What a place to spend your holiday…
When you hear the name Verbier, you’d be forgiven for thinking of rolling banks of snow, skiing, snowboarding and oceans of chilly people rumbling around in puffy jackets.
Yes, Verbier is well-known as a ski resort, one which has hosted members of the Royal Family and Leonardo DiCaprio in the past. Other well-known figures such as singer James Blunt frequent the resort regularly.
But, when summer comes around, the south facing slope high in the Swiss Alps turns into a rolling green playground suitable for all types of people, adrenaline seekers and those simply looking for a break alike.
Verbier prides itself on being a resort for thrills and chills alike so it’s suitable for everyone, but if it’s adventure you’re looking for, you’ve come to the right place.
I spent four days over there testing out what’s on offer with Verbier’s new summer VIP Pass, which gives you significant discounts on activities and transport in the area, and here’s a taste of what you can expect in the Switzerland resort.
Zip lining Madzeria
A 120m zip line across a gorge. A 30m drop to certain death. Piece of cake.
We did this activity on our first day in Verbier and we’d be forgiven for thinking that it wouldn’t get much more extreme than this, but how wrong we were (as you’ll read later).
In an area of stunning beauty you can follow it up with a trip Mauvoisin Dam, the eighth highest dam in the world, and the spectacular views that accompany it.
Climbing Mont Fort
Situated 3,328m high up in the Swiss Alps, there’s an easy route to the top of this peak via a cable car, but since when has the easy route been any fun?
Trying out the brand new Via Cordata, which combines hiking, rock-climbing and mountaineering, we made our way towards the summit.
Starting out with a glacier crossing near a few hundred meters from the summit, the terrain soon changed from easy to something far more challenging as we reached a vertical face that was more akin to climbing than the hike I’d been expecting.
A few hours, and some moments of blind panic later (from me, our guide was not the least bit fazed and had seen it all before) we reached the summit and you had the reward of sitting atop the mountain you just conquered.
If you’re lucky it’ll be a clear day so you can enjoy the spectacular panoramic at the peak and revel in your accomplishment.
Mountain biking
An area that Verbier has worked very hard on in recent years and the results speak for themselves. In the Verbier Bikepark, there’s now 12km of marked downhill trails in the region. This 12km is split into seven trails of varying degrees of difficulty.
Having never done mountain biking before, we were placed on the blue trail, the easiest route available in Verbier (next year, they will have a green trail suitable for beginners).
But the blue trail is more than enough to induce some heart stopping moments.
It was easily one of the most exciting and exhilarating things I did during my time in Verbier, and that’s saying something, considering all the activities we did.
But if downhill mountain biking isn’t your thing, there’s over 800km of other trails in the area and plenty for all levels and the VIP Pass will give you a 20% reduction on the daily rate for mountain biking.
The below video is via PlanetSKI and I can assure, it seemed a lot quicker when you were doing the trail than the video suggests.
Hiking
If it’s hikes you’re looking for, you’ve come to the right place.
We hiked to the Corbassiere glacier across the valley from Verbier and underneath the Grand Combin mountain.
It’s a 15km hike with ascents and descents.
We start out at 2,100m, the hike rises as to 2,600m (where you can have the most delicious fondue in a nice little hut) and finishes on the valley floor at Fionnay at 1,490m.
If you’re looking for an ideal way to discover the beautiful sites of the Swiss Alps, then there’s no better way than doing this adventurous trek through the meandering trails.
When the mid-point of the hike at the Corbassiere glacier looks like this (minus the GAA-jersey-wearing Irish man), it’s well worth the effort.
You can find out more information about Verbier here.
More information about the new summer VIP pass that gives access to many activities in Verbier is available here.
List of benefits offered by the Verbier Infinite Playground Pass for the summer 2017:
- Mountain lifts that are open: Free for pedestrians and a 20% reduction on the daily rate for mountain bikers + Post buses within the municipality of Bagnes: Le Châble – Verbier / Le Châble – Bruson / Le Châble – Mauvoisin / Lourtier – Sarreyer
- Activities laid on by the Verbier/Val de Bagnes Tourist Office: Free: Brunch on a mountain pasture of Sery + Visit to the dairy at the Mille mountain pasture + Guided visit around Verbier-Village
- Activities at the Vollèges mountain pastures: 50% off: Via Ferrata / Horse Riding
- Buy one get one free: Buy one ticket and get one free for 12 major concerts in the Salle des Combins and all the 5pm concerts at the Eglise de Verbier.
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ with Aideen McQueen – Faith healers, Coolock craic and Gigging as Gaeilge
