Armed with a Magic Pass (because if skiing the Valais in Switzerland why wouldn't you?), we spend several wonderful days skiing powder at Anzere. Midweek in January the place is utterly devoid of humans and a Powderhounds' paradise. Sure the slopes are south-facing and can get a little cooked when the sun comes and things warm up, but none of that matters if you come here storm-chasing.
We finally got to ski the legendary La Rousses ('The Redheads') sector too. On a bright sunny morning we were first up the road to the La Rousses car park. A fascinating drive that is not for the fainthearted, the road is extremely narrow & icy in parts. There is no bus to Les Rousses (Barrage de Tseuzier) from Anzère or the lower villages so driving is the only option (but of course you can ski across from within the resort). The ancient detachable triple chair serving the area is desperate of replacement, but does the job well enough. The sector has delightful, near perfect, intermediate piste that seems to roll on forever, and some quality off-piste powder (including tree skiing in the larches) if you know the lay of the land.
The lift system is more than adequate for the task of moving the modest numbers of skiers that visit Anzère, but the old double & triple chair and a few superfluous surface tows muddy the waters. It will no doubt improve when the proposed gondolas go in from the village up to Grillesses and on to the highest part of the resort at Le Bate via Duez. Construction to replace the Duez-Le Bate double starts in summer 2025. Will be interesting to see if it is finished before winter 25/26.
Anzere seems quite conservative when it comes to avalanche control. The mystical La Rousses and Duez-Le Bate double chairs are always last to open and very rarely do so when snow is fresh & visibility is poor, so you need to time your run precisely to ski that terrain.
For a relaxed, ‘fine’ dining experience, Le Grenier de Zalan is the best restaurant on the mountain. A intimate space with a tiny kitchen, the dedicated chefs utilise wood-fired stoves to create scrumptious dishes. Situated out of sight from the rest of the ski area in a small alpine bowl connected by groomed winter-walking trails to the ski pistes, you can ski to it from the gondola or Les Luys chair and skate out of it to the village trail.
We explored the old town & castles of nearby Sion on a balmy rest day too. Whilst from the outside looking in the town has little to offer the traveller, we found the abbey, castle, fortifications & town centre to be fantastic. A few good bars & cafes in the old sector top of a great afternoon’s exploration.
Having stayed previously in the village, on this trip we spent 6-days on the mountainside below the resort in the hamlet of Arbaz. Driving up for a day of skiing was a little sullied by the paid parking requirement (which seems to be becoming endemic throughout Switzerland). 1 CHF/hour doesn’t seem like much, but it is an added and unnecessary imposition on skiers. We noted the local police were actively checking vehicles in the car park near the gondola station too. Aside from that, the skiing at Anzere provides incredible value for money.
So when in the Valais during a winter storm, avoid the industrial resorts of 4 Vallees & Crans Montana and instead head up to Anzère for some fun without the crowds.
One of my favourite things in life is storm skiing in the Alps in January. There are so many resorts that are empty Monday to Friday in January, even when big winter storms have, or are about to, dump huge volumes of snow on them. Anzere is one of those resorts. Chalk it up on your board as a ‘go to’ ski area for midweek powder in January.
I knew it was going to be good here when less than a handful of people were waiting for the gondola up the mountain on a cold, blowing storm day. I could barely contain my excitement…
The next day was promising to be clear, so I got up extra early to beat the horde of people skiing a bluebird powder day. There were at least 20 people in the line for first chair this day! WTF? Pawsome
Terrain wise I only skied a little more than half the hill. High avalanche danger, high winds, driving snow and few people meant that terrain never opened. An old local told me the sector down to Les Rousses had the best terrain on the mountain too. Reason for me to come back I suppose.
For novices there are two small areas to get your legs in tune. One right in the village, sheltered from the elements, and the other in a totally opposite location on the highest part of the resort near the gondola top station. Depending on the weather, either spot will work for you.
Skiers and snowboarders above the rank of novice will find a variety of terrain to suit everyone, and it will likely be in perfect condition and devoid of other people. I was lucky enough to be here when it snowed though. My only concern with this ski area is its sunny south-aspect, and relatively low altitude terrain (much of it below 2,000m), which could get quite cooked throughout the season.
