 Poster: A snowHead
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Ok .... I have been to a lot of Power resorts over the years but Verbier is one that's avoided me. This saturday I and 25 other guys are heading out for a week of hopefully off piste skiing ( conditions permitting ! )
In our group we do have 6 guys that have already been a few times, I have listened to their heroic tales of North faced runs they have found which ran out of slope turning into cliff faces followed by a 2 1/2 hour hike back to civilization, and the hours spent in the Farinet bar supporting the Swiss beer industry but knowing them as I do their descriptions sometimes don't live up to the reality ..... bless em !
I have found Snowheads a fantastic place to get real black and white feed back and advice on other resorts and topics so I am asking the ski community :
Verbier :
whats it really like ? and what am I to find in comparison to lets say Chamonix / St Anton / Tignes
(I do know its going to be costly per day on the hill)
Chris 
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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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Verbier is the best bits of Chamonix in one place, no need to bus around, fewer wannabes (nobody walking around in harnesses). The mountains are big, the exposure is high. Verbier gets less snow than Chamonix and other big names but it is high and there are lots of north hanging slopes. There is little for a beginner and not a great deal for a lower intermediate but I doubt either would get bored there as long as they don't mind a challenge. Your average intermediate can freak themselves out and "expose" themselves to what they might consider some really gnarly lines while being within the safety of the resort: Mont Gele, Tortin etc. Anyone with more experience can find something to crap themselves on too, whatever sphincter rating you want, Verbier has it all.
Great apres, amazing food. Might be a little more expensive than other resorts but it's all relative and I'm very rich so I've never noticed.
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chrisedwardsski, you do get quite a few people being sick in the street, and more than your fair share of those annoying types one used to refer to as Sloane Rangers (sometimes these are the same person)
More kids than St Anton, less Japanese than Chamoninx.
Not particularly expensive unless you choose to splash out - there is a spar, beer is normal price, no cartel in the ski shops
These minor issues aside, it's all good as detailed above. Piste skiing is limited, but then 'r u bovvered'?
It's unforgettable, one of the all time greats and a 'must do' for any competant skier
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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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Great area... stay in a village round the corner... Nendaz and further. Lot's cheaper. Plenty of marked itinerary routes for the less experienced gnarly skier.
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Liking the sound of this lads ! Thank you for your honesty and loved the photo links ! Saying my prayers now for some new snow next week !
Keep the reviews coming
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parlor may be a little biased (as an ex resident I believe) in the Chamonix v Verbier stakes, but if you take the Vallee out of the equation i think he's probably right (and I'm biased too).
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chrisedwardsski, I'm heading out that way in 3 weeks time
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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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midgetbiker, I like Chamonix too - for itself as much as anything, it's a more characterful town than Verbier, with more to it than skiing - but I too think that parlor's description of Verbier, and his comparison between the two, are very fair.
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| midgetbiker wrote: |
| parlor may be a little biased (as an ex resident I believe) in the Chamonix v Verbier stakes, but if you take the Vallee out of the equation i think he's probably right (and I'm biased too). |
Sure. 
Actually it's kindof true, IME if you really like Verbier you tend not to like Chamonix, it's just so spread out and full of try hards. If you really like Chamonix you tend to be jealous of Verbier.
Jokes aside, in my time I have found the above statement to be true, on the whole people fall in to one camp or the other. Clearly both have exceptional skiing, but I think they are different enough that people fall into one camp or the other.
(For full disclosure I did 7 winters (3 full years) in Verbier.)
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Skiing in verbier is impossible to fault, much more joined up than Cham - everything else is over rated. It's full of russians, eurotrash and hoorays and the town is a collection of large garden sheds with little charm. take Scarpas, advice and stay elsewhere while skiing verbier. Credit where it's due, the furry shovel is a great bar.
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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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| ww166no wrote: |
| It's full of russians, |
OOOps. Someone needs to work on their language skills. Very very few Russians in Verbier.
