 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi it'll be our first time in the 4 valleys and we're stating in Nendaz at half term. There's quite a wide spread of ability with one family having done 1 weeks skiing, and some looking forward to giving the itinerary a go and playing in the snow parks. Any suggestions as where the less experienced people should head? Also was thinking of them catching the bus to Veysonnaz and then skiing on the blues above there, but it looks like the bus may not run in winter, and it looks to be mainly reds to get across there on skis and lifts. (whilst they've done a couple of reds at the end of their last holiday - might be nice for them to get easier runs in earlier in the week)
Thanks Rich
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Bus to Veysonnaz a bit of a non starter.
Easiest for beginners will be bus to Siviez - long blue is ideal confidence builder. They can then get Chassoure gondola into Lac de Vaux sector in Verbier and with a bit of lift jiggery pokery over to La Chaux
If reasonably competent and happy on drags, Tracouet is straight from Nendaz and has a reasonable selection of blues.
Enjoy! - Weve owned there 15 years and love it!
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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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@Rich D, start in Siviez. Easy blue for the 1 weekers, Plan de Fou or options from Tortin for the more experienced.
As per @martinperry, the beginners can get the Chassoure bubble up to ski Lac des Vaux and down to La Chaux as they get more confident.
Be careful of the Veysonnaz side. The Combatzeline piste can be an ice rink.
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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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Thanks guys great to get a little bit of local knowledge till we work out how it all fits together.
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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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Just recently been there with a mixed group, the beginners were fine for a day up at Tracouet , then moved to the blue at Siviez. The trouble we had was beyond that blue there are some easy-ish reds but they are rather long so fully committed if you venture up from around Siviez and start so could be miserable if they are not feeling it We didnt check out the verbier side as only there for a few days but i hear that if you can get down in to Verbier via the red you open up a lot more blues.
Veysonnaz was't accessible by public transport (at least easily).
I would recommend any beginners/nervous or early intermediates avoid the black back to Tracouet from Plan du Fou under the 59 lift. Its a very hard black at the top and probably even the red down to the 59 lift and just bus to Siviez. The Red down the other side is great though.
The area is a great advanced/confident intermediate area. For beginners/early intermediates its not amazing but plenty to do and if they are feeling confident they are going to have a great time!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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The "Red" down into Lac De Vaux from Chassoure really isnt any such thing! - A very straightforward blue!
Dont be put off by it.
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BobinCH is the expert here and getting to Siviez is the answer. I did a piste-oriented TR a few weeks ago: https://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=157993 from the perspective of a couple of advanced(ish) piste-skiers (who are affiliated with beginners/intermediates), which generated some useful commentary. And I believe there was another thread in the Verbier 2021/22 snow conditions/weather report in that forum.
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Great info thanks.
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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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Just returned from Nendaz and would echo the advice above. 8.30 free skibus from Nendaz to Siviez gets you on the first Tortin chairlift and a nicely pisted easy blue slope. For beginners I wouldn't recommend any of the runs back down to Nendaz from the top of the Tracouet gondola - even the blue runs have some steep sections which get scraped and icy later in the day. There are several short magic carpet and drag lifts at the top though and you can come back down on the gondola.
Over on the Verbier side (which you could get to entirely by gonodolas from Siviez without negotiating any runs) there's Chaux and also a long traversing blue - Etierces - running from Les Ruinettes (top of the Medran Gondola or Mayentzet chair) which is mostly easy and pleasant - although the last bit at the Medran gondola is a bit steep/icy so taking Mayentzet back up is easier. From the bottom of the Medran gondola station you can also get the 5min skibus to the Savoleyres gondola and access several blue runs on the Tzoumaz side - but it will take up to 2hrs to return to Nendaz.
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Quick update after we've got back. Overall we loved it, Nendaz as a place was fantastic, 4 vallees didn't stack up in terms of piste skiing compared to where we've been before.
The good: Nendaz and where we were was situated very close to the bubble up, although it was half term it wasn't particular busy and you could always miss most of the queues - with the exception of one day where Siviez was rammed after a couple of days bad weather, everyone seemed to be getting across the valleys at the same time - then it was back to normal.
Apres: Cheers bar was great fun in a dance on the tables, very cheesy euro pop way. Bob's was a cool drop in on the way back down to Nendaz. Eideweiss and their live bad Belgian Chocolate were again great in dance in a stupid way. Compared to certainly parts of france it was a cooler more laid back vibe that we really as families and adults all enjoyed.
Snow - pretty bare in parts, especially on the run down to Nendaz with the blue being close most of the time - with bare grass and very icy patches. We had a few cms of snow one day which helped a bit, but then rain at lower altitudes. Most of the easier runs got pretty cut up towards the end of the day which for the beginners in the group affected their confidence.
Plan du fou: This was brilliant, very steep, usually quiet and in good condition nearly all the time - despite the traverse getting a bit tracked and mogulled a couple of days. Easily mine and the kids favorite run. The plan du fou red the other way wasn;t an easy red for beginners but was a lovely run and put you in a great location.
The skiers all had quite different experiences and thoughts.
Beginners thought it was too hard, especially getting back into Nendaz.
Cruisy blue mums are taking us back to courchevel next year - didn't really fit their skiing.
One of the dads who likes fast, wide slopes (loves Austria) thought it wasn't very good.
For off piste and those of us who watch freeride world tour etc - we loved it. Easy access into some proper terrain, some quite steep blacks (plan du fou and the one around Lac were standouts). There was even some easy access into trees and flatter back country off the blue in Siviez.
Prices didn't seem too high for a swiss ski resort and until we got closer to Verbier it was a very friendly very chilled vibe.
Thanks for all the advice snowheads made it a bit easier and faster finding our way around.
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