I enjoyed the off-piste bowls & trees in the zone above Grillesses. With some visibility, the steeper slopes (and amongst the avalanche fences) below Pas de Maimbre to the gondola mid-station delivered powder riding at its finest. When it comes to first turns from the gondola on a powder day, hit the Raphy route pronto, and repeat it quickly before it gets smashed. After that, the pressure is off.
Feeling sporty one afternoon I headed down into the off-piste trees, whoops & yips below Restaurant Le Tsalan and ended up landing on the beginner return trail, Route de Grillesses. It wasn’t groomed and turned out to be closed due to avalanche danger above it (whoops). Having just skied much of the terrain in question I deemed it safe and continued on toward the village. I don’t recommend the trail be used by snowboarders. It is flatter than flat along almost its entire distance. When groomed it may be ok. I’ll let you know after my next visit.
Expert freeriders will find some sublime off-piste offerings at Anzere, particularly in the lower half of the mountain. Steeps, cliffs & pillows are throughout. Just go when the snow is fresh, and the base is deepish.
Tried two of the mountain restaurants. Restaurant Pas de Maimbre was open every day, but the Le Tsalan was only open briefly one day. The Restaurant Tsalan was great, but they must have realised that with the heavy midweek storm flogging the hill, no one, other than a few hardy souls (like me), were out skiing. The Pas de Maimbre restaurant is a reliable, affordable, self -serve, perfectly located next to the gondola summit station. Other restaurants exist on the hill, but all were snowed-in and closed. C’est la vie.
The village is purpose built in a style I would more readily associate with a French resort than a Swiss one, and perhaps that says a bit about Anzere. The extensive triangular shaped buildings that predominate aren’t quite the architectural monstrosities of other resorts, and overall it is well ordered, practical and mostly pedestrian friendly. Snow cover improves its ambiance no end. But then again, snow does that anywhere and to everything!
Just like most French ski resorts, accommodations in this Swiss resort are mostly self-contained apartments & chalets with only a few hotels. I lucked out at the Eden Resort with a lovely ground floor suite apartment, and a complimentary a view of the forest and mountains across the valley. A well-stocked local supermarket (a large Coop supermarket with long opening hours before & after skiing) allowed for adequate provisioning and the use of the apartment’s kitchenette. The bus stops (for PostBus & Ski Bus) were right out the front, and the gondola station was only a short stroll up the road. The local pool & spa complex was 200m away down a cleared pedestrian walkway.
Midweek in January the village was super-quiet, particularly at night. The handful of bars were mostly empty, several of the restaurants were closed until the weekend and the general feel of the place was that I had it all to myself. Asking a few locals where the best dining was, all pointed to the Le Panorama restaurant, which happened to be in the building where I was staying. Had a wonderful meal there, even if somewhat over-seasoned (as is the way in these parts). Others worth a look on one of the nights spent in the village include Le Raccard; a bar, crêperie & carnotzet which served me up some delicious nosh involving a galette, smoke salmon, spinach and a whole small wheel of goat’s cheese. The best après ski bar is the ski-in Why? Not, located just above the main car park at the gondola station. Tried several others in town, but none truly grabbed me. Although Les Délices de Chez Nous is cool early in the evening for an aperitif or wine with some local nibbles. Would be interesting seeing what they were like on a weekend or during peak season when the village has a little more vibe.
For fresh bread or a quick bite, La Canne à Sucre is a bakery/tea-room (boulangerie) serves tasty pains, croissants and treats, but it is tucked away under the Eden Resort building so you may not notice it.
I travelled to and from the resort on the PostBus from the main bus station at Sion (railway station). A very simple process that I can recommend to everyone. Sion’s transport hub has direct bus links to the many of the region’s ski areas.
I enjoyed Anzere a whole more than anticipated. The village had all I needed, the natives were friendly, my accommodation was fantastic, the snow & terrain were exactly as ordered, and I had a Magic Pass, so the ski lifts cost me nothing! I’ll definitely come back and are looking forward to skiing the whole mountain in decent visibility.
Since being in Anzere, I heard comments from locals in the valley that consistently drive past the turnoff to the resort because they favour Crans Montana or somewhere else. Whilst that cannot be good for Anzère, its fine by me, cos I’ll take the turnoff and go skiing here over Crans-Montana any day!
Read more about the pros & cons of this ski resort on the Anzère overview page.