Valais Ski Resorts, Switzerland
Switzerland's canton of Valais (a.k.a. Wallis) is synonymous with the greatest ski resorts of the world. As well-known as the Tyrol in Austria or Aosta Valley in Italy, the Valais needs to be on every powder hounds' agenda, simply because of its consistent, world-class ski lifts, terrain and of course, snow.
What we regard as Switzerland's most diverse canton, the bilingual Valais / Wallis is in the southwest of Switzerland, bordering France to the west & Italy to the south. The Rhône River valley runs through the entirety of the canton and most importantly, the mountains either side of the valley include the highest in Switzerland.
With two-thirds of the Valais French-speaking (including the capital of Sion), the most easterly third is German-speaking (with its 'capital' being Brig!). Called Oberwallis (Upper Valais), the region starts in the vicinity of Pfynwald, a forested area between the city of Sierre in the west & town of Leuk in the east. So if you ski in Leukerbad one day, expect German (the Swiss version of German!) to be spoken. If the next day ski in neighbouring Crans Montana, the language spoken will definitely be French (well Swiss French anyway). Simples!
Skiing & Snowboarding in the Valais
The Valais includes the full gamut of ski resorts. From the world's best known, like Zermatt & Verbier; to a huge number of fabulous 'small' ski areas with a strong appeal to powder hounds. These 'small' ski resorts are the real reason to ski the Valais and include the likes of the fabulously named Unterbäch, La Fouly, & Arolla Evolene. But they are just the tip of a huge iceberg in the region. There is a lifetime of skiing in the Valais, the secret is to know where best to spend one's time! The following Valais ski resorts are in alphabetical order and have all been visited by Powderhounds. Click the links for more info on each.
- 4 Vallees - A interconnected behemoth that is the largest in Switzerland. Includes Verbier, and whilst it can be paradise for groomer lovers, the real 'juice' is the gobsmacking off-piste terrain. The central part of the 4 Vallèes area has NO groomed runs connecting it. Gotta love that!
- Aletsch Arena - High altitude, sun-soaked and with one of Switzerland's most gorgeous alpine villages (Bettmeralp). Awesome interconnections between local trans and cable cars, the terrain is perfect for families, and with a little exploration, quite the ride for experts off-piste too. And the views ....... my goodness.
- Anzère - Sunny south-aspect slopes and deserted during the week (as the locals all seem to drive by and go to Crans Montana instead), Anzère has proven to be fantastic on powder days without being too intimidating. Lift system is modernising too.
- Arolla Evolene - Remote and feels a world away from the main valley, the two main ski areas are a reminder of the way it used to be (but in a good way). incredible ski-touring location. Evolene village is beautiful.
- Belalp - Excellent family ski mountain on the sunny side of the valley above Brig that is a local's favourite but rarely visited by international visitors. Enough spice for advanced riders if the snow cover is good (it usually is).
- Bruson - A small satellite resort of Verbier & 4 Vallèes that delivers exceptional powder skiing during storm days.
- Champéry - Les Crosets - Gorgeous base village & convenient alpine village with the best access to ski the entire Portes du Soleil, and you can get there by train!
- Champex-Lac - Small ski area near Verbier that skis BIG and has fantastic trees plus an excellent lakeside village.
- Crans Montana - Popular behemoth with long sunny slopes and plenty of variety.
- Eischoll - A powderhounds secret stash with quiet slopes & incredible backcountry skiing.
- Grächen - Near Zermatt and has lots of potential in the right conditions.
- Grimentz-Zinal - Another Powderhounds' favourite with fabulous diverse skiing & wonderful villages.
- La Fouly - Quiet, steep ski area in a remote valley with huge views & a sleepy village.
- La Tzoumaz-Savoleyres - Part of Verbier & 4 Vallees, the best ski area for intermediates on piste in the region.
- Lauchernalp - Glorious, big vertical skiing with reliable, deep snow and fascinating villages.
- Les Marécottes - A sneaky, unknown ski area toward Chamonix, often with huge snowfalls, plus accessible by train from Martigny.
- Leukerbad - Under-rated spa & ski resort in a beautiful location. One of the 'forgotten' ski areas of Switzerland.
- Moosalp - One of a trio of fabulous 'small' resorts (with Unterbach & Eischoll), Moosalp is the most family-friendly.
- Morgins - A less busy village with awesome terrain in the huge Portes du Soleil ski area.
- Nax Mont-Noble - Big mountain skiing in a lesser-known resort near Sion - highly recommended.
- Nendaz Veysonnaz Thyon - The quieter end of 4 Vallees ski resort with diverse terrain for everyone.
