WINTER SPORTS

From Anzère to Zinal, the Valais has no less than fifty-three Winter sports resorts. This is an impressive offer and not only in quantity. In the land of majestic peaks and immaculate slopes, it is the variety that dominates. There is something for every taste and every level in the valleys of the Valais.

The resorts of the Portes du Soleil (Champéry, Crosets, Champoussin, Morgins and Tor-gon) which sit astride the border between Switzerland and France, illustrate the magic of a successful marriage. The 650 km of tracks which connect the fourteen resorts are a true paradise for all sorts of ski-ing enthusiasts. Above Martigny and Sion, there are 4 valleys with 400 km of tracks in the sun, so close yet so varied at the same time. While the surfers throw up the powdery snow on the Nendaz snowparc, the Verbier skiers enjoy the superb tracks which descend for nearly 2000 metres from the top of Mount Fort (3328 m). This classy and charming resort which hosts a sporting clientele has a particularly animated nocturnal fun-park for the more intrepid. The famous X'Treme Snowboard Contest organised each year in Verbier is where the skid freaks get together.

In Veysonnaz, the famous Bear track gets the champions involved in the Alpine Ski-ing World Cup up to speed while the La Tzoumaz toboggan track is illuminated for unfor-gettable descents throughout the night. Champex is where you can take your first lessons in driving a dog sledge and then the Super St. Bernard with its infernal tracks rounds out a ski-ing region full of attractions.

Crans-Montana overlooking Sion and Sierre, offers a sun-bathed plateau. Elegant, sport-ing, “with-it” are just some of the many eulogistic adjectives that qualify this resort that asso-ciates the joys of Winter sports and the pleasures of luxury shopping.

It has 160 km of tracks and 60 km of hiking paths which zig-zag across a beautiful alpine landscape. In Winter, the soft green of the golf course changes to a white carpet to ac-commodate cross-country skiers. Nearby, Anzère beckons to big thrill-seekers who like to be suspended from the wings of a hang-glider or sample the joys of virgin snow after having been deposited by helicopter atop the Wildhorn glacier.

And what can we say about beautiful Zermatt at the foot of the mythical Matterhorn? Here, the natural modesty of the mountain dwellers gets along well with the highlifers. The pro-gramme for your days off includes 250 km of tracks for all levels and – why not? - a hop across to Italy thanks to the connection with Cervinia which lies on the other side of the Matterhorn. The mountain in its most beautiful attire.