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Mt Fort / 4 Valleys Skiing Area
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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! |
| Mt Fort / 4 Valleys Ski Area |
The Mont Fort sector of the 4 Valleys Ski Area offers, without a doubt, the largest array of easily reachable Advanced/Expert terrain of any other ski resort in the Alps. When combined with the Verbier sector’s Mt-Gelé and Tortin itineraries, the possibilities are simply endless.
The Mont Fort sector can either be accessed via La Chaux (2260m) by loading onto the Jumbo, or via Tortin (2050m) by taking the Col des Gentianes tram. Both lifts converge at the same spot…the Col des Gentianes, at an altitude of 2950m!
From there, you can either choose to drop down towards Tortin via the Gentianes – Tortin itinerary (see Off Piste in Mt Fort/4 Valleys) or take a more mellow route down towards La Chaux taking the Gentianes red run (see Intermediate Runs in Mt Fort/4 Valleys).
From the Col des Gentianes, there is also the possibility of remaining in the high alpine and skiing the Glaciers 2 red runs, which are serviced by the Glacier 1 & Glacier 2 drag lifts. Due to the glacier’s heavy recession these past few years, this area necessitate lots of natural snowfall to operate, and therefore, is not always open.
Those seeking the awe-inspiring panoramic views from the top of Mont Fort, as well as the challenging and oftentimes mogulled-out black run on its front face, can head up to its 3330m summit via the Mont Fort 2 tram. From there, you can also drop off the backside for some adrenaline packed descents (see Off Piste in Mt Fort/4 Valleys) but it is unadvisable to do so without the accompaniment of a Certified Mountain Guide.
A word of advice for all of you venturing up there: If the weather is threatening to come in and you don’t know the sector well, it is preferable to make your way down the mountain ASAP as the high alpine environment and pea-soup fog do not mix very well. The lack of trees and recognizable features can quickly give you an impression of vertigo, not to mention how easy it is to become lost amidst such a vast area. Even following the piste markers to avoid falling off the run can be a difficult task for someone who knows the slope layout well. Better to save your high alpine adventures for nice sunny days!
The rest of the 4 Valleys, namely Nendaz, Veysonnaz and Thyon (which, together combined, go by the name of “Printze”) are also well worth the visit. Spanning North, North-East from Tortin, the Printze area offers a great choice of blue and red runs, as well as a few blacks for the more intrepid skiers and boarders. |
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last updated 25-Feb-2008 |
| Leisurely Runs in Mt Fort / 4 Valleys |
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While there are no blue runs in the Mont Fort sector, a good number of them can be found around Siviez, as well as in Nendaz and Thyon. From Verbier however, these three areas can only be reached via red or black runs. |
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last updated 25-Feb-2008 |
| Intermediate Runs in Mt Fort / 4 Valleys |
There are 4 marked red runs awaiting intermediate skiers and snowboarders in the Mont Fort sector. From top to bottom, these are:
Glaciers 2 : From the top of the Glacier 1 & 2 drag-lifts, exit right and choose one of two options. Either take the boulevard straight ahead which will eventually lead you back to the Col des Gentianes, or follow the piste to the skiers left of the lift. This wide run eventually brings you back down to the bottom of the lift.
Gentianes-Tortin (1st part) : From the Col des Gentianes, take the piste which follows the Col des Gentianes tram line in the direction of Tortin. This run will eventually lead you to the start of the Gentianes-Tortin ski itinerary, which starts at the bottom of the Glacier 1 & 2 drag-lifts. This itinerary is quite steep in place and, much like the Mont Fort black run, oftentimes full of moguls, so to avoid getting stuck having to ski it against your will, make sure the drag-lifts are in operation before setting off this way!
Les Gentianes-La Chaux : From the Col des Gentianes, go past the restaurant and take the piste which follows the Jumbo tram line towards La Chaux. After a first straight section, you can either continue down on a second, relatively steep (and often icy) pitch, or choose a mellower winding path which crosses this section many times over. Then, the run flattens and widens, continuing towards the Cabane Mt-Fort. Maintain your speed for the last section before the hut as the cat road there is quite flat. After the hut, yet another nice pitch awaits you, but again, it is advisable to keep your speed up here as the rest of the descent towards the bottom of the Jumbo is relatively flat.
Jumbo : An alternative to the second half of the above-mentioned run, this piste which follows a lower yet pretty much parallel course, is truly for amateurs of beautiful views! Before the cat road leading to the Mt-Fort hut, take a left. The run will continue past the hut (above on your right) towards one of the Jumbo’s towers. Directly to your left is an off-piste run called “Barry’s Bowl”, and below it, the protected zone of Patiefray and its beautiful snow covered meandering marshlands. Follow this run past the tower, making sure to keep your speed up on the final pitch, where a long flat cat road will eventually bring you back to the Jumbo.
The Printze area of the 4 Valleys counts more than 15 distinct red runs, some of which branch off into multiple legs. Too numerous to describe in detail, we advise you to set off early one day on the road to discovery, and take a “4 Valley Tour”. When doing so, do keep an eye on the time to avoid missing the last lifts, and getting stuck with a REALLY expensive taxi ride back to Verbier! |
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last updated 26-Feb-2008 |
| Advanced Runs in Mt Fort / 4 Valleys |
There is 1 marked black run awaiting expert skiers and snowboarders in the Mont Fort sector, namely:
Mont Fort : From the top of the Mont Fort 2 tram, after taking in the awesome views of the Matterhorn towards the East, and Mont Blanc to the West, make your way down the stairs to the top of the run. This steep and oftentimes moguled out piste pretty much follows the fall line to the skiers left of the lift, until crossing over to the right of the front face and mellowing out, much lower down near the top of the Glaciers 1 & 2 drag-lifts. Alternatively, although not an official marked run, you can cut across right near the top to the right of the tram line and make your way down an even steeper (but slightly smoother) line down the face.
