Great infra when it snows. (If you get unlucky with no snow, i imagine you are going to have a relatively bad time). Got lucky that it snowed a lot Feb 2026.

Offpiste is amazing (Bruson included).

On piste is extremely under-par. Lifts are good but too many pomas/sticks. (Blog Moderators comment - surface tows are mainly in the Veysonnaz-Thyon sector of 4 Vallees)
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Oh the pleasure when one scores nearly the perfect winter storm at a beast of a ski area like 4 Vallees. Cold, deep snow, quiet January mid-week, a great crew, plus a free lift pass thanks to the much-maligned management team at Vail Resorts - truly epic! And in a season with a seriously tetchy snowpack, this storm was amongst the best in terms of stability too. Over consecutive days we scored first lifts and endless first track laps at Bruson. Such an underrated gem. All the while the upper lifts across the valley were closed. And when they opened, we were there to hit all the classics, including Mont Fort.

One of the highlights included being amongst the first to descend the Chassoure into Tortin. The terrain here always impresses, and when it's deep in fresh snow even more so. Interestingly the terrain toward Nendaz on the solar aspects below Plan du Fou was not nearly as well covered as other aspects. And I would be lying if I said I didn't score a few sharks here and there..... but that’s all part of the game.

Cost is always a question when skiing this region, particularly if it involves Verbier. But with some of the best powder skiing of the season, affordable, comfortable accommodation at nearby Orsieres, a free lift pass, free parking at the gondola, incredible terrain, impressive ski lifts, and hardly any lift queues, this ski trip to 4 Vallèes represents fantastically good value on a global scale. Definitely worth every penny to ski the 4 Vallees.

However it's not all accolades for 4 Vallèes. Some visitors will find this resort VERY challenging to ski, particularly in the Mont Fort/Tortin sectors where there are NO connecting pistes. Downloading has a certain level of indignity about it, but finagling your way down some of the ungroomed ski routes is probably beyond a large cohort of skiers that visit here. Some intermediates & below will simply have to download where there are no groomed alternatives. And that is pretty much the entire central sector of the greater 4 Vallèes. Similarly the resort in and off itself is not the best for novices. if you are learning to ski, go hang out at Thyon in the Printse sector, but otherwise, head elsewhere to a smaller quiet ski area with no pressure. Places in the Valais like Anzère, Vercorin, Belalp, Aletsch Arena would do the job admirably.

Another issue is crowds. Whilst we were incredibly lucky picking a storm and time of year with quite minimal crowds in reality, the crowds here can be painful at times. The old rules still apply though - get up early (we do, and got first lifts at Verbier AND Bruson); get a feel for the way lifts open (experience, ask, or have a guide for a day!); get away from the main centres before the 9.30am ski lessons crowd gets out; take lunch early and get out before the main lunch crowd arrives. We noted a very steady stream of skiers heading into Siviez from Nendaz to get into the broader 4 Vallèes. This happens most days so try and avoid the Siviez lifts from 10am to 11am.

The last issue is the lift system. It is getting close to being 5-paws worthy but is not quite there yet. Whilst the last of the oldest lifts are being replaced for 26/27, there is still the Greppon Blanc 1 & 2 chokepoint that will not be dealt with. Until it is, no 5-paws for you!

A word of warning for anyone contemplating eating at the iconic igloo-shaped building on Col des Gentianes. It’s a burger and milkshake joint. Expensive we get given where it is, however the food is amateurish & disgraceful, & the service shabby at best. Please avoid it all costs so it goes out of business, and a decent mob can take it over. There are so many better places to eat toward Verbier & Siviez.

We adore skiing here. Any experienced skier or snowboarder that loves challenging, fun terrain simply MUST come here at least once in their life. We will come back for another dose whenever the stars align.

See our thoughts on the resort’s pros & cons via the 4 Vallees overview page.

See our video here

Us powder hounds had been drooling over a storm that was forecast to hit the Valais area big time, so we departed dry Austria with our powder hound tails between our legs in search of powder. Having never been to the 4 Vallèes, and in part inspired to use our Epic Pass, we made the big trek across from the Salzburg region because powder is what keeps us happy.

The multi-day snowstorm didn’t disappoint and it dumped plenty of snow. We went storm riding at Bruson amongst the varied glades, and then to Verbier for mostly alpine terrain once it was bluebird and the upper lifts were open.

