Torgon Ski Resort

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Torgon ski resort Switzerland
Torgon ski resort Switzerland
Ski powder at Torgon, part of Portes du Soleil
Ski powder at Torgon, part of Portes du Soleil
Torgon is a family friendly ski area
Torgon is a family friendly ski area
Torgon ski resort provides stupendous views to Lake Geneva & Montreux
Torgon ski resort provides stupendous views to Lake Geneva & Montreux
Relax & take in the Dents du Midi at Torgon
Relax & take in the Dents du Midi at Torgon
Explore the deserted off-piste terrain at Torgon ski resort
Explore the deserted off-piste terrain at Torgon ski resort
Torgon ski resort village
Torgon ski resort village
Torgon is linked to Morgins & Châtel to form the Espace Liberté
Torgon is linked to Morgins & Châtel to form the Espace Liberté
Freeride north aspect steeps in Torgon ski resort Switzerland
Freeride north aspect steeps in Torgon ski resort Switzerland
The Panorama Restaurant at Torgon ski resort is indeed a cosy viewpoint
The Panorama Restaurant at Torgon ski resort is indeed a cosy viewpoint
Torgon has the mightiest hot chocolates in the land!
Torgon has the mightiest hot chocolates in the land!
Torgon ski resort village & learn-to-ski area is at La Jorette
Torgon ski resort village & learn-to-ski area is at La Jorette
Fresh lines abound when skiing Torgon
Fresh lines abound when skiing Torgon
Torgon has some steep freeride terrain to test one
Torgon has some steep freeride terrain to test one's mettle
The original village of Torgon is down the road from the ski resort
The original village of Torgon is down the road from the ski resort
Torgon is part of the huge cross border Portes du Soleil ski resort
Torgon is part of the huge cross border Portes du Soleil ski resort
In the Barbossine freeride ski terrain adjacent to Torgon
In the Barbossine freeride ski terrain adjacent to Torgon
Avoriaz is one of Portes du Soleil most recognisable villages - a long day
Avoriaz is one of Portes du Soleil most recognisable villages - a long day's ski from Torgon
Torgon-Morgins high alpine skiing
Torgon-Morgins high alpine skiing
Ski Torgon
Ski Torgon

Torgon Ski Resort

Readers Ratings

Torgon

Torgon3/51
Torgon3 out of 5 based on 1 reviews
  • Recommend
    100%
  • Would Revisit
    100%
Monterosa Ski Tours

Portes du Soleil Resorts

French

Avoriaz
Châtel
Les Gets
Morzine

Swiss

Champery-Les Crosets
Champoussin
Morgins

Torgon Maps & Stats

     Torgon Ski Trail Map
  • Torgon Ski Trail Map
  • Vertical (m)
    Torgon only
    1,300m - 1,900m (600m)

    Portes du Soleil
    950m - 2,277m (1,327m)
  • Average Snow Fall
    8m
  • Lifts
    Espace Liberté (incl. Torgon) - 56 lifts
    3 Gondolas / cable cars
    19 Chairlifts

    Portes du Soleil - 196 lifts
    14 Gondolas / cable cars
    75 Chairlifts
  • Opening Dates & Times
    Mid December to mid-April
    8:30am to 4:30pm
  • Terrain Summary
    Espace Liberté Runs - 130km
    Portes du Soleil Runs - 600km
    Longest run - 10km+
    Advanced - 12%
    Intermediate - 35%
    Beginner - 53%
  • Lift Pass Price
    Day Ticket 23/24
    Local Pass (incl. La Chapelle)
    Adult - CHF40
    Child - CHF30
    Child u/5yr - Free

    Espace Liberté
    (Valid - Corbeau/Morgins, Châtel, La Chapelle & Torgon)
    Adult (25-64yr): CHF53
    Senior (65-74yr): CHF48
    Youth (16-24yr): CHF48
    Child (5-15yr): CHF40
    Senior over 74yr: Free
    Child u/5yr: Free

    Portes du Soleil Lift Pass
    Adult (25-64yr): CHF60 - 77
    Senior (65-74yr): CHF54 - 69
    Youth (16-24yr): CHF54 - 69
    Child (5-15yr): CHF45 - 58
    Senior over 74yr: CHF26
    Child u/5yr: Free

