Verbier (Tzoumaz)

La Tzoumaz (or Mayen de Riddes as it is also sometimes known) is a small ski village at the foot of the North facing slopes of the Savoleyres mountain of Verbier. There are modern lifts that access the Savoleyres ski area and from here you can ski across the top of Verbier, connecting to lifts that access the main 4 Valleys ski area. There is no need to ski down to Verbier's Medran cable car and so large queues can be avoided.

As a smallish resort the après ski and nightlife scene is a little quiet but this isn't a problem as our chalets in Tzoumaz all have hot tubs to unwind in after a day on the slopes. There is also not the glitzy shopping of neighbouring Verbier. However, it's a great value place to stay for accessing one of the world's best ski areas and is great for families. The off-piste terrain on the North facing slopes above the resort is excellent and compared to Verbier's main area is little skied on a powder day. So experts take note!

Also of note in Tzoumaz is the 10km professionally run toboggan track. This is not recommended for children under 7 years of age and crash helmets should be worn! We have done a few of these long pro toboggan tracks across the alps in our time and they are usually an absolute riot. An old-fashioned toboggan can achieve frightening speeds - we recommend to exercise caution and never to mix with alcohol.

Photos courtesy of Verbier Tourist Office, Lucia Harrison, Raphael Surmont, Ventura Sales.