Back in 1999 I was living my dream with my friends. We were skibums spending the whole ski season in Chamonix in France. Being a skibum 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 ski resort. 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 race. We wanted to support him and therefore we went 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!

Let’s go to Verbier ski resort

We decided to hitchhike to Verbier because it is so easy to get a ride in France. While walking on the street of Chamonix, I met Noora Toivonen, young 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 was pretty shocked when I heard the news, because Noora was one of us and our good friend. I remember her smile and positive attitude as we met the last time. She was so enthusiastic skier and climber and she really loved the mountains and lived her life to the fullest.

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 up the serpentine road we finally were standing in the middle of the town of Verbier. It was already afternoon. We had no place to sleep, no money, no honey… 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 the night. 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 drew a map on the backside of a matchstick-box, and we decided to check the place. We found it, got in and had a good sleep on the 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 mountain peaks, and four optimistic guys ready to conquer the playground. 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 that day, 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 absolutely gnarly 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

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 really enjoyed the day. After skiing again three hours we headed to Col des Gentianes to watch the finals. The contest was again spectacular. Later we went skiing again, but didn’t discover all the slopes of Verbier. Nor we did ski the backcountry, but we found out that Verbier is great ski resort for sure. We decided to come back later to check out the backcountry. Just before the sunset we got a ride back to Chamonix.

Verbier ski resort is 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 skibum 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 Verbier’s backcountry, I really recommend you to hire a mountain guide. With a guide you can safely enter the best of-pistes of Verbier. Notice that Verbier is a popular ski resort and therefore you are not the only one hunting powder. You have to be quick in the morning in order to find fresh snow.

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 European people, such as British, Scandinavian and Swiss. 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