20.01.2025@luciaharrison 18
4'313 M
altitude of the Grand Combin
05.02.2025@luciaharrison 49 Web
Verbier and the Val de Bagnes, an infinite playground, a destination of contrasts, a concentrate of Switzerland. And much more besides: a breeding ground for inspiration, a cosmopolitan resort rooted in the mountain pastures, a rhythmic, authentic and warm vibe. The destination inspires artists, sports enthusiasts, craftspeople and anyone who has ever been here to innovate, create and challenge themselves. Indeed, Verbier is a place where you can feel a particular energy that can lead to the invention of a practice and make it immortal (freeride skiing photography, Team Clambin), dare to create nothing less than a myth (the Xtreme on the Bec des Rosses), turn a resort into a world music capital for a few weeks each year (the Verbier Festival). The valley has produced champions, exceptional craftsmen, avant-garde chefs, renowned ski patrollers and specialist technicians. As well as being the capital of raclette, it is also its original melting pot and the birthplace of its best-known ambassador (Eddy Baillifard).
An icon inspires, it’s unique not only for what it is, but also and above all for how people appreciate it and how it makes them feel. And in that respect, thanks to those who make it (and have made it) every day, and above all thanks to those who come and enjoy it, Verbier is iconic!
So where to start? And as a regular, how do you know if you’ve been able to test and experience this iconic energy? How do you know if you’re the “real thing”, as we say here?
To find out, we’ve devised a very simple test: the 10 commandments of Verbier. Based on strict criteria, we’ve selected a list of must-sees with one simple question: what is it that makes Verbier so special and so unique?
Off-piste skiing has found a particularly favourable environment in Verbier: slopes, infrastructure, people and an adventurous, pioneering spirit. All the ingredients to create a myth!
Founder of the Verbier ski lifts, Rodolphe Tissières was a promoter of easy access to the mountains.In 1960, with the construction of the Mont Gelé cable car, the first ungroomed mountain was opened up to skiers. This principle was later replicated at Mont Fort. For the first time, skiers could enjoy all the thrills of off-piste skiing without having to endure gruelling uphill climbs.
In the 70s, a counter-culture of skiing was emerging, seeking to go beyond the traditional, rigid way of skiing. It was a group of three young men who really put Verbier on the map of off-piste skiing, which became known as freeride. Through their style and Mark Shapiro’s photographs, which found their way into the world’s media, they breathed new life into freeride skiing in Verbier with their “Team Clambin”.
It was a generation later that freeride really took off, and saw its first form of democratisation. This time on the slopes of Bec des Rosses, the organisation of the first major event dedicated to this discipline, the Xtrême Verbier, gave Verbier a place of choice in the world of freeride.
Team Clambin
In the 1970s, Mark Shapiro, John Falkiner and Ace Kvale settled in Clambin, above Verbier. Far from the academic style, these pioneers explored the wild slopes, giving them names (“Stairway”, “Baries Bowl”, “Hidden Valley”…) and turning them into an art form. Their exploits and Shapiro’s legendary images attracted riders from all over the world, making Verbier the capital of freeride.
Elisabeth Gerritzen
A mountain enthusiast from childhood thanks to her parents, Elisabeth started competing at the age of 16 in Verbier. At 20, she joined the Freeride World Tour, winning the Verbier Xtreme in 2019 and 2021, as well as the world title in 2021 – a first for a Swiss woman skier. She is also a committed defender of the female cause in sport.
Nicolas Hale-Wood
From the age of 8, Nicolas discovered off-piste skiing with his mother and grandmother on Mont Gelé, falling in love with the speed and freedom of freeride. In 1994, he launched the Xtreme Verbier on the Bec des Rosses, a competition that has since developed a cult following. Since 2008, he has directed the Freeride World Tour, propelling freeride onto the world stage and establishing Verbier as its capital.
Rte de Verbier Station 61
1936 Verbier, Switzerland
media@verbiertourisme.ch
Phone +41 27 775 23 78
