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Champéry, Switzerland
Picture-postcard Swiss village, with easy access to the Portes du Soleil.
Champéry is definitely worth discovering. The village looks like a scene from a chocolate box, filled with traditional Swiss chalets and snowy winding streets. The backdrop is soaring Dents du Midi and Dents Blanches Mountains.
Magnificent views greet skiers that come to the nearby Portes du Soleil (Gateway to the Sun) ski area, just a five-minute cable car ride from Champéry. The Portes du Soleil, known as the most expansive ski area in the world, spans the Switzerland/France border and brings together 12 resorts, including Champéry.
Champéry itself is not the best place for beginners but the nearby Portes du Soleil provides scores of slopes for beginners with 51% of its runs designated blue. Intermediates do well both within Champéry and the larger ski area. Intermediates enjoy runs to Grand Paradis, Les Crosets and Champoussin and have the run of 40% of the trails in the whole Portes du Soleil region. For experts, a favorite challenge is the famous Pas de Chavanette (the Swiss Wall), a steep, long, and demanding run in the midst of spectacular scenery.
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Trail
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Town map
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on images for full-size view
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What's
Great
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What's
Not-So-Great
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Charmingly rustic mountain village
+ Tram takes you into very extensive Portes du Soleil slopes
+ Quiet, relaxed - yet plenty to do
+ Easy access for independent travelers
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Local slopes suffer from the sun
– No runs back to the village - and sometimes none back to the valley
– Beginner areas not easy to get to and not that gentle
– Not many tough slopes nearby
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Content
on this page by permission from
"Where to Ski and Snowboard Worldwide"
©Chris Gill & Dave Watts |
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