I am trying to negotiate a tricky off-piste slope in Verbier, Switzerland and my ski coach Warren Smith is yelling encouragement. “Don’t lean back so much Keith! Get your weight more forward in your boots! Plant those ski poles — they’re your four-wheel drive!”
Eagle-eyed, he is quick to pick up on my many faults and you don’t get a better ski instructor than the legendary Warren, who runs a prestigious ski academy in Verbier and teaches Prince Harry when he is in town.
I may have eaten several mouthfuls of snow from my repeated falls this morning, but at least the landings were soft — my tumbles and face plants cushioned by the fluffy and knee-deep powder on the famous Vallon d’Arbi, one of Verbier’s 11 itineraires (ungroomed routes that have been avalanche blasted to make them safer). And my grin is wider than the valley we are skiing down.
Thanks to Covid-19 restrictions, it’s been two years since I last enjoyed a ski break and I am loving every minute — but I know I am lucky to be here at all. Not long ago Switzerland closed its borders by insisting all visitors self-isolate on arrival. It soon softened the rules to allow tourists, but during my stay, news of a ban on UK holidaymakers entering France has broken.
It is all a stark reminder of the uncertainty surrounding the latest ski season in the face of the global pandemic — and makes me all the more determined to enjoy the amazing Swiss skiing on offer.
Nestled in the canton of Valais in the southwest of Switzerland, Verbier is bordered by France to the west and Italy to the south. It has more than 250 miles of runs and suits both the keen skier, with its amazing and easily accessible off-piste, and the more leisurely skier who enjoys cruising the blues before relaxing on a sun lounger for the afternoon.
The resort is well-known as a playground of the rich and famous, with regulars including Jude Law, James Blunt and Sir Richard Branson, who owns luxury chalet The Lodge. But despite its celebrated customers, Verbier has retained a laid-back feel — more mountain chic than glitzy streets.
Hotel de Verbier 20170308-0617-1714-MSKY CREDIT Verbier.ch Melody Sky
Hotel de Verbier (Photo: Verbier.ch/Melody Sky)
It’s a vibe that the newest kid on the block — the revamped Hotel de Verbier — fits perfectly. Although dating back to 1947, the hotel has been gutted and completely rebuilt as a luxurious four- star eco residence. It blends trendy Scandi design and traditional Alpine character with a cool collection of retro black and white ski photos snapped in the resort in the 1970s by ‘godfather of ski photography’ Mark Shapiro.
The hotel, which is powered by solar panels, is smack bang in Verbier’s central square — a welcome sight as I arrive late at night by train from Geneva after a scenic two-hour train ride and 15-minute cable car ride up from Le Châble train station.
The revamped hotel is the creation of Swedish couple Ebba and Eld Leijonhufvud, who have designed a stylish boutique hotel with a chic and airy vibe. The lobby, with its fireplace, candles, squashy sofas and books, is an inviting place to relax.
There’s a beautiful spa with hammam, massage suite and sauna. And a mountain concierge service can arrange ski-gear rental, lessons, guides and even heliskiing, while the basement ski room raises the bar with heated racks for gloves as well as boots.
The hotel’s pared-back luxury includes stylish cream-wool bed throws woven by Chamonix’s Maison Arpin, handpicked Egyptian cotton bed linen and bathrobes by Sprit of The Nomad, pottery beakers by Swedish pottery Krukmakeri, and fluffy goose-down duvets.
Hotel de Verbier 20201006-1401-8140-MSKY CREDIT Verbier.ch Melody Sky
Room at the Hotel de Verbier (Photo: Verbier.ch/Melody Sky)
The relaxed feeling continues in the hotel’s restaurant, a trattoria called La Nonna, which features wood-clad walls, cutlery in Italian tomato tins, and hand-painted-in-Italy tableware designed by Verbier artist Rosalind Monks.
The menu’s tasty delicacies include creamy burrata cheese with candied chestnuts and mountain honey, a deconstructed tuna tonnato with caper berries, plus pasta, of course. But La Nonna also doubles as a comfortable wine bar, with a lounge terrace that offers the perfect spot for an evening cocktail. I could happily stay there all day… if the mountains were not calling.
Relaxing in to the five-star lifestyle, I start my first morning with a pre-ski yoga class in the hotel. But this being Verbier, my teacher is not your average yoga (and ski) instructor — he is former freeride world champion Emilien Badoux.
