Champéry - Les Crosets Ski Resort Switzerland
Champery - Les Crosets ski resort is part of the huge Portes du Soleil (translates to 'Doors of the Sun') & has some of the best snow, terrain & alpine village location (Les Crosets) in the region. Easily accessible by train from anywhere in Switzerland direct to Champéry, the ski area includes the mighty 'Swiss Wall' - an 'old school' steep bowl of big, bumper bumps. The 600km of groomed trails & monstrously large freeride offerings will be more attractive to discerning Powderhounds!
Les Crosets is the Portes du Soleil's best alpine resort village location. Situated high in the mountains, Les Crosets allows swift access to the best terrain in this vast ski region.
Pros & Cons for Champéry - Les Crosets Ski Resort
Pros
- High snowfall region.
- Modern & efficient lift system that is a small part of one of the world’s biggest & best interlinked ski areas.
- No lift lines.
- Good range of on-piste trails for all levels.
- Massive off-piste & freeride terrain options for everyone from beginner to expert in the broader Portes du Soleil.
- Long valley trail available to low elevation.
- Ski-in ski-out accommodation available at Les Crosets.
- Good value local lift pass price.
- Several fabulous mountain huts.
- Excellent public transport access by train direct to the cable car.
- Ski two countries but speak one language - French (the Swiss sector is in the French speaking part of Valais).
Cons
- Busiest of the Swiss Portes ski areas (but that’s only relative!).
- As per above, gets a lot of skier traffic from the French sector (i.e. Avoriaz).
- Beyond the local resort area it can be easy for the uninitiated to get ‘lost’ - pay close attention to signage as people have been known to end the day stuck in the wrong country (& that truly sucks)!
Pro or Con (depending on your perspective!)
- Two villages to choose from - traditional in the valley or alpine resort style on the mountain.
- Part of the Portes du Soleil interconnected ski region - is that good or bad - you decide (we think its exceptionally good)!
- No high-end (5-star et al) accommodation in the area (if this is a problem, go to nearby Gstaad or Verbier).
Skiing & Snowboarding, Lifts & Terrain
The Champery - Les Crosets skiing & snowboarding terrain is another of the Portes du Soleil resorts that is all about being a small important part of a far greater sum! But it is also one with plenty of its own highlights. Gorgeous high alpine terrain with a north & easterly aspect, facing the spectacular Dents du Midi. As the morning sun hits the slopes, it brings a smile to everyone that skis there. With the region’s highest skiable vertical, a super-long valley trail, steepest advanced slope, great value local lift pass (linked with Champoussin & Morgins), plus direct lift & piste connections to Avoriaz, Champoussin, Chatel & Morgins, there is alot to like about skiing & snowboarding the Champery - Les Crosets combination. It may be the busiest of the Swiss sector resorts, but that is mainly due to its proximity to Avoriaz. Relative to many ski areas, the slopes are quiet, but they do get more quickly tracked out than the other Swiss resorts.
It would be irresponsible of us to fail to mention the ridiculous bumps of the infamous ‘Swiss Wall’ or “Chavanette”. The hype is as massive as the Volkswagon Beetle sized bumps. Oft referred to “as one of the steepest & toughest slopes in the world”, the run is only 400m vertical & 1km long with a nice 37o consistent pitch. The ’steepest & toughest’ descriptor may be an exaggeration; however it is a serious undertaking for most snow-sliders & a wholly distasteful insight into the bad old days of skiing. But some people like that. It is all yours! We will be skiing the powder next to the bumps!
The longest trail in the resort is the gorgeous 8km+ descent of the Ripaille - Grand Paradis. Descended over a shortish 900m vertical, it is a reasonably casual intermediate cruise for most of its length. The run can be extended via the off-piste from higher up the mountain to make it more interesting. the upper alpine section into the forest is awesome to ski in powder. The run is via the quiet Vièze River valley & has a few delightful mountain huts & bars to stop in at along the way, including at journey's end. Flat sections in the last 1/3 of the trail need speed and no turns! At the end of the trail, either catch the chairlift back up into the ski area or free ski bus back to the gondola base in Champery.
Jumping off a train direct to the cable car is always a lovely way to arrive at a ski destination & Champéry has exactly that. Whilst there is no valley trail to the village, a short distance further up the valley, a second access point does! The Grand Paradis chair rises 630m vertical from a low-level of 1,060m altitude. The area has a car park & a free bus shuttle service from Champery during the day, providing an alternate (and arguably better) way to get to the top of the mountain from the village, particularly if you have arrived by rental car. The remaining chairlifts in the upper resort provide the region’s best access to the highest points in the Ports du Soleil - always worth noting for a powder hound.
Interlinked with CLCF & Portes du Soleil
Champery - Les Crosets is part of the CLCF ski pass area which in includes the magnificent contiguous Swiss resorts of Champoussin, & the Foilleuse sector of Morgins.
See the Champery-Les Crosets-Champoussin-Foilleuse/Morgins ski trail map (CLCF).
Whilst a large ski area in and of itself, Champéry-Les Crosets & the CLCF ski pass area is only a fraction of the terrain available in the vast interconnected Portes du Soleil. Lift passes for the entire Portes du Soleil (a.k.a. Doors of the Sun) are only 6 to 8 Swiss Francs (CHF) more than local lift passes, but forays into the broader region are definitely worth the extra coin & a must when skiing the region.
