Verbier

Some good advice from everyone there, having had my week in Verbier. However, I would say that I didnt enjoy Savolyeres at all; it was snowing and quite misty when I went up there, and it was really hard to see. Plus the pistes were nowhere near as well looked after as they were across in Verbier, and the last part of the run into La Tzoumaz was horribly icy and stoney - nothing like that elsewhere in the 4 valleys.

As for the Carlsberg hut on the slopes, I enjoyed several beers up there. It was no more expensive than the town for a pint - about 6chf which is on a par with UK prices, so I wasnt too bothered. Better than 4.5 euros in Sauze! And it had some stunning views down to Verbier as the late afternoon cloud drifted in creating some stunning photo opportunities.

We ate a couple of times at the Olympic Restaurant up at Attelas, but this is over priced and like a canteen. £10 for spag bol! We didnt eat in Chez Simon, as we only had the 1 morning over that side, but the cafe just past Siviez at the top of Combatzeline was excellent and offered stunning views.

The main Verbier around Attelas, Les Ruinettes and Medran had some lovely runs, mainly red, but blue and black mixed in as well, and the run off into the village was brilliant in the fresh snow. I thoroughly enjoyed the long red down from Col des Gentianes, bottom of Mont Fort, back down to La Chauz, a long red with some glorious off piste options. And that despite skiing straight off the edge of the piste in a white out first full day! Luckily for me, I landed 50 feet down in some fresh snow, skis off and everything, and was able to climb back up the steep hill to the piste again. It apparantly looked very funny from behind!

The itinery routes were not what I was expecting at all. They turned out to be mountains. No pistes, just massive mogul fields and tons off piste further down. I did the runs off the glacier down to Tortin and also from Chassoure into Tortin. They were very challenging, and totally alien to what I was used to, but the chap I hooked up with to ski from my chalet, and I egged each other on to give it a go, and what a huge sense of satisfaction when we got to the bottom. So we went straight back and did them again!

Favourite run was Greppon Blanc, a lovely wide and steep black where you could really open up and carve a good line, and take the right hand turn under the bridge at the bottom onto the gorgeous red which took you back to the bottom of the pommel. Beautiful skiing there. Didnt make it as far as Thyon for varios reasons, but I will be going back to give it a go. A thoroughly brilliant weeks skiing, thanks to the sun and snow.

I will try and work out how to post some pics later.

Bugger. Cant figure this image posting thing out.

Tony_H wrote:

Bugger. Cant figure this image posting thing out. 

If you figure it out Tony post the method as i too cannot work it out.



AJ Adele

AJ wrote:

Tony_H wrote:

Bugger. Cant figure this image posting thing out. 

If you figure it out Tony post the method as i too cannot work it out.



AJ Adele 

Well, when you hover over the IMG icon, it says insert IMG, the web address of your photo, and the IMG icon again, but that just leaves a little red cross when I do it. If anyone can show me how to post a pic, please feel free.

Go to a site called www.tinypic.com.

Click the 'browse' button to allow you to select the image on your harddisk to be uploaded and then wait.

After a short time period the webpage should update and display the 'code' for posting your piccy on a message board. Just cut and paste the 'code' from there to here at j2ski.

Tony_H wrote:

AJ wrote:

Tony_H wrote:

Bugger. Cant figure this image posting thing out. 

If you figure it out Tony post the method as i too cannot work it out.



AJ Adele 

Well, when you hover over the IMG icon, it says insert IMG, the web address of your photo, and the IMG icon again, but that just leaves a little red cross when I do it. If anyone can show me how to post a pic, please feel free. 

post one and then someone will probably be able to see where it's going wrong.

Ok, so thanks to the advice, the tinypic site works.

Heres the view from my balcony:

Heres a fantastic black and white pic of the mogul field off the top of Chaussoure down to Tortin:

Heres some late afternoon cloud rolling in, taken from the Olympic Restaurant at Attelas:

This is at the top of the link between the Verbier Valley, and the run down to Tortin, Siviez etc. I like this pic:

And here are a few more gorgeous views, showing the beauty of the place, and the quality of the snow: