone recommend a good area in 4 Valeys for a family holiday? What we want:
1. Ski-in ski-out or within a short walk to the slopes and ski schools
2. Lots of linked mileage
3. A good area for younger kids to mess in the snow and sledge.
Plus (Imagine this is a normal non-covid season):
4. xmas street festivities, fireworks, etc.
6. Bars close to #3, so that parents can have drinks and the kids be in the sight. |
It probably fails miserably at number 4, but Siviez is probably the most central location to ski the 4 valleys, and has a couple of good ski schools, if you are mainly there for the skiing and not worried about nightlife.
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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.
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Sounds like they’ve been running the cannons down to Ruinettes for this weekend
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@BobinCH, that looks the case, skinning up to Attelas this am, so will report back.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Oleski, an idea of prices for Xmas week - this was off booking.com
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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.
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To endorse the views already given from Bob and John.
For me, having skied the 4V area predominantly from Nendaz and Siviez, feel they're very "downrated" (if that's the correct way to view them) in generally given comment when compared to the headline village of Verbier.
Obviously quite different in perceived status, non the less very good areas to stay and ski out from. Nendaz being a much larger the village of the two.
As already listed, decent number of cafe, restaurant and bar to choose from (controls prevailing, but that's a unknown everywhere this period) and fair few outside terraces etc, probably needing an arctic overview of clothing given the outlook.
Great skiing from both locations though with so much in the whole area to ski. Siviez in the centre offers three directions straight out of the door! to very different ski areas.
Certainly you'd not be short of skiing for any length stay there and with predominantly northern aspect, any snow accumulation is usually available long term.
It's a really good place to ski from irrespective of current consideration, but even more so with the uncertainty across many country.
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The Verbier App has just (08:25) notified me that Téléverbier has extended the ski area that's currently open to include Attelas » Ruinettes as well as Lac de Vaux.
And the App also messaged to say the Téléverbier T-RESORT apartments in the Satellite of La Tzoumaz have a Black Friday offer of 10% discount on accommodation and equipment hire, and free underground parking and WiFi, and early checkin/late checkout if you book an apartment between Nov.27 and Dec.1 for stays up to 4th Dec.
So it looks like they're being pretty gung-ho on attracting visitors. I think this is probably a toe in the water to see if they can get some immediate bookings through special offers, at low risk of cancellation due to any changes in state policies. It'll obviously appeal to local Swiss but I can see people hopping-over from France and Italy to give it a go as well.
They also have COVID cancellation provision already, although it's obviously got caveats - here's an extwract but you'd need to look therough the whole statement before boooking, obviously: '...if an official governmental binding measure prevents the client from enjoying his stay, [he will] be eligible for compensation, minus an administrative fee of CHF 100 .... the following measures [are] Partial or total confinement of Switzerland resulting in the closure of tourist residences. / A partial or total confinement of the client's country of residence. / A quarantine imposed by Switzerland on arrival in the country or a quarantine imposed by the country of the customer on his return that does not reasonably allow him to travel.'
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You know it makes sense.
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@BobinCH, @ski3, thank you, will be looking at Siviez and potentially Nendaz
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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@swskier First, let me declare that I'm biased as our own apartment is in La Tzoumaz, so I'll obviously tend to emphasise the upsides of staying in a Satellite. But I'd always concede that if cost wasn't an issue, you'd stay in Verbier (probably nearer to the Mayentzet chair than the central Médran lift, as it's much less busy first thing).
If you want to see where the bars and restaurants are in La Tzoumaz, you'll find them on the Maps page of our apartment website. La Tzoumaz is smaller and quieter than Nendaz, for sure. But it still has a choice of bars and restaurants, but Verbier it's not. There's also my downloadable unofficial Village Guide on the Downloads page [LTZ4].
I think that with the 4 Vallées, despite genuinely being well-linked, you'll naturally tend to ski the area around where you're staying. With the new télécabine out of Nendaz-Prarion to Siviez, I'd say the weakest link is now the very long double drag of Greppn Blanc that separates Thyon and Veysonnaz from Siviez, Nendaz and Verbier. The second weakest link is the old télécabine out of Verbier up to Savoleyres-La Tzoumaz. It's slow (not a big deal) but being old, can get shut in high winds.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| LaForet wrote: |
@swskier First, let me declare that I'm biased as our own apartment is in La Tzoumaz, so I'll obviously tend to emphasise the upsides of staying in a Satellite. But I'd always concede that if cost wasn't an issue, you'd stay in Verbier (probably nearer to the Mayentzet chair than the central Médran lift, as it's much less busy first thing).