I’d conjured up an image that any decent lift-served terrain at 4 Vallèes would be crazy on powder days and any powder chewed up quickly, but it didn’t seem that busy and my appetite for powder turns was satiated (for the time being anyhow). I was also pleasantly fatigued and my body askew (a bit like my goggles on the top of my helmet sometimes).

You’ll see my reviews (and others) here:
- Bruson
- Verbier

We spent a bit of time skiing around Nendaz & Siviez and the skier traffic seemed higher there on the groomers, whilst the snow off-piste had gone a little sour. Mont Fort was impressive, not only for the spectacular scenery yet also for the skills of those who gave some gnarly lines a crack. We skied down the main face, which was chowdering up but still enjoyable, then pointed the sticks to get back to the lift.

I’m not a connoisseur of skiing in Europe as I usually leave that to my PHE colleague, so maybe I’m easily impressed, but I thought 4 Vallèes was uber fantastic and a highlight of my trip to Europe.
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The variety of skiing in the 4 Vallees is incredible. There was nicely groomed piste runs as well as exceptional powder terrain. Bruson’s tree terrain was a highlight of the visit. The views from Verbier was nothing shy of exceptional and beautiful scenic cable cars rides!

Whilst 4 Vallèes is a beautiful resort to ski, it is an expensive mountain. We were fortunate enough to use our Australian Epic Pass for a few "free" ski days. We opted to stay off the mountain for cheaper accommodation.
See our video here

An ski region with good slopes especially on the verbier side but equipment is old and really skiing the entire region is challenging because the slopes from Verbier to the other vallies are not prepped thus only for very experienced skiers. A lot of very long drag lifts cover the connections between the vallies with long waiting times.
Hard any of the chairlifts have covers. Looks like very little investments being made.
See our video here

There's likely a lot of words you could use to describe the 4 Valleys...but the one that I zero'd in on would easily be: "Enormous".

I visited in Jan of 2023 which sadly saw one of two weird warming spells for the 22/23 winter. The only new snow that came in the 5 nights that I was there was a dusting mid-week...but it wasn't enough to soften up the off-piste options that I so often love to get into. My scoring takes into account what I know the terrain would be like with normal snowfall and without the bizarre warmth that hit the region.

To really get into the 4 Valleys and explore most of the region, you absolutely have to stay there for nearly a full week. We're talking over 400kms of slopes not even counting all of the side/off-piste options that are scattered absolutely everywhere throughout. Plan accordingly.

The system of lifts is, naturally, pretty expansive and very up-to-date. The highest and most extreme portion of the region that I got to (had kids in ski school which further restricted my exploration) was the Mont Fort freeride area which had all but become moguls at this point without newfallen snow. Having said that, I still really enjoyed the expansive terrain. There are endless options nearly everywhere to be had both on and off the groomers...I'd recommend this place to anyone.

It's of course subjective, but I thought, taking into account the size of the resort as well as the fact that it's Switzerland (land of 25 dollar/Franc McDonald's Meals), the value of 4 Valleys was pretty good. You can buy lift tickets that get you to about half the resort (still 200kms!) or the entire resort. I forget what the names of the regions are called, but make sure you ask/pay attention to it if you visit.

The place, due to its location and popularity, is quite busy...but from my memory, the size of the place didn't allow for a lot of crowding with the exception of the "Printse" run which serves as the only connector between the Prarion and Siviez lifts. The runs and off-piste options are big and wide enough to give everyone all the space they need. I mentioned it already, but I had kids in ski school for the entire week's morning sessions. I went with my standard: Swiss Ski School since they have a national program and your kids sort of receives a "Ski Resume/CV" after they finish. Kids were 7 and 9 at the time and I didn't really have any big issues with the exception of a French language barrier between myself (English and German) and my 7-year-old's instructor (straight up only French). Aside from that, the kids were well taken care of and were challenged on the slopes. They even did the normal end-of-lessons race day which was cool to watch.

My nightlife rating is only at an average simply bc I didn't get to experience it = Dads 4 lyfe!!

Visit 4 Valleys...but don't think a 3 or 4 day visit is enough. Do yourself a favor and make the journey and lift ticket costs worth it. Stay longer and get the most out of this expansive winter wonderland.
See our video here

I have been to the 4-Vallees (or parts of it) a few times now, and the more I go, the more my appreciation of the place grows. For good skiers & snowboarders, when the snow is deep, it is a true nirvana.

Inevitably in the world’s great ski areas, they become victims of their own success. Too many people, terrain getting tracked out too quick, crammed cable cars, no tables for lunch ……… you know what I mean. At times, 4 Vallèes suffers from that too. But if you time it well, get up early, go hunting out wide, there is so much to love about this huge, interlinked resort.

It is because of its size that you will always be able to find a place that suits your needs. Be it untracked larch glades, steep bowls, long super groomed pistes, or just a safe sheltered beginner area, the 4-Vallees can provide. Case in point, several days after the last snowfall, we skied gorgeous powder with just a short boot pack and traverse off the Etherolla lift. And we could have spent the day repeating the dose, by moving toward the flanks of Mont Rouge if we were so inclined.

A key to enjoying the place is understanding that the 4 Vallèes is more than Verbier. Anyone with the disposable cash can afford to do as they like, and so Verbier is an easy option. And far enough, it’s a great spot. But equally other villages are fantastic places to stay, and generally with less humans, and often with better terrain and conditions.

Sometimes, the 4 Vallees is best when you ski the outlying sectors like Bruson or Thyon. Getting to the top of Mont Fort isn’t necessarily that good from Verbier, but its very quick and easy from Siviez. Nendaz can be a super fun village AND has some incredible old growth larch forest skiing nearby, plus super terrain beyond that into Siviez. Veysonnaz can feel deserted. Its long trails into the village are sooo good in the early morning. Thyon’s ski lifts & terrain are amongst the best novice & beginner ski areas in Switzerland. And then the further you go out, or bootpack a little, untracked powder awaits. You get the drift…

From where we sit, the biggest issue with 4-Vallees (aside from too many humans in high season) is the ski lift links between Siviez and Veysonnaz-Thyon. They simply don’t stack up to what one finds throughout the remainder of the resort.

On this visit we visited midweek in January and stayed in Nendaz at the Hotel Edelweiss. A hundred metres from the gondola base, great meals, comfortable rooms, and a fantastic beer selection to go with the very enthusiastic après ski session that ended at an incredibly polite 8.30pm. Slumbered like a cherub.

Transport to Nendaz was the PostBus from Sion train station. As an international traveller there is no real excuse to have a car in Switzerland. Train & bus can get you most places with ease, and that certainly the case at 4 Vallèes.

I’m heading back here in season 2024 for sure. You should too. Just don’t get sucked into thinking that you have to stay in Verbier during the ‘high season’ in February, there are plenty of alternative times, dates & villages. And once you spent a week here, head into the adjacent Val d’Herens and cleanse your soul at Arolla-Evolene. You can thank me for it later.

Read more about the pros & cons of the resort on the 4 Vallees overview page.

See our video here

I spent a week at Verbier/4 Vallees. It was one of the best weeks of my life. The views are incredible, the lifts are very efficient, groomers are immaculate, off-piste bowls are otherworldly, and on-mountain dining is amazing. A bluebird powder day at Verbier is to date the best skiing experience I've ever had. The only reason you shouldn't go is if you're new to skiing. I think to get the most out of the trip you should at least be able to handle steeper groomers (red's in Europe, double-blues in the USA).

This is also the most expensive ski trip I've ever been on. I stayed in La Tzoumaz instead of Verbier and the accommodations are more reasonable. You do miss out on Verbier apres, which I've only heard great stories about.

Do this trip before you die. If I ever come into generational wealth my vacation home will be in Verbier!
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We dipped our ‘toe in the water’ at 4 Vallees via a visit to Verbier in 2018. The possibilities are endless for off-piste shenanigans, but there is quite the crowd seeking the same thing. Finding the paths less travelled is the key & that means probably getting as far as away as possible from Verbier as well or getting a guide to get immediate access to local knowledge!

Whilst staying in Verbier is on many people’s bucket list, it is expensive & super-busy in the mornings. The lifts can be seriously crammed. The most efficient access to the best freeride zones around Mont Fort, Nendaz & Veysonnaz is from Siviez, where 3 lifts head in all directions. Staying in Siviez overnight isn’t easy, as the relatively limited number of apartments for rent are rightfully popular. But it is possible & worth it if interested in having the best opportunity at fresh tracks. It’ll be easier of your wallet too! just dont expect too much after hours action - Verbier is the place for that & your credit card will get a far workout.

Our fleeting visit to the 4 Vallees requires us to return for an extended period as soon as is humanly possible. There is so much to see & ski here that it will require a lengthy stay! Looking forward to it.

You can see our thoughts on the pros and cons on the 4 Vallèes overview page and also see our European ski resort ratings page regarding how we score it compared to other skiing areas.

See our video here