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Switzerland, what's good?

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dr_phil
Posts: 1698 - Karma: 95
Hey NS,

I'll be living in Switzerland next year (Geneva or Lausanne) and I wanted to know what's the best resort in the area ... Verbier, Saas Fe, Zermatt, etc. What's the best place? I'm looking mostly for awesome terrain, park doesn't matter that much.

I also plan on buying a pass ... so what is the cheapest place? Are there any student deals (I'll be at uni) ? Any ways to get discount passes i.e. bootpacking the snow at the beginning of the season, etc.?

Thanks!!


Jan 24 2010 12:40PM
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-ShredTheGnar-
Posts: 2038 - Karma: 111
Fuck verbier


If you want the same ski area

with a closer access to a decent park and better people go to Haute-Nendaz
It kicks verbier. Plus the best park in the 4 vallees (verbier's ski area) is in Thyon... which is closer to Nendaz.


Jan 24 2010 12:45PM
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no_steeze
Posts: 23992 - Karma: 4,272
verbier and its surrounding backcountry

not too far from geneva either
Jan 24 2010 12:45PM
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Poudreblanche
Posts: 87 - Karma: 30
There is a lot of good places near Lausanne, but if you want a cheap pass don't go to big places like Verbier, Zermatt or Saas-Fee, check some little resorts like Zinal, Super Saint-Bernard, Ovronnaz,...
You can find some informations on this links
http://www.myswitzerland.com/fr/accueil/vacancehiver/destinationshiver.html?region=011
http://www.myswitzerland.com/fr/accueil/vacancehiver/destinationshiver.html?region=009
Jan 24 2010 12:52PM
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mozzy
Posts: 1034 - Karma: 60
Closest good stuff to Geneva is not in Switzerland, you're 45-60 minutes from the Chamonix resorts.


Jan 24 2010 1:01PM
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Twig
Posts: 6405 - Karma: 59,976
Kinda depends on whether you are in geneva or lausanne? Are you gonna have a car?
Jan 24 2010 2:05PM
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JibbaTheHutt
Posts: 2132 - Karma: 1,597
if your skiing park dont go to verbier its very small but if you plan to be skinig backcountry hit verbier there is soo much to do in that area
Jan 24 2010 2:07PM
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I_Am_Mod
Posts: 13214 - Karma: 3,753
uhm, if you're just going for the backcountry, look around for some smaller resorts; i don't know about the rest of you guys but generally speaking small resorts have better and purer backcountry then the big guns where all the weekend warrriors go to ...
Jan 24 2010 2:07PM
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stowe=snow
Posts: 171 - Karma: 14
ZERMATT KICKS ASS
Jan 24 2010 2:08PM
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BMS-Productions
Posts: 885 - Karma: 17
Zermatt and Saas Fee are only the shit in summer and spring!! During Winter and Fall are always toooo many racers there, i think that's good so, but still, its really expensive there and a lot of tourism.

Check out Glacier 3000!! Amazing! the place of henriks sw 1620!
Jan 24 2010 2:11PM
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mozzy
Posts: 1034 - Karma: 60
As for Zermatt, it's fantastic.

Don't just go for the skiing, you should go with the mindset of enjoying some great views, and seeing the highest peaks in Switzerland. Also, it's one of the few places where you can cross an international border on skis or a board.

Then, go back in the summer and hike, it's some of the world's best scenery.

And no, it does not need to be expensive, there are deals, there are relatively inexpensive hotels, you just need to look a bit. It's touristy, yes, but deservedly so.


Jan 24 2010 2:24PM
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blunderdit
Posts: 22 - Karma: 10
living in geneva and not going to chamonix is like going to amsterdam and not visiting the coffee shops.

the alps will blow you away, there is nothing in the us that can match it. whistler is like half of verbier. the thing is that the mountains are so awesome that no one cares about the park...
Jan 24 2010 2:35PM
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dr_phil
Posts: 1698 - Karma: 95
I don't know yet if I'll stay in Geneve or Lausanne, but I'll be in Switzerland for one full year. I won't have a car, but a lot of peeps told me it's not needed, transportation is A+ in Switzerland (+ Geneve is really close from Lausanne right?)
Jan 24 2010 2:39PM
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no_steeze
Posts: 23992 - Karma: 4,272
well if you get up into the mtns at verbier and stuff nobody goes there anyway

i've done a bunch of touring on the border mountains between verbier and chamonix but on the verbier side and it's fucking sick in there. about 20 mins outside the village of verbier you can hit some small towns and there're a bunch of accesses that take you up in the mtns
Jan 24 2010 4:25PM
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marc_vertesi
Posts: 84 - Karma: 294
Hi there!

I personally live in Lausanne, and I go ski every saturday by train (ain't got the car yet). As you said, public transport is pretty good, maybe a bit expensive, but you can easily hit up the train + ski ticket combo, and there you got some interesting reductions!

Anyways, i really love the "Portes du Soleil", not to claim it, but it's europes biggest ski resort, with about 650km of slope! Of course, many powder spots, good parks, little "cities" on the slope with restaurants and stuff, and all this just one hour and a half by train from Lausanne away! Only thing i would mention, is that the moutains aren't that elevated.. I mean, if you want to hit some looooooong powder lines, you got to find it, they're well hidden...

