Nendaz

A snowHead

Just booked a holiday to Nendaz off lastminute.com for the bargin price of £299 each Very Happy

, the downside is that the selfcatering accomodation is allocated on arrival, though it says they mainly use Interhomes. Looking at the Interhomes website some of the apartments are quite a walk from the gondola station, are there any ski lockers at the station to save us lugging them back each night?

Any other tips or information about the resort/skiing etc would be appreciated, we are good intermediates but I am a wuss Very Happy

A snowHead

Yes there are lockers near the gondola, either the lift company ones or ski hire shops. There is a bus service around the resort too. Here's what it says on the Nendaz website:

Ski lockers
Looking for convenience? What about leaving your equipment in a ski-locker? Telenendaz, Mariéthoz Sports and Gaby Sports offer large storage rooms near the Tracouet cable-car with boxes fitting up to 6 complete ski-equipments...

Ski-lockers Telenendaz
Rates :
Rent from Saturday to Friday
Single 2-3 pairs of skis
Double 4-6 pairs of skis
1 week
CHF 30.-
CHF 60.-
2 weeks
CHF 50.-
CHF 100.-
3 weeks
CHF 75.-
CHF 150.-
winter season (until 18.04)
CHF 260.-
CHF 520.-
key deposit
CHF 10.-

I am also an intermediate wuss. We mostly went to Siviez and over to Verbier which we really enjoyed. The Nendaz skiing is fine but we were there at half term which was pretty crowded. Going to Verbier ended up being much better, but I don't imagine there would be a problem with crowds outside peak weeks. Fantastic views over the Veysonnaz side too - nothing too difficult though there were a few too many drags for my liking. We really enjoyed the skiing and will probably return when we are no longer tied to half term!

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Anniegirl, good question about lockers. Some friends have bought a chalet in Nendaz and had the same question - if we find the answer I shall let you know.

Are you brining your own skis and boots or renting? If you're renting it's worth asking the hire shop if you can drop them back off at the end of the day - added bonus of having them dried out on the boot heaters overnight!

I've never skied the local area but Nendaz is very popular in Switzerland for families so I assume it is beginner/intermediate friendly. For more challenging skiing you can ski (quite a few lifts) or get the bus (quicker) to Siviez from where you have easy access to the challenging Mont Fort/Verbier terrain or head the other way towards Veysonnaz and the rest of the 4 valleys.

You can see your options on this interactive map http://ski.intermaps.ch/printze/index.swf?lang=en&Reg=zm0

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Anniegirl, Interhomes has the largest selection of property in the town and while some of it is quite a distance from the Telecabin, others are immediately opposite it (see Apartments Christina on the Interhomes website for example...). You are however correct that some of the places are quite a distance...

There are ski lockers available (if you are taking your own equipment) however if you are hiring from one of the main ski hire shops also have their own lockers available which I'm sure you can use (I assume at a charge?). I would not pre-book anything as if you and your group are going to be skiing over to Verbier every day, you may want to take the bus to Siviez and depending where your accomodation is, go directly to Siviez as opposed to going via the main gondola area to collect skis etc...

Although the 4-vallees has reputation for its off-piste and steep skiing, there is plenty of "wuss-friendly" skiing around Nendaz and Siviez so I'm sure you'll have a great time. Very Happy

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Anniegirl, most importantly dont forget the Printze ski area whicg is the other way from Siviez, as opposed to Verbier. Good wuss skiing, a fraction of the people, and the pisteside restaurants almost half price. I have had whole holidays over there and avoided Verbier altogether, when the kids were smaller and we wanted it quieter.

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Thanks for all the information, really looking forward to it, we haven't skied in the Alps for years Very Happy

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Interested in this information too, as we are short-listing Nendez and Corchevelle. We've looked at the £299 bargains too Anniegirl!

We've skied Thyon a couple of times; I guess Nendez offers more options?

After all it is free

Well not that many actually at Nendaz as far as skiing is concerned. I am v. biased but I think it is a cracking little town. Its a real 365 day place where swiss people actually live. Bars, restaurants, hairdressers, supermarkets! Its got a really authentic feel. And at about half the Verbier prices. If you were staying in Thyon you will know there is not that much going on there, but Nendaz is different, its not party, party, party but plenty to amuse the more mature traveller.. WRT to skiing, the big run from the top back into Nendaz is one of my 2 or 3 favouritist pisted runs in the whole 4V. A real blast all the way. There are another 2 or 3 worthwhile pistes on top of that. If there is plenty snow at Priarion its great to ski out of Nendaz over to Thyon or Verbier as you please, then back again at night. Failing that, drive or get the free bus round to Siviez and you will be up top at Gentianes before any Verbier based skiers are halfway there.

As you can tell I love the place. But as you probably know if you want perfectly groomed pistes, with lots of corduroy, fantastic rapid heated 6 man chairs, then the 4V cannot compete with the 3V.

Fifespud, I would be very interested in your bar / restaurant / ski rental shop / boot fitter / other etc recommendations for Nendaz. We went 2 weekends a go and found a couple of nice places to eat (alas, can't remember names) but most places had not opened yet for the season.

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Fifespud, when you say from Thyon/Vervier come back to Nendaz at night, do you mean some sort of night skiing or getting a bus back? I assume you can't ski there and back between 9am and 4pm unless you're a pretty impressive skiier!

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Thanks for the links.

The town was very quiet when we were there but seemed nice enough and the prices were a step down from central Verbier. Probably be back a couple of times during the season although I've just found out that I can only get the free Verbier lift pass extensions (have a Chamonix season pass) at Le Chable or Verbier, which will make it a bit awkward. A mate has a chalet there which he's kindly given us an open invite to when he's not using it.

I've never skied the Nendaz area as I drive up from nr Lausanne so park at Le Chable and then usually head up to the top for the off piste.

