One of my favourite things in life is storm skiing in the Alps in January. There are so many resorts that are empty Monday to Friday in January, even when big winter storms have, or are about to, dump huge volumes of snow on them. Anzere is one of those resorts. Chalk it up on your board as a ‘go to’ ski area for midweek powder in January.
I knew it was going to be good here when less than a handful of people were waiting for the gondola up the mountain on a cold, blowing storm day. I could barely contain my excitement…
The next day was promising to be clear, so I got up extra early to beat the horde of people skiing a bluebird powder day. There were at least 20 people in the line for first chair this day! WTF? Pawsome
Terrain wise I only skied a little more than half the hill. High avalanche danger, high winds, driving snow and few people meant that terrain never opened. An old local told me the sector down to Les Rousses had the best terrain on the mountain too. Reason for me to come back I suppose.
For novices there are two small areas to get your legs in tune. One right in the village, sheltered from the elements, and the other in a totally opposite location on the highest part of the resort near the gondola top station. Depending on the weather, either spot will work for you.
Skiers and snowboarders above the rank of novice will find a variety of terrain to suit everyone, and it will likely be in perfect condition and devoid of other people. I was lucky enough to be here when it snowed though. My only concern with this ski area is its sunny south-aspect, and relatively low altitude terrain (much of it below 2,000m), which could get quite cooked throughout the season.
I enjoyed the off-piste bowls & trees in the zone above Grillesses. With some visibility, the steeper slopes (and amongst the avalanche fences) below Pas de Maimbre to the gondola mid-station delivered powder riding at its finest. When it comes to first turns from the gondola on a powder day, hit the Raphy route pronto, and repeat it quickly before it gets smashed. After that, the pressure is off.
Feeling sporty one afternoon I headed down into the off-piste trees, whoops & yips below Restaurant Le Tsalan and ended up landing on the beginner return trail, Route de Grillesses. It wasn’t groomed and turned out to be closed due to avalanche danger above it (whoops). Having just skied much of the terrain in question I deemed it safe and continued on toward the village. I don’t recommend the trail be used by snowboarders. It is flatter than flat along almost its entire distance. When groomed it may be ok. I’ll let you know after my next visit.
Expert freeriders will find some sublime off-piste offerings at Anzere, particularly in the lower half of the mountain. Steeps, cliffs & pillows are throughout. Just go when the snow is fresh, and the base is deepish.
Tried two of the mountain restaurants. Restaurant Pas de Maimbre was open every day, but the Le Tsalan was only open briefly one day. The Restaurant Tsalan was great, but they must have realised that with the heavy midweek storm flogging the hill, no one, other than a few hardy souls (like me), were out skiing. The Pas de Maimbre restaurant is a reliable, affordable, self -serve, perfectly located next to the gondola summit station. Other restaurants exist on the hill, but all were snowed-in and closed. C’est la vie.
The village is purpose built in a style I would more readily associate with a French resort than a Swiss one, and perhaps that says a bit about Anzere. The extensive triangular shaped buildings that predominate aren’t quite the architectural monstrosities of other resorts, and overall it is well ordered, practical and mostly pedestrian friendly. Snow cover improves its ambiance no end. But then again, snow does that anywhere and to everything!
Just like most French ski resorts, accommodations in this Swiss resort are mostly self-contained apartments & chalets with only a few hotels. I lucked out at the Eden Resort with a lovely ground floor suite apartment, and a complimentary a view of the forest and mountains across the valley. A well-stocked local supermarket (a large Coop supermarket with long opening hours before & after skiing) allowed for adequate provisioning and the use of the apartment’s kitchenette. The bus stops (for PostBus & Ski Bus) were right out the front, and the gondola station was only a short stroll up the road. The local pool & spa complex was 200m away down a cleared pedestrian walkway.
Midweek in January the village was super-quiet, particularly at night. The handful of bars were mostly empty, several of the restaurants were closed until the weekend and the general feel of the place was that I had it all to myself. Asking a few locals where the best dining was, all pointed to the Le Panorama restaurant, which happened to be in the building where I was staying. Had a wonderful meal there, even if somewhat over-seasoned (as is the way in these parts). Others worth a look on one of the nights spent in the village include Le Raccard; a bar, crêperie & carnotzet which served me up some delicious nosh involving a galette, smoke salmon, spinach and a whole small wheel of goat’s cheese. The best après ski bar is the ski-in Why? Not, located just above the main car park at the gondola station. Tried several others in town, but none truly grabbed me. Although Les Délices de Chez Nous is cool early in the evening for an aperitif or wine with some local nibbles. Would be interesting seeing what they were like on a weekend or during peak season when the village has a little more vibe.
For fresh bread or a quick bite, La Canne à Sucre is a bakery/tea-room (boulangerie) serves tasty pains, croissants and treats, but it is tucked away under the Eden Resort building so you may not notice it.
I travelled to and from the resort on the PostBus from the main bus station at Sion (railway station). A very simple process that I can recommend to everyone. Sion’s transport hub has direct bus links to the many of the region’s ski areas.
I enjoyed Anzere a whole more than anticipated. The village had all I needed, the natives were friendly, my accommodation was fantastic, the snow & terrain were exactly as ordered, and I had a Magic Pass, so the ski lifts cost me nothing! I’ll definitely come back and are looking forward to skiing the whole mountain in decent visibility.
Since being in Anzere, I heard comments from locals in the valley that consistently drive past the turnoff to the resort because they favour Crans Montana or somewhere else. Whilst that cannot be good for Anzère, its fine by me, cos I’ll take the turnoff and go skiing here over Crans-Montana any day!
Read more about the pros & cons of this ski resort on the Anzère overview page.