The cable car from Champéry rises swiftly to 1965 metres - where the slopes spread out in all directions linking Champéry to Morgins & Champoussin, in Switzerland, and Avoriaz, Morzine & Châtel in France - and a further 8 linked French & Swiss ski villages
The 650km Portes du Soleil is a paradise for intermediate & advanced skiers and boarders. Runs are well prepared and served by an excellent network of modern lifts - mostly chairlifts & gondolas.
Interspersed throughout this huge area there are some delightful restaurants, notably Chez Cocquoz & Chez Gaby in Switzerland & at Lindarets in France..
For experts one of the toughest mogul slopes in the Alps slopes is Chavanette above Champéry. Other expert runs are found on Les Hauts Forts above Avoriaz.
There's a small beginner area at village level and more extensive beginner slopes at Planachaux, at the arrival point of the cable car. For complete beginners Champéry has sufficient variety but it has less variety for those at the early stages between beginner and intermediate.
Champéry is delightful and retains all the charm of a genuine mountain village, and it it would be a mistake to come here and expect the hard core nightlife of Verbier, St. Anton or Val d'Isère.
But for its size, it has a good choice of après-ski bars and leisure activities.
Amongst our favourite bars are Bar des Guides and Crevasse, which is also a late night club. Champéry also has some very good restaurants and two more night clubs, Marshalls & Le Farinet - so there's no reason to go to bed early - unless you want to!
Champéry has night skiing/boarding twice a week and an excellent sports centre, with free entry to the ice rink and swimming pool for hotel guests.
Après-ski is friendly and relaxed and within a short time of arriving it's easy to feel comfortably at home - almost a local!
AIRPORTS Geneva 79 miles Chambéry (France) 130 miles
Basel 139 miles
Transfer possible by Swissrail
resort 1050-2300 metres
Portes du Soleil area -14 resorts 209 lifts | 650km marked runs
easy 51% | red 39% | black 10%
cross country 10km (4km floodlit) | winter footpaths | small 200m toboggan run | Large Snow Park + 2 Snowboard parks and a Snowcross freeride area near Avoriaz | floodlit night skiing and boarding on Wed & Sat
indoor pool | gym |sauna snowshoe excursions | child care from 0-5 years
What could be better? A picture postcard village with the world's largest ski area on it's doorstep -. 650km of beautiful long runs for skiers and boarders of all abilities - 90 minutes from Geneva. Genuinely friendly & still undiscovered by the mass market - all good reasons why discerning regulars return every year.
Champéry looks and feels just how you'd imagine a ski resort to be; old wooden chalets overhanging the main street and surrounded by high mountain peaks draped in snow; the most dramatic in this case being the the jagged "teeth" of Les Dents du Midi on one side of the village and Les Dents Blanches high above the slopes on the other side.
For ease of access, character, friendlieness and lack of commercialisation - with a huge ski area that's the largest linked domain in the world - it's hard to beat Champéry.
