Champéry’s slopes are open and sunny with the exception of two partly wooded long runs to the valley.
Extent of slopes
You reach the edge of the bowl of Planachaux via the village cable car or a fast six-seat chairlift from Grand Paradis, a short, free bus ride away. With two or three further lift rides you can get up to the French border. If snow is good, there are a couple of pistes back to Grand Paradis – one curling well away from the lift system – but no pistes back to Champéry. Some slopes are floodlit for night skiing till 10pm twice a week.
Fast lifts
There are a few fast chairlifts but most lifts on the Swiss slopes are ancient draglifts and chairs.
Snow reliability
The Swiss side of the mountain roughly faces south-east and so snow quality can suffer. More snowmaking would be good.
Experts
The Swiss Wall, on the Champéry side of Pas de Chavanette, is usually a giant mogul field and provides great amusement to those riding the chairlift over it. It used to be classified black but is now an itinéraire. The proper blacks in the area are worthwhile and there’s plenty of off-piste terrain.
Intermediates
Confident intermediates have the whole Portes du Soleil at their disposal. Locally, the runs home to Grand Paradis are good when the snow conditions allow. Les Crosets is a junction of several fine runs. There are slightly tougher pistes from Mossettes and Pointe de l’Au, leisurely cruising above Champoussin, and delightful tree-lined meanders from La Foilleuse to Morgins. From Col des Portes du Soleil a long blue run goes down a quiet, wooded valley to Morgins; but after a good descent to the rustic Tovassière restaurant the run turns into a path, dropping a mere 200m in around 4km.
Beginners
Far from ideal. The Planachaux runs, where lessons are held, are steepish and small (as well as remote from the village), and there’s a lack of easy longer runs to progress to – some of the local blue runs could easily be classified red.
Snowboarding
Not ideal for beginners, and there are several draglifts (some quite steep). There are good terrain parks in Les Crosets and Avoriaz for intermediates and experts, though, and some good powder areas to explore.
Cross-country
It’s advertised as 7km – not a lot – with 4km floodlit every night, and the snow is unreliable.
Where to Ski and Snowboard
This guide is taken from Where to Ski and Snowboard, edited by Chris Gill and Dave Watts. Chris now produces Where to Ski guides to individual countries. Find out more and receive an exclusive book discount.