    All passes are cheapest is purchased online
    Rates decrease by 15% from 1 April
    Portes du Soleil Ski Trail Map
  • Portes du Soleil Ski Trail Map
     French Portes du Soleil Ski Trail Map
  • French Portes du Soleil Ski Trail Map
     Swiss Portes du Soleil Ski Trail Map
  • Swiss Portes du Soleil Ski Trail Map

Torgon Ski Resort Switzerland

Torgon ski resort is a quiet outpost in the massive Portes du Soleil that straddles Switzerland & France in the mountains overlooking Lake Geneva & the city of Montreux. Torgon is one of those many ‘forgotten’ Swiss ski resorts that is ripe for ‘re-discovery’ by anyone looking for a good value, fun & friendly ski resort.

Barely rating a mention in most paraphernalia about the behemoth that is Portes du Soleil, Torgon is reminiscent of many Japanese ski resorts in the late 90s. Hanging on but in decline & showing it. Fear not though. Beneath the crumbling veneer is a thriving little community and a ski area that, despite its challenges, provides a skiing experience totally different to the majority of the other Portes resorts.

Pros & Cons for Torgon Ski Resort

Pros

  • No crowds on a powder day or any day in the off-piste after that!!
  • Exceptionally friendly locals.
  • Great value local lift passes, accommodation, food & drink.
  • Part of the Portes du Soleil, the world's largest cross border interlinked ski area.
  • Interesting variety of piste trails for all levels.
  • Wonderful ski school.
  • When the snow is deep, challenging & extensive freeride terrain.

Cons

  • Has the appearance of a ski resort in decline.
  • Older style ski lifts throughout the entire northern section of the Portes du Soleil.
  • Closure of linking chairlift now requires a shuttle bus from the main village to the ski area.
  • Low elevation base area may look deceptively green on the approach.
  • Awkward lift links with some parts of Les Portes du Soleil.
  • Limited ski in / ski out accommodation.

Pro or Con (depending on your perspective!)

  • Small & quiet ski resort that may or may not be everyone's cup of tea (but we loved it!).
  • No retail shopping therapy available (you will just have to buy your Rolex somewhere else!).
  • Only 5 public buses per day from the valley at Aigle limits travel times & access.

Skiing & Snowboarding, Lifts & Terrain

In & of itself, Torgon isn’t going to win any awards for ‘greatest ski resort in the world’, however as part of a bigger picture, it is a cracker. On the Swiss side of the range, Torgon is the only resort with cold, steep, north-aspect terrain – exactly what powder hounds search for. We rate it as a powder hound’s destination on the basis that in mid-February, with fresh snow overnight & a blue-sky morning, we skied powder until 1030am before seeing anyone else off-piste.

For advanced riders, the Tronchey chair is the key & serves up 500m vertical of shaded, north-aspect, steep goodness. The ski routes below the chair & the steeper unsullied pitches on the opposite side of the valley provide immense freeride entertainment. Once tracked, or in need of a tree-change, head across the Tête du Tronchet and drop into the fascinating Barbossine freeride terrain in the Petit-Châtel sector of France (make sure you have the correct lift pass – see below). Elsewhere in the resort, the surface tows up to La Chapelle have some broad powder faces amongst the few piste trails. Options for short pitch tree skiing exist too. The area is far & away the best for skiing some nice gentle groomers.

See the Torgon - Espace Liberté ski trail map below.

Torgon - Espace Libertè Ski Trail Map
Torgon - Espace Libertè Ski Trail Map

The chairlifts that once linked the resort village La Jorette to the main ski area at Plan du Croix have recently been decommissioned, leaving the seven monstrous apartment complexes & the awesome Torgon Alpine Centre disconnected. Said to say, but Torgon’s lift connections to the rest of Portes du Soleil are rubbish & well past their ‘use by date’. Getting to Morgins or Chatel is a true test of one’s patience, but one worth the effort for the magnificent reward.

La Jorette still has a decent surface J-bar, plus learn-to-ski conveyor & handle tow on a nice slope. The ski school is based there & early morning sun make it a great place to find one’s feet on skis. A free ski bus links the village to the Plan du Croix ski lifts every half an hour from 8.45am.

Lift Passes

Three lift pass options (at last count!) exist at Torgon. The cheapest is the local Torgon-La Chapelle d'Abondance pass which covers the Swiss ski resort & its small French neighbour. The second is the Espace Liberté pass covering the afore mentioned resorts plus all of Châtel & the crappier parts of Morgins. The third is of course a Portes du Soleil pass which provides unfettered access to the whole shebang.

