 Poster: A snowHead
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we are considering 4 vallies but verbier out of price range considering la tzoumaz, veyosonnaz or les collons what are the pros and cons of each
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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dan100, funny... just did my first search for Verbier  on and am also considering four valleys for next year. Les Collons looks ideal, but the piste seems to indicate getting back from the Siviez side of the mountain... It suggests black is the only option from the top of the Greppon Blanc. Anyone shed any light on this, or the area in general for a mixed intermediates group.
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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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ski-finder, it's not very black.
Have a look at Le Chable if you want to ski Verbier without paying for it.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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dan100,
Not stayed in any of them but from skiing there my take is this.
La Tzoumaz this has some really good north facing intermediate skiing on its doorstep, but to get to 4 valley area you have toget a slow gondola up (Though I believe it is being/has been renewed), ski down a southfacing slope that is not reliably open or take a gondola down and then a bus and start from Verbier. To get back you either have to reverse the process or ski an itineraire that is not always open. (Long and blackish difficulty)
Les Collons /Veysonnaz Again some decent intermediates skiing on your doorstep but a long trek with loads of slow pomas to get to the rest of 4 valleys that you have to reverse to get home again. The black from Greppon Blanc is only very short that you have to ski and overgraded it's basically red run skiing.
The best place to ski the whole area from in terms of accessibility is Siviez but as a resort it is unappealing. 10-15 minutes bus/ car journey down the road is Nendaz which I reckon is a decent place to base yourself. It comes in for some criticism on 's because you either have to drive/bus to Siviez or ski over a fairly slow link. (Still probably quicker than the others though.) We rented a car to get there anyway so it was no hassle though the car park can get busy. Verbier has buses to get to the lifts from a lot of the accommodation. Le Chable as mentioned above would be another option and is not inconvenient as the lift goes straight through Verbier.
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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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dan100, I agree with T Bar 100% in that Nendaz is your best bet. From here you have the choice to go over to Veysonnaz and sample the super G red run, namely the "Piste de l'Ours",and also a rather nice black, "Etherolla", or of course take the free ski-bus to Siviez and get to either Mont-Fort or Lac de Vaux using only 2 lifts. You can ski over to Siviez but this link is quite weak and is often closed due to lack of snow.
Nendaz is beautifully located overlooking the Rhone Valley and although it is hardly a chocolate box Swiss resort, it has a large amount of reasonably priced self-catering accommodation available. Also there is a local ski-pass available (Printze) which is cheaper than the Verbier pass. If you go across to Verbier your local Printze pass can be validated to include Verbier for an extra charge on the way over at the cable car station. If you go to Verbier more than 3 times in any one week then you should purchase the the 4 Valleys Pass in Nendaz itself.
I have been doing Nendaz now for more than 20 years off and on,and yes there are better resorts around but we just feel very comfortable here on holiday
here are some useful links:
www.telenendaz.ch (the lift company) www.nendaz.ch (the tourist office) www.interhome.ch (huge database of rental properties)
and the agency we use for rentals http://www.tour-st-martin.ch/ (friendly local agency and our favourite)
Enough said,so come back if you need more information.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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I agree with DAVID SNELL, about Nendaz. Stayed there last year and although we only skiied the link from Nendaz to Siviez once during our stay due to snow conditions, we had a car and drove to Siviez every day after that. The apres ski is not as lively as Verbier but as I was there with my son that was no problem. It was my fourth visit to the 4 valleys and I found that Nendaz was a good base to explore the area.
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dan100, don't go there unless you stay in verbier - all the other places uber-suck
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red 27, What does "uber-suck" mean please?
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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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| red 27 wrote: |
| dan100, don't go there unless you stay in verbier - all the other places uber-suck |
I agree.
Dig deep.
Stay in Verbier. Where the action is.
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DAVID SNELL, 'Uber-Suck' adj colloq To be not good, for losers, a poor substitute for the real thing. Think Lager and Lime for Jennings Bitter, MK snowdome for Gentianes, a hand-shandy against the lovin' spoonful... - that's uber-suck. Stay in Siviez for more than 45 minutes and you'll know.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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red 27, Thanks for the explanation. Agree that Siviez is purely a cross-roads on the 4 valleys system with not very pretty at that, although having said that there are only a couple of apartment blocks there anyway.
Verbier is of course an internationally renown resort with fantastic off piste and intermediate ski-ing possibilities, but it is a bit limited for year 1 beginners.
Verbier is also at one end of the 4 Valleys ski area, making it a real hike if want to try out Veysonnaz or Les Collons. Haute Nendaz, and Siviez are ideally located geographically halfway across the ski area, with easy access to both the Verbier and Veysonnaz sectors, although the snow link between Haute Nendaz and Siviez often breaks down so that everybody wanting to ski Veysonnaz or Verbier must use the shuttle bus from Haute Nendaz, inc. in the ski-pass, which takes about 15 minutes.
For Haute Nendaz, Veysonnaz, and Thyon 2000, there is the local Printze ski pass which is cheaper than the one that includes the whole of the 4 valleys.
For this past season 6 days adult pass costed 256 SwFrs for Nendaz, Veysonnaz, Thyon, whilst the same to include Verbier and Mont-Fort costed 331 SwFrs. When you stay in the Printze ski area it is possible to validate the local pass on a daily basis at the Mont-Fort cablecar to include Verbier, Mont-Fort, and La Tzoumaz. The supplementary cost per adult per day is 18 SwFrs or 16 SwFrs from 13:00. So if you stay in Haute Nendaz, Siviez, Veysonnaz, or Les Collons for example you would need to visit the Verbier/Mont-Fort region more than 4 times in 6 days to make it worthwhile buying the full pass. This Printze pass option is not available of course when you stay in Verbier.
To stay outside Verbier there is also a price advantage in that in the peak a 1 bedroom apartment in Verbier could cost £750 for 1 week where the same in Haute Nendaz would be closer to £500 on a like for like basis.
So Siviez in particular may be "uber-suck" on ambience but it easier to get to the top of Mont-Fort or Col de Chassoure from here than from Verbier. There is of course the price advantage on apartment rental and ski-pass. If one prefers great views over the Rhone Valley, a village atmostsphere, and all the price advantages mentioned then Haute Nendaz is the better option.
We love ski-ing Verbier although we are only intermediates and not up to the off-piste bit, but when we stay outside Verbier we can still enjoy all the benefits of the area at a reduced cost. Thus I would not entirely agree with you on the "Uber-Suck" angle based on access to whole area and price.  
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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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Stay in Verbier or go some where else instead
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DavidSnell, thanks for all that information, it is extremely useful for someone like myself who is thinking of visiting Verbier in the not too distant. If time is limited are there particular areas to avoid (piste-wise) and others to definitely do?
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You know it makes sense.
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DAVID SNELL, what a full retort, and of course you are right on all points...
Frankly I've never stayed in any of the 4V resorts apart from the big V, so I will retire from the thread as there are plainly those here with more to offer than me.
dan100, you'll feel like a stowaway if you stay in Siviez, but as David says, you'll be skiing down Mont Fort while Fergie & co (& Parlor, rungsfb, whitegold, and me and others) are still wolfing down our breakfast in that caff with the pink beetle in - Offside, Outdoors? WTf?)
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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BGA, that's the one! - and my apologies to you, I knew I'd left one of the Verbier 'regulars' off the list 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Armitageblue, You sound like an intermediate like me. So the great runs for us in the area are:-
Over at Veysonnaz - the Piste de l'Ours - a steepish wide pisted red run of a roller-coaster. This is super G course on the World Cup circuit
At les Collons - Etherolla - a black piste steep wide and long but mogul free.
In Nendaz - The Jean-Pierre red run to the village with a stop at the the Cafe Les Cleves on the way down. Great at the end of a hard day!
In Nendaz - Piste National - a red run above Tracouet - steep start but beautiful and a not too difficult run to the Nendaz village.
At Verbier - The red run beneath the Jumbo cable car with a lunch stop at Cabane Monfort - always great snow conditions and great fun.
At Verbier - Lac de Vaux - easy satisfying blue runs
At Verbier - Les Attelas to Les Ruinettes - superb wide open piste sometimes a bit steep always with lunch at Les Ruinettes.
At Verbier - La Chaux - just cruising on south facing slopes.
Siviez - Tortin to Siviez - the easiest blue run ever but just what you need at the end of the day.