Last year we did the itinerary off the back of the Greppon Blanc a few times, where you get the bus to Les Collons from the bottom. I enjoyed the ski back, although as you say there are a few drag lifts.

Can't beat the back of Mont Fort, Stairway to heaven, Vallon d'Arbi etc for off piste though.

You know it makes sense.

OK thanks.

I think this one is shuffling to the top of the list. Just a case of where we can get the best deal now, 4V or 3V.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

A snowHead

Yep tend to ski Verbier early season and then Grands Montets in April and May. Le Tour is my parents favourite. Sunny and lots of nice easy pistes. Can be a bit of a queue in the morning though. Better to access from Valorcine if coming from Switzerland.

A snowHead

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

t40ora, Anniegirl, One thing people tend to go on about is the poor link between Nendaz and Siviez (and therefore the rest of the 4v).

Personally I don't think the link is that bad (admittedly there is only one ski-able link).

Skiing out of Nendaz is via the easy red Prarion run which, provided there is some snow, is a lovely gentle run which is perfect to get rid of hangovers and early morning aches and pains. The real issue with this slope is that sometimes it lacks snow cover (the environmentalists won't allow snow making on that piste) however the link is seldom completely closed (although often pretty brown!). At the bottom of the run is the drag lift up to the Plan-du-Fou cable car and then you are in Siviez with an easy red/blue ski down from there…

Getting back to Nendaz from Siviez is also not a stress. Even if you are not keen on the Plan-du-Fou itinerary run, you can simply take the cable car back down and ski to the Parion chair which takes you back to Tracouet and a nice ski home… On the piste map the run from the Plan-du-Fou to the Prarion chair is marked black… but that's complete nonsense; the slope is about as black as Ali G!

On the flip side, there is no comparision between the 4v and the 3v for lifts and links. If you want an integrated/modern ski system, 3v is miles better.

However, notwithstanding the above, many people do drive/bus to Siviez in the morning – the reason I do it is not due to the difficulty skiing in/out of Nendaz but rather that if I can get the first lift up in the morning, I get about a 30-45 minute start on the Verbier people and so can have the Mont Fort region virtually to myself… It’s like going to Disneyland and staying in a Disney hotel – you get head start on the rides before the hoards arrive!!! Laughing

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1556garyt, Thanks that is incredibly useful, but can you please explain to me what an itinerary run is, I have never heard the expression before I started to research about Nendaz Very Happy

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Anniegirl, don't worry - it would be impossible for you to "accidentally" end up on the Plan-du-Fou itinerary... If you take the cablecar down you'll be fine. Smile

After all it is free

Fifespud, 1556garyt, How long is the itinerary? Is it really ok for intermediates? I'm trying to gauge if it is a hard red or a black.

Not that I'm that worried, as when staying in Thyon we get a chair back due to the only run in being a narrow, icy, unpleasant black at the bottom.

t400ra - it is not that long, but it is pretty steep and mogul central. Its nothing like as long as the Chassoure or the Gentianes itinarys. I'm not a particularly great skier, particularly off piste, although I can handle every pisted slope I have ever come across, and I get the cable car down - hang his head in shame!!!! My kids however are not better on piste than me, but spend their lives in the trees at the sides of the pistes, and they come down without incident.

That's it - I am defo doing it this year!

As Gary says the black at the bottom is not as tricky as all that, far easier than parts of the Piste de L'ours for example which is rated red. I don't think the Swiss are nearly as accurate with their ratings as the French. It's like they have said, we have got to have a black in Nendaz, and then just called Les Fontianes black. By the same token, the Piste de L'ours could easily be rated black, but because so many people stay at the bottom of it, they call it red so as not to put people off. Les Fontianes is steep, but its wide and short, and for all the reasons already explained re the lack of snow cannons, the snow can be fairly slushy at the bottom.

When you say Thyon, do you mean Les Masses, and are you talking about the run that goes under the old 2 man back to Les Masses?

If so, that is a Fitzwilliam, no doubt.

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Fifespud, yeah, Les Masses. Fitzwilliam? I think I know what you mean! The most amazing thing I saw was two guys (one turned out to be the son of the chap that owns loads of property in Les Masses) skiing down between the trees off-piste directly under the two man chair. It was incredible and they made it look easy (not for me though!), going across that run.

Useful info, and thanks. We're looking to go out on Jan 2nd ( my big birthday) so the deciding factor will be which area, 3V or 4V, we find the best deal in.

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t40ora, I would not recommend the 4v itineraries for intermediates. The Plan-du-Fou itinerary is unbashed, mogally and a bit narrow at the top... It is certainly more challenging then any black rated piste run in the region.

Take the cable-car down and then ski to the Prarion chair-lift - its a much easier way home!

BTW, do try get across to ski the Piste de L'ours - for my money its the best run in the entire region and never that busy...

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1556garyt, thanks. OK we'll avoid the itineraries then. I know of the Piste de L'ours from or times at Thyon but have never skiied it. However, we'll make sure to do so if we gi to Nendaz. If not January, then probably in March.

You know it makes sense.

Fifespud, ah. I was thinking of the old joke; Patrick Fitzwilliam and William Fitzpatrick...... i.e. it's a bu66er!

Thanks; I'll bear that in mond. After 17 years of nagging I finally got my wife on skis last season in Thyon - and she LOVED it! We went back again, and now that we are both at a much better standard we would like to ski the region again, doing some of the runs that we wither avoided or found somewhat scarey!

Now we would take a lot of them with a pinch of salt I think. Ideally, I would like to do Courchevel/3V once this r and, if I can get some work and thus money, 4V; not necessarily in that order as I've said.

So glad that my wife has got the skiing bug; just wish we had more cash!!

Help!!

Nendaz

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