See here for the entire Portes du Soleil ski trail map.

Where is Torgon Switzerland?

Torgon is only a hop, ski & jump from the intriguing lakeside city of Montreux & the transport hub of Aigle. The gateway airport is Geneva (GVA), 122km (1½hr) west of the resort by road via a circuitous route around Lac Leman (Lake Geneva).

When in Switzerland, we always recommend using the superb Swiss train & bus system to travel to ski resorts. Even though more limited than some, Torgon is no exception. From the airport, direct trains (direction Brig) to Aigle leave every few hours and take 1⅓hr. If staying in Montreux prior to skiing, Aigle is only a 10min train ride from the city and 19km by road east of Torgon ski resort.

From Aigle train station, the route 142 Postbus travels to the ski resort in 45min to an hour depending on road conditions. The original village of Torgon is some distance down the hill from the ski resort, so if one is staying near the ski lifts, the correct stop is ‘Torgon La Jorette’. The route 142 bus only runs 5 times per day, so time your arrival at Aigle accordingly!

Search & book here for train tickets to Aigle. Buy bus tickets from the driver.

Driving to Torgon from Geneva airport can be done via France along the southern shore of Lac Leman, but by far the quickest route is along the north shore around Lausanne & through Montreux. Regardless of the route, the flat journey abruptly ends at the town of Vionnaz when the road to Torgon starts the climb up via over 20 hairpin bends. The 13km section from Vionnaz to Torgon should take less than 30min. Watch for oncoming traffic as some sections are narrow. Rental cars are best acquired at the airport. An alternative is a private transfer either from the airport, or (more fiscally conservative) from Aigle train station.

For detailed information on travel options to the area, see our Travel to Portes du Soleil page.

Torgon Accommodation

Torgon provides great value accommodation and a quiet place from which to make forays into the wider Portes du Soleil or just to stay nearby and enjoy the local family friendly skiing. The old Torgon village is down the road a few km from the ski resort base which is called Torgon La Jorette. The chairlifts that once linked the resort village of Torgon La Jorette to the main ski area at Plan du Croix have recently been decommissioned, leaving the seven monstrous apartment complexes & the awesome Torgon Alpine Centre disconnected except for two beginner lifts. The Hotel de Torgon is the place to rest your head, particularly after sampling their interesting beer selection!

Search & book here for all Torgon ski accommodation.

A free ski bus links the resort village to the Plan du Croix ski lifts, but the original village of Torgon is only connected by public bus a few times a day. If intending to stay in the old Torgon, your own transport or taxi rides are required to get to the skiing in a time efficient manner! 

Facilities, Services, Food & Nightlife

The resort village at Torgon is quite small, despite the towering apartment blocks. The local retail complex has a food market, two good café/bar restaurants and a ski shop with rental, retail & service/repair facilities (The same ski rental shop has a larger satellite rental outlet near the main ski lifts at Plan du Croix.). A larger bar/restaurant, the Auberge des Caprins, is located slightly up the ski slope. It would have made the ideal après ski location when the old chairlifts were still in service but is sadly out of place now. Regardless the food & service at Restaurant des Caprins is excellent.

Torgon La Jorette is also home to the Café Chocolate Suisse & its spectacular marshmallow hot chocolate, complete with cow cups & saucers. Part of the Torgon Aline Centre, the great local ski school also operates from the combined cafe/bar/hotel reception! The ski school has another satellite base at Plan du Croix in Le Container (which doubles as a lovely bar & creperie).

Aside from the excellent Le Container, three other food outlets operate in Torgon. None are particularly inspired, but the Panorama Restaurant at the top of the quad chair has brilliant views across to Lake Geneva & Montreux.

Reviews

The Powderhounds reviewed Torgon in 2019 & had an amazing time meeting loads of interesting people, skiing some incredible terrain & exploring the gargantuan Portes du Soleil. Click on the review link in the left column (or top of the page if on a mobile) to read its in-depth, no holds barred ramblings!

See how Torgon & the Portes du Soleil compare to the rest of the Swiss ski resorts on the Switzerland ski resort ratings page, or compare to the rest of Europe on the European ski resort ratings page.

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