To challenge you Col de Chassoure back to the base of the Mont-Fort cable car - a classic black run unpisted and very steep at the top (don't fall otherwise you might only stop at the bottom)
Also Mont Fort summit to Mont-Fort cable car top station - unforgiving - friend of mine did her cruciate ligament here this year with a chopper ride to the hospital at £40 per minute in the air to boot.
Mont-Fort - Col des Gentianes - a long steep unpisted mogul ridden beast - I don't do this one at my age,
Verbier - Mont-Gele - Unpisted and dangerous - Not for the faint hearted I believe, although I have never ventured there.
So a brief taste of the area - "uber-suck" Nendaz right in the middle of the ski circus for intermediate me, but maybe Verbier for the expert and off-piste junkie/expert?!.
Hope this helps!!
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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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DAVID SNELL absolutely great information. I've decided to look out in December for a late deal to Nendaz after your recommendation. Many thanks.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Armitageblue, If you are going for a late deal early in the season why decide on Nendaz right away? DAVID SNELL, has made a great case for Nendaz which I think is spot on but if the snow is poor in the 4 Vallees you may be better off elsewhere. Not saying you should exclude Nendaz just suggesting that if picking up a late deal early season you are better following the snow rather than deciding on the destination in advance.
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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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There's a company called snowtrex who last year offered me an incredibly cheap deal to Nendaz, which I only refused on the basis that I'd been to the 4 vallees too recently. Might be worth looking them up...
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Armitageblue, If you go to the Nendaz website at www.nendaz.ch you will find a list of accommodation providers. There are a handful of specialist chalet operators, but much of the accommodation availability is apartment based. I would recommend www.interhome.co.uk and Rita Gollioz at www.tour-st-martin.ch for good quality self catering accommodation. These are ideal for DIY packaging.
Of the large tour operators I have only been able to find Crystal that feature the resort link is: http://www.crystalski.co.uk/destinations/switzerland/nendaz/nendaz.html#
The featured Pracondu apartments are very close to the main gondola and absolutely almost on the main village piste.
There is a small independant operator called "On the Piste" who specialises in a number of swiss ski resorts. link: http://www.otp.co.uk/otp/resorts/nendaz/
I have had a a look at Snowtrex but they haven't Nendaz up on their website just yet.
I do have sympathy with T Bar about snow conditions as Nendaz is at 1350 metres, however there is always the fall back of the 15 minute shuttle-bus to Siviez, a chair and gondola and you are in the Verbier circuit.
Need any more info then come back on the thread.
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quite a bit of stuff for 4 vallees on internet-cottages and holiday rentals
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DAVID SNELL and T Bar don't worry I'm not naive enough to just go somewhere last minute without checking out the snow reports.
I look at the reports and book Thursday to fly out on the Saturday. I was aware that Crystal have the accomodation that you mention and I will be looking out for deals with them but will now keep an eye on the others that you have suggested.Thanks again.
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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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Stayed in La Tzoumaz a couple of years back, which was alright. A couple of not bad bars and eateries, but a bit of a commute by gondola to the main area. Apparently they've renovated the gondola up to Savoleyres now so it might be a bit better.
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paulio, I can confirm that the gondola has been renovated this year- skied over at La Tzoumaz this March and found most of the uphill transport was now chair-lifts.
Quite a low key ski area but never that crowded. Well worth a trip if you stay at Verbier or Nendaz. Not practical from Nendaz unless one has a car though.
Televerbier should be congratulated on their modernisation programme of recent years of both Verbier and La Tzoumaz which also which falls under their jurisdiction.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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DAVID SNELL, We had a great day, even starting on the naff old gondola, from La Tzoumaz to Siviez and back, so could be feasible in the opposite direction from Nendaz as long as you absolutely hammer it!
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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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Hi all, just a quick semi-related question. We're thinking of heading to Nendaz March 7th in 2009. Any idea what the snow cover will be like for skiing back to the village, as opposed to heading back via Siviez? Also, how black is the black run back ? ! ! Cheers !
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| GrahamDuffield wrote: |
| Hi all, just a quick semi-related question. We're thinking of heading to Nendaz March 7th in 2009. Any idea what the snow cover will be like for skiing back to the village, |
Depends on whether it's snowed recently or not...
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You know it makes sense.
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GrahamDuffield, it's not particularly black. Snow cover obviously variable, although that particular week has been excellent in the 4V for the last three years, even in thin snow seasons.
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FAQ
