Verbier: New LIfts This Year & Planned

Verbier: 2011-12

The new Mayentzet<>Ruinettes lift is being inaugurated on Jan.28th but it has been running off-an-on for a week or so. This is a mixed 6-seater chair+bubble which replaces two ageing and slow 2-seaters. It means you can ski a vertical 1300m in one go down from the Olympic and get back up without a trek. This is a serious alternative to queuing at Medran for anyone staying on the western side of Verbier, plus making La Tzoumaz much closer in journey time to Lac de Vaux and the upper Verbier slopes.

They've also installed a replacement Poma below Savoleyres for competitors on the FIS slalom run. Even if the course is closed, this will allow you to ski the south-facing slopes down to the gate (to Verbier) and get back up with a lot less hassle. These are often good in the morning, but it was too much hassle to use them, other than as transit down into Verbier.

Initial work has been done to improve the arrival area of the Medran - a temporary tunnel separate skiers and vehicles this year, and next year more permanent works to the roof of the concert hall building will further improve this area.

There's a new cafe/restaurant 'Le Dahu' in the La Chaux area.

2012-13-14

Le Chable<>Bruson: They've finally got permission to build a telecabine from Le Chable in the valley, replacing a tedious bus journey. This will make it more feasible to ski Bruson from Verbier as you'll be able to transit from Le Chable to Bruson in one go. 'Till now, it's taken ages to get over to Bruson. This should be under construction summer 2012 for 2012-13 season.

Col de Gentianes: They will be replacing the current rather dated cafe with an 'igloo' with 170 seats downstairs and 70 upstairs. The plan is to do this summer 2012.

Esserts<>Planards<>Savoleyres: The plan is to build this over the next two summers, for opening the winter season 2013-14. This will be the now-standard mix of 6-man chairs and gondolas. There's a lot of landscaping involved, to minimise the visual impact, with the intermediate station substantially underground. There will also be two new pistes laid, one down from Croix de Coeur and another to the station, which will also involve shifting the route of the road slightly. The aim is not just to speed the connection between Verbier and the Savoleyres section (plus eliminate skiing through the avalanche-prone section into Carrefour) but also to allow learners to move around the west side of Verbier more easily.

La Tzoumaz: There's a big redevelopment of the centre planned. The triangular area opposite and below the telecabine is to be cleared completely and a new complex constructed. Mainly apartments (with the now standard proviso for public rental) but also covered parking for residents, a new large restaurant and retail space.

The best news to me is that they will build a lift from Le Chable to Bruson. I love skiing in Bruson, we had a great powder day there on the 30th of December when they shut Verbier side because of the weather and there were so few people too. But getting there is such a pain. I didn't notice the bubble though on the Mayentzet lift, only 6-seater chairs.