If you want to see where the bars and restaurants are in La Tzoumaz, you'll find them on the Maps page of our apartment website. La Tzoumaz is smaller and quieter than Nendaz, for sure. But it still has a choice of bars and restaurants, but Verbier it's not. There's also my downloadable unofficial Village Guide on the Downloads page [LTZ4].
I think that with the 4 Vallées, despite genuinely being well-linked, you'll naturally tend to ski the area around where you're staying. With the new télécabine out of Nendaz-Prarion to Siviez, I'd say the weakest link is now the very long double drag of Greppn Blanc that separates Thyon and Veysonnaz from Siviez, Nendaz and Verbier. The second weakest link is the old télécabine out of Verbier up to Savoleyres-La Tzoumaz. It's slow (not a big deal) but being old, can get shut in high winds. |
This is really useful. Thanks. A couple of queries:
1) Getting from either Riddes to La Tzoumaz or from La Chable to Verbier, do you have to take a telecabin from the train station?
2) WOuld you say that La Tzoumaz is better for younger families and Verbier less so?
3) What is the skiing like in spring, say 1st week of April (I appreciate every year is different etc)?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@LaForet, thank you very much for the info.
I think it sounds like Nendaz might be a good option for us. We will see how the land lies nearer the time.
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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?
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@FrediKanoute
1) Getting from either Riddes to La Tzoumaz or from La Chable to Verbier, do you have to take a telecabin from the train station?
It's easier from Le Chable to Verbier than Riddes to La Tzoumaz: The train and télécabine station at Le Chable are now a single building so you'd just walk 50m off the train and hop in the gondola to Médran in the centre of Verbier. And the trains are regular through the day. Outside of the gondola link times, there is usually a PostBus running from the station.
With La Tzoumaz, you have to walk about 200m up from Riddes station to the télépherique station, which takes you up to the working village of Isérables, and meet the PostBus there that then drives you to La Tzoumaz. You need to plan this a bit more carefully, as there link is more for the residents than tourists, so there's a 2-3 hour gap in the early afternoon when you'd have to sit in a bar in Isérables next to the gondola station and wait for the bus. It's all clear from the SBB timetable. This is detailed on the Downloads page in [LTZ3] - Geneva Airport to La Tzoumaz by Public Transport.
2) Would you say that La Tzoumaz is better for younger families and Verbier less so?
Not particularly. The learner slope in Verbier is much bigger. There's a small swimming pool in La Tzoumaz that opens afternoons (well, it used to) which is in the gondola building. And a small skating rink. The Savoleyres sector also has a 10km luge (toboggan) run which is fun (if there's enough snow for it to open). The Savoleyres sector is also quieter.
3) What is the skiing like in spring, say 1st week of April (I appreciate every year is different etc)?
Well, the whole area is relatively high (the bases are all around 1500m) and with a lot of snowguns. La Tzoumaz is North-facing so one upside is snow tends to last longer on its slopes versus the south-facing slopes of Verbier. But Verbier is a much bigger area and it also goes up to 2950m at the Col des Gentianes vs 2354m at Savoleyres.
I'm always hesitant about suitability of Satellites like La Tzoumaz, Nendaz and Veysonnaz versus the 'hub' of Verbier-Bruson as individuals capabilities vary so much, and at the start/end of the season, conditions and what runs are open/closed varies so much. Verbier will always have the maximum number of lifts and runs open at the start and end of the season. But of course, prices are higher than a Satellite and if you're getting an apartment, the extra space you can get in a Satellite for the same money may be welcome for a family.
Verbier can also get annoyingly busy, like any major quality resort. We only go outside school holidays, but Wednesday afternoons (school 'sports' days) and Weekends we tend to go over to Verbier first thing, and then work our way back to Savoleyres for the afternoon, where it'll be quieter.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Looking at the piste map, is there a blue(-ish) route from Siviez/Nendaz to Verbier ? We will have several early intermediates in the group.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@Oleski For an inexperienced skier, they could choose to get to Attelas as follows. I'm classifying some of the reds as 'light' i.e. mostly blue but with a more difficult red section (but this is always a tricky estimation as I'm a confident Red and OK-with-blacks-if I have-too skiier). Take a look at one of the online 4 Vallées piste maps and it should be clearer:
Gondola: Nendaz » Tracouet
Ski: Tracouet - Prarion (Light Red)
Gondola: Prarion » Plan du Fou » Siviez (OR Ski Plan du Fou » Siviez (Red))
Chair: Siviez » Tortin
Gondola: Tortin » Chassoure
Ski: Chassoure - Lac de Vaux (Light Red)
Chair: Lac de Vaux » Attelas 2727m
There is an alternative out of Nendaz, and that's to catch a navette directly to Siviez, which obviously cuts out the route where you go up to the summits of Tracouet and Plan du Fou. If you were really concerned, you could take the bus the first time, and when you do the final return take a look at what the reverse route looks like and make a judgement after seeing the real thing: this takes you up from Siviez on the télécabine to Plan du Fou; you stay on it down to Prarion; then switch to the chair up from Prarion to Tracouet; and you're home.
The new gondola connecting Nendaz to the rest of the 4 Valleys goes up to Plan du Fou and then down the other side. I think you can just stay on it, but it may involve a quick swap of cabins at the summit, I can't remember.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@LaForet, thank you, very helpful!
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No probs. Came across some photos while tidying my folders today:
This is the view looking across from La Tzoumaz, on the other side of the valley: left is Tracouet [E], middle is Prarion [C], top right is Plan du Fou [A] taken before the new gondola from [C] to [A] was built. Run [2] is a black and run [1] is an 'itinerary' i.e. regular off-piste mogul field. You obviously will be taking the gondola down over this coming home, from Plan du Fou [A] all the way to Prarion [C] where you transfer to an adjacent chair up to Tracouet [E]. Outbound, you have to ski down the Red from [E] to [C].
This is the view from Plan du Feu, looking down towards Prarion. Directly below is the itinerary mogul field. I'm actually standing under where the new gondola runs down (the old one is on the left, and only went half way). La Tzoumaz is in the distance on the left.
Below is 180° round the other way, half way down the red from Plan du Fou to Siviez. You can see the barrage de Cleuson in the far middle-left distance. This is a fairly blue-ish section, there are steeper, proper red sections above and below this point. If you weren't confident doing this, you'd just take the gondola down to Siviez. If one of you was an intermediate then they might consider doing this while the others took the gondola, to judge whether the debutantes could handle it.
Tortin is the on other side of the nearest ridge, to the right. When you get to Siviez, where various chairs and the gondolas meet up (and where the navette from Nendaz terminates, plus there's a car park) there's a chair that takes you all the way along the valley floor up to Tortin. Ther's a massive jumbo gondola up to the Col de Gentianes, and a smaller but faster gondola up to Chassure.
Below is a shot from this gondola up from Tortin to Chassoure. At the summit, you ski down to Lac de Vaux. You can see the Chassoure mogul field towards the top - a run that you'd not do on the way back, unless you are a pretty advanced skier. We always get the gondola down!
We regularly do a trip out from La Tzoumaz all the way over to the Plan du Feu café for a break, so we can do the lovely run down from there to Siviez, which we really enjoy as Intermediate-class skiers. But you do have to be confident on the steeper sections of this Red. For a confident Intermediate, it's really rewarding, and the views (as you can see) are lovely. At the bottom, you join the blue from Tortin into Siviez, which is nice and wide.
Col de Gentianes If you're a confident Intermediate, you might also go up from Tortin in the big gondola to the Col de Gentianes and do the great run down from there via the Cabin du Mt. Fort to La Chaux (right, middle distance), at which point you're in the middle of the Verbier slopes. However, the initial drop from the Col de Gentianes is a steep Red, before you hit the gentler slopes at the top of the photo below, taken from the Cabin du Mt.Fort:
Cabin du Mt. Fort with Col de Gentianes in the far left distance. 20th March 2016 @10:31
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| Oleski wrote: |
| Looking at the piste map, is there a blue(-ish) route from Siviez/Nendaz to Verbier ? We will have several early intermediates in the group. |
Gentianes cabin up and down Jumbo piste (red but take path to cross steep bit) or take the cable car down. Gets you to La Chaux, the best easy skiing area in Verbier, with the benefit of being in the sunshine with a great restaurant at the bottom
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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.
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@BobinCH, is there a specific type of face mask that has to be worn on lifts at the moment?
The surgical style? Or are fabric ones OK...what about a buff pulled up??
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| rungsp wrote: |
@BobinCH, is there a specific type of face mask that has to be worn on lifts at the moment?
The surgical style? Or are fabric ones OK...what about a buff pulled up?? |
I use a surgical mask but saw plenty of fabric ones. I don’t think Buffs are accepted?
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FAQ