Check out the ski trail map for the entire Portes du Soleil below.
Where are Champery & Les Crosets Switzerland?
Champery is in the canton of Valais, only 55km east of Geneva ‘as the crow flies’ in southwest Switzerland. The most convenient airport is naturally Geneva (GVA), 122km (1½hr) away by road via the north shore of Lac Leman (Lake Geneva) & Montreux. Whilst Champéry is a valley village at a modest elevation of 1,030m, its lift-linked partner, Les Crosets, sits splendidly high on the mountainside at 1,670m, only a 15min drive from the valley floor via the village of Val d’Illiez.
For obvious reasons (i.e. it has a train station next to the cable car!) the train is the recommended mode of travel to Champery from Geneva airport (or any other airport for that matter). At the airport train station, the IR15 train (in the direction of Brig) runs several times every hour to Aigle, usually taking around 1½hr depending on how many stops are along the way.
The Aigle-Ollon-Monthey-Champéry railway is utilised to complete the journey. Trains in the direction of Champery leave from the platforms outside the Aigle train station. From Aigle station, simply walk across to the outer platforms. Rail lines up to ski resorts at Leysin & Les Diablerets also depart from these outside platforms. Allow an hour for the final train journey to Champery. Down the valley, 4km (6min drive) from Champéry, is the village of Val d'Illiez. With its own train station (7min by train from Champery), Val d’Illiez is the jumping off point for access to the alpine villages and ski lifts & Les Crosets, and before that, Champoussin. For Les Crosets the route 81 bus does the journey 6 times a day from the Val d’Illiez Gare, taking around 30min to the village & ski lifts.
Search & book train tickets to Champery.
Driving to Les Crosets from Val d’Illiez takes around 15min (9km) in good conditions. Private transfers from Geneva or one of the train stations along the way makes a good option if not keen on the public transport. A rental car does not make too much sense if spending a lot of time in the Portes du Soleil but is a viable option for day trippers in a group.
For hints, tips & warnings about getting to Swiss ski resorts in winter, see our Travel in Switzerland page.
Champery & Les Crosets Accommodation
Whilst Champéry is the easy entry point to the region, Les Crosets is situated further away, snug in the high alpine and providing the perfect place to make the most of a Portes du Soleil ski holiday.
Champéry is a vibrant well-established resort town that has been catering for the wants & needs of tourists for many years. With the jagged Dents du Midi peaks as a backdrop, the only quibble is its relatively low elevation of 1,030m & subsequent lack of a valley trail back into town. There are a full range of services available & accommodation options cover the full spectrum of budgets. The cable car station is only 200m from the centre of town, right next to the train station & opposite a supermarket (just in case you need one!). The best places to stay in the village are the Hotel National Resort & Spa, the boutique Boutique Hotel Beau-Sejour and Spa or the centrally located Hotel Suisse. Several excellent hostels near the train & cable car station provide fabulous affordable lodgings, particularly for families & groups. Try either the Palladium de Champéry or Backpacker Le Petit Baroudeur.
Away from the village, up the valley next to the Grand Paradis chairlift, Guest House du Grand Paradis feels like splendid isolation but is still close to everything. Above Champery at the top of the cable car, Hotel Le Plein Ciel has wonderful views of the region & awesome access to the slopes. Further along toward Les Crosets, the ski-in ski-out Hotel Le Marcheuson provides a classic Swiss alpine stay.
Search & book here for all Champery ski accommodation.
Les Corsets is the Portes du Soleil’s best located alpine village. Set at 1670m, services may be limited but the direct access to the lifts & ski slopes from the ski-in ski-out accommodation is unparalleled in the region. As a bonus, it gets the morning sun too! Prices are comparative to Champéry, but one gets what one pays for & in this case its location, location, location…….! As it happens, the most affordable lodgings in the region are in Les Crosets at the Freeride Hostel. For the best hotel in the village, try Hotel L'Etable.
Search & book here for all Les Crosets ski accommodation.
[AdListings collection="Europe" category="Switzerland Portes du Soleil" subcategory="Champery Packages"]
Ski Rentals & Lessons
Ski rentals from our local partners are available in the centre of Champery village, a short walk from the cable car. Receive a discount when you search & book via our Champéry Ski & Snowboard Rental page.
If you are looking for a ski or snowboard instructor, or local mountain guide, you can search, compare & book via our Champery Ski Lessons & Guiding page.
Review
The Powderhounds reviewed Champéry - Les Crosets in 2019 and again in January 2023. We reckon it to be the most fabulous part of the ‘must visit’ Portes du Soleil. We have used both rental car and public transport to access the area, but in the end, when in Switzerland, use the train and buses. Click on the review link in the left column (or top of the page if on a mobile) to read all the reviews.
See how Champery-Les Corsets & the ‘Doors of the Sun’ compare to the rest of the Swiss ski resorts on the Switzerland ski resort ratings page, or compare to the rest of Europe on the European ski resort ratings page.
Follow Powderhounds Europe on Instagram to see where we are currently skiing. Follow our main Powderhounds page on Facebook to stay in touch with up-to-date info, tours, and discussions.