- Ovronnaz - Beautiful views, pistes, larch tree-skiing and backcountry powder skiing are all to be had between Sion & Martigny.
- Pays du St Bernard - A trio of smaller ski resorts with great skiing & no crowds in the far southwestern corner of Valais.
- Portes-du-Soleil - The biggest cross-border ski resort in the world. Enough said!
- Rosswald - Picturesque traditional ski area above Brig with huge views down the Rhone River Valley.
- Saas Fee - The best place to ski and see the remaining grandeur of the Swiss glaciers, plus a superb, car-free, traditional village at its base.
- St Luc Chandolin - Another under-rated Nalais ski resort with massive terrain, low crowds, a great village and relaxed vibe.
- Torgon - Smallest Swiss ski resort in Portes du Soleil but with very spicy off-piste terrain to explore.
- Unterbäch - An absolute Powderhounds' fave with incredible access to wonderful powder skiing.
- Verbier - Absolute world-class lifts & freeride terrain plus a fancy village in which to spend your kids inheritance.
- Vercorin - Nice village and some pleasant piste skiing but easy to avoid and head elsewhere up the valley to Grimentz or St Luc.
- Vichères - Liddes - Quiet, old school ski area with long runs, wide meadows & great larch glade skiing.
- Zermatt - The King of ski resorts that should be visited by everyone at least once in their lives.
Climate & Snow
The Valais has the odd distinction of being both the driest region in Switzerland (the central valleys) and also the highest precipitation (on the high peaks of the Monterosa massif & Jungfrau-Aletsch mountain zone). And it’s the later that is off interest to powder hounds. Whilst the valley floor can often appear dry and desiccated, particularly on the sunny south-aspect slopes, the areas above the alpine 'terrace' are usually snow-covered & lush by comparison.
Where is canton Valais (Wallis) Switzerland?
The canton of Valais (Wallis) is in the far southwest of Switzerland and stretches from the shores of Lake Geneva (Lac Leman) in the west all the way east up to the headwaters of the Rhône River at Furka Pass. To the south, Valais borders France & Italy with the high peak of Mont Dolent the intersection of the Swiss, French & Italian borders. To the north, the canton intersects with the Bernese Oberland along the high-tops and further west with Vaud.
The capital of the canton, Sion, is perfectly located in the centre of the region with excellent train & bus connections to a vast range of ski areas. You can even fly into Sion on your private jet!!
Getting To and Around Valais
The best gateway airports for skiing the Valais are either Zurich (ZRH) & Geneva (GVA). Both are within a few hours of the Valais. Our preference is to use Zurich due to its wider range of destinations served, and its less crowded terminals. Geneva is very convenient for travellers from within Europe & the UK, however it is best avoided on weekends as competition from the hordes of people heading to the French Alps can make it a hectic experience. Milan Malpensa (MXP) can be used also, especially for those ski resort located more in the eastern part of the canton near Brig, but it is in no way as convenient as the Swiss airports.
The Valais is fabulous to travel to by train. With the exception of the train lines through the Lötschberg tunnel; south of Martigny to Chamonix, Orsières & Le Châble (Verbier); and up to Zermatt; for the most part the main railway line simply runs through the heart of the Rhone River valley. Direct trains from both Geneva & Zurich airports reach the Valais in just a few hours vi Brig or Martigny. Connections with the superb local bus network (or in some cases cable cars & funicular lifts) get one seamlessly to all the ski resorts of the region.
By road the Valais becomes a little more 'remote' in winter than summer. Several high mountain passes are closed, including the Furka, Grimsel, & Novena. Car trains alleviate some of the closures, but there are also several important thoroughfares that remain open throughout the year. Linking to France, aside from via Geneva, the Pas de Morgins between Morgins & Chatel in the Portes du Soleil, and the road from Martigny to Vallorcine & Chamonix are open. To Italy, the Grand St Bernard Pass Tunnel leads to Aosta Valley, and the Simplon Pass connects Brig toward Milan. From the north, the Lötschberg tunnel (car train) is a major artery from Zurich to the Valais. An interesting route is via the Col du Pillon in Vaud and then down into Valais. Alternatively, highways skirt the mountains to emerge at Lausanne on Lake Geneva and take a more casual route via a motorway that by Montreux and hence toward Martigny.
Reviews & More Info
The Powderhounds have skied & reviewed almost all the ski resorts in the Valais. Check out the individual ski resort pages for our sparkling repartee, photos & insights about them.
See how the Valais ski resorts compare to the rest of Switzerland on the Swiss ski resort ratings page, or compare to the rest of Europe on the European ski resort ratings page.
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If you have a question about skiing & snowboarding the Valais or elsewhere in Europe, CONTACT US.