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chrisedwardsski, Verbier is one of the best skiing area in the world, but I agree with Scarpa, stay in Nendaz
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You know it makes sense.
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chrisedwardsski, Bring touring gear in case of no fresh snow. And have a long booze lunch at chez Dany admiring the beauty Sunning herself in the 10mill chalet next door
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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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| Quote: |
chrisedwardsski, Bring touring gear in case of no fresh snow
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Excellent advice - we've had an avalanche risk of 1 for 5 days running now! Unprecedented. Pistes are fabulous between 9 and 10:30, firm and glassy later. Next week looks sunny and warm
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Poster: A snowHead
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| parlor wrote: |
| ww166no wrote: |
| It's full of russians, |
OOOps. Someone needs to work on their language skills. Very very few Russians in Verbier. |
you can't argue on the hoorays though can you!
hoorays or try hards, it's a tough choice. 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| parlor wrote: |
| ww166no wrote: |
| It's full of russians, |
OOOps. Someone needs to work on their language skills. Very very few Russians in Verbier. |
I noticed lots when I was there three and four years ago, admittedly not as many as in Courchevel, but still a substantial number. (I speak Russian.) They tended to be much better skiers than the Russians I've seen in Courchevel, though.
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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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Whilst I openly admit I've only had two days skiing there, I found the on piste skiing to be fairly limited, with very busy pistes and long lift queues in the Verbier area, lots of dull traverses over to the other parts of the 4V, and one or two marked itineraires that really should be at least part-pisted to link the resort properly. These are OK in good conditions if you are a strong intermediate, but otherwise a lift down is necessary.
Pistes were probably better over towards the Veysonnaz area, but there are quite a few drag lifts over there still.
I've no doubt that the off piste is amongst the best in the world, and mountain biking there in the summer is great, but for those who stick mainly to the pistes there are better places to go. The lift price was just about the highest I paid last season as well - about 70 CHF per day from memory?
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Hurtle, there were quite a lot of Russkies there at New Year...but NOT the fur coat clad "neices" of wealthy thug types that you get in Courcheval.
There were several groups of real hard core off piste-ers and ex racers.
Crickey...these blokes could ski! They were all out with guides and I was chatting to one of their guides and he said they were almost the fittest, most hard skiing clients he had ever had.
So not your typical Russians that time at least.
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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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Scarpa, if you are there at 1/2 term we could meet for a ski/beer etc?
Offer open to any other snowHeads too!
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rungsp, absolutely agreed - a very different type of Russian. I wouldn't want to meet some of them on a dark night, though: went up in a gondola with some obviously gnarly skiers once, and they were discussing military hardware all the way up. 
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chrisedwardsski, as most of the others have said Verbier is great, but not without its faults. The 4V area, though large, doesn't really compare with somewhere like Espace Killy or the 3 Valleys IMO, because of the links and nature of some of the runs. I tend to head to the far side once on most trips but usually stay more local, particularly if the snow is good. Also, for a reasonably large area, it's probably lacking in terrain for less confident intermediates (at least in the main area). I'm always slightly reluctant to recommend it to people because I think there's a reasonably large slice of skiers who would not like it for this reason.
Re: your list, I've skied in Verbier and Tignes every season for the past 6 years and I've also fitted in trips to Chamonix and St Anton during that period. If I had to choose one of those resorts it would be Verbier without a doubt. It's probably my favourite resort (and there's only a 'probably' because Serre Che holds a nostalgic hold on my heart for a million reasons that Verbier will never match).
It might be a bit more expensive than some of the other big name resorts, but I can't say I've ever really noticed so I don't think it's too bad. I can't recall many Russians either - certainly less than I've heard in Tignes in recent years.
parlor - not been aware of the Verbier/Chamonix camps before but I find that interesting. I want to love Chamonix and have had 4 or 5 trips there, but it's never quite clicked for me. I loved Verbier from the start though.