The Printze area of the 4 Valleys offers 4 distinct black runs, some of which branch off into multiple legs. In the Plan-Du-Fou sector of Nendaz, you’ll find a run called Les Fontaines. In the Greppon Blanc sector above Veysonnaz, both the Greppon Blanc I & II and the Greppon Blanc III runs await. And last but not least, the steep, sustained pitch of the Étherolla run in Thyon is well worth the detour! |
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last updated 26-Feb-2008 |
| Off Piste in Mt Fort/4 Valleys |
Backside Mont Fort Probably the most awesome off-piste itinerary in the 4-Valleys, doing a “backside” means you’re really leaving the ski area boundaries & getting out there in the backcountry for a bit. The slope inclination (very steep at times), glaciated terrain, avalanche potential and relatively long walk out means only expert skiers/boarders with a good knowledge of avalanche awareness should attempt this run, or better yet, hire a guide to make sure you go the right way and get out safely!
Access is from the top of the Mont Fort itself. Once you reach the bottom of the tram’s staircase, duck the rope to your left & you’re at the start of your journey. From there, follow the track to the edge of the eastern bowls and drop into the first one. Here, you can either go straight down, or traverse over to the skier’s left and drop into the second bowl. Both are equally as steep, yet the 2nd one is somewhat narrower, but both lead to the same exit zone; your choice. From there, the slope mellows out as you come onto the tongue of the Petit Mt Fort Glacier. Keep your speed through this relatively flat section until you eventually wrap around to the left to tackle a new, short but moderately steep, face. Here you must again keep your speed up as you want to make it as far across the next flat zone (which is actually the frozen Grand Désert Lake). After a bit of pushing, you will reach a section of fun, rolling terrain. At the bottom of this slope, hook a left which will lead you to the start of the traverse above the Cleuson Lake. Although not technically difficult, this traverse is long and necessitates a fair bit of pushing.
When you’ve reached the Dam on the lake’s other extremity, you’re on the last leg of your journey. Drop in right next to the dam and make your way down until you hit a road, which you will take to the left. Continue down on it, re-entering the forest, until minutes later, you come out onto the blue Tortin piste which leads down to the 4-man chair in Siviez. Congratulations, you’re back in the 4-Valley lift system. I hope you took the time to look around between turns and marvel at the beauty of the area you’ve just travelled through...
Gentianes – Tortin Probably the easiest off-piste to reach in the entire 4-Valleys, this itinerary gets so much traffic it could be mistaken for a mogulled piste, only days after a snowfall.
From the Col de Gentianes (top of the Jumbo), make your way down towards Tortin on the red piste which makes its way to the bottom of the Glaciers 1 & 2 drag-lifts. Once there, continue past them and you are officially at the start of the Gentianes-Tortin ski itinerary. From there you have different options to make your way down the massive face’s steep sustained gradient. Going skier’s left will take you through some narrower, at times quite steep “couloir like” sections, while going skier’s right will take you into a much more open bowl, which, like I mentioned, can get quite full of moguls, as most people go this way. If unfamiliar with the terrain, going straight down is not recommended, as there are some cliffs to avoid which are difficult to see given the pitch. As you get lower down, every route funnels back to the same central section where speed must be maintained in order to cross the flats and rejoin with the lifts at Tortin!
Because of its northern exposure and higher altitude, the snow can hold quite well in the face, especially on the skier’s left which gets the least sun. Conversely, come springtime and its warmer temperatures, the face can be pretty “bullet-proof” in the mornings…best to wait until the afternoon to hit it.
Stairway to Heaven Yet another classic itinerary! For the off-piste enthusiast, no trip to Verbier is complete without having carved some turns down “Stairways”… good cold winter powder can oftentimes be found right into the spring on this north-facing slope!
Take the Jumbo up to the Col de Gentianes. Make a right when you get down the lift’s stairs and follow the traverse which makes its way towards the large cliffs directly ahead. The traverse will then veer to the right to run parallel to the cliffs. Just after this, if you look up to the left, you will see a boot pack which leads up a relatively wide, steep couloir. This is the “Stairway to Heaven”…
Make your way up (remembering to keep good spacing between riders so as not to load the slope unnecessarily) until you reach the top, some 10 minutes later. Welcome to the start of your run. From here, you can drop in right away, or choose to traverse left along the bowl to get a fresher track. There are no real difficulties to speak of on this moderately sloping open bowl if you keep to the central or left-hand side portion of the glacier. Avoid going to the very right hand side as dependant on the snow-pack depth, the tongue of the glacier is sometimes exposed. To exit, merge towards the left past a hump on the right at the bottom of the face, and then follow the mellow fall-line towards the right until you join up to the lower portion of the Gentianes-Tortin itinerary. Keep your speed up as it gets really flat near the merge point and this will save you some pushing. From there, you’re only minutes away from the lifts at Tortin!
These are merely suggestions of where to go, keeping in mind that off-piste skiing/boarding is ALWAYS practised at your own risk. Ignoring safety warnings, entering closed areas or ducking under ropes and barriers can have grave consequences in the mountains. This is why we recommend that you take a certified mountain guide with you when heading off-piste. |
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last updated 25-Feb-2008 |
| Mountain Restaurants on the Mont Fort Sector |
Cabane Mont Fort (halfway down the Gentianes-La Chaux piste, on the left); Same owner as La Marleinaz on the Savolyeres side…good food, great views!
Cabane du Ski-Club Tortin (5min walk up from the top of Mt. Fort drag-lifts);
Restaurant de Tortin (Chassoure lift station).
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last updated 26-Jun-2008 |
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