Nendaz

News just in: There’s a much better way of visiting the freeride Mecca that is Verbier. This (not so) secret way offers up quieter lifts, with some awesome skiing on its own side of the valley. Nendaz is based right in the middle of the giant ski resort of the 4 Vallées and although there’s a great deal of talk about the easily accessible freeride available from this resort, Nendaz is a real multi-talented resort.

After arriving at Nendaz and meeting with local mountain guide Fabian, we soon started to think about freeride, so we headed straight for the very top of the 4 Vallées – Mont Fort. This 3,328 metre must-see summit holds one of the greatest views in the alps, a true 360 degree panorama covering some of the most famous mountains in the world. Look a little closer to home and you’ll spot the infamous face of Bec de Rosses – the final stop on the revered Freeride World Tour.

The possibilities are pretty endless here, certainly enough resort skiing and ski touring to keep even the most keen skiers going for a lifetime. If you’d rather sit in a deck chair and watch some of the best skiers in the world ski some of this terrain at breakneck speed (who wouldn’t) then plan your trip around one of the popular freeride events that Nendaz and the 4 Vallées hosts:

Head to Nendaz to be amongst some of the finest freeride terrain in the world.

Aletsch Arena

Crossing over the “Röstigraben” – literally translating to “Rösti ditch”, where the language changes from Swiss-French, to Swiss-German – you approach Aletsch Arena in the east end of Valais. This resort consisting of the three car-free villages of Riederalp, Bettmeralp and Fiescheralp sits high up in the valley.

Quite possibly one of the most under-appreciated ski resorts in Switzerland (yeah, we went there), Aletsch Arena is a real heaven for those of you who prefer to tear down the pistes on sub 70 mm race sticks or go carving on very specific boards. Saying that, we’re not quite sure what’s the most appealing thing about Aletsch Arena; those pistes, or the view… The. View. Is. Amazing.

Aletsch Arena prides itself on its perfect piste preparation. While other ski resorts are doing a quick once over with their piste machines, Bettmeralp are doing a second take with the piste basher to get the perfect corduroy pattern on the snow. I pride myself on always looking to escape the resort boundaries at any cost, but Aletsch Arena was one of the few places that had me wanting to leave my rucksack back at the hotel just so I could rip down their beautifully pisted rolling terrain with that jaw-dropping backdrop.

Aletsch Arena don’t just talk the talk, either. In 2018 they were winners of the coveted 2018 ‘Best Ski Resort Awards‘, taking first place in the piste preparation / piste quality and relaxation categories.

Head to Aletsch Arena for fast-paced, yet crowd-free piste goodness.

Do It Yourself

Being typically Swiss, there’s some great train connections throughout the whole upper Rhone Valley, allowing you to switch trains or grab a transfer up to each resort. Geneva, Zurich, and if you’re lucky, Sion are all ideal airports to access the upper Rhone valley.

Book your Valais winter trip at visitvalais.ch