Otherwise, like mentionned, "les 4 vallées" is another good option, bringing together Nendaz, Veysonnaz, Verbier and Thyon, 4 really good spots, but it's a bit further in the valley.... And on the other side of the mountain you got Crans Montana, really good powder spots and good park.

It's a bit difficult to describe it this way, I don't really know what exactly you're looking for... But if you got other questions, don't hesitate!

Oh and by the way, Glacier 3000 is only cool if you're a park rat, and only good early and late season because of the glacier, otherwise it isn't worth of skiing there, it's too small, and the little train to get up there is so much boring.
Jan 24 2010 4:40PM
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lepage
Posts: 5 - Karma: 10
45 minute of plane..
Jan 24 2010 4:48PM
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ScuffDUFF
Posts: 2027 - Karma: 143
ski the murderhorn brah!
Jan 24 2010 4:58PM
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I_Am_Mod
Posts: 13214 - Karma: 3,753
true, verbier is an awesome resort, but still my favorite time in switserland was in Arolla, a town the size of a nickel, it has 2 skilifts, bot surface tow and they had the best terrain i've ever withnessed ! + the village itself is @ 2000m so you can ski right down to the vilage in waist deep powder :D

so thats why i favored little resorts, maybe my view on this is a bit twisted because of the awesome experience i had there but still... if you like to freeride don't just base your decision on the infrastructure of the resort....
Jan 25 2010 8:04AM
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no_steeze
Posts: 23992 - Karma: 4,272
as far as inbounds go, i've had much more fun at smaller places

i grew up skiing in rougemont (15 mins outside gstaad) at small mtns and it was awesome, but as far as touring goes, the mtns around verbier have proved to be better than littler places

the sidecountry out of verbier is phenomenal, and there's tons of terrain there, but yeah it gets crowded and very american-feeling
Jan 25 2010 9:12AM
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Nicko1981
Posts: 527 - Karma: 180
So many places not too difficult to get to, France generally a little cheaper than Switzerrland; best place to go in my view would be Morzine/Avoriaz Portes du Soleil area.

Great parks there (new superpark this year); massive area and good nightlife.

fuck Zermatt.
Jan 25 2010 9:41AM
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Ian_Bray
Posts: 69 - Karma: 21

If you are in Geneva then go to Portes du Soleil. It has burton stash, chatel super park, pipes, mini park etc... There is like 7 good parks in the area! I am staying in Morzine for the season and it is super tight, apart from i have already broken my collar bone in the Stash!

Check this link to see all the parks in the ski area

http://www.portesdusoleil.com/en_winter/to%20explore/freestyle.html

Jan 25 2010 11:09AM
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Ghini
Posts: 2260 - Karma: 2,992
Portes du Soleil is good.. Very close to geneva and all, big resort, couple of normal parks and the stash is really fun! You can find some nice powder routes also..
Jan 25 2010 11:22AM
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*LiNeLover*
Posts: 1224 - Karma: 256
I have friends who live just outside of Geneva. They have skied at the Chamonix Resorts their who life and think its wonderful terrain- & a lot of it too! Have an awesome time!
Jan 25 2010 1:16PM
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shredables
Posts: 647 - Karma: 19
geneva = right across the river from france = CHAM.

i stayed in a sick little ski village called Les Diableretes , about 45 mins south of Saas Fe. really sick glacier there called Glacier 3000, insane pipe and park year round
Jan 25 2010 1:33PM
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no_steeze
Posts: 23992 - Karma: 4,272
glacier is cool just because it's a glacier, but in general the skiing there isn't awesome and it's windy as fuck. i almost skied off a several thousand foot cliff at glacier 3000 when i was like 8
Jan 25 2010 2:36PM
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dr_phil
Posts: 1698 - Karma: 95
Maybe some of you misread my post lol but I'm not going to Switzerland to ski park lol ... I'd rather ski at some place that has nice freeride terrain/lots of pow.

I've read on TGR that Portes du Soleil and the rest of the Alpes Vaudoises are not that awesome ... I'd rather look around the Valais region ... UIlliland is apparently also a good look.
Jan 25 2010 5:51PM
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shredables
Posts: 647 - Karma: 19
dude so did this kid that i was there with, him and his mom were lost in some gnarly fog.. and he was like 8. maybe you know him?
Jan 25 2010 11:40PM
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michael_bc
Posts: 1385 - Karma: 712
If you live in Geneva or Lausanne, you should ski Avoriaz / Portes du Soleil and Chamonix. Best parks and best powder in the area.

Zermatt and Saas Fee are really far away (3-4 hours).
Jan 26 2010 12:40AM
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Jibberino
Posts: 2089 - Karma: 1,346
http://freeride.dk/index.php?option=com_hwdvideoshare&task=viewgroup&Itemid=3&group_id=2&video_id=169

Here's some footy from Saas Fee BC, looks pretty good. Disregard the danish, it's a danish videoblog!
Jan 27 2010 9:26AM
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Twig
Posts: 6405 - Karma: 59,976
I ride saas fee all the time, and they either didn't find any of the good stuff or they didn't put the shots in the edit. There's way better terrain than that there.
However Saas Fee is pretty much a pain in the ass to get to from Lausanne and even more so from Geneva. Basically I recommend you just check out small resorts if you wanna ski some pow. They are all sick and never get busy except occasionally on the weekends. For park head over to the french resorts from geneva as everyone has been saying.
Jan 27 2010 11:02AM
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