Champery switzerland
Review of snowboarding and skiing in Champery Switzerland.
Champery Ski Holiday Facts
Established in 1857 the Swiss ski resort Champery lies at 2466 metres altitude in the Valais region of the Swiss Alps / Alpes. With the highest lifts and ski slopes below 2500m Champery ski area is not snow sure. Over 636 snow cannons ensure artificial Champery snow making covers 50km of ski trails, which equates to around 50 of the ski slopes. The nearest airport transfer to Champery (Switzerland) is Geneva / Geneve at a distance of 127km or approximately 150 minutes driving time. Champery ski season runs from December to April.
SNO-man says
Key resort in the Swiss sector of the world's largest international lift-linked ski area (the Franco-Swiss Portes du Soleil). Skiing is reached by cable car from this large village with a mostly hotel-based après-ski scene.
alpine downhill runs to ski in Champery Switzerland
Beginner Trails
 2 runs 3km |
2% |
Intermediate Trails
 32 runs 46km |
45% |
Advanced Trails
 31 runs 47km |
44% |
Expert Trails
 5 runs 5km |
7% |
Champery Resort & Holiday Info
| Beginners learning to ski |  |
| Intermediate Skiers | |
| Expert Skiers | |
| Snowboarders | |
| Apres Ski | |
| Family friendly | |
| Snowsure | |
| Ambience | |
| Value for money | |
| Ski Pass Prices (adult 6 day) | CHF258 - CHF314 |
Traditional Ski Village / Purpose Built Ski Resort |
| Ski Resort Opens | Dec 2011 |
| Ski Resort Closes | Apr 2012 |
| (snow conditions often influence resort opening & closing) |
Ski Area Champery Mountain
| Downhill Ski Runs | 100km |
| total length of Champery trails |
| Longest lift serve Run | 7km |
| longest piste or trail reachable by ski lift |
| Ski Slope Orientation | S N E |
| direction Champery ski areas face |
| Top Altitude | 2466m |
| top station of highest ski lift |
| Bottom Altitude | 1050m |
| bottom of lowest ski run |
| Resort Altitude | 1050m |
| centre of Champery ski resort |
| Vertical Drop | 1237m |
| total descent from top lift to bottom piste |
| Skiable Vertical | ^v 1130m |
| can include extra hike up which may be possible above top lift - stat used by some resorts to con us about true "vertical drop" which is lift-served |
Skiing in Champery
Skiing Champery you'll enjoy 70 pistes and trails and that means approximately 100km of ski runs. Champery lifts number 35 with the capacity to uplift 46370 skiers up the mountain per hour. The longest ski run in the Swiss ski resort of Champery is over 7km long.
Champery Ski Area
Champery ski area has 2% beginner ski runs or nursery slopes, 45% intermediate, 44% advanced ski slopes and 7% for expert skiers - the most difficult Champery piste is the 1.5km Chavanette run, with a steepness/slope angle of 60%. You can ski Champery after dark as there is night skiing on ?km of illuminated piste.
Champery for skiing gets 3 stars out of 5 overall
Snowboarding in Champery
If you snowboard Champery you'll want to know that, of the 35 ski lifts in total, 19 are surface lifts or "drag lifts" - this gives a good indication of how modern the lift system is and well set up Champery snowboarding is - especially for beginners learning to snowboard. Champery snowboard facilities include 7 terrain parks and 3 half pipe (longest half pipe length is 100 metres), 7 quarter pipe and 4 boardercross courses.
Champery for snowboarding gets 3 stars out of 5 overall
Champery Apres Ski
The apres ski Champery scene and off-slope or "non-skier" activities include:
12 apres ski bars 14 restaurants 0 bowling 3 night club 0 cinema 1 billiards / pool 0 games room 1 concert 1 indoor swimming 0 outdoor heated pools 0 saunas 0 hot tubs 0 solariums 2 masseurs 1 indoor ice skating 0 outdoor ice skating 1 indoor sports centre 0 indoor tennis 0 squash racquetball 0 sleigh rides 0 ballooning 0 horse riding 30 prepare winter walks 1 climbing 0 golf 0 fishing 1 museum 1 library Plus these additional apres ski facilities Curling, Foundry Visit, Ice Hockey, Physiotherapy, Adventure Park, Pony Riding.
SNO-man says
Off the slopes Champéry's biggest attraction is the excellent Palladium which incorporates sports hall, fitness gym, ice rink, four curling rinks and a large swimming complex in low rise buildings that do not impose on the village landscape. This is also the place to visit for a massage as it contains a massage therapy centre.
You can also try alternative sports on the snow and in the air such as snow shoe walks (about 400km of marked paths in the Portes du Soleil), cross country skiing or paragliding. Snow kiting is also possible when conditions are right (a windy day for example!). An ice climbing wall has been created at a site in Grand-Paradis which is open late at night. Lessons are available for first timers.
The most dedicated snowshoers can try serious routes such as a 64km (40 mile) route between Morgins and Chatel over the border in France. There's a 10km route around Champéry itself and plenty of other options.
If you just want to walk in your hiking boots there are cleared trails for that too. Of special note is a path along the Vallon de They in neighbouring Morgins where astronomy fans can take the planetary trail on a night hike.
Sledging is also popular with a 4km (2.5 mile) run in neighbouring Champoussin-Les Crosets.
Champery for apres ski gets 3 stars out of 5 overall
More Champery Snow Ski Area and Resort Information
Champery resort - ski Champery by any other name
The Swiss ski resort of Champery ski resort is also known as Champéry Portes du Soleil and has the following common misspellings:
Champery ski area has ski slopes which face S N E
The direction which the various Champery ski slopes face can make or break your skiing or snowboarding holiday. If you want to guarantee good snow and ski conditions, you should choose a resort with ski slopes which face the right way for the time of year you're travelling.
- In the coldest winter months of January and February you need a ski resort with some sunny south facing ski slopes, so your days on the snow doesn't feel like a polar expedition. Conversely, in the warmest spring skiing months of March and especially April, a ski resort with some cool and shady north facing slopes will ensure you're not skiing on slush, but benefitting from best late season snow. The best ski resorts have ski areas and slopes which face in all directions so that you're guaranteed greating skiing whatever the weather. Champery ski resort has ski slopes facing S N E.
Champery for snow gets 3 stars out of 5 overall