Homeboy’s Skiing Blog

Back in 1999 I was living my dream with my friends. We were ski bums spending the whole ski season in Chamonix in France. Being a ski bum was absolutely one of the highlights in my life, not just because of skiing but also because of great friendships we created and the great moments we experienced. Now as a father and career-slave I must accept that those days are gone, but every now and then I take a break and fly back to those glorious days in my memory.

It was a great morning. The sun was shining bright above the valley of Chamonix and life was so beautiful. We were broke but we didn’t care. We decided to go skiing in Verbier. We lived in Chamonix together with ten other hard core skiers and we had food enough to survive until we get more money. We heard that Jarkko Henttonen, our friend and one of the coolest riders in Finland, was going to join Verbier Extreme snowboarding competition. We wanted to support him and therefore we decided go watching the competition in Verbier. One of us had a credit card but he didn’t want to use it. We negotiated a deal that he will buy the beers and we will find something to eat. We had no idea where to overnight but who cares? We wanted to see Verbier!

Clear goal - Verbier

We decided to hitchhike to Verbier because it is very easy to get a ride in France. While walking on the street in Chamonix, I met Noora Toivonen, a great female skier who lived with few other Finns in Chamonix as well. It was the last time I met her. Later in the spring she disappeared in the Himalayas. I heard the news from my friend Tero and I was shocked because Noora was one of us and our good friend. I remember her smile and positive attitude as we met in the last time. She was so enthusiastic skier and climber and she really loved the mountains and lived her life 110%.

A couple of hours later we were sitting by the road, waiting for someone to give us a ride to Verbier. We didn’t need to wait for long. We divided into two teams and started our journey from Chamonix to Verbier. Few hours later we arrived in Verbier. After climbing the serpentine road up to Verbier, we finally were standing in the middle of the town Verbier. It was already afternoon. We had no place to sleep, we had no money, but we were so happy to be in Verbier.

After walking around the town and meeting other skiers and a couple of photographers we decided to buy some beer and have fun. We created a little “camp” on a sidewalk and enjoyed our lives. We met interesting people and talked a lot about skiing and riding. Finally one Canadian photographer told us that he knew a great place to sleep, a garage. He did draw a map on a matchstick-box and we decided to check the place. We found the place, got in and had a good sleep on floor.

First turns in Verbier

The next morning was awesome. We woke up, got out of the garage and checked the sky. Blue sky with no clouds, a bright sun raising from behind the white peaks the mountains, and four optimistic guys ready to conquer the mountains. Because we had season passes to Chamonix, we got free passes for skiing two days in Verbier. We got ourselves to Col Des Gentianes and did the first turns soon after the ski lifts were opened. We spent the morning skiing in Col Des Gentianes, Mont Fort and La Chaux.

After skiing three hours we headed back to Col des Gentianes in order to watch the freeride contest on the face of Bec des Rosses. The contest was absolutely great. Even though Jarkko Henttonen did not win today, we really enjoyed watching the contest live. Bec des Rosses is a great mountain for freeriding, and we were able to see some very cool riders coming down very difficult lines. It was a great day. Later that night we found a new place to overnight, a roof-top. Sleeping out there with your good friends, watching the starlit sky and the profiles of big mountains, was a moment I will always remember.

More skiing in Verbier

In the next day the freeride contest was about to continue. We headed skiing in Attelas, Chassoure and Tortin. The slopes were in good condition, weather was perfect and we enjoyed 100%. After skiing again three hours we headed to Col des Gentianes to watch the finals. The contest was again spectacular and we did enjoy. After the contest we went skiing the last two hours in Verbier, because later that night we decided to go back home in Chamonix. We did not discover all the slopes in Verbier, nor we did ski the backcountries, but we found out that Verbier is great ski resort for sure. We decided to come back to experience the backcountries. Just before the sunset we got a ride back to Chamonix.

Verbier ski resort in review - the pearl of Switzerland

Because of the diversity, Verbier is a great ski resort for all types of skiers. There are 400 kilometers of slopes and 95 ski lifts, which guarantees that there is something for everyone. Even though many families prefer Verbier, experienced skiers can get the most out of it. Verbier is preferred by many wealthy people, but still there is also a big ski bum community. For me this is a sign that Verbier really can provide something to everyone.

Verbier belongs to a skiing area of four valleys. The highest peak in that area is Mont Fort (3330 meters), from where one can find very challenging off-piste routes. In good conditions one can ski from Mont Fort down to the village of Le Chable, which makes 2500 vertical meters.

It is interesting that in Verbier the easiest slopes are located close to the village. The further you go, the more difficult runs you find. One very nice thing in Verbier is that ski lift queues are short due to modern ski lifts.

If you are interested in discovering the backcountries of Verbier, I warmly recommend you to hire a mountain guide. With a guide you can safely enter the best of-pistes in Verbier. Notice that Verbier is a popular ski resort and therefore you are not the only one hunting powder snow. You have to be quick in the morning in order to find powder.

Verbier nightlife rocks

Verbier is known from the great afterski. Every night in Verbier is a lot of fun, but not a parade. I really enjoy Verbier’s nightlife because it is active but not a circus, as in St. Anton and Les Trois Vallees. In Verbier you can meet a lot of British, Scandinavian and Swiss people. If you prefer fine dining, you can find nice fondue- and raclette-restaurants in Verbier. It is surprising that in Verbier prices of food and drinks are not as high as in many other ski resorts in the Alps.

Verbier cold facts

- 2200 yearly inhabitants, 15.000-20.000 during winters
- altitude 1.500 meters
- slopes: 410 kilometers from which 18 black slopes, 47 red slopes and 28 blue slopes
- number of lifts: 95
- lowest ski lift station: 780 meters, highest 3330 meters
- no freestylepark, no halfpipe
- lifts open 8:45 am - 4:30 pm.
- ski pass prices: 6 days 305 CHF, 13 days: 540 CHF
- number of slope-restaurants: 30
- restaurants in the town: 58, night clubs: 4
- credit cards accepted: Visa, American Express, Euro/Mastercard
- websites: verbier.ch and O’Neill Xtreme by Swatch Freeride (16.03-18.3.2008)

---

If you enjoyed this post, then make sure you subscribe to our RSS Feed or Email Newsletter.This article was written by Marko Pyhajarvi and it’s original location is in HomeboySki.Com skiing blog. For more great skiing articles, please visit HomeboySki.Com!

Share This