Nax was both cool and cold. It's on the other side of the valley so it's mostly out of the sun and has different views from other resorts like Anzere & Crans Montana. A mix of old and new infrastructure and a mix of terrain, not much (if anything) for beginners but everyone else should have fun on piste. Untracked or barely tracked snow was easily found and there is a short easy walk to a view and more terrain in better snow conditions. The restaurant in the sun had great burgers and was good place to rest. I'll definately return one day, there much more to explore.

(Editors note: yes it is you in the first photo on the overview page, nicely done! Click the link for the Nax Mont-Noble overview page.)
See our video here

We truly enjoyed our visit to Nax Mont Noble in January 2025. For season 24/25, of all the ski areas we visited in the Alps (and there were 42 in all), Nax Mont Noble got the awards for four things: 1 - Most surprisingly good; 2 -Coldest ski day; 3 - Best on-mountain casual-dining food; 4 - Best intermediate pistes. Suffice to say we will be going back as a result.

One thing Nax is definitely not, is a place for novices and beginners. No designated beginner runs, no designated lifts and not even an on-mountain ski rental. It wasn’t always like this, but over time there has clearly been some simplification of the ski area’s offering. Ski lessons are still available though.

The terrain on Mont Noble is on a mostly cold, shaded north-aspect allowing for excellent snow quality. The upper bowl faces west and gets the most sun on the mountain later in the day. Due its aspect, expect temperatures to be quite chilly for much of the day. In fact, our visit to Nax was the coldest of the entire season for us, and it was on bright sunny day!

On the piste it is entirely rated as intermediate, and from our experience that is accurate or even understated. A few sections of runs would be rated ‘black’ in other ski resorts. Novices will find it very challenging here and we are good with that. Not everywhere needs to cater to beginners.

It is possible to ski the entire 1,135m vertical on piste and we did. Sensational. The trail map doesn’t fully show the length of some runs, but there are several combinations of over 7km in length.

Off-piste is a mixed bag of upper alpine steeps & bowls, but steepish tree skiing lower down. The tree skiing in particular requires a little bit of local knowledge to find the most consistent lines amongst the mixed pine & larch, but a bit of poking around on our visit revealed a few beauties. The obvious off-piste terrain in the main bowl around the la Combe chair is simple to explore. A short climb up to the summit will reveal more adventurous options toward the Tour Bonvin peak and down into the Planards T-bar. Wind had impacted snow quality on the upper parts of this zone, so care was needed initially to navigate it. Sidecountry ski-touring is clearly popular here too, with many routes possible, including all the way to neighbouring Vercorin. Something for another day….

A good fun off-piste bump run is in a broad open field between the La Dzorniva restaurant and the base of La Vachette chair. Plus the terrain directly under the La Dvorniva chair is skiable in most conditions. With so few people and some fabulous challenging slopes & terrain below the tree line, Nax Mont Nobel is probably one of the better ski areas in the region on storm days when visibility is poor.

The ski lifts are another mixed bag, with a weird succession of an ancient (46-year-old) double chair, a quad chair, a newish T-bar and another quad chair getting one up to the highest lifted point. Lift lines are generally non-existent except for on sunny weekends when they are greatest at the base in the morning, and at the upper La Combe chair in the middle of the day.

Regarding the aforementioned ‘award’ for ‘best on-mountain casual-dining food', it was based on devouring the most divine hamburger (a Burger d’Herens) at the informal La Buvette du Chiesso and scoffing some incredibly tasty quiches and other delectables at the main ‘self-service’ La Dzorniva café-restaurant. On the après ski side of things, the action is pretty much restricted to the ‘Bus Bar’ (yes, a converted bus) parked at the entrance to car park number 2. Was not open when we slid past though. Bummer. The Bus Bar is in a very cold, shaded location, and would need a fire or other heating to make it attractive.

Away from the skiing at Mont Noble, the village of Nax is quite pretty and understated. Perched above the Rhone valley overlooking Sion and the ski resorts of Anzère, 4 Vallees and Crans Montana, anyone staying here needs to be ready for peace & quiet. Given the village’s relatively limited services and remote(ish) location, we probably wouldn’t spend more than a few nights here, but each to their own.

Getting to the ski lifts at Nax Mont Noble is simplest if one has a rental car (or your own car of course!). Public transport is limited to non-existent up to the lifts from the village. Driving up to Nax from the valley at Sion is easy enough on a wide road. After the village, the road narrows markedly to the first car park & base area. Beyond the first car park, many elect to park at the higher car park number 2. Maybe it is because that’s where the bar is or perhaps its just that it is more conveneint to the ski trail (it is ski-out, ski-in)?Car park number 1 does include a rather awkward walk down to the ticket office and chairlift, so if (when!) we visit again, we will park higher up at number 2 and ski down to the chairlift.

If you happen to be staying at the Thyon/Veysonnaz side of the 4 Vallèes mega resort and want to experience authentic Swiss Alps skiing, head across to Nax Mont Noble (and then to Evolene!) for a day. For everyone driving through the Rhone River valley near Sion and wondering where to ski, give Nax Mont Noble a try. You won’t regret it, and they will appreciate your patronage.

See our thoughts on the pros and cons of this ski resort via our Nax Mont Noble overview page.
See our video here

Nax Mont Noble is an amazing little (for Switzerland!) ski hill, but very cold which means great snow quality. Lots of fun options on and off piste. Self-serve restaurant had fantastic quiches and we later chose to have hamburgers (very good) from a funky little restaurant with outdoor seating. Not that I judge a ski hill by its food, but it helps!
See our video here