The ski area is so vast it can be difficult to know where to start skiing. So we have put together some of our favorite runs throughout the ski area. Whether you're into moguls, steep and long descents or simply beautiful, quiet pistes with great snow, we hope that these suggestions will hit the spot.
Boasting three nursery slopes/beginner areas in the resort itself, the Verbier ski area also offers great beginner terrain up at La Chaux, now accessible directly from Médran thanks to the recently built La Chaux Express Combi-Mix lift. Also serviced by a 4-man chair, this sun drenched area is a great place to practice & progress as there are nice, easy runs which tend to soften up in the afternoon given its south facing orientation.
Four marked blue runs await beginners and low-intermediate skiers and snowboarders here. From top to bottom, these are:
Lac des Vaux 1:
From the top of the Lac des Vaux quad chair, exit left and follow the slope until an intersection where you can choose to go left (Lac des Vaux direction) or right (Ruinettes direction). Take a left and continue in that direction until another intersection, where you can either go straight or slightly right. Either way you choose, the slope eventually makes a final left turn and follows the Lac des Vaux triple chair line to the bottom of both Lac des Vaux lifts.
La Chaux 1:
From the top of the La Chaux Express, head towards the area of Les Fontaneys. From there, continue across the top of the bowl, traversing the whole thing along the flat road until you pop over back on the La Chaux side of the ridge. This run, also marked as ‘Grenier’ on the piste map, will eventually take you back to the bottom of the La Chaux Express lift, via the tail end of the snow park. Because it is slightly more out of the way, it isn’t rare to have parts of this slope entirely to yourself.
La Chaux 2:
From the top of the La Chaux quad chair, exit right and take the piste directly to the right. This run winds its way down for the most part on the skier’s left or directly below the lift line, eventually ending up at the bottom of the lift. Some sections are marginally steeper in places but overall, the descent is quite mellow; perfect for learning!
Médran 1:
Starting at the Ruinettes, this run is an endless cat road which switchbacks its way down a number of times all while crossing numerous red runs along the way, until it reaches the Médran lift station in town. It is also possible to take the run from the top of the Mayentzet double chair, from which it is a much shorter journey down.
There is just 1 marked black run awaiting expert skiers and snowboarders, namely:
La Pasay Noir:
This run has two different starting options, both of which eventually fusion together lower down. From the top of the La Pasay triple chair, exit right. Taking another right straight away will lead you to the start of the piste, which pretty much follows the fall line to the skiers left of the lift. You can also choose to go pretty much straight when getting off the lift and you’ll be on a short (but very scenic!) wrap-around portion of the same run, eventually joining back up to the other piste on the front face of the resort. Both options bring you back to the bottom of the La Pasay triple chair.
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 often mogulled out piste pretty much follows the fall line to the skier's 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!