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One other quick point - I think there's quite a distinct vibe to Verbier as a town and I think it's this that I really love. I look forward to having a few beers there as much as I do the skiing and I can't think of any other resort where that's the case.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Verbier skiing great - my #2 place after St Anton, great off-piste but I always stay in nendaz and ski round, too many city-banker-types staying in Verbier for my liking, and over-inflated accom prices for boxed sized shoddy rooms in Verbier IMO. Main downside is large queues at main lifts (Mont Gele, Mont Fort, main Tortin lift etc) but if you pick your times and keep moving ahead of the crowd, and ski over lunchtime its fine. Other comment is lunch stops are a bit limited, and often mega-crowded but eat early/ late and its OK.
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| rungsp wrote: |
Scarpa, if you are there at 1/2 term we could meet for a ski/beer etc?
Offer open to any other snowHeads too! |
Sounds good. I'm actually staying in Veysonnaz right out on the left this year. Big gang of us going out there. Will PM you my number in case you are about.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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midgetbiker, not really, I am one so it's smashing, I love to be amongst my own.
| alan empty wrote: |
| parlor - not been aware of the Verbier/Chamonix camps before but I find that interesting. I want to love Chamonix and have had 4 or 5 trips there, but it's never quite clicked for me. I loved Verbier from the start though. |
I've spent a lot of time talking to people about it and this is the general feeling - or the mirror opposite - I get from skiers.
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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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Guys this is great ! am loving the whole Cham v Verb thing ! and BobinCH point taken Re touring gear, am packing my skins as i type !
Got a feeling that despite the fact the snow is not at its best and it now appears its going to be a sunny week next week the Verbier experience is going to be very interesting, I hope I will be able to come back and enthuse about it as many of you have !
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Guys need more feed back :
as you are probably aware reports on snow conditions for Verbier are currently not good, has any body any suggestions as where best to head to in poor conditions ?
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You know it makes sense.
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Chez Dany
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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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Verbier rocks I shouldn't really love it but I do and no question it is a totally different vibe to Cham which I dig as well. The milkshakes in the Offshore are the best as are their eggs Benedict, just part of the ritual before going for a ski. And this year I ate for the first time in the furry shovel after going there for years and the food is superb. It is reassuringly expensive particularly if you start caning cocktails in the Farinet and is it just me or is Swiss lager minging? Hard to think of a better view than the one from the top of Mont Fort and Mont Gele is just a great playground. I'm sure it is one of those Marmite resorts but I'm a big fan.
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Poster: A snowHead
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BobinCH,  I spent a very lazy lunch there yesterday. Le Pub Mont fort is having a "Pray for snow" party on Tuesday, so chrisedwardsski I suggest you get yourself along there tout de suite!
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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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Fantastic ski area with loads of options for all terrain skiing for all levels.
Takes itself a little to seriously.
Everyone is cool (or trying hard to be)
Go to bruson for a "real" feel of Swiss skiing (if the snow is good).
PSG
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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gilleski,
Oh, how I love that hill (which is as good for non-gnarly skiers as for gnarly ones.) 
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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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Hurtle, Something about it's quaint beauty with the bus ride followed by an old chair through the pastures. I took a BASI group up there a few years ago on a poor weather day and we had a ball. Off piste through the trees down to the valley floor. Who never find it again!
PSG
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Not posted on here for a long time, but as I've spent most of the last five winters here thought might have something to add. Verbier does have hoorays, the occasional Russian and can be pricey but all of those are surmountable problems. The skiing is without parallel in my opinion, and I have skied in many places round the world.
Of more immediate concern, as I sit looking out at the Combin range typing this, is that the snow at the minute is not the best and it's forecast to be dry and warm all week. Best advice - hire a guide once you've got your ski legs warmed up otherwise you will be limited to tootling round on some fairly hard packed pistes. There is some decent snow around but it's far from epic at the minute. Anyway, an Offshore breakfast beckons...
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BGA, eggs benedict?!
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Gsyfreerider, is there any other option?
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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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chrisedwardsski, You didn't have great conditions but interested to gear your impression of Verbier?
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