A STAY IN LE CHABLE IS THE BEST WAY TO ACCESS VERBIER & THE 4 VALLEYS IN SWITZERLAND.
The number of glaciers in Switzerland is the highest in Europe among all countries. The size of the animals has decreased by 6% this summer. Switzerland has been claimed that several have virtually vanished due to the “disastrous” situation that has taken place.
You used to pass through this town on the way to Verbier when you wanted to go to that mountain resort. It is not the case today because the village down the valley is becoming increasingly popular for various reasons. Switzerland It has been interesting to see what the fuss is about over at PlanetSKI.
Switzerland : It was not a very fashionable place to stay and was a bit old-fashioned.
It took him a long time to return, and now the situation has changed.
Switzerland In the past few years, I have sometimes stayed at the Hotel Gietroz in Le Chable (821m).
My recent trip to Le Chable has brought me back to its bar/restaurant, where I am meeting old friends who have lived in the region for decades and have chosen to make their home in Le Chable rather than Verbier in Switzerland.
The place has changed a lot over the years, and I’m curious how people have chosen to live here and why they chose to do so.
According to them, they love the atmosphere, the prices, and the general quality of life in this area.
The feeling among them was: “Le Chable is a real mountain village, while Verbier is more of an adrenaline-fuelled ski resort,” which is what they all thought.
We can go up and party whenever we want now that the gondola runs until about midnight, and then we can come back down and have a more relaxed and chilled time.”
The feeling was, “Le Chable and the ski area of Bruson are the real deal,” and they couldn’t have been happier.
My love for Le Chable goes back a very long way.
The last time I stayed in the Hotel Gietroz while working as a ski instructor in Verbier around 20 years ago, I stayed in a small single room, and when the kids came out, we took out the family room in the Hotel Gietroz.
It sleeps five at a time.
It was Christmas 2006, and the kids were waiting to see what Santa had brought them out of their bunk beds that morning.
My memory does not recall the hotel’s price, but it was quite a fraction of the cost that it would have been in Verbier if I had stayed there.
I saved myself a lot of money by skipping the lift, and I could ski on the same slopes that everyone else was skiing on at the same time.
Today, it is still the same way.
Since this is Switzerland, there are no cheap things here. However, there is still a lower rate for accommodation, restaurants and bars down here than up there.
There have been many Verbier seasonaires that have moved down, property prices have rocketed, there has been a new railway station built, the car park has been redeveloped, there is a new lift to Bruson that brings improvements to the slopes, and it has become more and more ‘the place to stay’.
I want to start by talking about skiing in Bruson.
This image was taken from the piste map to the right of this one and is located on the right side of the piste map.
It used to be that Bruson skiing was one of those little-known secrets of Verbier that was only known by locals and regular visitors to the resort who learned of its treasures.
This village has a unique atmosphere and is less bold than Verbier, which offers a more intelligent approach to things.
The pistes at Bruson are some of the steepest and most varied in the world.
Verbier’s real treasure is off-piste, where you can still find powder after Verbier has been skied out for the day.
The tree skiing in this area is second to none.
It has been discussed in some detail in the earlier post as I skied it during my first day on this trip at some point:
- The Bruson era is about to begin
Despite all the changes in the area, the actual village of Bruson, located higher up the valley from Le Chable and right beneath the ski area, has lost none of its charms and is a great place to visit if you’re ever in that area.
In the 13th century, it grew into a settlement and agricultural centre, as archaeological evidence shows it was inhabited as early as the Iron Age.
A total of 385 people live in the town today.
Time just slipped away as I wandered around and felt time away from me.
It would be a shame not to visit the Le Carrefour Cafe at the same time for some refreshments.
A large beet in Verbier may be 6 CHF (£5.30), but it still seems cheaper than up here.
As if more than going back in time is needed in Le Carrefour cafe, there is even a jukebox in the diner that plays old-time music.
This is my third time staying at a hotel in Le Chable, A Larze.
There is also a lift on the hotel property, which can access Bruson and Verbier in just 5 minutes.
Although it is fantastic to be staying in Le Chable and skiing Bruson, its great attraction is that you can easily access Verbier and the four valleys ski area.
The area has 410 kilometres of runs along with 80 lifts, making it among the largest ski resorts in Switzerland.
With a height of 3,300 feet, Mont Fort is the highest point on the island.
It is located around 1,500m above sea level on a sunny plateau with a south-facing aspect.
As we hit the slopes of Verbier, we drank a few beers in the best bar in Verbier, The Pub Mont Fort, where some of the best après ski beers are served.
We had a wonderful dinner at Le Rouge with two Verbier legends – the legendary ski instructor Warren Smith and the famous photographer Melody Sky.
The best part of my holiday is that you will be able to enjoy all that Verbier has to offer, as we have been doing on the slopes and now over dinner, while also experiencing the authentic side of Verbier – staying in Le Chable, the original village. “, Warren told me.
This is what he said in a nutshell.
I agree with you.
Afterwards, I took the group to the No 8 bar (the old T-bar)…
It is James’ return to Verbier this week as he goes behind the scenes with the avalanche patrol and takes a closer look at the work done by the Warren Smith Ski Academy and behind the scenes of the avalanche patrol.
I will keep you posted on that.
As well as that, there was a slight snowfall that fell on Sunday afternoon, with the possibility of more to come in the future.
Accommodations are available
It costs CHF510 (£455) per night for one person to stay at the Hôtel A Lârze for a seven-night stay beginning on 6th March 2023, based on sharing a room with a balcony and two people. It is included in the price of the room where breakfast is served.
Passes for lifts
The price of a lift pass for the Verbier 4 Vallees sector for an adult begins at CHF74 (£66) for a one-day pass.
For six days, an adult lift pass is available for CHF324.9 (£290) for the 4 Vallees sector.