“My goal is to improve people’s experience on the mountain by helping them to think less, to stress less, and to feel calmer and happier,” says Emilien, as we take a cable car up 11,000 feet, to the top of Mont Fort. From here, I can see Mont Blanc, the Matterhorn and much of the surrounding 250 miles of slopes that make up the Four Valleys.
It’s -11C so we are not keen to hang about and soon we are blasting down what the Swiss call ‘unmanaged runs’ — a halfway house between off-piste and normal slopes. To make life easier, Emilien’s colleague, Jan Uygur from the Adrenaline Ski School suggests I try widening my ‘old school’ knees-together ski stance and gently moving up and down on my skis to increase the edge control in my turns and slow myself down on those tricky moguls. It works a treat.
We later return to the summit to enjoy lunch at the Black Tap, one of the world’s highest New York burger joints. Housed in the man-made Igloo des Gentianes at an altitude of nearly 3,000 metres, skiers are offered award-winning food with hip hop music playing in the background. I opt for the menu’s delicious vegan burger and hand-made fries all washed down with a craft beer and can quickly feel myself warming up for the next ski run down.
igloo des GENTIANES DSC 0601 CREDIT Téléverbier
Igloo des Gentianes (Photo: Televerbier)
Emilien, who is also a surf instructor and paragliding pilot, has his own ideas of how to get down the mountain at the end of the day. As we mere mortal skiers head for the telecabine for the ride home, Emilien simply attaches his paraglider to his back and takes off the slope on his skis, flying back to Verbier with a wave. It has to be the most eco-friendly form of transport I see that day.
But Verbier is not just home to adrenaline junkies — it’s a place for hedonism too. So that evening I visit the newly opened 67 Pall Mall for a wine-tasting session. 67 Pall Mall Verbier is the first European opening of the members’ club described by wine expert Jancis Robinson as a ‘heaven for wine lovers’. The club, located just down from the Médran lift, boasts more than 3,000 wines on its list, of which a third will be Swiss, and a 500-strong by-the-glass list.
The chef is Jérome Henry, formerly the head chef of Les Trois Garcons in Shoreditch, head chef of Mosimann’s Private Dining Club in Belgravia and chef patron of his own restaurant Le Roi Fou in Edinburgh.
There are vegetarian and vegan choices on the menu too and being in the Alps, I opt for the mouth-watering Jerusalem artichoke soup, followed by mountain trout with a glass of Chablis.
Downstairs there is a public wine bar, where a less formal bistro menu is served alongside the full wine list and beers brewed on-site in a microbrewery using fresh mountain water. Styles include a Pilsner, IPA brewed with Cascade and Chinook hops, and a range of American Pale Ales. The club even offers a ‘67 Concierge’ to take boots and skis for members and store them in the building.
20180130-1516-4247-MSKY CREDIT Verbier.ch Melody Sky
(Photo: Verbier.ch/Melody Sky)
After that all that indulgence I am keen to burn off some calories and the next day enjoy a lovely run from Attelas at 2,727m down through the Vallon d’Arbi into the pretty little resort of La Tzoumaz. La Tzoumaz ski resort is a family-friendly hidden gem of the Swiss Alps offering superb access to Verbier’s ski area, but with none of the queues
It has around 35 miles of mostly intermediate north-facing slopes, with links to the slopes via two cable cars, four chair lifts, two ski lifts and one baby lift — ideal for families and couples who aren’t in need of Verbier-style nightlife.
After skiing back to Verbier, I drop in to popular apres-ski venue Le Rouge to taste their own real ale. Located at the foot of the Le Rouge piste, the venue boasts large terraces with heaters, a DJ and even an al fresco creperie. It’s an ideal spot for me to watch the evening sun setting over the mountains, turning them a captivating shade of pink.
Some might say I’m seeing the world through rose-tinted glasses — but here in Verbier it seems there’s no need for them.
Getting There
Flights cost from around £188 with Swiss from airports around the UK, including Heathrow and Manchester and Birmingham. swiss.com
Swiss Transfer Tickets cost from £131.50 for trains between the airport and Verbier. sbb.ch
Rooms at Hotel de Verbier cost from around £185 per night. hoteldeverbier.com
A six-day adult lift pass for Verbier Valley costs from around £276, or from £309 for 4 Vallees. For more information, visit verbier.ch
Like this? Sign up for more with our JC Life newsletter here.
From fabulous recipes to parenting tips, travel and West End entertainment; insightful interviews and much more: there’s more to the JC than news!
