Quieter and more affordable than neighbouring Verbier, what do the slopes of Nendaz have to offer?
Here at ES, we love skiing in Nendaz, our new ski resort in Switzerland. It may be less well-known than its neighbour, Verbier, but the skiing in Nendaz really has something for everyone, from freeride thrill seekers to first-timers. We caught up with ES Nendaz director, Jamie Kagan, to find out what makes the skiing in Nendaz so great…
“Situated in the heart of the Four Valleys, between Verbier and Veysonnaz, Nendaz has two distinct ski-pass offers, which means there’s something here for everyone.
Families and beginners might very well be tempted to stick with the Printze sector, which covers Nendaz, Veysonnaz, Thyon / Les Collons and Siviez (minus the Mont Fort glacier).
At 220km it’s big enough, and this sector is much quieter than the Verbier side of the Four Valleys as Verbier folk are less inclined to ski over to this side. There are 50 lifts in the Printze Sector alone, which gives you plenty of terrain to explore.
The area has two fantastic beginner zones in Tracouet and Siviez. The first is easily accessible from 12-person gondola from the centre of the town which climbs up to Tracouet (2,200m). From here is where intermediates, after perhaps skiing the friendly local runs, can make their way via Plan-du-Fou (2,430m) to the slopes above Siviez, dropping down into the village and up the other side, which leads on to the sector above Thyon and Veysonnaz.
The other option is to take the short shuttle bus to Siviez from the town. Here, another beginner area opens up to some fantastic intermediate terrain and makes the connection to Veysonnaz, Thyon and Verbier a little quicker.
The runs over Veysonnnaz and Thyon are an intermediate and advanced skiers paradise with wide open quiet slopes and plenty of accessible off-piste.
Tracouet itself has some hidden gems, with some fantastic areas for moguls and some awesome tree skiing that brings you back down to the town. The resort being quieter than Verbier means that fresh tracks can still be found days after the snow has fallen.
The second ski-pass offer, of course, is the full Four Valleys ticket. This adds in the Mont-Fort glacier (the 3,330m high point of the Four Valleys), as well as Verbier, La Tzoumaz and Bruson.
For experts, the big attraction of this area is the seven marked freeride areas, including Eteygeon, Plan-du-Fou, Mont-Fort, Chassoure and Mont Gele. The front face down from Mont-Fort, especially, is rightly lauded for its intimidating gradients, while backcountry fans while enjoy the deserted valley run down the back of Mont Fort.
For freestyle fans, Nendaz is also home to the Wood Park. Based on the famous Burton Stash concept, Wood Park is an environmentally-friendly, natural snow park with features made from wood. Features range from small to large so there’s something for everyone to enjoy.
The real beauty of skiing in Nendaz is the ability to ski the Four Valleys and Verbier’s renowned expert terrain without the crowds.”
If you’d like to book some ski lessons with Jamie and his team in Nendaz, give us a call or an email! We’ll be happy to arrange you some lessons in one of the most interesting corners of the Four Valleys.
