|
|
 |
La Tzoumaz / Savoleyres Skiing Area
|
Verbier is one of the world's most popular winter resorts covering an enormous area for skiers and snowboarders of all ablities to explore. The skiing in and around Verbier can be broken up into 4 areas, namely: Verbier, La Tzoumaz/Savoleyres, Bruson and Mt Fort/4 Valleys. All areas are quite distinct one from the other, offering different types of terrain of varied difficulty. We aim to give you the advice and tips you need to make the most of what the area has to offer! |
| La Tzoumaz/Savoleyres Ski Area |
Situated right behind Savoleyres’ south-facing slopes, La Tzoumaz’s pistes quickly plunge into the tree-line, offering a large choice of runs with ok visibility to those who want to ski, regardless of the bad weather.
While Le Nord (6-man high speed detachable chair) services a short but sweet, moderately steep ridgeline speckled with trees, Le Taillay (4-man chair) on the opposite end gives access to very mellow terrain which starts off very open and gradually enters the tree-line. With both, you have the option of either staying on the piste or wandering off, without ever having to venture too far to the sides to find fresh powder. Be careful however when skiing off-piste to the skier’s right of Le Taillay, not to go too far right, as you will miss the cat road bringing you back to the lift & will be on your way to the bottom of the resort through a mess of tight, annoying trees.
The Les Etablons (2-man chair) can offer some great turns when the snow is good lower down. The second half of the red slope which starts directly to the left or skier’s right of the lift has a good moderate pitch and can be quite fun.
What more, with the brand-new 8-man La Tzoumaz gondola, great “top to bottom” runs can be enjoyed, knowing that line-ups are now a thing of the past!
|
|
last updated 8-Jan-2008 |
| Off Piste in La Tzoumaz/Savoleyres |
La Marleinaz This off-piste “classic” is situated not far from the top of the Savoleyres lift station and can easily be reached with a 15 minute traverse…or an even quicker one from the top of La Tournelle (2-man chair).
From the top of Savoleyres, head along the ridge towards the direction of Pierre Avoi (skier’s right of the bubbles). Continue past the top of La Tournelle and its red run until you reach a huge mountain hump to your left. Make your way past it to the right, and you are officially at the start of La Marleinaz.
Follow the big, moderate grade, open bowl down until you reach the tree-line and first few chalets. At this point, start traversing left until you eventually fall onto the Rte de la Marleinaz which will lead you back towards the bubbles. When you come flush with the Savoleyres lift-line, wind your way down through the chalets until you reach the lift station!
Due to its south-facing exposure, this is an itinerary which should only be attempted in the morning, before the snow has heated up. Usually, unless we’re experiencing a cold snap, it must be hit the first day following a snowfall, as the sun will quickly transform the powder into crud. Also, to avoid a long, annoying walk back to the lift station, make sure the snowline goes down all the way to the village.
Vallon d’Arbi (ski itinerary [guide recommended] – access from Les Attelas) Lovers of off-piste will revel in this great ski itinerary which is reached from the summit of Les Attelas, on rte to the Col des Mines. Make your way down the Lac des Vaux area keeping on the skier’s left past the 4-man chair (ducking under the rope) until you enter the gully. This moderately pitched gully feeds onto a traverse, which, when not officially open, can be quite hairy as it’s a “no fall zone”, given the cliffs & exposure to the right. There is also quite a big slope overhead, so you must consider the avalanche risk before entering the traverse.
As early as midway through the traverse (after the cliffs), the Vallon d’Arbi itinerary starts off in an open bowl but quickly enters a section of well spaced big larch trees, making it a pleasure to pull fast, sweeping turns through its moderately steep pitch. For a slightly more exciting run, you can choose to continue traversing right past the Col des Mines & “around the corner”. Slopes there tend to be more loaded, so do take extra care when entering this area & if in doubt: don’t go. Either route you choose will eventually funnel to the same spot at the bottom of the vallon. Once you’ve crossed the creek, a long and at times quite flat cat road eventually brings you to the bottom of the La Tzoumaz bubbles.
Because of the access, which in whiteout conditions can be quite tricky, as well as the risk of avalanche danger given the moderately steep gradient of the slope, it is advisable to always carry with you all pertinent gear, and not to engage in the area when it is closed. Basically, we strongly recommended you hire a guide to safely bring you to this & other great places!
If you are up the mountain in the higher alpine & the weather suddenly deteriorates leaving you caught in a whiteout, the best thing to do is to carefully head down the mountain as soon as possible. Usually (but not always the case), the lower you get on the mountain, the more the clouds will dissipate and the better the visibility will get.
When in “pea-soup” fog, descend the cat roads at a pace which allows you to safely follow (and stay within) the safety markers posted on either side of the trail, thus ensuring you don’t fall off the road. |
|
last updated 25-Feb-2008 |
| Mountain Restaurants in the Savolyeres Area |
Chez Simon (bottom of Le Nord 6-man chair);
Crêperie Baratin (next to the top of Le Tailley lift); Same owners as the Monde des Crêpes in the resort; boasts a fare of great crêpes and serves café au lait in a bowl…and great views of the Combins from their terrace!
Sommet Savoleyres (top of Savoleyres lift station). Two restaurants, one of which has a large terrace with a panoramic view!
For "a la carte" dining try:
La Marleinaz (bottom of the Marleinaz off-piste itinerary);
La Marmotte (below Savoleyres Sud drag-lift…next to Le Namasté);
Le Namasté below Savoleyres Sud drag-lift…next to La Marmotte);
Le Sonalon (directly below the Savoleyres bubbles…halfway down).
|
|
last updated 26-Jun-2008 |
|
